Ha VL

The Vietnamese scene in Portland is one of the country's most underrated and places like Ha VL are certainly on the forefront of it all. Known for its homey vibe and delicious food, it has become a local favorite and one of the city's most well known noodle soup destinations.The premise is simple: each day they serve 2-3 soups until sold out. One day it's pho ga and bun rieu and another day it's bun moc and hu tieu bo kho. If one does have a preference, just remember the day for your favorite soup and get there at a decent time before they run out. Ultimately it doesn't matter which day one goes, it's all going to be tasty and comforting.I appreciate all of their food. The various regional pho are indeed wonderful and the northern style pho (pho bac) is probably my my top bowl at the moment, followed closely by the hu tieu and bun thang. Their banh canh is very rich broth wise but the mi quang is also quite good.The prices have crept up mightily over the years. The average bowl here is now $16+. But the portions are substantial. The husband and wife team that run place are wonderful people and the rest of the staff provide exemplary service.They aren't open on Monday or Tuesday and the hours end in the late afternoon almost always after lunch. The rotation of daily soups are always subject to change, but whatever they're serving the day I return will be the highlight of my day.

On Sunday, they have only two dishes on the menu: pho bac, & mi Quang. Very good mi Quang!! It's on the soupy side so it's easy to eat, and light. The mi quang noodles were really tasty and smooth. If you've tried mi Quang before sometimes it can be tiring to eat- mi Quang & becomes mi ngán.! My sister doesn't even like mi Quang but she liked this one. We'll probably be back to try their bánh canh cua. The only thing is that the food came out a bit slow even though there were 2 dishes on the menu. Personally, I felt like there was a lot more msg that is tolerable for me. I wouldn't eat this regularly because I'm a bit sensitive to it- but I think it's worth it when I'm craving for mi Quang. Lol, I love the family pictures it's giving Vietnamese Chaebols.

Super nice people here with good service, hot tea, two noodle soups to choose from. Came here on a Friday and had the chicken pho and pnompenh noodle soup, one of each! So glad we got one of each so we could try two very different broths.Pnompenh noodle soup: rich pork broth that smells of seafood, you can really smell the difference with the pho! Came with different toppings including lettuce (? It was morning and didn't really pay attention), bean sprouts, lime, and chili oil instead of hoisin and Sriracha. Lots of green onion in this soup too. I liked the sliced BBQ pork and shrimp.Chicken pho: comes with a lot of chicken and very tender pieces at that! Very good broth with lots of chicken flavor, very soothing in the morning. Enjoyed how much they gave of both meat and noodles. I tried to pick a favorite soup, but they were just so different it's hard to choose! Makes me want to visit on other days to try other noodle soups. Looking forward to another visit!

They usually only offer 2 soups each day. I ordered the beef pho. It has good flavor. The portios are smaller than usual pho places.

I'm upset that I found this place so late during my time living in the Portland area. When I think about pho, this is the exact kind of pho I dream about having. The noodle soup is so flavorful, the price is just right, and it just makes you want more all at the same time.They have rotating menus daily, so check what they have! I'm planning on going different days just so I can try the different menu items they offer.

Late post, but I still think about the noodles my husband and I had from here and hope one day I can come back to eat this again. Came here on a Sunday afternoon and there was still a few hours before they closed. Restaurant was filled and when we walked in, the hostess informed us they only had one more bowl of soup available for the day. We had been eating all day so we were ok to share the one bowl seeing that it was also the soup we wanted to try. While we sat and waited, the waitress came by to tell us they had a phone cancellation and asked if we wanted to have the second bowl. We kindly refused. It just happened that they had to turn a woman away since they were sold out for the day, but since we refused the second bowl; the male employee went out to find the lady to see if she wanted to come back for that last bowl of soup for the day. She got her meal and we got ours, all our lucky days!The restaurant only serves certain items each day. We wanted to try the Mi Quang and we were blown away. Flavor was so delicious and rich. We cleared up the entire bowl. My husband and I joked that we should have taken that second bowl because it was so good. We haven't eaten this dish before and now I've been on a lookout to try to find a restaurant that also serves mi quang. Must be rare because I haven't found very many near me that has this soup. I'll be sure to visit again to try other dishes but if I land on a day where there is mi quang again, I'll have to get that one. I tell many friends that this was one of our favorite stops of our trip. So glad we were able to try it.

My absolute favorite location in all of Portland for some excellent pho and breakfast noodle soup. The food is packed with flavor. You can only get these two soups Saturday mornings and they sell out quickly, so I recommend getting there early. The employees are kind and welcoming and attentive to your needs. The atmosphere is cozy and warm. I highly recommend! You'll be addicted after one visit. Cheers!

This was exactly what I needed on a foggy and gloomy morning while visiting Portland.I came on a Thursday and now regretting I couldn't fit the bún ốc in too.

I can't get enough of this place. I constantly crave their noodle soup. This is the first location of their 3 family run daily soup locations (Rose VL, and Annum VL being the other two). Be aware to check their menu before making your way to their restaurant, as their menu cycles daily. Also, they do close early once they run out that day.

Amazing noodle soup! I had the wonton noodle soup and my husband had the beef pho. Both of our noodles soups were amazing. Definitely my favorite Vietnamese noodle soup places in PDX. The staff was super friendly and explained to us their other family members own sister restaurants- Rose VL, and another restaurant with the VL at the end of it. Can't wait too try the rest of their daily specials. Make sure you come early or they sell out quickly. I think she mentioned they usually sell out by around 2pm.