Another small food stall, part of Portland’s deep field of no-frills dining. This one serves the spoils of Oaxaca, known for tlayuda and mole.
The Tlayuda comes in a pizza box, topped with whatever you choose. Fried tortillas cradle smears of black beans sprinkled with generous chunks of a pretty good asada and chicken smeared with sweet black mole. It’s essentially nachos, but it’s a bit bland without the shots of spicy red and spicier green salsa. I like it but I’m not impressed. I can see how its the best drunk selection/hangover cure but they just didn’t make it that well. Both the tortillas and chicken are dry, especially around the edges and can be hard to chew.
Mole Amarillo is another noteworthy dish, and this one has a real wow factor. Its more like a soup or stew and is an exceptional combination of savory and sweet-pepper notes, unlike anything I’ve ever tasted. That flavor gets all the way through those tender chunks of chicken, and those chunks of soupy squash are the real show-stealers here. Its a fantastic bowl of food, but the highly-anticipated side of handmade blue corn tortillas is a little dry.
My favorite thing might be the 7-dollar Tetela. A simple blue corn tortilla with savory black beans and a sprinkle of cheese comes alive with a fiery red or scorching green.
The mango-pineapple Agua Fresca is too sweet, but the Horchata is a good one.
A better-then-mediocre meal overall, though not my favorite. Overall a pretty strong showing for Mexican food this far north, and that mole amarillo is worth a visit.
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