Desi PDX
| Desi PDX | |
|---|---|
 | |
_-_02.jpg) Food cart at Prost Marketplace, 2022 | |
 | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Owner(s) | Deepak Saxena |
| Food type | |
| City | Portland |
| County | Multnomah |
| State | Oregon |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 45°33′16″N 122°40′33″W / 45.5544°N 122.6757°W |
| Website | desipdx |
Desi PDX, also known as DesiPDX or simply Desi,[1] is an Indian restaurant in Portland, Oregon.
Description
[edit]Desi PDX serves Indian cuisine from a food cart in a pod called Prost Marketplace, in the north Portland part of the Eliot neighborhood.[2][3] Fodor's and Michael Russell of The Oregonian have described the menu as "Indian fusion".[4][5] The Portland Mercury's Ned Lannamann called Desi PDX an "Indian-themed food cart" with "Indian dishes done Northwest style—or Northwest dishes done Indian style, depending on your viewpoint". He also wrote, "Virtually everything is gluten-free (and dairy-free, except for the creamy, cooling raita that comes on the side), and there are vegan options aplenty on their terrific menu of complex, intricately spiced fare."[6] The cart has dark wood siding and strokes of green and orange paint.[7]
According to Waz Wu of Eater Portland, the business offers "Indian flair with local produce to create a lively gluten-free menu of small bites, salads, and curries. The vegetables change, depending on what's in season, but vegans can always count on the stunning vegan thali, which includes a tandoori chickpea tempeh curry, cabbage slaw with turmeric-mustard vinaigrette, and a green chutney with a kick."[8] The menu has included a tamarind- and ginger-braised pulled pork sandwich served with curry confit onions, chickpeas, and basmati,[9] as well as cardamom chai chicken and rice with fenugreek-seasoned shrimp and tomato-and-lamb stew.[7][10]
History
[edit]Desi PDX is owned by Deepak Saxena.[9] The cart operated from the Cubby Hole pod, which closed in 2017.[11][12]
The business operated a pop-up out of the commissary kitchen Masala Lab PDX, as of early 2022. For Valentine's Day, Desi PDX offered a dinner with chickpea-miso masala lamb shank or vegan tempeh vindaloo as well as radicchio salad with cabbage, roasted Brussels sprouts, candied coriander, and pomegranate vinaigrette, tandoori spiced potatoes with roasted cauliflower sauce and pickled peas, basmati with black cardamom, and citrus cake.[13] Desi PDX also caters large events.[14]
Reception
[edit]Desi PDX was included in Yelp's 2016 list of Portland's top 40 food carts.[15] In 2017, Eater Portland's Mattie John Bamman said Desi PDX was "one of the hottest food carts in the city".[11] Ned Lannamann included the restaurant in the Portland Mercury's 2019 list of fifty of the city's best multi-cultural eateries, in which he described the business as "unique and excellent".[6] Waz Wu included Desi PDX in Eater Portland's 2021 overview of restaurants with "standout" vegan curries in the city.[8] The website's Ron Scott and Janey Wong included the business in 2021 and 2022 overviews of recommended establishments for "exceptional" Indian cuisine in Portland.[8][16] In 2025, Desi PDX was included in the website's overviews of Portland's best Indian food, best gluten-free eateries, and best food carts.[1][17][18]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Davies, Sararosa (July 14, 2016). "Portland's Best Gluten-Free Restaurants and Bakeries". Eater Portland. Retrieved May 23, 2025.
- ^ Cohen, Jason (September 6, 2020). "Much-Loved Food Cart Burger Stevens Is Moving Into the Prost Marketplace Pod". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ^ Centoni, Danielle. "Prost! Marketplace, Boise, Portland, Oregon, United States - Street Food Review". Condé Nast Traveler. Archived from the original on December 8, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ^ Fodor's Inside Portland. Fodor's Travel. April 7, 2020. ISBN 978-1-64097-251-3. Archived from the original on March 11, 2022. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ^ Russell, Michael (June 18, 2019). "How Prost Marketplace became Portland's top food cart pod (again)". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on November 28, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ^ a b "Celebrate the Best of America with 50 of Portland's Best Multi-Cultural Restaurants and Food Carts". Portland Mercury. July 4, 2019. Archived from the original on April 18, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ^ a b Scott, Ron (June 9, 2017). "Where to Find Exceptional Indian Food in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on February 15, 2022. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ^ a b c Wu, Waz (February 8, 2021). "Where to Find Standout Vegan Curries in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on October 26, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ^ a b Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (September 27, 2021). "Masala Pulled Pork Sandwiches and Paneer Nachos Are Coming to East Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on March 5, 2022. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (March 16, 2020). "Where to Find Takeout and Delivery During Portland's COVID-19 Outbreak". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on March 26, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ^ a b Bamman, Mattie John (July 31, 2017). "Two More Food Cart Pods Close". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ^ Bakall, Samantha (August 2, 2017). "Our best new food cart of 2017 is looking for a new home". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ^ Frane, Alex (February 12, 2019). "Where to Celebrate Valentine's Day in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on March 8, 2022. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ^ Roland, Rebecca (June 3, 2015). "13 Portland Food Trucks That Will Cater Your Wedding". Eater Portland. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
- ^ "PDX Sliders named top food cart in Portland by Yelp". KGW. August 15, 2016. Archived from the original on March 11, 2022. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ^ Scott, Ron (June 9, 2017). "Where to Find Exceptional Indian Food in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on February 15, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
- ^ Roland, Rebecca (June 9, 2017). "Where to Find the Best Indian Food in Portland". Eater Portland. Retrieved May 22, 2025.
- ^ Coleman, Ben (June 10, 2015). "The Best Food Carts in Portland". Eater Portland. Retrieved May 28, 2025.
External links
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