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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Market Hauls and Local Noms 