Tapalaya
{{Short description|Defunct restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox restaurant
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| name = Tapalaya
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| established = {{Start date|2008}}
| closed = {{End date|2019}}
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| city = Portland
| county = Multnomah
| state = Oregon
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| country = United States
| coordinates = {{Coord|45.5234|-122.6370|display=it}}
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Tapalaya was a Vietnamese-Cajun restaurant owned by chef Anh Luu in the Kerns neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, United States. The restaurant closed in 2019,{{Cite news|url=https://www.portlandmercury.com/blogtown/2019/10/01/27237235/restaurant-closures-yen-ha-laurelwoods-sellwood-pub-tapalaya-and-henrys-tavern|title=Restaurant Closures: Yen Ha, Laurelwood's Sellwood Pub, Tapalaya, and Henry's Tavern|first1=Ned|last1=Lannaman|date=October 1, 2019|work=Portland Mercury|access-date=October 4, 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://pdx.eater.com/2019/7/23/20706300/tapalaya-closing-portland-vietnamese-creole-cajun-phorrito|title=It Looks Like Viet-Cajun Restaurant Tapalaya Will Close by October|first=Alex|last=Frane|date=July 23, 2019|work=Eater Portland|publisher=Vox Media|access-date=October 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190723194549/https://pdx.eater.com/2019/7/23/20706300/tapalaya-closing-portland-vietnamese-creole-cajun-phorrito|archive-date=July 23, 2019|url-status=live}} and was replaced by a vegan restaurant called The Sudra.{{Cite web|url=https://pdx.eater.com/2019/10/4/20899048/the-sudra-moving-tapalaya-space|title=Essential Vegan Restaurant the Sudra Will Take Over the Tapalaya Space|first=Brooke|last=Jackson-Glidden|date=October 4, 2019|work=Eater Portland|access-date=October 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191005000815/https://pdx.eater.com/2019/10/4/20899048/the-sudra-moving-tapalaya-space|archive-date=October 5, 2019|url-status=live}}
History
Tapalaya opened in northeast Portland in 2008.{{Cite news|url=https://www.oregonlive.com/food/2019/07/northeast-portlands-tapalaya-known-for-its-cajun-creole-fare-will-close-later-this-year.html|title=Northeast Portland's Tapalaya, known for its Cajun-Creole fare, will close later this year|first=Lizzy|last=Acker|date=July 24, 2019|work=The Oregonian|access-date=October 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190727142706/https://www.oregonlive.com/food/2019/07/northeast-portlands-tapalaya-known-for-its-cajun-creole-fare-will-close-later-this-year.html|archive-date=July 27, 2019|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.oregonlive.com/dining/2014/10/tapalaya_launches_new_vietname.html|title=Portland's Tapalaya adds Vietnamese flavors to Cajun/Creole menu|first=Michael|last=Russell|date=October 24, 2014|work=The Oregonian|access-date=October 4, 2019}} In her role as head chef, Luu "rebooted" the restaurant's menu in 2014,{{Cite web|url=https://pdx.eater.com/2014/10/23/7052871/vietnamese-and-creole-flavors-converge-on-tapalayas-new-menu|title=Vietnamese and Creole Flavors Converge on Tapalaya's New Menu|first=Danielle|last=Centoni|date=October 23, 2014|work=Eater Portland|access-date=October 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190520152602/https://pdx.eater.com/2014/10/23/7052871/vietnamese-and-creole-flavors-converge-on-tapalayas-new-menu|archive-date=May 20, 2019|url-status=live}} then purchased Tapalaya in 2017.{{Cite news|last=Korfhage|first=Matthew|date=March 21, 2017|url=https://www.wweek.com/restaurants/2017/03/21/chef-anh-luu-taking-over-as-owner-of-vietnamese-cajun-spot-tapalaya-amid-tragedy/|title=Chef Anh Luu Taking Over As Owner of Vietnamese-Cajun Spot Tapalaya, Amid Tragedy|work=Willamette Week|access-date=October 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191224215637/https://www.wweek.com/restaurants/2017/03/21/chef-anh-luu-taking-over-as-owner-of-vietnamese-cajun-spot-tapalaya-amid-tragedy/|archive-date=December 24, 2019|url-status=live}} She competed on Chopped in 2015,{{Cite web|url=https://pdx.eater.com/2015/3/11/8196345/tapalaya-chef-anh-luu-cajun-vietnamese-reviews-chopped|title=Tapalaya Chef Anh Luu Earns Two Rave Reviews and a Second-Place Finish on Chopped|first=Danielle|last=Centoni|date=March 11, 2015|website=Eater Portland|access-date=October 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170324001712/http://pdx.eater.com/2015/3/11/8196345/tapalaya-chef-anh-luu-cajun-vietnamese-reviews-chopped|archive-date=March 24, 2017|url-status=live}} and her "Chicken, Shrimp, and Andouille Sausage Gumbo" recipe was included in Portland Cooks, Recipes from the City’s Best Restaurants & Bars (2017).{{Cite news|url=https://www.opb.org/artsandlife/series/cooking/portland-cooks-tapalaya-vietnamese-creole-gumbo-recipe/|title=Portland Chef's Viet-Creole Gumbo Steeped In Family History|first=Jo|last=Mancuso|date=September 19, 2017|publisher=OPB|access-date=October 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190925162024/https://www.opb.org/artsandlife/series/cooking/portland-cooks-tapalaya-vietnamese-creole-gumbo-recipe/|archive-date=September 25, 2019|url-status=live}}
The restaurant was burgled in February 2019,{{Cite web|url=https://www.portlandmercury.com/blogtown/2019/02/27/26027442/beloved-restaurant-tapalaya-was-burglarized-last-weekend|title=Beloved Restaurant Tapalaya Was Burglarized Last Weekend|first1=Chad|last1=Walsh|date=February 27, 2019|work=Portland Mercury|access-date=October 4, 2019}} and participated in Portland Dining Month.{{Cite news|url=https://www.kgw.com/video/life/theres-still-time-to-go-to-tapalaya-for-portland-dining-month/283-1ba9ed59-5fc0-4c50-a6fc-1e7a0dcb6a96|title=There's still time to go to Tapalaya for Portland Dining Month|date=March 21, 2019|publisher=KGW|access-date=October 4, 2019}} It was included in the Portland Mercury{{'s}} "100 Portland Happy Hours: Northeast" list in 2019.{{Cite news|url=https://www.portlandmercury.com/100-happy-hours/2019/03/28/26220859/100-portland-happy-hours-northeast|title=100 Portland Happy Hours: Northeast|date=March 28, 2019|work=Portland Mercury|access-date=October 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191010101018/https://www.portlandmercury.com/100-happy-hours/2019/03/28/26220859/100-portland-happy-hours-northeast|archive-date=October 10, 2019|url-status=live}}
Tapalaya closed in 2019 when Luu relocated to New Orleans.{{cite journal |url= https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2019/08/19/popular-portland-restaurant-up-for-sale-and-will.html|title=Popular Portland restaurant up for sale and will close by Christmas |last=Bell |first=Jon |date=August 19, 2019 |website=Portland Business Journal |access-date=October 4, 2019}} The Oregonian{{'s}} Michael Russell included Tapalaya is his list of "Portland's most painful restaurant closures of 2019".{{cite news |last1=Russell |first1=Michael |title=Portland's most painful restaurant closures of 2019 |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/dining/2019/12/portlands-most-painful-restaurant-closures-of-2019.html |access-date=December 28, 2019 |work=The Oregonian |date=December 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191227191239/https://www.oregonlive.com/dining/2019/12/portlands-most-painful-restaurant-closures-of-2019.html |archive-date=December 27, 2019 |url-status=live }}
Reception
In 2018, The Oregonian ranked Tapalaya one of North and Northeast Portland's 40 best restaurants.
See also
{{Portal|Food|Oregon}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Tapalaya}}
- {{cite news |last1=Russell |first1=Michael |title=Tapalaya's new Vietnamese menu leaves us wanting more -- literally (review) |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/dining/2015/03/tapalaya_portland_review_viet.html |work=The Oregonian}}
- {{cite news |title=In My Kitchen: Meet Tapalaya's Chef Anh Luu |url=https://www.kptv.com/good_day_oregon/more/in-my-kitchen-meet-tapalaya-s-chef-anh-luu/video_f31f2810-1580-521f-8ea8-a100e8940390.html |publisher=KPTV |date=March 12, 2019}}
- {{cite news |title=In My Kitchen: Tapalaya's Chef Anh Luu makes Vietnamese soup inspired by her mom |url=https://www.kptv.com/good_day_oregon/more/in-my-kitchen-tapalaya-s-chef-anh-luu-makes-vietnamese/video_c1741706-fbc9-5264-a807-7cba75d3e076.html |publisher=KPTV |date=March 12, 2019}}
{{Defunct restaurants in Portland, Oregon}}
{{Kerns, Portland, Oregon}}
Category:2008 establishments in Oregon
Category:2019 disestablishments in Oregon
Category:Cajun restaurants in Oregon
Category:Defunct Vietnamese restaurants in Portland, Oregon
Category:Defunct Cajun restaurants in the United States
Category:Defunct restaurants in Kerns, Portland, Oregon
Category:Defunct restaurants in Northeast Portland, Oregon