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Location: SW 3rd and Stark

The Story:

Just when you thought another cart couldn’t fit on the expanding corner of SW 10th and Alder, you get an email about a new cart. The owners of SomTum Gai Yang contacted us a couple of weeks ago, announcing their opening. I mentioned it to a couple of fellow cart fans and within a couple of days was getting rave reviews about the food, so I decided to visit.

The name SomTum Gai Yang actually describes exactly what they serve. Som tum or som tam is a green papaya salad that is shredded in a way to make it look like noodles. It tastes a bit like jicima with a little sweetness. Almost like cabbage. Pair that with some carrots, cherry tomatoes, green beans and spice and you have a tasty meal. Gai Yang is Thai barbecued chicken. Put it all together and you have a great meal.

I decided to try the whole meal – SomTum Gai Yang – in order to taste all that they have to offer. I chose to get barbecued pork instead of chicken though. I’m always the troublesome one. The dish comes with a spicy sauce for the rice which is a sticky rice served in a bag and sealed to keep it sticky and moist. The salad was something I had never had. I actually thought the green papaya was noodles until my buddy told me otherwise. I ordered mine medium hotness and it was perfect. It wasn’t hot for hot’s sake, but more of a flavorful spicy hot. I may even ask them to go a bit hotter to see if the flavor intensifies. The pork was cooked perfectly and was a great compliment to the spicy salad. In the end, a great meal.

If you are a fan of Thai food, you should visit. They serve up only a few dishes, so they make those dishes special. I enjoyed that salad so much, I’m going to seek it out elsewhere to see how others prepare it. When you visit, let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

Somtum – green papaya salad w/lime juice served w/ sticky rice – $6

Gai yang – Thai style BBQ Chicken served w/ sticky rice – $6

Moo yong – Thai roast pork w/ sticky rice – $6

Tum Polamai – fruit salad combines chopped red and green apples, pears, oranges, and strawberries w/ lime juice – $6

Somtum Gai Yang – combination of salad and bbq chicken or pork – $7

Contact: 503 522 9543 (call for pickup)

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