What to Order at Basilisk PDX

There’s 3 things to know here about Basilisk. Order the Fried Chicken, Fried Tofu, and Dan Dan Fries.

One, their fried chicken sandwich is off the hook and has like two huge pieces stacked on top of each other, which I like eating one by itself and the other in the sandwich, perfect. Also, I am forced to do that because I can’t unhinge my jaw to take a bite when it’s double stacked chicken that is so super crispy on the outside. This Basilisk Fried Chicken Sandwich with fried boneless chicken thigh and house pickled cucumbers, shredded cabbage, and special sauce needs a knife stabbed through the middle to keep it together.

Two, the fried tofu sandwich with fried super firm tofu, house pickled cucumbers, shredded cabbage and special sauce. This is the vegetarian version of the fried chicken sandwich and on some days where I’m trying to be a little healthier, I would intentionally choose this over the fried chicken sandwich. If you’ve had fried tofu in Thai restaurants where it’s crispy on the outside but soft on the inside (usually served ins mall squares and rectangles), that is what this fried tofu sandwich’s tofu is like, but super super sized!

Three, the vegan Dan Dan fries, a large bowl of hand cut fries covered in peanut sauce, chili oil, baby dill pickles, crushed peanuts, green onions, cilantro and lime. Enough to share for two to four, every fry is crispy (clearly an area of frying expertise at Basilisk) even when doused with all this dan dan on top!

I mean theoretically yes, there are other things on the menu. They have a hot chicken plate where they add Nashville style Basilisk hot sauce over that fried chicken ad add Texas Toast, and you can get versions of green salad vegetarian or topped with the fried chicken or a healthier poached chicken breast. You can also get your sides of fries plain instead of dan dan style, or get mac salad or cabbage slaw. But the three I named before… those are the best things on the menu.

If you had to get something else, it would be one or two of the things I already mentioned as the 3 things you need to know… and then wrap it up with their dessert offering of their Kool Aid ice cream in a cone or cup. The Kool Aid flavor rotates. The fact that it’s Kool Aid flavor fits perfectly into the hip vibe here.


 

After you order at the counter, you will get a numbered table card for them to deliver the food. You bus the dishes afterwards to to a counter area a bit farther down from where their register and kitchen is, where there are water and rubber tubs with a sign reassuring you can put the trays and plates and silverware all together.

Basilisk is part of The Zipper concept, which offers multiple microrestaurants that each have their small restaurant space and also a larger shared common dining area. If you wanted, you could go around ordering from multiple vendors at the Zipper and gather a meal of fried chicken, falfafel, pizza and more.

Basilisk is open Monday – Sunday 11 AM – 10 PM at 820 NE 27th Avenue in
Portland.

What would you order at Basilisk? Where is your favorite fried chicken sandwich in Portland?