Location: 804 SW 12th Ave and Yamhill (located on Yamhill, next to India Chaat House)

Description: The Chaat is back! (Updated May 17) There was some sort of family split WHICH IS NONE OF OUR BUSINESS, but the former cook/owner/or something from India Chaat next door just simply reopened  a new name and a spiffed up cart-bus of her own. The lesson here?  HELL HATH NO FURY LIKE A CART OWNER SCORNED.

Anyway, I’ll keep out of this War of the Roses style cart drama henceforth, but I have to say that Bombay Chaat is certainly exceeding expectations in value, quality and service. It’s basically the same menu as before with 100% vegetarian (or vegan on request) Indian snacks, bean or vegetable dishes, curries, rice dishes and some of the best Naan bread to grace Portland.

The $5.00, 6 piece lunch special should be illegal at this price. Easily enough to serve two for lunch, it comes with basamati rice, dal tarka spiced lentils, a hubcap sized piece of tender made to order naan, and three main dishes such as creamy vegetable korma, aloo saag spinach and potatoes. A free cup of chai tea is usually offered up while you wait, so technically this could be considered a 7 course meal for $5.00. Whoa. That’s a bargain!

Although the above lunch deal is the reason many eat at this cart, I’m particuarly fond of the Chaats (snacks). These are things like made to order garlic naan bread ($1.25), sev-poori crispy Indian noodles with tarmarind and mint sauces, homemade yogurt, garbanzo beans and onions, or aloo tiki deep fried mashed and spiced potato patties. The Samosa Chaat is one of my favorite things: two close to baseball sized potato and vegetable samosas, deep fried and served with the same sauxe as the sev-poori above. At $3.50, the Samosa chaat makes a terrific lunch, while my tweet tooth often steers me to the Pishwari bread stuffed with almonds, pistachios, raisins and cashews with a rose syrup. Sweet or mango yogurt lassis are also quite refreshing.

I’m not going to say which cart I prefer or which one I think is better. Dear reader, I’ll let you be the judge of that. I will say however that I’m really glad Bombay Chaat is open for business.

Sample Menu:

Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-7pm

Phone: 503 241-7944

Website: Bombay Chaat House

Email: BombaayChaatHouse@gmail.com