Hanoi Kitchen

I absolutely love Vietnamese food. I enjoy learning about the subtle differences between regional dishes, and often find restauranteurs in Portland are open to sharing knowledge of their cuisine me. I was recently excited to learn that in relation to pho, soup from the north features a more refined, clear broth with minimal toppings. And soup from the south has a richer, sweeter broth with a wider variety of herbs and garnishes. The history of the dish is really fascinating, and most definitely warrants additional study. I've learned that pho originated in northern Vietnam, in Hanoi. And as families fled northern Vietnam in the 1950s, regional variations of the dish emerged based on availability of local ingredients and tastes. Armed with this knowledge, when I discovered Hanoi Kitchen is one of the few restaurants to feature Northern Vietnamese dishes in Portland, I jumped at the chance to check it out. Hanoi Kitchen has the appearance of being a family restaurant. It's a large, open space with lots of plants and the most gorgeous wood floors I've ever seen. It's a beautiful space filled with art, and has plenty of seating for lots and lots of people. A friendly woman named Kim runs the place, taking orders, making the food, and cleaning up! Her dedication to this restaurant and the community is impressive. And it's clear she's made an impact on the customers she serves. The wall behind the counter is plastered with postcards, letters, wedding invitations and funeral announcements from the friends and family she's served over the years. I love this sense of community as it show's Kim's heart is in both her work and the food she serves. Hanoi Kitchen claims they don't use MSG in the food they prepare, and all of the ingredients appear to be fresh and healthy - in fact, Kim even brings eggs to the restaurant from her own chickens! You can buy organic farm eggs for $5 a dozen! Everything about this restaurant indicates familial, homestyle cooking which is something I strive for these days. I love supporting restaurants and businesses who are invested in the communities they serve.

Another amazing visit. Always great and the broth today was extra epic! Ladies are so wonderful and they even have farm fresh eggs available for $5 a dozen!

What's the best Vietnamese restaurant in Portland? And I don't mean who has the pho you like best. Vietnamese cuisine covers quite a range, and no place covers that range tastier than Hanoi Kitchen. Just look at there soup selection, all the classics, and just ONE choice of pho. Which I hadn't had in previous visits and now must sat BEST PHO in town! Very rich broth, strong on the spices, ample with the meats. Big bowl for only $14. Had a nice talk with the cook/cashier/waitress. Why is this place so empty?

Some of the best Vietnamese food we've eaten in this town known for its long list of truly good Vietnamese restaurants.Nothing fancy about Hanoi Kitchen's location or its street signage, though the restaurant's interior is clean, spacious and inviting. The tall plants lining the windows let you know this place has been around for a long time. Best is the quality of Hanoi Kitchen's offerings. We are particularly impressed by the freshness of the greens and herbs in the pho garnish plates, as well as the soups themselves. Excellent mi quang, with perfectly cooked noodles, shrimp, ribs, and pork belly in a luscious broth. We are also fond of the bun thit nuong (vermicelli bowl with grilled pork), which my partner says is the best in town. Another favorite: the carmelized fish sauce chicken wings appetizer. Generous and tasty.Delightful service. Overall a lovely spot for a meal. A go-to place for Vietnamese food.

I've never been into a Vietnamese restaurant where I felt like the entire menu hit the spot on home cooked meals I grew up loving. That was, until I went to Hanoi Kitchen. This had been on our to try list for sometime and we finally made it in.If you're looking for a true home cooked meal: I would order the home style meal. I chose the cá kho tộ and canh chua (braised fish and tamarind soup) and I was just so happy to feel like I was eating at home. The fish gets a little salty due to the nature of the caramelization and braise, but it was well balanced with the sour and spicy soup and white rice. The Banh Cuon is delicious too.We have had a few other items shared between our family and every item was well flavored and hit the spot. It's quiet most times we're here and the family who runs it is really nice. Definitely one of the Top Vietnamese restaurants in Portland. I normally prefer to cook at home but if I'm not and want Vietnamese food, I'll be here.

The pho was ok, not piping hot for a cold rainy day in Portland. The wait time for your lunch was longer than expected from an empty restaurant.With an empty house, it was easy to casually walk around the restaurant to view custom still art on the wall for sale by one of their customers. Supposedly they are from a local surgeon who paints as a hobby. The prices were surgeon priced.Nice garden display in front of the window.

Russian ingredients. Authentic Vietnamese cuisine. Made to order. give the local business try!!

My family wanted to try a new place, so we decided to give Hanoi Kitchen a try. We went during lunch hour on a weekend, and we were the only party at the restaurant. It took 30 minutes for the food to be delivered to the table. The pho noodle bowls were very oily, with significantly more noodles compared to the meats.Our teapot was ready to be refilled, and the server said "We make every pot of tea separately, so I will make it for you now." However, it was another 15minutes before the lady returned to grab our empty teapot to refill and said "Oh, I am so absent-minded." Our water glasses were never refilled.The indoor decor left much to be desired.... There were remnants of what might have been a nice plant, now a collection of dried up branches/vines. In addition, there was a spider in its fully-spun web right above the dining table at the entrance.While surrounded by notices and reminders that this restaurant has had to raise prices across the menu and take-out ordersd to stay in business, our dining experience unfortunately had not given us a reason to return again.

Went on a Saturday at around noon. This place was empty, we were the only people eating in this restaurant. Not a good sign. The lady that greeted us was very nice. I think she was the only person working that day. We had a group of 7. She brought tea, and water. We ordered, I picked the bun Bo hue. Many others ordered Pho. The pho was ok, very oily. The bun Bo hue was not very good. No sausage, no beef, blood cake included. It did have fish cakes. I asked if I have ordered the wrong thing. She assured me I got what I ordered. Ok. As we left, we noticed a full on charlotte's web with a huge spider over a table. Crazy. This place is expensive, sub par food, definitely not worth money. Pho hung, go there, just down the street.

I've been going here for over 5 years now , love the food. Love to support a local business family owned. But over the last year the price of the food has gone up (understandably from the economy), but the portion went down significantly also. A dish I used to have for dinner and left overs for the next day, I know finish in one sitting. The ambience and cleanliness of the established has always been iffy but I excused it for a while because of the pandemic. But it hasn't improved. There's so much stuff and clutter, even the entry to the kitchen . It makes me pretty hesitant of the quality of the food and cleanliness of the kitchen. Side note: I also once found the end of a broken metal tool in my food when I bit on it. Thankfully didn't damage my teeth, but I did eventually call to let them know in a calm and respectful manner, and they basically didn't show any level of concern.I've only ever been helped from one person and she's always been so sweet and you can tell works so hard to help with cooking and serving . But it's very harder and harder to justify coming here for the price / quantity size and questionable cleanliness.