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Aaron Lee

Sad news from the food cart world: The much beloved cart Jook Joint (located at 530 SW 10th) will be closing down at the end of the month according to this sad announcement on Twitter.


And a bit more info from Jook Joint's Facebook page:

The brainchild of chef Ryan Ostler, Jook Joint produced a complex, satisfying blend of Southeast Asian cuisine and the yummy, fatty deliciousness of the American South. It also got rave reviews from the Portland Monthly and the Mercury, too. From our own Andrea Damewood's review from 2016:

There are two hemispheres' worth of flavor in the pillowy steamed bao ($8), which are stuffed like a taco with miso aioli, cilantro, kimchi, and smoked Lan-Roc pork belly. Be prepared to get that aioli on your sweater if you're not careful. Hand-puffed chicharrones rest atop each bao like the cherry on a sundae.

The coconut-corn fritters ($4)—like most of the menu, a mashup of Ostler's Austin, Texas, background and his travels through Southeast Asia and China—are four generously sized and piping hot cornmeal balls, coated in sweet Thai chile sauce with a soft interior of corn, scallions, and coconut. Another side, the deep-fried crispy Brussels sprouts ($4), is a show-stopping take-out carton of brassica nuggets jazzed up with a pineapple reduction and chilies.

We wish Ryan the best of luck, and our stomachs are begging to get more deliciousness from him in the future!