Alle Amin

This restaurant was an adventurous experience and there wasn’t any menu presented instead the hostess told us what she had available that day which was goat with rice and sumbusas a pastry filled with meat.
The goat and rice was excellent and the portions were very large and served with garnish of lettuce, onion and banana which is added to the rice and goat dish. If you have never had goat it’s like lamb but better and leaner.
We also had Shaah (Somali tea with cinnamon and other spices it’s sweet and tasty)
While the atmosphere might be the opposite of a normal restaurant don’t pass this restaurant by because inside is amazing food and polite hosts.

My 10 year old daughter and I love to eat at this restaurant. The spices on the meat are perfection. It’s a bare bones room but the flavor explodes in your mouth! (We always get «the chicken and rice».) The owner and her daughter are always there. We enjoy talking with them.
My daughter wants to write a review so here is what a 10 year old has to say about Alle Amin:
This restaurant is amazing!!! When you walk in you feel like you are in the sweetest little place ever! They start you of with a cup of bottled water and even though they have never given us a menu they still seem to have the best recommendations for what is good. They ask you if you would like goat with rice or chicken with rice. We always pick the chicken but I’m sure that the goat would be good too ! The first things you get are sort of like dumplings but bigger and better! They always have really flavorful seasonings and that is coming a kid who normally likes things plain. After that while you are waiting you have the opportunity to come into a conversation with what I think is the owners daughter who has been there every time I’ve went. Then you will have a platter sent out to you with (in our case) chicken and rice. The favors are wonderful and they taste like someone has put there hart into it! The seasonings are wonderful and full of heart! There is a cooking show called Master Chef and if they were on it they would win! So go out and try the delicious meals from the family owned business!

Freaking delicious, I mean seriously. The lamb, chicken, sambusas and sauce are just amazing. We also ordered fresh pressed guava juice, omg… she doesn’t add any sugar and it was just so good. I read a review above about their service, but I think it’s pretty obvious the restaurant is kept by only one or two people so when you enter you have to call out hello and once they come out you can ask for the menu or look at the one under the table plastic.

Alle Amin is the best place for goat in Portland. You have to give this place a try!
This has been on my list of places to try for a while and I was glad I did. When I walked in there was a very kind woman who told me I could sit anywhere I liked. I took a seat and at that time there was only one other person in the restaurant and he looked like he was really enjoying his meal and it looked really good.
I was handed a menu and took a few minutes to look it over and quickly decided on getting the Hilib Ari, the goat and a hot tea. At first they brought out a small salad with some lettuce, tomatoes and a lemon wedge as well as my Shaah Somali tea. The salad was simple but good and the tea was excellent. The tea had some milk in it as well as cinnamon, cloves and cardamom.
When they finally brought my meal I was amazed. The portion size was huge and it looked wonderful. The look of the goat and the color of the meat was perfect and when I tasted it I was not disappointed. It tasted even better than it looked. I am not sure exactly what the spices were that were used but they were perfectly balanced. The goat meat was not dry at all and it was so juicy and flavorful. It also was easy to get off of the bone. The side of Basmati rice on the side was good and to be honest there was so much food I was not able to finish it all and had to take some home.
I liked that the woman at the restaurant took the time to have a conversation with me about the food and her recommendations on what try when I come back next time. I will say this, as much as I would want to try other things off the menu, the Hilib Ari was so good I think I would get that again.
I liked that they filled my tea cup up several times and I did not need to ask them. They also offered me some water but I was happy with the tea.
Before leaving I got my banana, even though I could not eat all of my food. I totally recommend this place and I think both the food and the service were great.

If there’s only one thing to know before going here, it’s: get the goat. We ordered via phone for takeout. We ordered rice with goat, rice with chicken, and two sambukas (chicken and beef). When we arrived, the food was already ready for us. The place was certainly lacking in ambiance… so I would recommend take out for everyone. Not to mention, it’s tiny. We knew that portions were going to be huge as soon as we picked up the bag… it was HEAVY.
We dug into the sambukas as soon as we got in the car… they were delicious. They come with a small cup of spicy dipping sauce. However, a few bites into the second sambuka, we realized that we had been given vegetarian lentil sambukas, instead of the chicken and beef that we ordered. They were still delicious… but this mix up in orders prevented us from giving the place five stars.
Out of the rice and goat and rice and chicken, goat was our absolute favorite. Be warned, the meat is intermixed with pieces of bone… but it is so flavorful and so tender! Literally falling-​off-​the-​bone goodness. The chicken was tasty as well, but if you onlygetone dish here, get the goat.
Let’s talk portion size… the amount of rice we got per dish. Could Be fed two to three people, easily. So, with the two dishes combined, four to six people could’ve had a decent serving of rice. They also came with a small salad next to the meat. Meat portion sizes were decent. Not huge, but enough. But rice definitely makes the bulk of the dish. Not that it really matters, the rice is delicious!
Something we found amusing, was that our order came with two bananas. Kind of random, but a nice touch!
Don’t be fooled by the hole-​in-​the-​wall, divey ambiance of this place. They have awesome food.

This was seriously the strangest dining experience I’ve ever had. We were looking for a new place for a bite to eat in the area and Alle Amin popped up with great reviews. We figured we’d give it a try.
We walked to the building and saw the African market facing the main street, and then found the «restaurant» down the side street. There were a few tables, but nothing really resembling a restaurant. For some reason, we walked inside anyway. A little girl was having her dinner and said her mom would be out of the bathroom and would help us soon (too much info, but what do you expect from a little kid). Out walked a lady, dressed in her Somalian clothing, and told us, in very broken english, that she had goat, chicken, or spaghetti. Seeing as one of those things was not like the other, we ordered goat and chicken.
Mind you, we were not offered a menu, there’s a TV on up above, a little girl is eating, and to the left is a an open doorway leading to another room. You feel like you’re in the poorly built added on room in the back of some strange house.
We learned that the woman is also the cook and the mother of the girl. The girl would help and bring us our dishes. We asked her for water and she looked into the cooler and said they didn’t have any water, only pepsi. We said we’d take tap water, that was fine. They brought us out sambusas, a kind of pastry filled with veggies and chicken. Those were actually quite good. Then they brought out lettuce with sliced onion. From the reviews, seems like people think this is a side salad. There is no dressing or anything on it. It is actually meant to be eaten with the main dish. From our observations of the one other guy in the room, he was taking the lettuce with his hands and grabbing the meat and rice and eating it all together.
The goat dish was fairly large with a good amount of meat. It all came on the bone so you had to pull it apart, almost like ribs. The chicken was very seasoned and tasty as well.
Afterwards we felt like we were far too used to American culture for this place. Everyone eats with their hands. This really feels like you’re in Somalia, and you may feel pretty uneasy while you’re there. As someone pointed out to me, that is their culture, which is fine, however as this is far from your average Portland dining experience, that’s what these reviews are for. But the food is meat was good and they surprisingly take a credit card. I am very confused on if they actually have a restaurant license at all, as I did not see one anywhere. It certainly seemed the standards where far from what the city would require a public dining business to operate under. It was just so strange and I’m still not sure what to think of it!

This is not a restaurant. There was no food, no menu. We entered and a man shut the door behind us and told us to sit and went to the back. We sat for 5 minutes. A man came to the door and tried to enter. He found the door locked and began banging on the glass door window.
We got up unlocked the door and left.
Would have loved to try the food but didn’t like being locked in

Order the delicious goat with rice! While the ambience may be rather lacking, for $ 10 the food is a great deal and the staff extremely welcoming. My wife got the chicken with rice which was also excellent. We got a basic salad, which came with a squirt bottle of dressing, sambusas filled with flaked salmon and vegetables (delicious), the main courses, bottled water and a banana. Oh and some great lime /​green chili hot sauce.
We will for sure be back!

What a find! On the recommendation of other Unilocalers, hubs and I made it to this little hole in the wall around 6pm today (Sunday). The door was locked, even though they were supposedly open till 8. Then we noticed another glass door next to it, and inside there were some people who appeared to be eating. So we went in there. Six tables, and these four guys at one table, who looked like they might be related to the owners, had just been served something that looked delicious. There was no one else in there. We stood there for a bit, not sure what to do. (Turned out the locked door was for the next room, which wasn’t being used.) Finally I asked one of the diners, «Um, do you know if they’re still serving dinner?» He said, «I think he’ll be coming out again soon.»
Well, so we waited another couple minutes, and sure enough, a fellow came out and said, «Can I help you?» I said, «Are you still serving dinner?» He looked unsure and then said apologetically, in very broken English, «We today have only goat, chicken, and spaghetti.»
So I pointed at the other table and said, «What they have looks good!»
He nodded, showed us a table, and went into the kitchen. Before I could blink, he was back with a small, very fresh salad and a whole banana for each of us. I asked for water and he gave us bottled water. Within — I kid not — three minutes, he was back with two huge steaming plates of chicken over rice. It was fantastic.
When it came time to ask for the bill, he didn’t seem to understand at first, but then I made a writing motion with my hand, and he said, «OK. Twenty dollars.» That was it. Ten bucks a plate, and they didn’t charge for the water, the salad, or the banana. Unbelievably, they do take credit cards, and I did actually sign a regular-​looking credit slip.
After we left we stood outside for a bit looking at the pictures of the food they had posted. There really were only three or four pictures. The guy came out and told us that we should come back to try the goat because it really was the best thing they make, and also apologized that he wasn’t able to give us the sambuka which is a fried thing that looks like a samosa, and asked us to come back to try it.
Bottom line: even though I never saw a menu or a bill, and it took a couple tries to get in the door, it was great, friendly, lightning-​fast service and even better food, and incredibly cheap. I will definitely be back to try the sambukas and the goat!

My friend and I were looking for a cheap new place to eat. From the pics my friend thought it was at first Chinese food but we read on and realized it was African.
After reading the reviews we decided to give it a go. We walked in and we were asked by a lady I believe from Somalia, if we wanted to eat there.
We seated ourselves, and asked for a menu but we were told only chicken and goat were available, and on top of pasta or rice. The table was a bit dirty where we sat.
If you’re wanting something clean and modern, and to have attentive service this isn’t the place for you. It’s very plain inside minus the painting on the wall.
We were given a free samosa which was amazing and came with this delicious hot spice. We asked for water and she gave us bottle water.
Food didn’t take long to prepare and the taste was pretty dang good.
The place is such a hole in the wall you don’t really notice it. And those hole in the walls typically have really great food. This place stood up to that!
Also a lot of natives were going in and out so that says something.
$ 10 for the whole dinner!
Can’t beat it :)

Great place, very friendly owner. Go early on Fridays and Saturdays; they sometimes run out of food.

This is my first stop after temple service on Sundays! I always get take-​out (which will take her about 20min to prepare). Her goat and rice dish is simple, but amazing! My kids, who usually wouldn’t think of trying goat meat, devour her meals. The restaurant is literally a hole-​in-​the-​wall, but it is worth going. Hospitable service and great food, every time.

Came here for lunch and it was wonderful. This restaurant is the perfect reason why eating out is so exciting. Great authentic food and very welcoming. I had the chicken plate with rice,(enough food for two) so this can be shared. It was full of great spices and flavors, the chicken was tender and well cooked. I also tried the goat and that was amazing as well. I’m a fan and will return.

Incredible experience! I went in and was warmly greeted by the woman who seems to manage the restaurant. She was so hospitable!
I ordered the goat rice dish and it was unbelievable. Not only was it a great meal, but I was also served a free appetizer and a delicious, sweet tea. It was more food than I expected (not that I’m complaining) and a great price!

Tucked away on Glisan St., you can get good and cheap Somali food. I stopped in for my first time tonight and got the Sambusas as well as the chicken and rice. Both dishes were excellent. We were also served some complimentary tea and given some bananas to snack on. The only reason I took a star is the place could use some fixing up and the service was a bit slow. My wife said, «it felt like we were eating at someone’s house» in reference to the atmosphere. You can fix all of those problems by calling ahead and getting the food to go.

Super good food, family atmosphere. I had goat and basmati rice my friend had lamb gyro. Both excellent and large portions. The tea is really realy good. Will definitely come back

Real undiscovered Portland gem. The Tuna was amazingly flavorful. Only like 5 entrée options, but they are all well done.

One of the treats of being in a great food city like Portland is stumbling across something unexpected and amazing. After encountering some vehicle trouble and becoming stranded (as well as *starving*), I made the judgement call to check out Alle Amin after smelling an intense aroma that reminded me of Halal food back home in New York. The place was close to empty and the vibe was divey, just the way I like it.
As it turns out, Alle Amin has barely been around a year and was still relatively «undiscovered» as the manager explained. The menu was small, barely a page in length, with just enough dishes that covered the spectrum of simple veggie dishes and rice + meat combos. As it was explained to me, the food is largely Somali and contains influences from Europe, SE Asia, and Africa. After ordering a hot Somali tea (a spicy cinnamon), I went with the Hilib Ari — a rice plate with stewed goat meat.
The result was something wonderful. Upon arrival the food was piping hot, full of aromatic notes that would make any hungry hippo salivate upon consumption. The textures of the meat and rice had me thinking of Indian cuisine briefly, though the goat was stewed in a way where the only reference I had was something similar I had from travels in the Caribbean. Nonetheless, Portland needs more of this food and badly.
Also had an order of the sambussa, which was essentially an African samosa. I opted for the chicken version, which was delightful: chunky bits of juicy meat, and a nice crunch from the perfectly fried exterior. Throw in a bit of hot sauce and an appetite to boot, this is probably a near perfect appetizer.
Eventually someone came to relieve me and offer me a ride home. Thank goodness I was finished with the meal at this point, or I would’ve never wanted to leave. Save for the fact that Bui Natural Tofu (
) is across the street, I’m already looking forward to my next visit.

A true African experience, I love coming here again & again. My favorite dish is the Hilib Ari (goat meat with rice); very flavorful & delicious!

This was a unique experience. I’m not sure if I’ve eaten at a place like this anywhere in America aside from a friend’s house. My friend and I wandered in because we saw the sign for Somali food. I had wanted to try this place before, but it had been closed when I have wandered around these parts earlier.
We walked in and two people were sitting at a table — a father and a little girl. The father asked us if we were here to eat. He seemed a little surprised. We said yes and they took us to a table. The mother was in the kitchen and she came out and said she had chicken and rice — very good chicken and rice. Would we like some? Sure!
There were no menus. We had no idea how much our dinner would cost or even what this chicken and rice dish would be. The father handed us bottles of NICE brand water and brewed us up some spiced shaah, somali tea to try. It was black tea with cinnamon and cloves. Sweet and delicious.
They brought us a first course of salad with lime and a banana. Next was our plate of rice, spiced chicken and vegetables. It came with a spicy lime sauce that was flavorful and unique. They could have brought us just one plate and served it family style, but each of us had one plate each. They preemptively brought a styrofoam container to take our leftovers to go.
People came in and out, including aunts and friends, chatting with the owners. The daughter sang One Direction songs and talked with us as we ate her mother’s delicious, spicy chicken. It felt more like a communal kitchen or being at a friend’s house for a party. My friend wondered how much our dinner was going to cost — not something that’s a usual issue at any restaurant. The father let me know that they usually serve goat as well and that it’s quite good.
Our dinners ended up costing $ 10 each and we had an amazing experience. We will definitely be back to try their other items and partake in the truly homey atmosphere. This was an fun trip far away from Portland while remaining just minutes from home. A truly unique find.