Market Hauls and Local Noms

Spotlighting Local Businesses Around the Globe

Around the World in Portland, Oregon: Local Noms Guide

Here’s a list of my favorite places to eat in Portland, Oregon, organized by country or region.

BULGARIA

The Bulgarian Job: A bright yellow food cart run by Ilin and Boris Georgiev, two brothers with a passion for sharing Bulgarian culture, food, and history. Check out this post to learn more.

Top left: Shopska Salata—a Bulgarian national dish made with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, peppers, parsley, olive oil, and sirene (Bulgarian brined white cheese). Bottom left: Mixed olives sautéed with spices, red pepper, and garlic. Right: Fire Roasted Djob—a bread pocket stuffed with roasted red pepper and sirene, served with crispy fries.

CAMBODIA/LAOS

Mekong Bistro: A Cambodian-Laotian restaurant, family business, and vibrant gathering space featuring a concert area and dance floor. Check out this fantastic article by Elizabeth Mehren to learn more about Saron Khut, the owner of Mekong Bistro and founder of the Mekong River Band, and his incredible story and commitment to building community.

Som-Lar Maju Kreung: A Cambodian sour soup with ong choy (water spinach), tofu, and a homemade blend of herbs and spices.

COLOMBIA

Que Bacano: A Colombian food cart (and member of the Portland Mercado) that expanded into a brick-and-mortar restaurant on SE Hawthorne Blvd in 2020. The name comes from a Colombian slang term referring to something cool, nice, hip, or radical. Click here to learn more about the former dentist-turned-owner Andres Felipe Perez and his business.

Vegetarian Paisita (a spin on the classic Colombian Bandeja Paisa) with beans, rice, plantains, avocado, two fried eggs, and an arepa.

COSTA RICA

La Carreta Pura Vida: A delightful family business serving up vibrant Costa Rican fare inside the Pine Street Market in Old Town. Check out this post to read more about co-owners Alvin Pérez and Liliana Gaitán and the story behind their business.

A vegetarian take on the beloved Costa Rican Casado, featuring rice, beans, salad, plantains, pico de gallo, panela cheese, and eggs.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

Patience S Cuisine: A small but welcoming Congolese joint that opened in Old Town in June 2024. Head here to learn more about how Patience, the incredible one-woman force behind the business, reclaimed her relationship with food and is using Congolese cuisine to share her culture and build community.

Top left: Madesu (tender beans cooked in a savory sauce and garnished with fresh herbs); bottom left: Makemba (fried plantains); top right to bottom right: Kpadamu (groundnut soup), Pondu (cassava leaves simmered with peanut butter and palm oil), and Nkovi (collard greens cooked with peanut butter).

GUYANA

Bake on the Run: The first and only food cart serving Guyanese food on the West Coast. Founded by mother-and-son duo Bibi and Michael Singh, Bake on the Run opened in September 2018 and is part of the WonderLove Food Cart Pod. Check out this link to learn more about their story and menu.

Top left: Bake (semisweet Guyanese puff bread) with Guyanese Chana Aloo (chickpea potato curry). Top right: Bake with pumpkin butter. Bottom: Chef Bibi’s Guyanese Vegan Chow Mein (made with award-winning noodles imported from Guyana).

JAPAN

Obon Shokudo: A cozy spot in Portland’s Central Eastside offering plant-based Japanese comfort food. Check out this post to learn more about co-owners Humiko Hozumi and Jason Duffany.

The Combo: Two onigiri (nukazuke pickled ginger & carrot, and Buddha’s hand with hominy miso), one giant panko-crusted tater tot, one curried korokke (a mixture of Japanese sweet potatoes, raisins, and curry spices, coated with panko breadcrumbs and fried to perfection), one kakiage (a savory fritter made with onions, cabbage, and seasonal ingredients), and a small side salad with sesame dressing.

NEW ZEALAND

Nico’s Ice Cream: A business serving New Zealand-style ice cream (real fruit blended with vanilla ice cream) at two locations in Portland and two in California. Check out their website for more information.

Nico’s Real Fruit Marionberry Ice Cream: A creamy blend of Oregon marionberries and vanilla ice cream.

NORWAY

Viking Soul Food: A wonderful restaurant in Portland’s Woodstock neighborhood serving innovative Pacific Northwest-meets-Nordic cuisine. Click here to read more about co-owners Megan and Jeremy and the story behind their business.

Left: Troll Snack (roasted garlic and Jarlsberg cheese spread on rye crackers, garnished with surkal—sweet and sour purple cabbage pickled with apple cider vinegar and caraway). Right: Lefse (Norwegian flatbread made with potatoes) wrap with homemade mushroom and hazelnut patties, toasted hazelnuts, Danish blue cheese, surkal, mild greens, and parsley vinaigrette.

SRI LANKA

Mirisata: A BIPOC/worker-owned, vegan, and tipless Sri Lankan restaurant on SE Belmont. The name can loosely be translated from Sinhala (one of Sri Lanka’s two official languages) as ‘spicy curry.’ Check out their website for more information.

Rotating Rice and Curry Plate with pumpkin curry, tempered long beans, deviled potatoes, cucumber sambol, and pol sambol (a Sri Lankan condiment made with grated coconut, chilis, onions, and lime), served on a banana leaf. Always accompanied by Parippu (Sri Lankan lentil dahl curry), Kaha Bath (yellow rice), and Papadam (crispy lentil flour cracker).

SWITZERLAND

Swiss Hibiscus: A cozy restaurant in the Alberta Arts District serving Swiss classics like fondue and Spätzli (Swiss-style pasta). The name pays homage to the restaurant’s Swiss-Hawaiian heritage, which you can read about here.

Vegan lentil stew with vegan rösti (Swiss-style hash brown).

VENEZUELA

El Salto PDX: A vibrant Latina-owned food cart specializing in vegan Venezuelan fare. The name refers to El Salto Ángel (Angel Falls), the world’s tallest uninterrupted waterfall, located in Venezuela’s Canaima National Park. Check out this post to learn more about the business and owners, Paola and Pablo Cruz.

A vegan take on the Venezuelan dish Arepa Reina Pepiada with homemade chickpea poyo, garlic aioli, and creamy avocado. Also pictured: sweet plantains and guasacaca (a zesty, creamy Venezuelan green sauce made with cilantro and peppers).

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Published by

Hannah

Leave a comment