Day 24 - Our Vegan Foodcart Experience

Foodcarts are 100% totally awesome.


Portland is dotted all over with these tiny little restaurants that you can walk up to, order, and be on your way with delicious fare in a matter of minutes. Anything from BBQ to soup to tacos can be made in the back of the impossibly small trailers that they somehow fit into.

Visiting a food cart in Portland is a very different experience than a restaurant, especially at lunchtime. You might have a line of people behind you, an over-worked employee in front of you, and a hand-written, semi-legible sign with the daily specials on your side. The idea is that you know what you want, order it efficiently, and are gone as quickly as possible.

This assembly line efficiency isn't really my style, which is why foodcarts are so much better right around 2:00 pm. By that time the lines have cleared out and the cart owners are bored and looking for a customer to please and satiate. This magic hour just so happens to be the time Katie and I took a visit to the India Chaat House, a little trailer of culinary nirvana just off SW 12th and Taylor.

Where else can you get THREE entrees, a bucketful of indian-ized basmati rice and the best naan you will ever eat out of foil for five of your American dollars. That's right, you can buy a lunch special that will easily feed two for five freaking dollars!

Of course it has to be mentioned that this place is 100% vegetarian and anything on the menu can be made vegan. There is no trace of chicken, lamb or beef on the entire menu and I never missed it. Katie and I both got the lunch special, ate until we both felt sick, then had the leftovers for dinner. Katie's planning on taking the leftover-leftovers for lunch tomorrow. That's five meals between the two of us for $10. And while you wait, free chai.

Wow.

The best part about this foodcart, however, is right next door. There is another cart that serves indian food. This cart doesn't just serve indian food, but has the exact same menu as the India Chaat House, is 100% vegetarian, gives out free chai and is called the Bombay Chaat House.

Sound a little weird? Just check out this article and it will all make sense.

Either way, if you are looking for a HUGE meal right around lunchtime and are in downtown, be sure to hit up the Chaat House corner. You will not be disappointed, and you WILL be full.


So much deliciousness, so little room in my belly!


Be Healthy,
Brendan