Slow and Low
Location: E Burnside at 7th
[Location updated July 2010]
The Story:
My neighborhood is getting more carts. How am I so lucky? And..I don’t live downtown. A new pod has sprouted up in a parking lot on N Albina at Blandena just south of Albina Press. The pod is only a few blocks north of Mississippi Marketplace. After riding my bike throughout the car-free streets of NE Portland on Sunday, I was hungry for a sandwich, so I decided to drop by Slow and Low to see what they had to offer.
Slow and Low is the work of Amber, Joel and Sam and has only been open for about a week when I arrived. In a shiny new NMK custom built cart, Slow and Low is focusing on slow cooked pork for their tasty sandwiches. The pig is from Carlton Farms, so you know they are sourcing local and from a trusted purveyor of meats. The pork is their labor of love and you can taste it in the cooking.
My post bike enjoyment was the Boston Braised pork butt sandwich. Braised pork shoulder that is slowly roasted until it falls apart. Slow and Low’s version is marinated in a chipotle/coconut milk sauce which gives it an extra creamy and spicy flavor profile. The chipotle spice isn’t in the front of the mouth, more a creeper heat once you have swallowed and enjoyed all the other complex flavors. Built on a Fleur de Lis ciabatta roll with a slaw of finely chipped carrots and daikons, the sandwich went perfect with a cold beer after my Sunday ride. I can’t wait to return to try the Cantonese inspired pork belly sandwich. Anywhere I see anything with Kimchi is a winner in my book.
Slow and Low is admittedly “working out the kinks.” That’s what happens in the first few weeks of opening. They are currently open daily except for Wednesday, 11-8, but those later hours will depend on customers and traffic. The menu may change, but not the spirit. Check back often to see what’s new. Amber and Joel were in the cart the day I visited and were kind and welcoming to a neighbor who was hungry. I’m glad to have more options for cart food within walking distance of my back porch. Head on up there is you are looking for a change from what is available at Mississippi Marketplace and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.
Sample Menu:
* Classic Pork Confit: housemade sauerkraut, crunchy red onion pickle, horseradish golden beet mustard and arugula – $8
* Braised Boston Butt: braised pork butt in chipotle coconut milk sauce with Vietnamese carrot daikon pickle and Thai basil – $8
* Olive Oil Roasted Portabella: Malbec braised red beet, tomatillo pumpkin seed romesco and arugula – $7
* Cantonese Inspired Hook roasted belly: pork belly served with housemade kimchi mayo, fennel pickle, cilantro and iceberg lettuce – $8
Viet Cuisine
Published by dieselboi at 7:32 am under Dinner,Downtown,Lunch,SW 2nd and Stark,Vietnamese,Weekends
Location: SW 2nd and Stark
The Story:
I have fond memories of my first visit to a Vietnamese restaurant by Portland State University. I had eaten at Chinese restaurants throughout my childhood, yet was never exposed to other Asian specialties. That first visit was a game changer. I enjoyed a wonderful cold noodle salad which blew my mind because up until that point, a salad was something with iceberg lettuce, not noodles. Any time I get the chance to enjoy some Vietnamese dishes, I jump at it and now, in Portland’s ever expanding food cart scene, more Vietnamese options are becoming available. In May, Viet Cuisine opened.
Vietnamese food usually includes fish sauce, soy sauce, fresh herbs, fresh fruits and vegetables, beef or pork and rice. The mixture of herbs like lemongrass, mint, Vietnamese mint, cilantro or long coriander and basil brighten each dish and provide a complex layer of flavors to complement the other parts of the meal. With the inclusion of these fresh ingredients, one can’t help but eat healthier.
Viet Cuisine has a broad menu with dishes ranging from salad rolls and pot stickers as munchies to traditional bahn mi sandwiches and stir fried rice dishes. I enjoyed a wonderful cold rice noodle salad with fried egg rolls, grilled pork, a sprinkle of fresh cilantro, a side of sliced cucumbers, green onions and bean sprouts and that amazing sauce they give you. The sauce that I just love and could drink in shots like tequila had the flavors of fish sauce and rice vinegar along with tastes I just don’t know how to describe. Mix it all together – everything – including the chopped up peanuts and you have a wonderful salad for a warm spring day.
Viet Cuisine also offers up some great beverage choices including Vietnamese Coffee, an avocado shake and bubble tea in flavors including taro, honeydew, mango, strawberry and coconut. I only know one other cart in downtown that is also serving bubble tea, so Viet Cuisine may corner the market here. Wander on down to SW 2nd and check Viet Cuisine out. They have covered seating. Tell them Food Carts Portland sent ya.
Sample Menu:
* Salad rolls – $2.75
* Egg rolls – $2.75
* Bánh mì sandwich – $3
* Orange Chicken with rice – $5
* Salted Mussels – $6
* Stir fried lemongrass chicken or tofu on rice – $5
* Noodle salad – $5
|
Location: E Burnside at 7th
[Location updated July 2010]
The Story:
My neighborhood is getting more carts. How am I so lucky? And..I don’t live downtown. A new pod has sprouted up in a parking lot on N Albina at Blandena just south of Albina Press. The pod is only a few blocks north of Mississippi Marketplace. After riding my bike throughout the car-free streets of NE Portland on Sunday, I was hungry for a sandwich, so I decided to drop by Slow and Low to see what they had to offer.
Slow and Low is the work of Amber, Joel and Sam and has only been open for about a week when I arrived. In a shiny new NMK custom built cart, Slow and Low is focusing on slow cooked pork for their tasty sandwiches. The pig is from Carlton Farms, so you know they are sourcing local and from a trusted purveyor of meats. The pork is their labor of love and you can taste it in the cooking.
My post bike enjoyment was the Boston Braised pork butt sandwich. Braised pork shoulder that is slowly roasted until it falls apart. Slow and Low’s version is marinated in a chipotle/coconut milk sauce which gives it an extra creamy and spicy flavor profile. The chipotle spice isn’t in the front of the mouth, more a creeper heat once you have swallowed and enjoyed all the other complex flavors. Built on a Fleur de Lis ciabatta roll with a slaw of finely chipped carrots and daikons, the sandwich went perfect with a cold beer after my Sunday ride. I can’t wait to return to try the Cantonese inspired pork belly sandwich. Anywhere I see anything with Kimchi is a winner in my book.
Slow and Low is admittedly “working out the kinks.” That’s what happens in the first few weeks of opening. They are currently open daily except for Wednesday, 11-8, but those later hours will depend on customers and traffic. The menu may change, but not the spirit. Check back often to see what’s new. Amber and Joel were in the cart the day I visited and were kind and welcoming to a neighbor who was hungry. I’m glad to have more options for cart food within walking distance of my back porch. Head on up there is you are looking for a change from what is available at Mississippi Marketplace and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.
Sample Menu:
* Classic Pork Confit: housemade sauerkraut, crunchy red onion pickle, horseradish golden beet mustard and arugula – $8
* Braised Boston Butt: braised pork butt in chipotle coconut milk sauce with Vietnamese carrot daikon pickle and Thai basil – $8
* Olive Oil Roasted Portabella: Malbec braised red beet, tomatillo pumpkin seed romesco and arugula – $7
* Cantonese Inspired Hook roasted belly: pork belly served with housemade kimchi mayo, fennel pickle, cilantro and iceberg lettuce – $8
- Skinny 8-04-2010 7:18 pm
Viet Cuisine
Published by dieselboi at 7:32 am under Dinner,Downtown,Lunch,SW 2nd and Stark,Vietnamese,Weekends
Location: SW 2nd and Stark
The Story:
I have fond memories of my first visit to a Vietnamese restaurant by Portland State University. I had eaten at Chinese restaurants throughout my childhood, yet was never exposed to other Asian specialties. That first visit was a game changer. I enjoyed a wonderful cold noodle salad which blew my mind because up until that point, a salad was something with iceberg lettuce, not noodles. Any time I get the chance to enjoy some Vietnamese dishes, I jump at it and now, in Portland’s ever expanding food cart scene, more Vietnamese options are becoming available. In May, Viet Cuisine opened.
Vietnamese food usually includes fish sauce, soy sauce, fresh herbs, fresh fruits and vegetables, beef or pork and rice. The mixture of herbs like lemongrass, mint, Vietnamese mint, cilantro or long coriander and basil brighten each dish and provide a complex layer of flavors to complement the other parts of the meal. With the inclusion of these fresh ingredients, one can’t help but eat healthier.
Viet Cuisine has a broad menu with dishes ranging from salad rolls and pot stickers as munchies to traditional bahn mi sandwiches and stir fried rice dishes. I enjoyed a wonderful cold rice noodle salad with fried egg rolls, grilled pork, a sprinkle of fresh cilantro, a side of sliced cucumbers, green onions and bean sprouts and that amazing sauce they give you. The sauce that I just love and could drink in shots like tequila had the flavors of fish sauce and rice vinegar along with tastes I just don’t know how to describe. Mix it all together – everything – including the chopped up peanuts and you have a wonderful salad for a warm spring day.
Viet Cuisine also offers up some great beverage choices including Vietnamese Coffee, an avocado shake and bubble tea in flavors including taro, honeydew, mango, strawberry and coconut. I only know one other cart in downtown that is also serving bubble tea, so Viet Cuisine may corner the market here. Wander on down to SW 2nd and check Viet Cuisine out. They have covered seating. Tell them Food Carts Portland sent ya.
Sample Menu:
* Salad rolls – $2.75
* Egg rolls – $2.75
* Bánh mì sandwich – $3
* Orange Chicken with rice – $5
* Salted Mussels – $6
* Stir fried lemongrass chicken or tofu on rice – $5
* Noodle salad – $5
- Skinny 8-04-2010 7:19 pm [add a comment]