Openings, Closings and Dishy Gossip

[August 6th, 2008]

“This is Obama food,” read the neon-orange flier that came with a hot takeout box of Indonesian food delivered to WW headquarters. FYI, “Obama food” is rendang, a rich beef stew made with roasted, grated coconut, turmeric rice and coconut milk, served with a hot pepper sauce. And it tastes pretty damn good. The taste test came courtesy of Mike Hillis and his wife, Priska, a Bali native, who opened a new food cart called Waroeng Nasi —which kinda translates to “small roadside shack that serves rice” in Indonesian—down in South Waterfront a few weeks ago (corner of Southwest Moody Avenue and Abernathy Street, 10 am-2 pm Monday-Friday). Priska and her mom, Aminah, prepare all the grub from family recipes, including Grandma’s peanut curry sauce, while Mike helps out with the cart and works on a book he’s writing about the history of the Spice Islands. He says to expect charbroiled fish steamed in banana leaves, chicken satay and more veggie specials in the coming months. It’s not the only cart in SoWa. Mediterranean standard Aybla has an outpost nearby, and Hillis says a Mexican and a barbecue cart are opening soon. And the Obama reference? “He grew up in Indonesia as a kid!” Hillis says. “This is street food [Obama] ate as a kid in Jakarta. If we get him to come to Portland again, I want to get some to him!”