Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Chez Dodo (Part 3)

(Original Review -- January 2014)
(Second Review -- February 2015)

Chez Dodo has been alive and well since 2013, even surviving the dreaded January 2017 snowpocalypse that proved to be a death knell for other businesses. Shyam landed a temporary spot at PDX airport this year, and upon returning from Vidcon, that was my very first stop for food back in the Pacific NW.

Chez Dodo at PDX Airport (2017)
 
It's been a while since I've talked with Shyam, but he still remembered me from my past visits.

The menu has remained the same, with prices slightly increasing over the years (maybe a dollar or two) due to increased food costs and other overhead.

For newbies, you start with picking your base item (noodles, flatbread, or rice), add your choice of curry (vegan, chicken, or lamb), and then your sauce (five choices ranging from mild to I Dare You). In the past, the hottest sauce had been Island Fever (now second-hottest on the list).


After nuking my body in every possible direction in California, I yearned for a familiar cart with tasty food. I went with the usual Mine Frire (pan-fried noodles) with chicken curry and Island Fever sauce ($10). It comes with a side of mint chutney. The noodles are always cooked perfectly, and a healthy portion of chicken.



It remains a generous pile of delicious food, with very few changes since I first visited in 2014. The portion size might have been even larger back then, but business smarts have likely led to a slight change in that respect.


I happened to return from California on one of Portland's 100-degree days. It's not every day that we'd be significantly warmer than Southern Cal. Shyam offered a take on iced tea that featured tamarind, ginger, mint, and habaneros. Sweet and extremely refreshing, something I could drink all the time, even if it wasn't 100 degrees outside.




Shyam still has his original food cart in downtown, on SW 5th and Stark. While that cart is usually closed on weekends, I'd venture to PDX airport (and it is before security checkpoint) on the weekends while his second location is still there. Again, Chez Dodo comes very highly recommended! 9.5/10

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