It’s really a privilege to know I have a place where I can be at peace, Monday through Friday, as long as Khao Niew – Lao Street Food is open. For a majority of my days, it’s the thing I look forward to most, getting out of class and walking straight to where I know I am guaranteed a smile and a breath of fresh air.
Standing under the safety of a metal awning, rain or shine, I can tune in and listen to the sound of rice grains brushing the bottom of a metal pot as R&B jams play in time with the sizzle of the double fryer. Thavatsay Phimmoungkhoun’s perfectly timed “The usual?” and “Hi, nice to see you” never skip a beat, even when the timer beeps or the lunch rush comes.
Khao Niew – Lao Street Food, located next to the Branford P. Millar Library, has become a campus staple for staff, students, locals and alumni alike. This is largely to do with the incredible Laotian food served fresh daily, but the cart’s success should equally be credited to the showrunner himself, Thavatsay Phimmoungkhoun, who is known as Nong.
Food carts have long been a principal part of Portland’s culinary landscape, but what makes Khao Niew – Lao Street Food different is Nong, who prioritizes the connections he makes with the PSU community.
Nong recognizes how special it is to have not just regulars but people you see daily. Whether they buy food or not is not his focus, instead, he sees an opportunity to give students a place to relax, get out of the rain and connect on a personal level between all the hustle and bustle of campus life.
As Khao Niew approaches its three-year anniversary on April 21, Nong recalled how much his interactions have changed since the cart’s opening in 2021, when the Portland State University campus was still impacted by COVID-19.
“The first year, it was kind of slow because COVID was still around… I got to know [the students] more the second year,” Nong said. “It became personal, [I got] to know their names and then… I see them all the time.”
The relationship between the students and Nong, which continues to grow and flourish, made it clear to me that the culture we currently have is very much a product of the love and care Nong has brought with him.
“That’s what gratifies me,” Nong said. “It’s just the people around me… because I get to see them as freshmen, you know, and then… I hope I see them for 4 years… I know their life story and they know mine.”
When considering the future of Khao Niew, Nong hopes PSU will be the cart’s permanent home, even if he is not running it.
According to Nong, his biggest resistance to hiring someone to help out—let alone take over—is finding “somebody that I [Nong] can trust to keep everything the same for the students.”
His attention to detail and quality is truly unmatched. Each leaf of lettuce in a number three has received individual attention, and gone through a thorough vetting process before ending up in your meal. Which is why Nong does everything himself, spending a minimum of 30 hours a week just on prep.
Nong has so much love and gratitude for our community, and the feeling is mutual. This overwhelming support by our community was on full display when new regulations almost forced the PSU library food carts to vacate. PSU administration refused to fund the required changes to the sewage system, but the community successfully petitioned for the food carts to stay.
Staying, however, meant an almost three-month closure for all the food carts during construction, costing the owners more than a month’s worth of revenue. Most carts typically only close for winter break, if at all.
According to Nong, the owners’ rent doubled to cover construction costs, but he believes it is “worth the money to stay.”
Nov. 19, 2024, through Feb. 3, 2025, our anticipation bubbled, waiting what felt like forever for the post construction re-opening of Khao Niew and the Millar Library food carts.
My friends and I would send updates on the cart’s status. Texts such as, “Let me know if you see Nong on your way to the library,” and “I miss Khao Niew’s crunchy rice.”
Nong recalled the recent snow day when he posted on Instagram that Khao Niew would be open despite the rest of campus being shut down. Nong was touched by the students’ support, as they came out in flocks to enjoy the magic of the snow day with him—playing, having snowball fights, eating food and just hanging out.
Despite the rent doubling, Nong never complains. He only sees blessings and opportunities.
Nong holds reverence for things most of us take for granted because of his life experiences. As someone who made it out of the industrialized prison system, Nong realizes the rarity of second chances for ex-cons.
Besides my order, I don’t think I’ve shared two meaningful words with any other food establishment in Portland. At Khao Niew, I don’t think there are two words among the hundreds, if not thousands, that have not been meaningful.
“You can make more money but you can’t make more time, you know what I mean?” Nong said. “That’s why I say live life to the fullest… like don’t let anybody make you unhappy because life is too short. Surround yourself with positive people, smart people, don’t go out with people that make bad choices. Because if you’re the smartest guy in the room, you’re in the wrong room.”
Nong provides not only nourishment for the stomach but also nourishment for the mind. He always has a new nugget of wisdom to impart to patrons of his cart.
After graduation, when saying final thank yous to peers and professors, many of us have included Nong on that list. He described how moving it was to have students come and thank him, knowing their time here at PSU had ended.
“It’s heartfelt when they say goodbye because I might not see these kids ever again, because they are from other states… It made me kind of a little bit soft,” Nong said. “‘[Students say] Hey, thank you for cooking and feeding me through all these years, and I just wanted to say thank you before I leave.’ And it was pretty sad. It was bittersweet.”
Beyond serving the only warm, freshly prepared meal many of us will have during our time in college, Nong is also one of the few adult figures on campus who sees us as more than just students—more than a bag of money to an educational institution.
One of Nong’s goals is to introduce people to Laotian food. If you have not tried Khao Niew yet, but are reading this article, consider your visit an extra credit assignment. In Nong’s words, here is what you need to know, and a crash course of what to order.
“Laos is more bold,” Nong said. “We’re kind of similar to Thai, but I feel like we’re more bold… It’s more about sauces and flavoring.”
While Nong could give you order recommendations based on the season, he recommends the number 3, the soup or the homemade jerky for a first-timer. For the more adventurous, the papaya salad is a staple in Laotian cuisine.
To have someone like Nong, who truly cares, listens and makes you feel seen, is really special—and we are so lucky to have him.
Visit Khao Niew’s food cart from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. or their brick and mortar location at 4579 NE Cully Blvd which is open between 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day.
Follow Khao Niew on Instagram @khaoniewcart
and visit their brick and mortar location at 4579 NE Cully Blvd, Portland, OR 97218
