Bajala PDX
Mexican restaurant · Northwest District ·
Authentic Baja-style fish & shrimp tacos, crispy & flavorful
Authentic Baja-style fish & shrimp tacos, crispy & flavorful
"A noted Portland destination for crispy tacos and homages to Ensenada cuisine is leaving Nob Hill Food Carts, with the last day at that outlet on Sunday, April 27; afterwards the business will return to doing pop‑ups. In an Instagram announcement, owners Lizbeth Sanchez and Juan Flores told fans not to worry and said exciting changes are coming down the pipeline." - Paolo Bicchieri
"This new fish taco cart in the Nob Hill pod specializes in the seafood dishes found in Baja California. Crispy, batter-fried sturgeon — mimicking the angel shark tacos spotted in Ensenada — arrives topped with cabbage, pico, pickled onions, crema, and chipotle mayo, plus a choice of cart-made salsas for a touch of heat. The highlight, however, is a Sinaloan dish, tacos gobernador: A crisp, quesadilla-like taco filled with saucy tomatoes and poblano peppers, queso Chihuahua, and juicy, plump shrimp. The octopus “al pastor,” served with a cool avocado mousse and nutty salsa macha, is another strong contender." - Eater Staff
"Located in the Nob Hill Food Carts pod and open since June 1 at 1845 NW 23rd Place, I found Bajala to be a fish taco cart run by Juan Flores and Lizbeth Sanchez that aims to recreate Baja California seafood. Their fried fish tacos use an oregano-heavy flour batter that encrusts sturgeon sourced from Washington, topped with cabbage, pico de gallo, mayo crema, chipotle mayo, and onion curtido, and offered with a choice of a green salsa made with serranos and jalapeños or a milder red salsa with chile de árbol and guajillo. They serve battered shrimp tacos and tacos gobernador (stewed tomatoes, onions, and poblano peppers cooked down with butter, finished with shrimp and queso Chihuahua and crisped like a quesadilla), and a marinated Maya octopus prepared in a pastor-like style (guajillo, orange juice, achiote, and alliums) grilled and served with pineapple, onion, cilantro, avocado mousse, and salsa macha. Much of their seafood comes from Mexico (wild-caught Sinaloa shrimp and Maya octopus) while the sturgeon substitutes for the angel shark typical in Ensenada, and their tortillas are sourced to match the Baja-style texture they want to reproduce." - Brooke Jackson-Glidden
Derek Ng
Evelyn Conde
michael mathis
Nicole
Jungyeon Park
Tony Powell
Scott Mullins
Dan Quezada