Like a typical Saturday, students filled tables and stood in lines waiting for food at the Commons. But this time, Bon Appetit wasn’t the only one catering food.
On Feb. 22, the University of Portland’s Campus Program Board (CPB) hosted its third Flavors of PDX in the Quiet Side of Commons. The event was split into two sessions, each featuring seven local businesses — Chochu Local, Po'Shines, DarSalam, White Elephant, La Bonita, Chik & Chuck and Bon Appetit — for students, staff and faculty to sample, according to CPB board member Alona Alleyne.
Following an afternoon of eats, The Beacon revisits stand-out flavors they’d like to taste again from the menus of three local businesses.
Top Flavor: Chochu Local
Editor-in-chief Kimberly Cortez and Living editor Camille Kuroiwa-Lewis hold chicken kelaguen and corn soup. Photo by Lexi Buckner
Coming back from last year’s Flavors of PDX, Portland food cart Chochu Local provided chicken kelaguen and vegan corn soup as featured on their island BBQ menu.
These samples were our favorites for their unique flavors and textures. The chicken kelaguen was a standout for its spicy and tangy blend of flavors, similar to ceviche.
Chochu Local was also the only business serving soup at the event. The warm sample was sweet, salty and made with the right balance of buttery corn and coconut milk. While soups can be delicious with a milk or cream base, this one was a reminder that vegan substitutes still make for a rich and comforting dish.
As a bonus, the soup’s sweetness was also the perfect mid-way dish between munching on burritos from La Bonita and salads from DarSalam.
Honorable Mentions
Recommended by Camille Kuroiwa-Lewis, Living Editor
Lao, Thai and Vietnamese fusion food cart White Elephant featured “Drunken Spaghetti” and vegan lemongrass tofu with teriyaki or peanut sauce. Keeping with my love for peanuts, I opted for the lemongrass tofu with peanut sauce and was not disappointed.
Living editor Camille Kuroiwa-Lewis holds lemongrass tofu with peanut sauce. Photo by Lexi Buckner
While the tofu and rice were simple ingredients to ground the more flavorful carrots and onions, it was the sauce that elevated the sample past an average soy-based meal. The peanut flavor provided the salt and the savoriness, while the spiciness gave the sauce a gentle kick.
But it was really the texture that won me over. Feeling the soft give of the tofu between my teeth, coupled with the peanut sauce, which was neither too thick nor too thin, made for a sensory party in my mouth.
My only critique was that there wasn’t enough peanut sauce to thoroughly coat each forkful of rice, tofu and vegetables.
Recommended by Kimberly Cortez, Editor-in-Chief
Chik & Chuck Coffee & Espresso served Pinoy pastries with classic Filipino flavors. Ube was the main flavor for two of the three dishes served, and our group tried all three
Editor-in-chief Kimberly Cortez holds an ensaymada with cheese. Photo by Lexi Buckner
options. Though all three pastries were stellar, my favorite was the ensaymada with cheese. It was a flaky pastry with a buttery topping and cheddar cheese sprinkled on top.
This was the first business we tried and by the time we made it to the end of the event, I was still thinking about how good it was. I’ll definitely be seeking these out on my own.
Kimberly Cortez is the Editor-in-Chief of The Beacon. They can be reached at cortez25@up.edu.
Camille Kuroiwa-Lewis is the Living Editor for The Beacon. She can be reached at kuroiwal26@up.edu.
