Mother-son duo brings authentic Haitian cuisine to Rose City: ‘Put Haiti on the map’
Portland restaurant TapTap Cuisine, operated by Dieuson Alix and his mother, is sharing Haitian culture, one serving at a time.
While many celebrated New Year’s Day with champagne toasts, Portland’s newest Haitian restaurant marked the occasion by serving up a dish that symbolizes freedom and independence. Jan. 1, Haiti’s Independence Day, marks the birth of the world’s first free Black republic.
At TapTap Cuisine in Northeast Portland, owner Dieuson Alix and his mother Daniella celebrated the historic day by serving Soup Joumou, a traditional squash soup that carries centuries of meaning.
“When slavery began in Haiti, we weren’t allowed to eat pumpkin. The masters were the only ones who could enjoy it,” Alix said. “But when we gained independence on Jan. 1, 1804, the best way to celebrate was by making Joumou. It symbolizes freedom, liberty and unity for Haitians.”
The restaurant’s name comes from one of Haiti’s transportation systems.
“In Haiti, we have a traditional taxi, a little bus or pickup truck we call Tap Tap,” Alix said. “The name comes from passengers tapping the back of the vehicle to signal the driver to stop.”
After arriving in America in 2016 on a student visa, Alix balanced learning English, working and playing soccer while earning a psychology degree at Bushnell University in Eugene.
In 2023, he opened a food cart on North Williams Avenue. Following months of planning and support from family and friends, he expanded to a brick-and-mortar location on Northeast Sandy Boulevard in October 2024.
For Alix, the venture is a tribute to his mother’s sacrifices in their hometown of Jacmel, Haiti, where he helped his single mother prepare meals that she would sell to support him and his two siblings.
“I saw the struggles my mom faced,” he said. “She would cook in big pots, then walk 60 to 70 miles a day to sell her food in the market. She worked tirelessly to provide for us.”
Despite the success of his restaurant, Alix continues to face challenges, including stereotypes perpetuated on social media. The comments, often offensive and rooted in misinformation, have deeply affected him.
“It hurts me to my soul,” Alix said. “As a migrant, as a Black man, you have to work harder than anyone else to make a seat for yourself. But one thing about us Haitians — we are resilient. We have tough skin.”
He recently deleted several offensive comments falsely claiming Haitians eat dogs and cats.
“Not too long ago, I had to delete up to 10 comments where people were saying, ‘Stop eating dogs, stop eating cats, save the cats,'” he said. “This is not a part of our culture. This is not who we are. We don’t eat dog. We don’t eat cat.”
Alix said Haitian immigrants contribute significantly to American society.
“We are nurses, doctors, journalists, business owners,” he said. “It’s very disturbing, but we have tough skin.”
His mother Daniella, who joined him in Oregon in February after immigration delays, spoke proudly in Haitian Creole: “I’m extremely proud of him choosing to share Haitian food with the Portland community and being proud of his culture.”
For Alix and his mother, it’s not just about building a restaurant, it’s about keeping Haiti’s spirit alive, one serving at a time. He said they’re committed to making the Haitian restaurant a welcoming space for both Portland’s Haitian community and those seeking to learn about the culture.
“Tap Tap means we’re moving forward,” Alix said. “We’re on a journey to a brighter future — not just for us, but for our community. For our culture. We want to put Haiti on the map.”
Both locations are open Tuesday through Sunday at various times available on Tap Tap’s social media pages.
For this and related articles, please visit KGW.com
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