Straits Kitchen, Sellwood’s Treasured Malaysian Cart, Has Closed

One of Portland’s primo spots for fragrant laksa lemak, complex beef rendang, and inche kabin has said goodbye to Sellwood. Straits Kitchen, one of Eater Portland’s top food carts, closed May 3, according to a Facebook announcement.

“Life happens, and at this time, we have to prioritize family needs,” the post, which appeared on May 1, reads. The cart plans to keep social media accounts active in case “something new is coming,” but the post doesn’t imply that there is something definitively in the works. The cart’s owners have yet to respond to requests for comment.

Straits Kitchen became a critical darling for its Nyonya cuisine, referring to the dishes and culinary traditions of the Chinese immigrants of Southeast Asia, specifically Malaysia. It was one of the only places in Portland to find dishes like laksa lemak, the coconut-curry noodle soup fragrant with aromatics and cilantro. Those die-hard fans may want to keep an eye on social media accounts to hold out hope, just in case, in the owners’ words, “something new is coming.”

• Straits Kitchen [Official]
• Previous Straits Kitchen coverage [EPDX]