Samurai

Samurai is a Japanese food cart near the corner of SW 9th and Alder in downtown Portland, Oregon. A highly recommended cart by Food Carts Portland, it is also a veteran on the food cart scene (opened circa January 2008).

Mentioned in the Oregonian!

Menu, side 1 (December 2011)

Menu, side 2 (December 2011)

Yup, that's what I got!

I asked the cart operator what the most popular item was. Without hesitation, he mentioned the teriyaki chicken ($7). I also noticed I could get it spicy...so one spicy teriyaki chicken for me!

Spicy Teriyaki Chicken
(Samurai)

The food was cooked to order, ready in a few minutes. A bed of rice topped with thin strips of chicken, all basically in a small puddle of teriyaki sauce, plus some steamed vegetables on the side. The chef added some dried chili flakes/powder of some sort on the chicken. And sure, for some presentation (and more flavor), add some chopped green onions!

The sweet-savory teriyaki sauce really heightened this dish. Without question, one of the better teriyaki sauces I've had. The thin chicken pieces were still juicy and cooked with precision. The spice topping the chicken added a tinge of heat, but did not disrupt my food gorging. And hey, you gotta love eating rice laced in teriyaki sauce! Let's hear it for flavor! *cheers*

People have also raved about the Agedashi Tofu ($6), seemingly the ideal dish for vegetarians (and even meat-eaters like myself). The yakisoba ($7) and the oyako donburi ($7) also garnered positive feedback. The cart operator also recommends the katsudon ($7). Then again, I doubt you could go wrong here, as just about everything on the menu is $7 or cheaper.

Samurai wielded its sword and masterfully blew me away! Check them out ASAP! 8.75/10