Authenticity flows through the air at Dashen International Groceries. They are a Hispanic market, one which has lots of frozen foods, packaged items, beverages including alcohol, traditional candles and so on. It is in the nice Kerns neighborhood, close to Oregon Park. This was interesting. I would not go out of my way to go here, as for that. However, the selections were often more interesting than what you would see at Safeway and Albertson’s. I had an Inca Kola and a chocolate bar for $ 1.50. It still can have a lot more, and this is more of a convenience store than a proper grocery store. This can bode in a situation where a neighborhood resident is waiting for the bus.
Jason C.
Tu valoración: 5 Portland, OR
Great little neighborhood ethnic foods store. The owner, an older Ethiopian man, is super congenial and helpful. This place stocks all the South American staples that are tough to come across. Aside from ordering online, this is our go to anytime we are in the protons metro area. Things like postobon, Malta, arequipe and mixes needed for bunuelos, natilla and pandequeso can all be easily found here. He stocks many Hispanic/Latino flavors/ingredients needed… Just about anything GOYA, he has. I give 5 stars, though prices are a bit higher than other grocery stores… Most of us realize that rare ethnic ingredients are at a premium. It’s tough to put a price on the things that are so reminiscent of home.
Chezz C.
Tu valoración: 3 Portland, OR
I was looking for yerba mate, and this is the place! A wide variety of the common commercial South American brands including all the Rosamantes. They sell the gourds and bombillas at the counter, too.
Jessica R.
Tu valoración: 5 Portland, OR
As a native Miamian and a lover of cooking many Peruvian and Latin American dishes, I was afraid I would need my mom to ship me a few key ingredients from Miami. However, I was excited to find Dashen and see I can simply purchase the needed ingredients myself. They sell aji amarillo, in both paste and frozen forms. They also have frozen Goya pastelitos de guayaba which aren’t the same as the fresh ones with guayaba y queso, but for being all the way on the opposite corner of the country, it will do.
Bob R.
Tu valoración: 4 Portland, OR
This is a review by a vegetarian A little gritty but stuffed full of interesting south of the border groceries including(drumroll…) Cachafaz Alfajores, Bitches!
Martin F.
Tu valoración: 4 Oregon City, OR
I have a recipe for Cuban steak that strongly recommended a bitter orange ingredient that I have not been able to find locally. This place had both of the recommended suggestions so now I can try each and see if one is better than the other. There were lots of other treats and imported goods that captured my imagination so I am going home with a bag full of adventures to try out on my unsuspecting friends and family. If these turn out as good as I’m expecting, I predict more trips to visit and more culinary adventures ahead. The proprietor was helpful and friendly. While it’s small, it is packed with stuff I don’t recognize from my local stores.
Gabriela R.
Tu valoración: 4 Portland, OR
Nice little grocery store with stuff from all over south america. You can get several kind of yerbas for mate(canarias, etc) and dulce de leche and not so expensive dulce de membrillo. It also has tapas for empanadas.
Melissa P.
Tu valoración: 5 Portland, OR
I am so excited to have discovered this little gem. After spending a few weeks in Peru, I was craving the soups that we ate all over Cuzco — but they require a specific Peruvian Yellow Chile for the recipe. And here it was! The owner was on the phone with a supplier the whole time I was in the shop — which was hilarious to listen to actually, and you could tell that he puts a lot of effort and care into what he orders, finding the variety and products that customers want, and trying to make sure he gets the best prices possible. Mexican coca cola, Spanish yellow rice, Peruvian chiles, South American candy bars; I came home with more than I planned, and have loved every bite.
Nika T.
Tu valoración: 5 Portland, OR
This place is little, but jammed with stuff to please the lover of Mexican/Central American/South American food. They have frozen pupusas(yum!), Mexican brown sugar cones, hibiscus flowers, fresh plantain, every Goya product on Earth, and even my old Trinidadian favorite, Mauby syrup! Oh mauby, you weird bitter rootbeer-like substance, who ever thought I’d see you again outside of Brooklyn? I am grateful for the existence of Dashen International Groceries.
Sabrina G.
Tu valoración: 5 Beaverton, OR
I’m a Cuban-American and recently moved to Portland from Miami, where Latin American food is readily available at every grocery store. I badly missed Cuban crackers, guava paste, plantain chips and ham croquetas and couldn’t find them anywhere. I also didn’t know any other Cubans in the area, which made it tough to track these foods down. Fred Meyer and other retailers only sold Mexican foods, which are completely different from what I wanted. Then I found Doshen! All of the goodies I was shipping in from Miami were on their shelves… sodas, snacks, frozen foods, marinades, even Cuban baby cologne! I am homesick no longer. It’s always 100% worth the long drive from Beaverton to shop at Dashen with their helpful service, too!
Lucia j.
Tu valoración: 5 Portland, OR
This is the only place in Portland that you can buy 80% of what they sell. Even if you come in just curious you’ll leave with an armful of fun Latin American stuff you didn’t know you wanted(I can verify that this is true…) If you come here more than twice you’ll become good friends with the guy working the register and if you walk around with big, lost eyes the first time you come he’ll happily answer your questions and chat about food. But better than that, they are well stocked enough for regular shopping too, and well liked by the actual Latin American community here. When more than one person has told me it «reminds me so much of back home in _____» in those EXACT words, you know it’s right.
Mark B.
Tu valoración: 4 Portland, OR
This is a great place to get hard to find Latin American foods. From Pan for Arrappas to candies etc. Also if there is a soft drink down the street at Pambiche that you like you can stock up here!
Libby W.
Tu valoración: 5 Gladstone, OR
I live in Gladstone, but driving up to Dashen is worth the trip because it has ingredients I cannot find in Clackamas County. Once you try using frozen Yuca, you’ll never go back to peeling, boiling, and fighting with it again! My father from south Florida found Dashen’s while visiting, now we can cook Cuban again! The owner is a kind man, also.