Food Shack Surprise

Many years ago on a work trip to Jakarta, Indonesia, to visit some health projects in the slums, of which there were many, we ate at an Indian restaurant (better than Indonesian food, in our estimation). It was just great, but the real find was the Kashmiri Naan which had bits of fruit, nuts and spices in it. A chance to try it in situ somewhere in Kashmir has never come my way. So ever since that meal in sultry, low-wattage Jakarta, I've been searching the non-Asian world for this speciality, which has its variations, and have never found it in any Indian or Pakistani restaurant.

Until this week at a lunch food shack on Fifth and Oak. This block is one of my favorite downtown lunch haunts. It beats most of the other carts and shacks around, and you get so much more value for the money than at any sit down place in the general area. It has Polish, two Vietnamese, Thai, Italian, two Indian, and other examples of global cuisine. For $5.50 at the Real Taste of India (not to be confused with the Taste of India a couple of shacks down) you get several courses with rice, and, Peshawiri Naan with fennel, almonds and coconut. You can find practically anything from anywhere in Portland!