Mum’s Kitchen

This cart is gone. :(

I got here at 11:30 am. I waited 20 minutes to get my order taken. She felt bad for the long wait and took $ 1.50 off and gave me some free roti. She gave us samples of her curries prior to us ordering them.
I had the butternut squash, the chicken curry, the daal, the bean curry, and the the pickled carrots. They were all decent, with quite a kick. I would recommend bringing some one to share with because portions are huge.
Service was slow but worth the wait.

I don’t know if this is «Authentic» South African /​Indian food, I don’t care. I do care that the food is delicious and «mum» is one of the nicest people I have met, I feel good about giving her my money.
I will admit the food is a slow turn around, especially for cart food. But if you call ahead you can walk right up and get your order with no wait.
Large portions, small dent to the wallet. Well worth it! One order of food usually covers lunch and tomorrows lunch, or sometimes todays «second lunch».

As much as I love my bio mom, my mom sure can’t cook India-​by-​way-​of-​South Africa cuisine the way that Mum can.
And just to head off a situation full of resentment at the pass — and because my mom still has a Unilocal account and reads my reviews when she’s not busy — I love my mom’s cooking and my mom. Duh doy.
But if my mom could feed me a steaming hot plate of daal, butternut squash, spicy cabbage, even spicier chickpeas, and beans over brown rice four of the seven lunch times of the week, I probably would never have left her home. And then I would be composing this review from the safe confines of my self-​imposed bubble of lame and action figures still in their original packaging.
Who am I kidding? My crime partner cooks more days out of the week than I do. If you catch me in a foul mood, I’m more likely to throw an ugly, butt-​hurt tantrum in the grocery store than a preschool kid. I’d much rather be on permanent dish duty than fix dinner. It’s a wonder I survive and am not dragged to parts unknown by packs of wolves.
Maybe it’s not such a mystery after all, as long as Mum of Mum’s Kitchen stays open and keeps the vegetarian sample platter for nine bucks on the menu. It’s full of potent spices and fiber. I always resolve to eat half of my plate then save the rest for lunch the next day, but instead I leave the carton on my desk and pick at it until it’s time to leave the office for the day. Seriously — those packs of wolves would make a veggie-​filled feast out of me.
And whether or not Mum’s food is «authentic» or whatever word you use to sound sophisticated, I really can’t say. But it’s so delicious and such a great value for the cost that it’s best to just shut it and eat. But do spare a few minutes to stop and chat with Mum, because she is a sweetheart.

Roti Wraps! Roti Wraps! $ 2.25, chicken, garlic spicy pork, or vegetarian! Roti wraps!
Another incredible and completely unexpected find, just a couple blocks north of Emanuel hopital and the Red Cross, across the street from the good ol’ Hostess discount store on N. Vancouver.
It’s only fitting that «Mum» would be in the same tiny food cart lot as «Daddy» from Togo, Africa, offering us Daddy Knows How to Cook, LLC. To be fair, Mum’s Kitchen has been there several years before Daddy came to the hood.
In addition to the Roti Wraps, there is some fantastic cuisine @ Mum’s. No pumpkin curry right now, but she has sweet potatoes instead, and the spicy chicken curry is off the chain. Endorphin levels are boosted to strato-​spheric levels with that curry spice and we were loving it. I’m very much looking forward to trying her soup when it is again available, Mum is just back from over a month-​long sabbatical.
Remember the Roti Wraps, I know I will.

Slow service, but great food. Mum told me that she uses the same spice blend in all her recipes, but the food tastes wonderful

Awesome

All that is missing is the ambiance – but of course you aren’t going to get that with a food cart. Mum is an AWESOME cook — and so interesting to talk to!
She let us sample a taste of all that she had available that day before we decided what to order. She has so many vegan options, it was divine. She doesn’t go wimpy with her spice, either — it had a nice kick to some of the dishes and I have never eaten anything that was too spciy — so that’s a nice compliment to Mum.
I had the vegan sampler with 2 rotis and it was so much food that I put leftovers in tupperware and had 3 lunches that week. Great value for $ 9 and I loved all that she gave me.
Definitely recommend this cart — Mum knows what she is doing!

Mum’s kitchen is a rare find! Mum prepares all the food fresh using the delicious spices and cooking techniques she learned growing up in South Africa. She just moved to the US a few years ago to be near her grandchildren! She insisted I try a taste of everything and I’m glad she did because by looking at the menu I would have ordered the garlic pork Which was excellent) but after tasting the curry chicken I had to have it!
We had some nice conversation while she made my food and she game me a home made pastry that was delicious! My order included curry chicken, rice, cabbage, insanely delicious chick peas, and a carrot salad or garnish or whatver that was unbelievable! Easily enough for 2 people and only $ 7.50! I work nearby and I am definitely going back soon!

I was dealing with a sinus infection and thought some spicy Indian food would do the job of getting those cavities opened back up, and after a search on Google revealed this was the only Indian place open at 3:30PM on a rainy Saturday afternoon I headed out.
This place is located on a corner among a group of food trailers in an old gas station parking lot. Upon my arrival, Mum immediately told me that she’d been really busy earlier that day and didn’t have the full menu, and asked, «do you like chicken?»
So my adventure begins.
Mum said she would have me sample everything she had and would then assemble my meal based on what I liked. Soup, two different kinds of pumpkin, curried chicken, another kind of chicken, beans, chickpeas, potato, and pickled carrot were placed before me at the little window.
I picked out what I liked (soup, curried chicken, pumpkin, pickled carrot, and chickpeas and beans) and about five minutes later i had a plastic sack of delicious so I ended up just sitting in my car to eat it. I started off with the soup (she gave me a half order because I was, «a sick boy,») and when I moved on to the take-​out container i was worried it would either fall apart or tear in half, it was so heavy! She uses biodegradable containers, they don’t stand up to heavy, hot, moist rice and stuff. Luckily I didn’t have any kind of catastrophe. Although I don’t know what would have been worse — my clothes and car upholstery getting stained, or not being able to enjoy the fantasticness of pumpkin topped with pickled carrot.
Mum said that the dishes can change a bit because all the ingredients are bought fresh the same day, so she always has everyone sample before ordering. I asked if the soup would still be available the next time I came in, and she said that the soup will stay the same all winter. I highly recommend it. As well as everything else on the menu.
You should go to there. Now.

now this is some good indian food. one of my best friends is indian and i’ve had her mom’s cooking — mum’s kitchen is the only place i’ve tried ANYWHERE that comes even close to par. not to mention, «mum» is so incredibly friendly and emphasizes that she really wants you to pick the flavors that you enjoy so that you will not be disappointed by anything she sells you. she offers samples of everything with no rush and is very proud of her cooking and culture… well deserved pride indeed :)
*oh and the portions are huge!

7.50 for a takeout container full of yum– so heavy I was tired of carrying by the time I got home.
Mum’s Kitchen is a tiny cart in a gas station that serves up some mighty fine food. Be warned, this is not traditional Indian food– it has a South African side to it which I can proclaim quite tasty. Different, but tasty.
There are free samples, which is great. My gut was saying to order the Chicken Biryani before the samples, but once I had the garlic pork, I was swayed. I’ll admit I was disappointed in the biryani sample, but I had different expectations.
Regardless, I’ll be back, as it is close and reasonably priced for the portions.

Mum’s Kitchen is a food cart serving South African-​Indian food though don’t be fooled by the marketing: this is simple North Indian food and nothing more.
That said, it’s good food. The menu is divided into vegan and non-​vegan entrees and I went with the three-​dish combo for $ 7.50. I chose the butternut squash dish, a chickpea dish, and a potato one. The whole thing comes with white rice (sadly, no option for brown rice) and also dahl (lentils). I also had a curried vegetable roti roll ($ 2.25).
First, the food is great. It’s fresh, light and flavorful which is extremely rare in the world of North Indian cooking. I am of Indian descent and I can’t tell you how consistently disappointed I am with North Indian restaurant food: it’s oily, heavy, bland and unsubtle. Mum’s, however, makes North Indian food properly and emphasizes the vegetables and spices and is sparing with its use of oil and salt. Be warned: some of the dishes here can be quite spicy. The chickpeas, in particular, packed a serious kick.
The roti roll was also great: the roti Mum’s makes is soft and just slightly chewy. Perfection.
So why only three stars? Well, there are a few major problems:
1. The service is extremely slow. While Mum’s claims to slow-​cook everything, the length of time we waited for our food was unacceptable, especially given that Mum’s is a cart. We waited at least 15 minutes for our order. And we were the only customers. I can’t imagine what it would be like if there were other people wanting food.
2. The slow-​cooking claim is only partly true. Some of the food is slow-​cooked; on the other hand, Mum’s also uses a microwave. How do I know? Well, the back of the microwave is right in front of you as you wait for your order; when it’s on, its exhaust actually blows right on you. Not a good job of hiding the appliance.
3. I’m not a neat-​freak, but this cart is pretty grimy. There were cobwebs right at corners of the ordering window, for god’s sake.
If Mum’s sped up its service, ditched the microwave, added brown rice, cleaned up a bit, and also added a few special vegan items (how about dishes with tofu? seitan? tempeh? mockmeats? homemade chai with soy milk? vegan Indian desserts?) I would give it another star.
As it stands, Mum’s makes excellent Indian food, but it has a few problems that force me to qualify my praise.

The proprietor was so nice. I’m lucky we didn’t wait any longer to head down for a bite, because some people from the hospital nearby had almost completely bought her out.
For a cuisine that isn’t 100% familiar to the audience, it is amazing that she insists on offering samples of everything available. The food (South African Indian) tasted much like Indian food, though with perhaps slightly different vegetable combinations than I’ve had before. I had a wonderful seasonal butternut squash dish, and my sister had some delicious spicy pork. Tasting them together was great too, with sweet and spicy notes galore.
This is a great example of street food: somebody making what she does best and providing a unique experience to her neighbors (or in this case, your average Portland food-​cart fancier from afar).

Let’s just say I have had a brief but intense experience in South Africa. That includes a very dangerous time in Natal, home of Mum, who brings Natal Province food to little Portland. In writing this, I survived, obv, so South Africa is in my heart for ever.
Peoples from the Indian subcontinent have migrated worldwide, including the East coast of the African continent, and South Africa.
Much South African food is undistinguished. The national dish of South Africa is braai: barbecued meat — and there are many tasty non-​endangered wild meats in Southern Africa (Godaddy’s Bob Parsons notwithstanding:
). One South African restaurant’s claim to fame was a 2 and a quarter pound steak! Seriously. The rest of the menu was baked potatoes and the saddest salad bar ever.
(But if you have a source for South Africa’s Castle beer, PM me!)
But Mum’s serves much more interesting and spice-​infused Indian-​adapted South African food from Natal Province.
Mum herself is insistent that you try her sampler plate in order to choose your order. Find another Portland restaurant that provides a free taste sampler of everything on the menu before your order! It’s a taste menu, not a paper menu. Wow — five stars for that!
The danger, of course, is that you might order much more than you can eat in your sitting!
I had a smoky pork red curry with rice, the sweet butternut squash and the chicken biriani, all accompanied by Mum’s sweet pickled shredded carrot and dal. Next order will be their vegan sampler.
The food is heavy, we are not talking vegan-​raw. The portions are substantial, share and share alike. You can eat in — at picnic tables right there, or take home compostable paper containers.
The greatest pleasure was to talk South Africa with Mum. She connected me with the South Africa in Portland community — the spring ducks — yea!
Recommended — you won’t go hungry with Mum.
Mum’s is a great authentic food and conversation experience from a place far beyond Portland, but in our little city! A taste menu, before your order, double wow!

i don’t even know what to say about the amazing lunch i just had. i had the sample platter and everything was sublime. the spices were amazing and left this heavenly favor in my mouth afterward. the beef and cabbage was this spicey tangy… i don’t know what. they curry was amazing, the squash was great and i LOVED the pickled carrots. i’m not even wild about picked carrots but these were awesome.
mum’s cooking is no joke and neither is mum. what a delightful lady. and it’s true, she wants to give you all kinds of free samples and feed you till you can’t move. she really is a delightful person. and this is why i have it all 5 stars even though the chai was ghastly. it was some kind of crazy, too sweet mix. i’m wild about chai so i hope she winds up making something as astounding as the food she serves.
you better go to mum’s before everyone finds out about it and you’re waiting in a half an hour line for a $ 7 plate of sublimely delicious food you’ll never be able to finish.

I have been trying to find a vegan-​friendly Indian place to go to that isn’t downtown for a while now. I drove by Mum’s Kitchen on my way to get blood drawn at the hospital and saw FREE SAMPLES and VEGAN so I stopped by on the way back. Heads up, the front of the cart is the side not facing the street.
Mum served me a sample of every vegan entrée and explained that she doesn’t expect people to know what her type of food tastes like, so she likes to give samples. There is a picnic table completely covered by an overhang, which would have been great on the rainy day that I went, but I was bringing it home to share.
The vegan options included butternut squash curry, a couple veggie and pinto bean curries, braised cabbage, a vegan sampler platter, and vegetable roti. I got the vegan sampler platter and it was awesome. It was a large serving of all of the vegan options with rice and two roti.
I will definitely be going to Mum’s the next time I have a craving for Indian food!

Oh no! I forgot to get Samosas!
The veg curry was awesome and thinking about it, I don’t think I could eat anymore even if I tried.
The owner was really nice and I enjoyed having a good conversation.
This is a great food card and I will definitely be back. Thank you!

I just had the immense pleasure of lunch from Mum’s where I was greeted warmly and offered a fairly substantial plate of «samples» while Mum worked on preparing the order of the gentleman before me. We chatted the whole time she worked and when her prior customer happily departed with his meal she asked which of the samples I preferred. Honestly, I was torn between the mildly spicy and hugely flavorful mixed veggie curry and the sweet savory butternut squash. When I made my admission Mum told me she would just make me a mixed plate of the two. Perfect!
I also asked for potato samosas which she warned me needed to be eaten shortly after eating lest the pastry get soggy. They were really wonderful little packets of tender potatoes and peas in a delicate pastry coating. Seriously, I just finished eating and am completely full and just writing about my experience is making me hungry again.
The pickled carrot salad is a really nice side, it is a little bit sweet and definitely crunchy so it offers a nice contrast to the tender veggies in the curry and a lovely flavor counterpoint.
Oh, and the portions are enormous! I ate maybe half of my food and am stuffed so I guess I know what I’m having for dinner tonight.
Yes, it is January and the idea of waiting in the cold for food isn’t pleasant but it is worth it. Plus you can call in your order so it is ready when you arrive. There, problem solved, so no more excuses, get moving!

Mum’s has been open for over a year, but they only have 12 reviews?
Admittedly, when you live in SE or DT & have a HUGE selection of carts at your doorstep, you generally have no good reason to travel up north, but I just found one!
The owner (you can call her «mum», of course) loves sharing her experiences, food, and culture treats everyone like family. Yeah, it’s an overused cliché in business mottoes, but for her, it’s legit
You know that feeling you come home from college and your mom is just itching to stuff your stomach with some home-​cooked food? yeah, that’s what this felt like («eat, eat, you’re skin and bones»)! She’s so kind, warm, and jovial, she makes Betty White look like Hitler! :-)
You’re not sure what you want? Try a sample… of EVERYTHING! Before I even asked what she recommended, she presented me a sampler platter of everything she had left (it was the end of the day and she was out of a couple items)…and after liking a few items best, she made a custom combo dish for me that wasn’t even on the menu!
The recommendation short list:
1) Spicy Garlic Pork: I love all 3 ingredients — it has a balanced spicy punch right up front, and a mild slow burn on the back end.
2) Chicken biriyani (sp?) — quality chicken, rice, saffron & curry, & veggies
3) the roti — soft, chewy, & tortilla-​like. Kind of like an un-​fried naan
I’ll update this after I’ve tried a few more dishes, since I’ll definitely be back!