The Ruby Dragon

This place is much better on paper than in person. It was tough to make a decision given the awesome-​sounding array of dishes (curries, kale salad, etc.), but as it was brunchtime, I settled on the quinoa pancakes with bananas and walnuts (they were out of chocolate) and the tempeh scramble (I asked for half-​tofu/​half-​tempeh). There was only one guy working and he did the order taking and cooking which made for a 20min wait for my food once I ordered. Unlike other food carts that call your name when your food is ready or even walk over to your table to deliver it to you, this lone worker at Ruby Dragon could not do the same. Thus, I had to check in every 5 min to see if my food was ready. The third time I checked back, it was, but my food was now lukewarm. :(
Both dishes were quite mediocre. I could honestly make them myself without much trouble. The quinoa pancakes were kind of interesting because the quinoa provided a unique texture to the pancake, but the scramble was pretty basic. I needed Sriracha and Ruby Dragon didn’t have it! I had to steal some from a neighboring cart. I wouldn’t go back – there are just too many superior vegan joints in Portland (i.e., Portobello in Hosford-​Abernathy).

Preface: for your reading pleasure, put all judgements aside. I have no regrets.
So, after going to The Big Egg food cart and ordering a ginormo tasty breakfast wrap that should’ve fueled my day well into lunch time, I came to The Ruby Dragon. just to, you know, to try the quinoa pancakes.
Only… I finished the entire thing. immediately after breakfast, in about 5 minutes. I think I used the pieces of pancake without chocolate, walnuts, or blueberry in them to mop up the extra agave syrup, but the euphoric effect of the food here may cause memory loss so I don’t really know.

Delicious and fantastic friendly service! My partner and I shared the GLUTEN FREE quinoa pancakes with chocolate, blueberries and walnuts (we got a bit excited). We only got one because they’re pretty substantial and it was delicious! To top it off, the lovely guys working offered us the recipe! Amazing!

Masaman Curry is DA BOMB!!!
I’ve always had the habit of adding eggplant to my massaman and I still contend that it’s a great addition, but even without it (as well as any form of meat) this curry stands on its own!
It’s a little spendy for the medium-​sized curry and rice ($ 8); you would probably get twice the volume that feeds two if you go to a restaurant for the same price, but when you factor in the all local/​organic ingredients and the extra love that’s put into each meal, it’s worth it as long as you have the green to burn :-)
I’m always impressed to find vegetarian meals that don’t make me think «this would be so much better with {insert meat here}», and this place apparently has a lot of them ^_^

I’m updating my last review from 2 stars to 3 stars. Today I had the quinoa pancakes, one chocolate and one plain. Honestly, I couldn’t tell much of a difference between the two. I don’t think there was much if any chocolate in my pancake. They weren’t bad, but they were a little dry. I am a big lover of quinoa so I was hoping to really love these pancakes, but I was underwhelmed. They were also surprisingly heavy. One pancake would’ve sufficed but I was so hungry that I ordered two… I should’ve stopped at one. Was also overpriced at $ 9 for two pancakes. I probably won’t order these again. I’m going to give Ruby Dragon one more try with something different and then I’m probably done. I’d rather have what I know I like a couple carts down.

Walked along Mississippi from Skidmore to Fremont and back again, feeling hungry, and after all that I settled on this place. Got the Abbott Sandwich, wheat-​free bread, hadda eat something and the place seemed adequate. Being wheat-​free I don’t usual eat sandwiches, but was glad I did. It was wonderful. Tempeh often comes out too bland or unbalanced flavorwise, but this was just right. And they even have pu-​ehr tea there — something rarely seen in a restaurant.

Brought my son (HGS was closed and we NEEDED to eat before dropping him off at PDX) today. What can I say? Jade Abbot (D for 2!) My son had the panang curry and enjoyed it but he really loved his portion of the JA. When awesome food can’t be parsed out into its parts and I know I won’t be able to go home and replicate it, then all I can do is make sure I get out to the place that makes the magic. The road from Sellwood to the Mississippi food cart pod is going to be well worn. Gonna figure out the best ways to get there.

I got the quinoa blueberry pancakes with chocolate chips and it was disappointing. I couldn’t get anyone at my table to finish it either =(I hate to waste food. I think if they had rinsed the quinoa better, maybe it would have tasted better? Maybe. I wouldn’t order them again. The other food looks great though.

My companion and I stumbled on this food cart when it was the only one of the group open one cloudy day. We orderd the Abbot sandwich which was absolutely the most incredible sandwich I have ever had. My companion kept saying to me, «you must really like that sandwich with all of those ummmmmmm sounds you’re making.»
Fantastic tastes, crunchy, fresh and as another reviewer said, made with love. I’m going to bring every food lover I know back for one of these sandwiches. I’m glad they were the only food cart open that day.

«We are strong,
No one can tell us we’re wrong
Searchin’ our wallets for so long
Both of us knowing
Lunch is a battlefield.»
You’re so right, Pat Benatar. It’s been rough out there since the invention of the $ 8.50 sandwich and the $ 14 bean-​rice bowl. Finding parking, finding a table, finding something to eat that’s remotely healthy… none of this comes easy. «I don’t want no part of this crazy lunch.» «Lunch stinks. Yeah, yeah.» etc, etc.
It turns out I’d been looking for lunch in all the wrong places, in that until recently I hadn’t been looking for it at the Mississippi Marketplace. But there it is, the Ruby Dragon, and with it, the Jade Abbot sandwich. Honestly, if I had to go for the rest of my life eating one sandwich only (and it had to be vegan), it would be the Jade Abbot. An open-​faced sandwich with curried tempeh and curried cashews on Dave’s bread smothered with kale. Out-​god-​damned-​standing.
And the best part: all that plus a side of sauteed potato wedges sets me back a mere $ 5.50. If I’ve got a friend with me, we can get two of ‘em for $ 7.50. I don’t want to take anything away from the other magnificent carts there (I’m looking straight at you, Big Egg, you wonderful thing, you), but the Ruby Dragon’s Jade Abbot is a stand-​out. It leaves just one thing left to ponder…
«Now that we’ve found lunch, what are we gonna do… with this?»
Heavy D, you are wise.

On a wet, forlorn, cold lunch hour I found myself standing amidst a pod of closed carts, hungry and awaiting a high-​powered lunch meeting. The Ruby Dragon was shining like a beacon across the deserted lot, being the only cart other than Dogfeathers open on this tragic Tuesday noon-​hour. With little choice and much anticipation, I approached and conferred with the proprietor. A decision of the tempeh scramble was easily made.
Ordered «for here,» our food was served on actual plates (plastic — smartly) on a little bamboo serving tray. Actual honest-​to-​goodness utensils were available for dine-​in (no wasting!). The kindly bearded hippie in his batik shirt made everything from scratch.
My «scramble» of tempeh, peppers, onions, and a heavy turmeric and north-​African-​flavored seasoning, while quite oily, it was so in a good way. Savory and delicious, this very well-​prepared dish went down like [insert crude reference here] and provided for a nice, delicious, filling meal. At $(something — I can’t remember), it wasn’t necessarily «cheap», but quality food costs more, and I didn’t feel like it was overpriced or undervalued.
My dining companion enjoyed the miso and «yammies,» a stir-​fried yams and onions dish with a similar turmeric-​based seasoning. These were tasty and would make excellent drunk food as well as a great breakfast side.
Overall, a tasty, healthy, vegetarian (vegan?) meal from a kind source on a foul day. Thanks for being open, and thanks for serving it up proper.

Excellent vegetarian curry. I had the jade curry – lots of spice, comforting on a cool and windy day in December. Definitely a winner. I recommend that if you are going to the Mississippi Food Cart Corral that you give this place a try. The service was friendly. A business that makes food this good for such a reasonable price deserves patronage!

It’s a food cart. But wow. The quinoa pancakes are amazingly good. Got them with berries, nuts, dark chocolate.
Also, got the Coco’s Choice (raw buckwheat groats, fruit, walnuts, and soy yogurt). It was tasty, but I still can’t forget the pancakes.

The roots fried rice was okay — the whole plate tasted the same and it was a curry that was a bit dry and flat. It tasted fine but didn’t quite knock my socks off this time. And the $ 7.50 was pretty steep for a small bowl of fried rice… it was just mostly rice afterall. I haven’t given up yet though! I’ll probably come back and try something else another time.

Ruby Dragon reminds me of this place in San Francisco… except, better, ’cause they are not the pretentious hippies like they are in down south. The people in this tiny food cart is very nice and friendly. They serve all and only vegan food. Wait! Don’t detest on the thought of vegan! Please, try the curried potato fingers for $ 4.5 (large), and tell me if you still detest it! If you want something even more interesting, try the sweet potato fries with cashew and onion, YUM! Careful, its very hot! I also recommend getting that nice pot of tea to share with your spouse (or domestic partner), ’cause it takes more to heat up in the winter cold. They also have plenty of other stuffs to try, from sandwiches to bowls, you name it! They will make it!
Did I also mention they open until 8pm on weekdays?

So this is one of the food carts in the Mississippi Marketplace area. The Marketplace is a cute little spot that houses 10 wildly celebrated carts. Tons of covered seating in the center of them all, with a very communal vibe. We were here on Halloween around 8pm, so we weren’t sure what would be open. We were hoping for Ruby Dragon after reading some menu items online, and luckily they were open! The friendly owner who was able to recommend the Ruby curry for us as first-​timers. He let us smell the special curry blend, and it was unbelievable. We ordered 2 Ruby’s and Miso Soup (they were out of the kale salad and a root veggie dish that both sounded amazing… next time!). The owner prepared the dishes to order as we waited and watched, meticulously putting it all together. We ate a quinoa/​dark chocolate cookie while we waited — I highly recommend this bite of heaven! The menu is carefully crafted, and features great currys/​sandwiches/​salads, etc, and all items are vegetarian or vegan. The freshest ingredients shine though, and our Ruby curry was the perfect consistency and exactly the right amount of spicy… every bite tasted healthy and warm. The Miso soup had some kind of buckwheat noodles, a nice addition to the traditional style. Overall this place is a total score, and I will go back to sit with friends at a table and enjoy more curry dishes from Ruby Dragon! You can find some more info on Ruby Dragon here:
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ENJOY! Oh and just a reminder, cash only! If you forget there is an ATM right in the Marketplace, fyi.

I’ve been here twice,
The hippies are nice.
Try the Jade Abbott,
You haven’t lived until you’ve had it!
The fries were so-​so
But how I loved the miso!
Try a cookie or baked treat,
See, great vegan eats!

Yammies yammies, that’s right fried yams with your awesome open face tempeh sandwiches! Can’t miss! And great curry too!

I absolutely love this place! We made our first trip to the Mississippi Market to check out the new vegan carts. Ruby Dragon was delicious and the couple working were super nice. We ended up getting:
Ruby Dragon Curry– Lots of veggies cooked perfectly with tofu in a creamy coconut curry sauce. This tasted great, but was super hot! This came with sticky rice which was a nice compliment to the curry.
Home Fries– I had to control myself and not lick the plate of these potatoes! They were perfectly spiced and were like no potatoes I have had before.
Chocomole– Creamy, delicious & decadent raw chocolate mousse made with avocados. They were served with in an avocado shell with blueberries on top. This is a must try!
I was really impressed with how clean the cart was, how they presented all of the food and how friendly the staff were. We will definitely be back to the Ruby Dragon!

An absolute standout at the Mississippi Marketplace. I have nowhere near a vegan diet, but I wouldn’t even notice a change in the quality of my food if I ate here every day.
The woman at the window was very helpful as I tried to imagine what each item meant — I’m not well-​versed in ways of vegans. She kindly offered to give me a mix of three items for $ 8 and I eat offers like that right up.
What I got:
Quinoa pancake — this is a must-​try.
Your home fries — basic potatoes, onions and garlic. A reliable dish.
Curry scramble — not sure where this was on the menu, but having curry for breakfast sure is under-​rated! Tempeh, cauliflower… you name it.
I’d go back. This cart really sets the bar high for this pod.