Best 5 vegan eats from 2022 in Portland, Oregon
This year has been a year of good eats. While many of our favorite restaurants and food carts closed, several have hung in there and even more places opened up. Portland continues to grow in the food space with more skilled chefs, quality food, and food concepts that are pushing boundaries. What’s even better is that this has been happening within the vegan food space. Many business owners are showing that vegan food isn’t just salads, they’re showing that vegan food is FOOD. It is diverse and still represents many cultures. Many cultures have dishes that are vegan friendly or vegetarian for many reasons.
With that being said, there were several incredible dining experiences I had this year with some amazing dishes and met some talented people. But here are the places that really stood out to me this year.
Maisha
Stuffed mandazi.
Owner, Tachibana, has been sharing with Portland what Kenyan food is and it’s about time. The entirely plant-based food cart left me speechless after just the first bite. I had almost everything on the menu and each dish was seasoned to perfection and had me thinking, why haven’t had I Kenyan food before? Kenyan cuisine uses a lot of vegetables, potatoes, and greens, making it a very vegan friendly cuisine. Dishes at Maisha include sambusas, ugali, a creamy polenta with curry sauce, matoke curry, chapata bread and more. Owner, Tachibana, made it even memorable with his hospitality and infectious smile. The passion for his food comes through with how every dish is prepared. My meal here was one of the best meals I’ve had in a long time.
Maisha
1122 SE Tacoma St, Portland, OR 97202
Open Wednesday to Sunday 4 pm to 10 pm
Bing Mi Dumpling and Noodle Bar
Vegan Zha Jiang Rice Bowl
If you’re a fan of the Bing Mi’s food cart for their famous jianbings, then you’ll love Bing Mi Dumplings and Noodle Bar. Owner, Jacky, always had a dream to open his restaurant and this year, it finally happened. Offering dishes traditional to Northern Eastern China and making noodles and dumplings from scratch with many vegan options. Here, I had one of my most favorite noodles: You Po Mian. A wide noodle cooked in garlic, green onions, sesame seeds, chili powder then splashed with Shaanxi oil. It may sound simple but it is packed with flavor.
Bing Mi Dumpling and Noodle Bar
2572 NW Vaughn St, Portland OR 97210
Open Tuesday to Saturday 11:30 am–2:30 pm, 4–8:30 pm
Daddy’s Vegan Wangz + Rangz
90’s R&B Raspberry-Bourbon Chipotle wings
Since the pandemic, pop ups have been quite a popular concept here in Portland. While some come and go, one that is going strong and very much enjoy is Daddy’s. They’ve been hosting their pop ups at Mama Dut Foods’ restaurant and they’re doing vegan wings made with sugar bone and creating one-of-a-kind wing sauces. They have a $5 smash burger that will tickle your taste buds and many other dishes that are worth waiting in line for.
Check their IG for pop up dates
La Casa De Mamá
Chocolate concha
This family-owned and operated bakery is doing vegan Mexican food right. As a Mexican growing up with classic treats like conchas, champurrado, tres leches cake, and tamales, finding vegan versions of these classics is a blessing. They started out doing pop ups and appearing at several markets around Portland, but now, they have their own brick and mortar on NE Alberta St. So you can now get their baked goods all of the time.
La Casa De Mamá
2215 NE Alberta St.
Kann
A few of the many vegan options at Kann.
Kann was named Portland restaurant of the year by Portland Monthly Magazine and The Oregonian, one of the 50 Best Restaurants in America by the New York Times and Best New Restaurant by Esquire Magazine. This Haitian and West African restaurant, owned by Gregory Gourdet, a James Beard Award Winner and a celebrity chef, has created a beautiful space that is meant to be enjoyed with loved ones. The entire menu is dairy and gluten-free and they even offered a separate menu with all of their vegan options. They use seasonal, local ingredients to create classic Haitian and West African dishes. Each dish was spectacular with the depth of flavor within every bite. Kann has a great mocktail menu as well.
Kann
548 SE Ash St, Portland, OR 97214
Open Sun Wed Thurs 4 pm to 10 pm; Fri Sat 4 pm to 11 pm
