• 5
• Best vegan restaurant in Portland--not typical!

I am a vegan in Portland and this is my favorite restaurant in the city. It is also the top choice of several of my friends (both vegan and non-vegan, and both local and visiting). I even have two friends who make dedicated trips here every time they are in town! Van Hanh is a very special place. For one, the food is incredible, and extremely well priced for a) the quality and b) the portion sizes (you can always count on taking home leftovers). For another, everything is cooked and served by Buddhist nuns, with all proceeds from the restaurant benefiting their nearby temple. Yes, some dishes are mock-meat heavy, but the nun who cooks makes almost all of these mock meats from scratch (try the "House Special" for something out of this world!). Every dish I have tried here is either excellent or very good, and I've tried nearly every item on the menu, delighted always by the inventiveness and variety in the dishes, and the generosity of the staff. Personal favorites include the Flat Noodles, Sushi Rolls, House Special, Spicy Spare Ribs, Papaya Salad, Kung Pao Chicken (better than the mixed mock meat version), and Curried Vegetable. For those who are expecting typical (read: Western/American) service "standards" or predictable and popular Asian food fare on the menu, you will be disappointed. The staff are generally quiet, do not speak very much English, and service is slower than a typical US restaurant. This is in large part because only one or two people work at a time, with one of them cooking everything from scratch. It is recommended that you either make the time that the food and overall experience deserve or call in for take out (and plan to wait for a bit for that, too). I would also mention that for those who live far from its location (just east of SE 82nd Ave on SE Division), it is well worth the car/transit/bike ride! I have always seen and met such a wonderfully diverse mix of customers at Van Hanh--from a number of cultural and ethnic backgrounds, including many Vietnamese--that shows how the food and atmosphere are appreciated by many. I have been here multiple times a month since I moved to Portland several years ago and have no plans of stopping. I hope others read this and give the restaurant a chance, so as to discover the many ways in which is it is delicious, affordable, and unique! A Portland gem, especially recommended for those who want to experience another side of Portland food options and culture--locals and travelers alike!