Masala Lab Will Close in Portland

Saagshuka from Masala Lab in Portland, Oregon. — Saagshuka, one of the dishes we will miss from Masala Lab. Photo credit: Masala Lab.

This morning a friend let me know that Masala Lab, a brick-and-mortar restaurant from Deepak Saxena, will close later this month. They announced the news on their social channels in the early hours of the morning. Additionally, the DesiPDX cart will close and go on a short break later this month, reopening at the end of January.

A Series of Closures: Chaat Wallah and DesiPDX

Along with Masala Lab, Deepak Saxena is behind the food carts Chaat Wallah (now closed) and DesiPDX. Chaat Wallah was the first of his businesses that came on my radar in full focus—he opened it at the Upright Beer Station in May 2023 and served some truly delicious food there. But climate issues, staffing, and equipment breakdowns threw multiple wrenches into the works—much of it beyond Deepak’s control.

As Chaat Wallah closed down July 2024, Deepak reopened the cart—still at Upright—later that summer as a second location of DesiPDX. However, he chose to close the cart in October 2024.

He was also involved with Bar Asha, which closed last fall.

Masala Lab

In July 2022, Masala Lab opened its doors on NE MLK Blvd, offering Indian brunch. And almost exactly a year ago they announced the introduction of dinner service. In June of last year they decided to end serving dinner and go back to just brunch.

And that brings us to today’s news of the closing of Masala Lab.

The Announcement

The bottom line is this:

The final day of service for Masala Lab is Sunday, January 26.
DesiPDX will close on January 26th for a two-week break.
DesiPDX will reopen “with an updated menu that includes some of your old favorites along with new dishes.”
The DesiPDX cart will reopen at its regular spot, 4233 N Mississippi Avenue in Portland.

What’s Behind the Masala Lab Closing

I reached out to Deepak directly, and he told me this: “This was one of most difficult decisions I’ve had to make in my life. I’m very sad to be letting go of this space I’ve out so much into but I’m also excited about the simplicity of having just one place to manage.”

On the Masala Lab social accounts he posted this:

“Almost 10 years ago, I started DesiPDX. Three years ago, I expanded with a restaurant (Masala Lab), a second cart (RIP Chaat Wallah), a catering operation, monthly meal kits, and event vending. It’s been a mix of hits and many misses.”

And here is the issue that is a problem for so many restaurant, bar, cafe, and cart owners right now: “Unfortunately, rising costs to run the business last year have made it difficult to sustain these expanded operations.”

So many places in Portland have closed because of the costs involved in today’s economic landscape. What can be done? What can the City of Portland do to make it more hospitable to restaurant, etc owners to stay in business in Portland? If I find out the answers, I’ll share them with you.

So yes, by the end of the month Deepak will be running just the one DesiPDX food cart at the Prost Marketplace pod. He writes that they will continue to offer “a few set items and rotating menu based on fresh, local ingredients—Local Fare with Indian Flair.”

Hire His Staff

He makes a point of highlighting his staff and that they are going to need new jobs. “A special thanks to my amazing current and former staff. If you’re in the industry and hiring, DM me—I’d love to connect you with some fantastic people who will soon be looking for new opportunities.”

You can visit Masala Lab until Sunday, January 26. They are open Friday to Sunday, 9am to 2pm.

Masala Lab [closing January 26, 2025]
5237 NE MLK Blvd, Portland
Masala Lab website | Instagram | Facebook