A secret exposed

It is lunchtime again, and we’re trying to find a five-dollar lunch that is healthy, delicious and filling. Spending less might even leave a few much-needed quarters for the laundry machine (what a treat that would be!).

Finding such a lunch on campus has been tough, but the search just got a little bit easier. In fact, that lunch is here and has been hiding in plain sight for weeks.

A new Asian food-cart appeared last month in the space between Cramer and Lincoln Halls, dishing up reliably fantastic Vietnamese noodle and rice dishes and banh mi sandwiches at very accessible prices. For five dollars, you will walk away with a clear plastic container stuffed with over a pound of brightly colored vegetables, a generous mound of rice or noodles and perfectly seasoned tofu or chicken. Sandwiches are just three dollars.

Very few people seem to have discovered this cart’s culinary treasures, and owner Yen Lu, who cooks during the week, wonders if the cart’s location is the reason.

“I’ve been here all week,” Lu said at the end of her first week operating her small business, “and no one looks at me.” Her business is slowly gaining a following after three weeks of operation, but lines are still usually nonexistent.

Lu and her husband, George Lam, owned and ran Saigon Kitchen, a Northeast Portland fixture, for 25 years. They sold their Northeast Broadway restaurant six years ago, but Lu said their children are older, and it was time to get back into the kitchen.

Lu was one of the last people to leave Vietnam in 1975, and ended up on an overstuffed boat to the states. She met her husband at a Vietnamese church when he was teaching English and she was his student. The two do much of the food-prep at home, and Lam helps his wife set up the cart in the morning and break it down in the afternoon.

Lu makes a chunky pureed chile sauce from the peppers in her own garden that is a bright complement to nearly every dish on her menu. Look for the squeeze bottle without a label on the counter.

Try it atop sweet potato noodles ($5), served with chicken or tofu. Whichever you choose, the large portion of meat or tofu is seasoned well, and together with pickled vegetables tops a heap of delicate gummy noodles. For just 50 cents more, Lu will add more of the usual pickle mixture: crunchy broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and bean sprouts all enhanced by a dash or two of sweetened rice wine vinegar.

Lu is happy to indulge your special requests, a trait that many Portland servers might consider. Want tofu and chicken? Just ask. Extra crumbled peanuts or crispy fried shallots? You got it.

For her classic stuffed baguette, banh mi, Lu uses lean pork. Substituting her chicken or tofu would be a great idea. Combine this with fresh cilantro, jalapenos and veggies, add a touch of her homemade chile sauce to your sandwich, and you’ve got a meal that will awaken your sinuses and your palette. Chase your meal down with herbal iced green tea ($2), an unusual twist on the familiar beverage, with faint banana flavors.

Try colorful vegetable sushi for another healthful and satisfying meal.

After more than half a dozen visits to this cart, Lu and her food are always bright and fresh. She’s always in a good mood, smiling and encouraging her customers to try something new. Ingredients are of good quality and quantity, and taste great as leftovers to boot.

Yen Lu’s Asian Noodle cart is open from around 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.