PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- Portland is known for its food carts and one local spot recently celebrated a decade of being in business.

White Elephant Asian Fusion, owned by Jen Soutavong and her son Justin, serving mighty flavors with Lao cuisine as the most prominent.

Laos food, I describe as a kind of a fusion between Vietnamese and Thai food, with the freshness of Vietnamese and the spices of Thai. That's Laos food, and with the extra flavor," Jen said. "Food is our love language...Because what we serve from our food cart is what we serve at home. And so it's like we're giving a piece of our kitchen to the community.

Elephant Asian Fusion

The Soutavong family has been sharing their culture through this business for 10 years now.

"We've been through so much. Literally and figuratively weathered storms. I think resilience is the best word I can describe," Jen said.

The thousands of people who follow Jen and White Elephant on Instagram have seen the resilience.

Jen and White Elephant

"People prefer authenticity and when people see our life story. We are literally a mom and pop business," Jen said.

When Jen's husband Chris fell ill in 2020 during the pandemic, he was in the ICU for a month. Jen posted about his situation online.

"He had cardiac arrest through COVID. He had bilateral pneumonia, that was right before vaccines and everything. His situation, it was almost fatal. We're very lucky to have him today, but it really did a number on him," Jen said.

Justin

Chris is a big reason this food cart started. Even though he can no longer work, his family is making sure the food cart continues.

"He's still very involved in the business," Jen said. "When we had a family meeting, all the kids were like, 'we'll figure it out. This is Dad's dream. Let's continue it.'"

The couple's 14-year-old twin daughters help when they can, while their 25-year-old son Justin is at the helm with his mom, running White Elephant full time.

White Elephant

"I remember my dad hosting parties back then, and seeing the smiles he put on people's faces just with his food," Justin said.

Now, Justin is cooking the way his dad used to.

"We have the folks who know the history of what happened with my father a couple of years back, that still come in and check continuously, and it warms my heart," Justin said. "We appreciate everybody that continues to show us love."

We've been through so much. Literally and figuratively weathered storms. I think resilience is the best word I can describe.

The wider picture

Location, rent and staffing shape restaurant stories long before the food does, and the operators who last are the ones who plan around all three.

What to remember

  • The Soutavong family has been sharing their culture through this business for 10 years now
  • The thousands of people who follow Jen and White Elephant on Instagram have seen the resilience
  • When Jen's husband Chris fell ill in 2020 during the pandemic, he was in the ICU for a month
  • Chris is a big reason this food cart started
  • The couple's 14-year-old twin daughters help when they can, while their 25-year-old son Justin is at the helm with his mom, running White Elephant full time

All told

Every change in the dining room eventually reaches the same test, which is whether people keep choosing it once the novelty has worn off.