best desserts in portland Archives

Guess what? There are a lot of types of waffles out there. Because we live in a big world and people all over love waffles! The most popular types are Dutch waffles and Belgian waffles. But let’s not forget the American waffle, the Italian style waffle and varieties of Asian style waffles (from Hong Kong to Vietnam).

Portland is well represented with waffles and I will admit I declared one of my favorites sometime last year. All it took was one bite into a Smaaken Waffle and I was hooked. When I learned that the word smaaken is Dutch for tasty, it was so obviously befitting. In fact, Smaaken Waffle is one of my overall favorite food carts in Portland and my go to on a regular basis, even when I am not bringing people there for the Bustling Buckman Food Tour.

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I discovered this gem years before I moved to Portland. It came to me through word of mouth in one of those classic “where are the fun restaurants in Portland” conversations. Although I did not purposely move a few blocks from it to be nearby, it’s certainly an added benefit of living in the Kerns. And how terrific that on a rainy Oregon day, I can slip into Pambiche – a slice of old Havana with Cuban hospitality.

So Pambiche, touts itself as Cuban food, which I believe you will find to be very similar to other food from the Caribbean and Central America. Countries in those regions are geographically small, therefore the overlapping of food crops that thrive there is to be expected. And yet, each country develops its own customs of preparing food, creating a sense of national identity.

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So What Makes a Smaaken Waffle so Tasty Anyway?

Pambiche – a Slice of Old Havana