THE CARIBEÑA CHICKEN AT WHAPPING FOOD CART IN THE WHIT
Best of Both Worlds
Whapping Costa Rican food cart serves up a fusion of Caribbean and Hispanic cuisine
F
or folks who relish both the stewy, fruity tang
of the tropics and the spicy stuff that’s served
with rice and beans south of the Rio Grande,
the cuisine of Costa Rica presents a savory
medium. A Central American country bordered
by Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south,
Costa Rica touches the Pacific Ocean on one side and
the Caribbean on the other, and is therefore uniquely
positioned to receive two different but complimentary
cultural and culinary influences.
It’s the best of both worlds, says Fred Badillaobando,
owner and proprietor of Whapping, the new Costa Rican
food cart parked beside Tiny Tavern in the Whiteaker.
“It’s a fusion between Hispanic and Afro-Caribbean,”
Badillaobando says of the plates he serves, which he
describes as staples you can find at any restaurant in his
homeland of Costa Rica. “It’s the most typical Creole, Costa
Rican food, made for everybody from farmers to surfers.”
Typical, but largely unfamiliar to Northwest palates. At
Whapping — patois for the greeting “what’s happening?”
— the traditional plates, known as casados, are served
with sides of rice, beans and a delicious fresh slaw, as well
as fried plantains, a member of the banana family that runs
larger than your average platano (Spanish for nanner). The
main dishes are caribena chicken or a stewed steak which,
in consistency and tenderness, lies somewhere between a
roast and a jerk, and is mouthwateringly tasty.
Badillaobando says he learned to cook from his mother.
“My mom is a culinary art teacher,” he explains, noting
that when he was a young man in Costa Rica, he and a good
friend spent their vacations at culinary school learning the
ropes of local cooking. Badillaobando moved to Oregon in
2002 to study multimedia design at the UO; he still runs a
multilingual graphic design business as well as opening the
Whapping cart earlier this summer — hours from about 5
pm till 2 am Wednesday through Saturday.
The most exotic item served at Whapping, at least to
the uninitiated, is likely the plantain, which Badillaobando
prepares in two traditional forms. On the one hand, there
is the ripe plantain, known as maduro, which he fries in
oil until it caramelizes, releasing a sweet flavor that is
irresistible. Patacones, on the other hand, are made from
the unripe plantain, pounded down into a disc and twice-
fried into a savory, salty cake and served with a bean dip
and the house salsa, which is tamarind-based and to die for.
Also tasty are the yucca fries, sliced from the tuber
plant and prepared like French fries, yet far more juicy
and fresh than your standard potato stick. All of these
traditional dishes, Badillaobando says, are a rich source
of vitamins and high in fiber content.
Such sides at Whapping run between $4 and $5, while
meals top out at $9. According to Badillaobando, there are
plans to expand the menu, though for now he’s focusing
on getting Eugeneans acquainted with the basics of Costa
Rican eats. “We’re doing a staple of the main ones,” he
says. “No matter where you are in Costa Rica, you’ll see
these anywhere.”
Whapping Costa Rican Food Cart is open from about 5 pm to 2 am
Wednesday through Saturday at 394 Blair St. See whapping.net/index for
full menu.
FRIED RIPE PLANTAINS, OR
MADURO, MAKE A SWEET
SIDE DISH AT WHAPPING
WHAPPING FOOD CART OWNER
FRED BADILLAOBANDO
WHIPPING UP TRADITIONAL
COSTA RICAN CUISINE
PHOTOS BY TODD COOPER
454 Willamette Street
Monday-Thursday 6-9pm
Friday-Saturday 6-10pm
541-687-TACO
8 chow! SUMMER 2014
Tacos & Tequilas!
Margaritas on tap!
BY RICK LEVIN