3lephant Noodle Shack

Best Restaurants, Food Carts, and Bars in Salem, Oregon | Eater Portland

"This food truck located off of Silverton Road NE in north Salem is a gem of Laotian and Mien cuisine. Owner Sherry Saetern and her husband Lee Keomorakoth opened 3lephant Noodle Shack (you can say it “threelephant”) to share and represent their backgrounds. The name is a play off of the logo, which features three cartoon elephants, each with a bowl of noodles: kapoon, kaopiek, and kaosoy. These dishes are the stars of the cart, all made with vermicelli noodles and different soup bases. Kasoy is a Mien dish similar to pho with a beef broth, meatballs, and herbs, but also quail eggs and ground pork. Kapoon has a red coconut curry base and chicken; kaopiek is a chicken noodle soup. The only downside to visiting the food truck is the gravel parking lot and very limited seating, but a little strategizing can help: Take your food to-go, or call in and pick-up your orders. The couple sometimes offer specials, which they share weekly online." - Emily Teel