Thai Me Up

Apparently we will need to come back when Joy is cooking, because our experience was incredibly lackluster if not all together horrible. Our waiter/​cook was very nice but I absolutely hated the food he prepared for us. The papaya salad was so saucey I could barely eat it, and the spring rolls had no taste to them, no inside substance and looked like he bought them from Trader Joes. Doubtful I will ever go back; certainly not worth the money.

Tip: They are closed Tuesday’s. Excellent Khao Soi — just like you find in Chang Mai ! All the quality and authenticity, none of the red tape hype and inflated pricing found at a overly glorified & popular Thai «cart» street food restaurant. Lovely owners, thanks for being in the neighborhood, Ben & Joy!

I went back to Thai Me Up after a lukewarm experience the first time. I think they are finding their groove! The fresh salad rolls were delicious. i enjoyed their green chicken curry as well. I stopped in for take out and I was in a rush. They worked very hard to be quick– they really scrambled — and I really appreciated their efforts! I am glad that they are right around the corner, very nice to have a good Thai restaurant in the neighborhood. I am looking forward to going back and plan to be more adventurous the next time I go.

My interest in Thai Me Up piqued when I saw their sidewalk sign advertising $ 10 growler fills. I live in the neighborhood, but have always opted for other nearby Thai establishments (there are just so many) and finally made the 5 minute trek to visit Ben and Joy in their little truck.
The food is made in a truck, yes, but there’s a dining room and patio adjacent, with a little bar. My assumption is that they started with the truck, then wanted a permanent location but didn’t want to pay to install a kitchen. It’s a cute, goofy system that adds to the overall quaintness, although I’ve never dined-​in so I don’t know how well the service translates. People inside seem happy, though, and Ben is a good talker. He gladly explained his mission to fill a local fill-​station void with the $ 10 growlers. He started a punch card system to build up regulars, and to keep business in the neighborhood. He maintains three taps, one for an IPA and two reserved for ciders, as well as a decent selection of bottles shelved next to containers of tomatoes and beansprouts in the wall units. Clearly an eccentric with a bit of the wanderlust, a cosmopolitan tongue, and a scrappy, entrepreneurial bent, Ben is my kinda guy.
The menu is economical, in both selection and price. I really enjoyed the khao soi (red curry noodles; «hot» was the perfect amount of spice for a white guy) and the garden rolls (peanut sauce was ideal consistency). However, my girlfriend got a pretty bad patch of pad thai the other night, clumped and crispy and lacking the tamarind paste or whatever gives it that familiar pink complexion. From my perspective, this points to the downfall of the truck system: a one-​man kitchen footing a stack of take-​out orders can lead to hasty prep work and uneven cooking. It’s worth mentioning that one of my recent growler fills had a ridiculous amount of foam, dipping below the shoulder of the bottle, which is just bad form.
But I’m not a cheap-​skate or a growler snob, and «I’m a fan» of Thai Me Up because it’s an underdog of a spot with a lot of potential. And it’s just down the street. And in a pinch I’d much rather pay $ 8 for a bowl of homemade curry than the same amount for a frozen pizza at the QFC. So thanks, Ben and Joy.

I can’t say the food here is authentic, as I’ve never been to Thailand, but I can say that it’s the best Thai food I’ve ever eaten at affordable prices. With the exception of [I think] two dishes, most of the dishes I’ve never seen on a menu. I’ve been three times, and I’ve forced myself to try something new each time, and have not been disappointed. The last time I went I somewhat reluctantly ordered Pad Thai, which I’m normally nonplussed with, and it bowled me over. I ordered a lot of food, so only had a few bites when I got home, but I woke up in the middle of the night and inhaled it. While the photo makes it look like a food truck, there is a lovely little dining room. The owners are incredibly gracious and friendly, and already know my name and my dog. GO THERE NOW!

Great homey atmosphere, chili sauce was killer. The happy hour deal is where it’s at!

Thai and Japanese have quickly become two of my favorite types of Asian cuisine. I enjoy the spiciness of Thai food and the exotic flavors and well, how can one not like sushi? Apparently, I’ve been eating the wrong Thai food. Reading up on the owners bio, you learn that she and the person cooking my food on this evening are using homemade recipes that people would serve at home, in a Thai household. Not Americanized versions. Not to say that any of the food I’ve had in the past was bad, but just different.
Over a year ago a friend of mine turned me onto Tom Kha, and I’ve been hooked ever since. I’ve had many forms and all have been delicious, but I will say that I truly enjoyed what I got here at Thai me Up. There was a guy cooking my meal and even though he isn’t even remotely Thai, he lived and cooked in Thailand for a decent amount of time (according to other reviews). They cook outside in their food cart, but you order and sit inside. It’s a bit odd when there’s only one there and you basically have to wait around until he comes back in to place an order. No worries, I watched the Lakers/​Heat game that was on the TV.
Of course I ordered Chicken Tom Kha, extra spicy. Less than 10 minutes later I had my food and was on my way home. It’s convenient that I live two blocks away. This version was not as creamy as others I’ve had, but big pieces of mushrooms, chicken and cherry tomatoes were all throughout along with green onions. I did get a few too many bones, but that was the only complaint. It was more heat hot, than spicy hot. I really should just tell places that I need it at minimum Thai hot and then go one step further. The Tom Kha warmed me up and I can’t wait to try some more food. Most all the menu items were $ 8, apps were a bit less.
I can’t wait to try some more good food. Enjoy.

Arroy mak mak!
This is real deal Thai food. Having enjoyed a lot of time in Thailand, the cooking here is one of the best representations of this cuisine in Portland. I like Pok Pok and all of it’s offshoots, but for $ 8 this is amazing. One subtlety this place gets right is the rices. The regular jasmine rice is fragrant, perfectly cooked and delicious on it’s own, and the sticky rice is spot on too. Recommended dishes — the collard greens and pork or tofu, the kao soi, the laab, and definitely the coconut ice cream. Will be back.
By the way, if you freak out because you see a farang cooking your food — relax, it’s Ben, who lived in Khon Kaen Thailand for a good while and speaks better Thai than you — he can cook.

No Joy.
From what I understand from previous reviews, Joy is the chef/​owner of this place. Well, she was not to be found last night. There was a gentleman doing all the cooking as well as front of the house stuff. This may well have been a one-​off bad night with an over-​his-​head substitute cook and the return of Joy would make for an entirely different dining experience. For me, however, I just can’t see past my first poor impression.
I’ll cut to the chase. The food was edible only due to our extreme hunger. The BBQ chicken looked like it was baked not BBQ’d and had almost no seasoning. Very flabby skin and was visually off putting as well. The strangely brown pad thai tasted mostly of soy sauce and reminded me of egg foo yung with big pieces of overcooked scrambled egg in it. Also, mushrooms in pad thai? Preposterous. The one-​note papaya salad was limp as though prepared much earlier in the day. Gyoza were store-​bought and the spring rolls were mush inside. A lot of it went uneaten, save for the gyoza and rolls because fried stuff.
The pictures and descriptions of the menu items looked really enticing but the execution let everybody down. It’s hard to imagine the circumstances that will compel me to return, what with the unspectacular-​but-​consistent Sivalai nearby.

Love everything about this place — tried two dishes (Pad Kaprao and Kana Moo Kob) both AMAZING. The owner/​cook was friendly and helpful, the atmosphere low key and relaxed, and I can’t WAIT to go back.

I drive by this place all the time and it usually appears closed however we where able to catch one day recently when it was open.
We stopped in for lunch and it was just Ben (one of the owners) working. We sat in the unfinished restaurant instead of the patio as it was cold outside and we had our infant daughter.
First, prices where spot on, if not slightly cheap. We ordered two entrees that we have never seen on the menus of other local Thai places and I got a Thai lime iced tea and my wife got the standard Thai iced tea along with our meal.
The food was fantastic, my wife, my 1 year old daughter and myself all enjoyed it very much. The Pad Kaprao was very tasty and Ben told us the beef comes from his friends farm. Awesome! The Kana Moo Kob was equally delicious and as I write this I am craving it. The Thai lime iced tea was great, next time I think I’m going to sample the tamarind tea because the lime was so good. The Thai iced tea was the best I’ve had. When I order Thai iced tea at other places it always seems to taste the same (very good but always the same wherever we go), this Thai iced tea had a distinct flavor to it different from anyplace else I’ve been but very, very good.
The restaurant/​bar indoor portion of this place was obviously in the works but I can’t wait to go back when they officially open it as it had a lot of potential.
All this combined with how friendly Ben was warrants return visits. This may become my new go-​to Thai place.

The food is great, excellent vegetarian and vegan options. Ben and Joy are friendly and accommodating and obviously committed to top notch service!

Very friendly cart with Thai street food you don’t see anywhere else. Small menu but vegan-​friendly! The setup is nice too with a sidewalk deck and an interesting new bar.

The noodle dish is delicious, and so is the Thai iced tea. I would like to see more quantity to this meal; maybe a side of rice or more noodles. I’m left a little hungry.
The owners are incredibly sweet. They have two children who were running around and are a bit loud, but I don’t mind kids and I enjoyed them. Might not be for everyone though.
The unfinished picnic table splintered my hand! Just a tiny piece, but I was a little distracted throughout my meal because of that.
Overall, great start! There’s some room for improvement in environment, perhaps umbrellas for the sun and clearly marked trash cans. I’m sure fellow Portlanders would appreciate eco-​friendly utensils and a compost.

This sweet little cart opened on Monday and I was lucky enough to find it on Tuesday! Try the Tom Kha soup and the Kana Moo Kob: Collard greens and pork belly. Out of this world with lots of crunchy collards, even crunchier pork belly, and a sweet, spicy sauce. Great thai iced tea too! I will be back