When it starts into the winter season, I always try to make extra effort to support a local Portland food cart if I can because it’s a hard time for them. They are still staying up late/getting up early to prep the food, but then seeing so many less people come out because of the colder/rainier weather.
While all customers do is endure running out there to grab the food and then bring it back to eat, the food cart owners are left all day in their small food cart abode, just looking out into the grey skies and feeling perhaps the sideways wind blow into them if they are unlucky. If they are lucky, they might have a little window to try to build up a little warmth while they are waiting for customers, but as soon as they slide it open to welcome you, remember all that is gone!
Bing Mi! food cart, located at SW 3rd and Ash (UPDATE: it seems now they are moving to SW 9th & Alder and will be there starting next week) specializes in one main dish: JianBing.
Jianbing (or jian bing) is a crepe like snack that is popular in Northern Chinese cities. You get it from streetside stalls, so it seems a perfect fit to be a food cart in Portland. In China people eat it for breakfast, as a snack, or after drinking.
A jianbing by Bing Mi! includes scrambled egg, black bean paste, chili sauce, green onion, cilantro, pickled vegetables, and big flat pieces of wonton cracker. You get a choice of spiciness to the chili sauce. Also, you can get extra egg or extra cracker, or add sausage to your bing if you’d like. Without the extra protein a jianbing is a light meal. Really jianbing can be filled with anything, so I wonder if over time we might see more special additions available.
When you get it made fresh, it is bundled up in paper so you can hold it and warm both hands as you are enjoying the soft and crispy textures with every bite.
Bing Mi! has only been open barely a month, and I appreciate that they are bringing something unique to the food cart scene. They are open 7:30 to 3:00, which is perfect for a breakfast or lunch that you can eat on the go!
Have you ever heard of jianbing before?
Jianbing is a new one to me (and I’m guessing to most people) but knowing Portland food culture as I do, it won’t be for long! I agree too that it offers a satisfying option for the late-night crowd.
I need this!!
New to me! I am always looking for late night food options though – seems to be that places close earlier here than in Chicago.
It’s true that a lot of brick and mortar food options close early, but there are many food carts that actually are only open for lunch and late night, and those late night options can extend to 3 or 4 am. Since I used to live by Lincoln Park and Greektown though, I do agree that I miss some of those handy 24 hour places. Late night gyros are awesome and still available here but you just have to get them from a food cart so it’s not quite the same camaraderie of being in a restaurant at 3 am where pretty much everyone is in the same state.
Ahh you’re killing me, Pech. This looks SO good, and I want to eat this right now. I’ve never heard of Jianbing before. I love it when the food carts introduce us to new food!
I was also happy that for a change, this doesn’t have cheese and might be able to fit into your new diet!
Oh wow!!! This looks SO freaking amazing. I am going to try this. Also, did you get a new camera?? I feel like your pictures have been amazing in the last view posts! Great work.
Aw, thanks Rachel! I have the same camera phone as before, but during the last month I’ve been practicing a lot more in composing photos so I’m glad you think I’m improving!
great cart suggestion! I’ll have to check them out. And good point about their slow business in the winter.
I always really sympathize with them over the winter. Some carts also let you call ahead your order so it’s not even that much of a hardship to support them if you are by their location when they are open!
New to me too! Thanks for helping us get around the Portland food cart scene. We definitely want to support local business.
This cart sounds absolutely fantastic. I am so glad that you wrote this review and am so happy to hear about this new addition to the downtown cart scene. I will need to give it a try on my downtown day next week. Thank you!
she is free to make money how she deems fit, but she doesn’t even use the correct characters for jianbing. instead of 煎饼, she chose 剑兵 or “sword soldier”. it really seems like she doesn’t even know, since is it isn’t indicated anywhere that it’s intended as a pun. she couldn’t even ask a chinese friend – that one ASSUMES she made during her time in china?
http://www.bingmiportland.com