Pho Van

Good service, decent food but uninspiring. Chicken came out dry and bland. Same with the pork. Avocado shake is always good, order that and make it a meal. Newer and better places coming up all of the time. Coasting on their past glory.

Found a moth in my lettuce that comes with the banh xeo. thank god my mom always taught me to wash veggies even though they’re suppose to be clean

I have not felt inclined to write a review for any recent establishments until today. Asian restaurants are notorious for meh service, but dang! Rude, non-​attentive, SLOW service + bland and expensive food, equates to a very underwhelming lunch with family from out of town. This brand used to be the king of phở in Portland… Now they just cater to folks who don’t know any better. Aiiyah.

This is probably one of the best Vietnamese restaurants I have ever been to. The phở is just so flavorful and delicious and is only about $ 9 – 10 depending on which size you get. The ambience of the restaurant is very lovely as well. They have some lovely plants and the whole place is just very clean. Definitely stop by phở van if you’re craving Vietnamese :)

This place is going down hill. It used to be my favorite place for Vietnamese food. Now, waitresses wasn’t very intensive. Foods wasn’t good anymore and pricey.
The only thing good is Che. This place need some major management change. I won’t be back anytime soon!!!

Woooo… expensive! — relatively for Vietnamese food. $ 8 for eggrolls. Crème brûlée for $ 7.50?! Chè Van is now $ 4.50. Appetizers and dessert may cost more than your entrée. Entrée prices are decent, I guess.
It was poppin’ during the lunch hour on a Sunday. Customer service was very friendly, but a bit on the slow side as other Unilocalers have pointed out. I got the #56; Bun Cha Gio Chay (vegetarian tofu crispy rolls). It is served with soy ginger sauce instead of fish sauce or vegetarian «fish» sauce. It was good and filling, but nothing to write home about and not as yummy as the bun cha gio chay at Bambuza or La Sen.
Overall, Phở Hung is going to be the better choice than Phở Van if you’re in the Powell/​Division/​82^nd Ave area.

Wife found a piece of plastic wrap in her phở ga. Not sure if they even made her a new bowl or just took out the plastic wrap and called it good. Anyhow, they returned with another bowl and failed to bring a new plate of veggie. They also forgot to get her a new soup spoon.
We wanted an extra bowl to split with our son and one of the severs said ok and walked to the front and acted like she didn’t hear us or something. They are good at kissing ass if you happen to be Caucasian.

This was recommended to us for lunch and was worth the drive. The service was fast and friendly. The staff is very polite and kind. We ordered appetizers and meals. If you have to wait it’s because it’s being made fresh for you. I’ll definitely come back again.

The service here is absolutely horrible and seems to be getting worse. There is only one nice server out of all of them and it is a sweet older lady. I dread having anyone else wait on me. I love the food though. It’s just a shame about the servers being so terrible.

Phở Van has a huge menu of Vietnamese food. All of it is usually quite good. All of the noodle dishes have been good. The chicken wings are really good here. The broken rice dishes are good.
They have more types of spring rolls than any other Phở restaurant in a 5 mile radius. If you want to try something besides a number 1 special, this restaurant will probably have it.
Four stars for that.
Service here sucks though.
Normal Phở restaurants typically run like this…
You walk in, they give you a menu, you order the Phở soup, and your food comes out in a few minutes. Usually the soup itself has been brewing for hours, and all the goodies inside the soup (meat, veggies, etc) just get tossed in. Shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.
Here the waiters are always a little slow to get around. Your water cup is usually never full. Phở usually takes 15 minutes to arrive. Staff here just seem to run on their own clock, even when the place isn’t that full.
Regardless, the food is good. Just don’t expect the meal to be quick.

I love the food here! I first came here after a long day of hiking in the rain. All I wanted was phở to warm myself up! It was the most delicious phở! I also loved the spring rolls. The restaurant is really big, so getting a table was no problem at all. Check it out sometime!

TLDR: try the famous Che Van. It’s a bit loud. Great place for «healthy» food. Waitresses very attentive and have good memory.
Loud and spacious atmosphere, need to speak up across the table. Waitresses have impressive memory and memorize your order. Menu is pretty straightforward.
Mango ice tea: not sweet if that’s what you’re expecting. It’s just tea with a hint of mango.
Lemongrass chicken bun: very flavorful chicken and veggies are fresh and crispy. Sweet and sour sauce for mixing is not as flavorful as some other places.
Famous Che Van: SO GOOD. It’s a must try for sure. Coconut milk is creamy and the contents have different textures. A nice treat to satisfy a sweet tooth.
Ginger crème brûlée: creamy crème brûlée and the sugar on the top is just the right amount of sweetness. There’s a slight hint of ginger.
Turmeric noodle: very flavorful and comes with a side of greens to add to your soup.

Love this place. It’s a nice restaurant setting that’s casual and not overcrowded like some Asian restaurant. The food is good and fresh they serve it quick. The broth is flavorful on the phone and the spring rolls were delicious with a combination of both chicken and shrimp. The peanut sauce was good. The service was decent. We sat in nice private booth that allowed for conversation while they played knock off 90s that has been remixed. It was a good experience.

Phở is just about the easiest way to make my day, aside from coffee and chocolate. This place is alright for two of those things. At first glance, I was super bummed at the large scale of this place. Very commercial looking and almost tacky with the décor. The tile makes it really loud and reverberant. It’s very open and clean though so that cheered me up. Until I heard the sappy Asian knock offs on the radio. «My Heart Will Go On» must’ve played three times in a row, and I wish I was kidding about that. It’s still on as I type.
The food is decent. Good veggie salad rolls, simple Viet iced coffee to sweetens the deal. I was a little bummed with my phở though. The rice noodles were partially cooked in places and were chewy. I’m also not a fan of dark meat chicken and there was a lot more dark than white meat. I also found a few tendons which put me off, I hate the slimy texture!
Overall, it was good though and I am leaving satisfied. I’ll probably be back, but after I check out all the other options in the area.

My favorite phở in Oregon /​Washington border area!
The host/​servers are always on top of their game. The menu has a wide selection and I’m always in between choosing the phở or cold noodle bowl. I believe one time I went I definitely got both — it’s that good!
All authentic and great tasting food. I love getting the cold noodle bowl with the pork rolls — FANTASTIC ROLLS. I have not been able to find another Vietnamese place with the same flavors and texture.
The phở is always a pleasure to have. It warms my soul every time I eat it.
When you’re in the area, I highly recommend checking this place out. I guarantee you’ll be coming back at least one more time before you end your trip!

I’m stuck between just liking this place and loving it. I love the feel of this place. It’s very clean and well decorated.
The food will satisfy your cravings. It’s pretty good and they do everything pretty well. The food is pretty traditional and similar to something my mom would cook. Some things are over priced for the portion but I never really mind it because it’s good.
I highly recommend the canh ga chien (caramelized chicken wings), goi bo (beef salad), and bo 7 mon (7 course beef). Finish off the meal right with che Van.
I’ve had the rice plates, noodle bowls, and phở here as well. The meat for the plates and bowls were seasoned nicely, but it’s not something that really makes the menu pop out at you. The phở slightly more on the bland side and always comes out just warm.
Overall, this is a good place. Great place. I think they do everything so well that I’m no longer blown away by just one particular thing. There’s a high expectation for them that I have and they always just meet that expectation.

What a bummer to drop 2 stars from my first review for Phở Van.
Phở Van is well known as one of the oldest restaurants in Vietnamese community and the food has been kept exactly the same way since they opened, yet the service has changed.
I have been here for many times and the last visiting was a bummer. It was all about services but I better not saying that on here because I DO love Phở Van a lot.
I’m not biased so definitely I will come back and update my review for the next time.

Service was fast. Got seated within 3 minutes and food came out within 5 minutes. Really clean place with plants and lots of seating. The food came in big portions and was very good. They even had an expresso bar. Overall this place was great and I’ll be going back again.

Phở Van would typically be last on our list for phở/​vietnamese food in general, it was our last resort since 4 of our usual Phở resturants in town are closed, seriously all at the same time.
Things I’ve noticed about Phở Van since their new ownership and remodeled, almost way back in the days now considering it’s 2016… overpriced, medicore, a little too modernized and not true authentic flavoring, fake and ungenuine service, overall you can get alot better and more for your money somewhere else around town. Unless you are keen on spending more money to dine at a fancy, extrememly clean, ambidence and average food resturant.
If you do, good for you, I don’t judge, there are times I feel like doing the same. There are times when I choose Phở Van over our usual spots because they have a larger menu and certain dishes that many around town doesn’t offer.
40 minutes after we had ordered, there was still no food on our table, not even vegetables or tea, and no one refilling our water. The resturant wasn’t even busy!
I was on my lunch break, and even when I planned out 1 ½ hours for the drive and to eat, I still would probably have been late. I asked one of the girl to check on my order and let her know that I was on a time crunch and needed to be back at work. She nodded her head and said yes, and then proceed to greet and showd other customers to their seats. Seriously, did she think I couldn’t see her??? She walked right next to my table and to sit others down and didn’t tell me what’s the status of my food or acknowledged me.
That was the straw that broke the camel’s back, my husband and I got up and walked out. On our way out, the girl who took our order stopped us and said what did I want to do with my food. When I said I have to get back to work and continued to walk, she got frustrated and said Banh Xeo takes a long time. It’s not my first time ordering Banh Xeo or other off the usual menu, buddy, it shouldn’t as long as long as their making people wait, and if it does, they really need to re-​evaulate how the kitchen is being ran.
That being said, I’ll probably put them on my blacklist of resturants to never come back again.

As far as both the veggie phở & restaurant experience go, Phở Van is nothing to tell people about but not really complaint worthy either. The interior is clean, spacious, and quiet, and the prices run around $ 10 – 15 for each dish. Thai iced tea is ~$ 4 and not worth spending your money on, considering the number of nearby boba & tea shops.
Despite asking for just fried tofu in my phở, I received a mixture, and the broth was just «okay.» We had to wait for water until our meal came, but our server was apologetic. It wasn’t very busy inside, but she was taking a lot of phone calls, so I can see how limited staffing could be stressful.
It’d do in a pinch, but with how many great restaurants there are in Portland, I probably won’t be coming here again.

This is my FAVORITE Phở place in Portland!
I love how fancy/​classy it is. Don’t get me wrong, there’s something to a whole in the wall Phở restaurant too, but this place feels so nice!
The staff is always friendly and very knowledgable.
We’ve brought my toddler her before and they’ve been great with him :)
Soup is always what the doctor ordered! Fresh, flavorful and decadent! Hmmmmm I want so now!!!
If you’d like a nice Phở dinner, a place to take family or out of town guests then this is the Phở to go to!

Food is good but the host sucks!!! Other than that you have to wait awhile for your food but it’s okay.

Fast service even at 12pm. Haven’t had anything but Beef Phở here so I cant rate anything else. The Phở is phenomenal!

I can not say enough great things about Phở Van. How did I spend 35 years of my life without ever having Phở? I don’t know but what I do know is this place kinda makes my world go around. The staff are super friendly and eager to make your experience as great as possible. I usually start off with the Veggie fresh rolls or veggie crispy rolls. So delicious. Iv tried a few things here but I tend to stick with my standard of Veggie Phở. Baby bok choy, mushrooms, carrots and tofu two ways makes this dish outta this word. It does come with a side of bean sprouts, basil, lime and jalapeños. I love mixing it all up and adding the sweet hot chili sauce for an extra kick. Do yourself a favor and go check out Phở Van if you have not. You will not be disappointed.

I consider myself a phở expert, If only for the fact that I’ve traveled many places and tried phở everywhere. That being said, I’m not super adventurous and always get the same thing, beef phở. (Just the steak. Not a fan of the tripe and other chewy bits)
The broth was delicious, not too salty and definitely had a unique taste to it. There was a large portion of meat. Probably the best phở I’ve had in this area (and for sure the best off of 82^nd…) I got the young coconut drink which was ok, but not worth the $ 4 I paid. Not much coconut for your buck sadly.
The waitress was nice, and I liked the environment. I was seated quickly and my food didn’t take too long. They don’t have the best beer selection, but then again I don’t have beer with my phở so that wasn’t the biggest issue.
Great phở, the locations kinda sketchy though so I would lock your car before stepping into the otherwise lovely restaurant.

Pretty, serene setting with colorful yellow parasols subbing as overhead lampshades. I had the vegetarian (which is also vegan) phở which was a delicious aromatic broth accented with star anise and cardamom. Delicious and hearty. I requested only the non-​fried tofu so it was a bit lighter, but still hearty, especially with the fresh bean sprouts, basil and lime. I also tasted the Basil Tofu rice dish which was chock full of broccoli, onions, green beans and carrots in a yummy sauce. Generous portion too so we supplemented another side order of rice. Lovely waitstaff, but they can be a bit slower when there are more diners. Overall, great place for great food and nice waitresses.

Great family restaurant, the server are always nice. I come here for their Phở. One of the best in the city of Portland. They have been very consistent with this flavor

I havent had their phở broth but their vermicelli dishes were good! I had an order of the bun thit nuong. I like to point out the fact that they grill their meat on skewers and served over vermicelli so you can un-​skrew your own meat. The skewers were flavorful. My cousin ordered the nem nuong and it came with fried shrimp wraps. That was delicious also and a unique eating experience. You make yourself a wrap with spring rolls and lettuce for the nem nuong then eat it with fish sauce. Service was wonderful also. The waitress was attentive and friendly. I like that they were dressed in traditional Vietnamese tops and pants. Makes it look like you are in Vietnam

I think Phở Van deserves 4 stars overall, not 3,5.
We came at 11:20am which they just opened and the place was already crowed.
We ordered Com tong hop and beef salad.
My rice dish was awesome. It was a big combination between pork chop, pork skin, shrimps and vegetables. I don’t like kim chi in general so I didn’t try it here. The pork was not too hard to chew and the fish sauce were very good as well.
I also didn’t forget to try the Che ba mau after my lunch. Maybe it wasn’t that good like it used to be since my desert didn’t have much coconut inside.
Definitely will be back for more experiences.
By the way, the services are WAY better than Phở Van Beaverton. they were so nice, attentive and often apologized for the late of the food.

Order: Lg. tai gan tai song (phở with tendon and rare beef)
Time to greet: 7 minutes
Time to get food: 18 minutes
Total time with an empty water: 15 minutes
Time to get change for payment: 13 minutes
I’ll start by saying that the ambiance was delightful. Appropriately decorated and consistent with the theme throughout. The bathrooms were clean and also well decorated. The music playing in the dining room was soothing and played at a good volume.
When I ordered my phở, I requested that the rare beef be put on the side as I like it more on the rare side. I was told that they don’t do that there. I have eaten phở no less than once a week for years and have NEVER heard that. The beef did come out with some pink in it though and was enjoyable. The broth was a little salty but after adding some spice, it too was enjoyable. I did think that the portion was quite small for the «large» bowl. (Pic) Side Note: my 1^st water was delivered half full (pic)
The service, although incredibly slow and un-​attentive was very friendly. Each time an employee visited my table, they had the largest smile on their face and were overly nice. I couldn’t help but smile back.
To summarize, I would try other phở places in the are before going back there.

Having never been here before, I was unsure what to order, but the #52 turned out to be an excellent choice! 2 Pork and 1 shrimp skewer set atop a large bowl of noodles and vegetables is what you get for $ 9.50. I doctored mine up with plum sauce, sriracha and garlic chili, and it was FAN-​FLIPPING-​TASTIC!
The restaurant has really unique décor, right down to a few motor scooters — inside on display — that you’d see a lot of people riding in heavily congested cities.
I can’t help but be proud of my choice, because I almost picked one of those dingy looking Chinese places up/​down the road. It was doubtful this restaurant would end up on Dirty Diners (or whatever that show is called) like the others might, because it was spotless. Sans the table next to us with a baby tossing his noodles around.
My brother gobbles up his meal then made a comment about it being «Interesting, for Chinese food». It was then that I had to explain that it isn’t Chinese but Vietnamese — which has a lot less deep fried breading and a lot more veggies.
This is definitely one of the nicer restaurants on that side of town and you walk away not feeling full like you would if you just ate a bunch of rice with your meal.

Very tummy warming. Had meatball phở and vegetable phở. Salad rolls. All the flavors were distinct and fresh.

One of the cleanest restaurants with some of the best natural lightings. It makes all your food look and taste 10xs better!
I had the Ca Cuon, which is a deep friend whole fish, served on a platter, with green and rice paper wraps. You pick apart the fish and you wrap it up and eat it in their amazing sauce. Seriously, that dish is to die for!!! & only available after 5pm :)

Wait, on 82^nd Avenue there is a restaurant I not only love but does not look like someplace serving food poisoning — that is, of course, if you don’t get stabbed in the parking lot…
A friend brought me here since we were nearby and wow… I pull into the parking lot and was amazed I was still on 82^nd. Lovely landscaping and a fresh clean parking lot. Then we get into the restaurant which was very clean, well designed and the smells were an amazing preview of our food.
I tried the combo rice plate which was pretty amazing. We also had their salad rolls and some chicken wings for appetizers — everything was amazing and they were very accommodating with our rush since we had an engagement we had to leave very quickly for.

Me and my coworkers ate here for lunch and we were greeted very warmly at the door. Service was fun and happy, I ordered the beef rolls with lemongrass. #53 (sorry if this looks tacky) It was really good! All and all a very nice dining experience.
I will return.

Great Vietnamese dinner place! I’m Vietnamese and take my parents here for «special occasion» dinners. For lunch we love getting the bún măng vt which is a duck salad and side of noodle soup. Bet soup/​salad combo everrrrr!
The only bun mang Vit I’ve ever had was in Orange County and it wasn’t this fancy so I had to ask the waitress how to eat it. Really delicious fancy Vietnamese food!
Not sure if I’d ever order phở here since it’s more of a fancy dinner place.

Layout: 4 for Vietnamese restaurant
Food: 3.5 for the taste and presentation
Service :2 for not doing their best to accommodate customer’s need. We order Ca Nuong and Chao Tom and they say us on an tiny table. When I recommend that we feel more comfortable if we have more room on the table. The server told us, this is table for 4 person already, we’re 2, and point at the big table with 10 – 12 chairs and asked if we want to go there… since that’s way too big we decided not to move. Restaurant are big with booths around and they rather keep them empty than give to us… I tip but I do not appreciate the service I got at all

When it’s good, it’s real good!
I know how it feels to be new to Vietnamese food. I was stuck in a Thai rut, having been pulled in hook, line, and sinker over the greasy Chinese options that we seem to be left with in Portland. Phở Van is a perfect intro to this cuisine, and a staple in SE for some time. I’ve eaten at two other locations years ago, but this one for me is the best and my go-​to for fresh top quality Vietnamese food.
Veggie options for me are limited, but the Mi Chay is always good, a nice big bowl full of beautiful egg noodles, vegetables, and tofu. The side of veggie rolls as an appetizer never gets old. I could eat them everyday. I also had a Mi Chay bowl that was slightly different, using the fried egg rolls in the soup. Phenomenal!
As any Phở lover will say, it all comes down to the broth. If it isn’t freshly prepared, and done with quality and with some love, it’s just a salty watery mess. At Phở Van you get the goods and it shows. I’ve never been let down. It’s a filling, big bowl of love and you will not go home hungry. All that for under $ 10 I’m a very happy man.
Negatives: A 5 star review really doesn’t have any in my book. They go all out here, and deserve high marks. It’s very clean, including the bathrooms, and they have a lot of fun extras at this location, i.e., great photos, indoor plants, etc, that create a really warm atmosphere. See if you can find the antique scooter!
Overall I’m just continually impressed with Phở Van. I wish they had more options for vegetarians, but no complaints from this reviewer. I’ll be back again soon!