At the very first drop of an autumn leaf, I start to crave Indian takeout even more often than I normally do—creamy sauces, warming spices, fluffy rice, and pillowy naan. Now, there’s a new cart I’ll be adding to my regular rotation: Indian Flavor Express.
Upon first glance, the menu includes dishes offered at lots of other Indian carts around town: samosas, tandoori chicken, butter masala, vindaloo, and tikka masala. But look closer, and you’ll find other dishes rarely seen in restaurants around Portland.
Kalimiri, a tangy, light yogurt-based curry with black pepper showered in fried onions, gets a lift from fresh mint and cilantro; pair it with the cart’s eight-hour slow cooked lamb. The tariwala is flavored with mustard seeds, tamarind, and curry leaves—creamy, but not heavy thanks to coconut milk. In the bagara baingan, tiny Indian eggplants, served whole, swim in a thick, nutty gravy made of cashews, lotus seeds, and coconut. Even the stalwart butter chicken is a little different here, with bell peppers adding color and crunch and bringing out the sweetness of the tomato. Another classic, aloo gobi, becomes irresistibly sweet and sour thanks to achaar, or Indian pickling spices.
“It’s not normal Indian food; it’s fusion food from all over India, and he creates his own dishes on the menu,” says Moumita Roy, who owns the cart with her husband, known as Chef Basu.
The cart opened in late May of this year at the Wonderlove pod in the Central Eastside, known for its rooftop patio and late-night dance parties. Chef Basu studied hospitality in Kolkata, working at restaurants both in India and New York City for 24 years before moving to Portland to strike out on his own.
Everything is made to order, according to your spice preferences; medium was just enough for me to get a little sinus-clearing action without breaking a serious sweat. For most dishes, you can choose your protein: paneer, chicken, lamb, goat, or shrimp.
Indian Flavor Express also has a few Indo-Chinese street food offerings on its menu, including stir-fried Hakka noodles, Schezwan fried rice, and lollipop chicken. Those are next on my list to try, along with a couple of the appetizers: the chicken cheese corn ball, three of my favorite ingredients in spherical fried form, and the Fish 65 pakora, a seafood take on the classic fiery, bright red South Indian fried chicken dish, Chicken 65.
Already, Indian Flavor Express is on a roll; Roy tells me they plan to open their second cart this December. Located at the Hinterland Bar & Carts (2216 SE 50th Ave), it’ll offer the same dishes as Indian Flavor Express, this time under the name Indian Aroma. But Chef Basu will change up the menu at both carts occasionally, allowing his creativity to shine. I’m looking forward to seeing where this train’s headed next.
Indian Flavor Express, 262 SE Main, Wed-Mon 11:30 am-9 pm, indianflavorsexpress.com, @indianflavor_express
