Vegan
Delivery
Take-out
Asian
Catering
Vietnamese
Fully vegan Vietnamese cuisine. Makes its own mock meats. Basic decor. Cards accepted over 15 dollars. Reported fully vegan September 2022. Open Mon-Sun 10:00am-8:00pm.
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- Outdoor seating
- Accepts credit cards
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Last update on 13 Nov 2024 by geometric-noise
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72 Reviews
First Review by infinitriet
dannyowen
Points +220
Meh - Edit
Yes you have to wait a little bit for your food. No big deal there. The veggie chow mien wasn’t very good though. Dumplings were just okay. I was literally the only person in the restaurant and nobody came by to offer to refill my water. Also, by the register in the refrigerator is dairy milk. WTF?? I thought this place was vegan.
Read moreNone of my observations are a HUGE deal but if you roll them all up into one experience I would say it wasn’t very good at all. I will not return.
Guest
heatherbivore
Points +59
Lots of options - Edit
It was a bit crowded & took awhile however there great unique options I haven't seen elsewhere & the food was delicious.
Read moreGuest
sglcklch
Points +3055
Loved it despite initial confusion - Edit
Finally got around to trying this place out for the first time and it didn't disappoint! Two of us shared a banh hoi (weekend special), a spicy noodle soup, and a stuffed yuba dish. Everything was delicious and inexpensive. As far as I can remember, most things are under $10. I usually avoid fake meats but the banh hoi was the bomb! You can certainly order around those too if you so choose given the extensive menu.
Read moreI just wish there was more communication especially for first-timers as to how this place runs. When we walked in, it was busy with quite a few people either eating or waiting for their food. Staff was nowhere to be seen. We had no clue what we were supposed to do until a buddhist nun came out from the kitchen after a good ten minutes, Then I noticed a menu on a chair, grabbed it, walked up to the counter, and ordered. Then I realized they were all backed up filling this one big takeout order. It must have taken me 20 minutes just to place mine. Once we got past the ordering process, which frankly was a little daunting, everything went great. Our food came out shortly afterwards.
Mind you, this is a hole-in-the-wall, no-frills restaurant. Eating delicious food should be your primary goal. I think the fact that most diners around us were Vietnamese speaks to the quality and authenticity of the food. Now that I know how it works, I'll for sure come back again and again to eat my way through the rest of the menu. BTW, it's cash only for orders under $15!
Pros: great food, affordable prices
Cons: lack of communication
Guest
Gyrkin
Points +42
Amazing food, great prices - Edit
This is my third visit to this awesome vegetarian & vegan restaurant, a consistently delightful experience. Don't be in a hurry, the food is made 1 meal at a time, but it is delicious. they make their own a mock meat in house and it's better than any I've ever bought at a store. English isn't a strong suit, but they are so dedicated to a pleasant experience that it all works out just fine. if I lived in Portland, I'd eat here every day!
Read morePros: Extremely affordable at $7.50-8.50, and you couldn
Guest
kimhester
Points +174
Fantastic cuisine and cheap - Edit
I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend special noodles with mock pork today. This is a simple place in regards to decor (with the exception of the huge, beautiful Buddha), but the delicious cuisine and amiable staff make me want to return even though it is far from my home. The vibes here are right and so is the price. It's got the cheapest dishes I've found at a vegan restaurant in the Portland area, but also some of the tastiest.
Read morePros: Delicious dishes, Amiable service, Cheap prices
Guest
rev.j.p.rinehart
Points +132
Home away from home! - Edit
I love this restaurant. I love the staff. I love the food. I understand that people could somehow not like it, but I feel the need to address concerns for those that might be deterred via an instruction manual. :-D
Read more1) Walk in and smile at anyone there, greet them!
2) Head to the counter in front of you and grab an appropriate amount of menus and find a table.
3) Once you decide on menu items, go up to the counter, ring the bell, and order.
4) Bring a book or people you like to talk with and the time will seem short, you could also encourage those bewildered and fearful souls that wander in (I have met some amazing people here by breaking the invisible walls around my table).
5) Enjoy food that you will not get anywhere else, don't expect it to be a carbon-copy of a dish you had before.
The people that are serving you at Van Hahn are not employees, they are either nuns or volunteer laity from the temple. If you show them kindness, you will get it back from them, they are not financially obligated to treat you like the lord or lady of Downton Abbey. They do not work in the service industry, they are contributing to a humble cause. The place is humble as well, it would not be consistent with their lifestyle to waste money on a fancy bathroom remodel... you will notice most decor is repurposed like the rack advertising wine that they don't serve.
I would recommend the soups (pho, hue's spicy noodle, and sweet and sour are my rotation), the sushi rolls, potato rolls, chicken nuggets (when you're feeling trashy), green papaya salad (papaya is cut fresh, so it will take a minute), house special (my absolute favorite), spicy spare ribs, kung pao chicken (mmm, mmm, good), and really anything else you might want. Word of advice though, fried rice dishes are not what you think they are... the rice is brown and steamed, everything else is stir-fried.
The last thing to address is the mock meat level of the cuisine... I would recommend that you put on your thinking cap and infer from the description, which dishes will have the appropriate proportion of mock meats to vegetables.
Pros: Delicious, Unique, Addictive, Cheap!!!, Worthy Beneficiaries
Guest
Allenrojo
Points +20
Not very good !! - Edit
I went to this restaurant expecting good food after reading positive reviews. Not the case the food at best was mediocre. The service was horrible. They need to learn professional skills about running a restaurant, especially customer service. I understand that this is a non-profit restaurant but if they want support they need to improve.
Read morePros: good value, big portions
Cons: mediocre food, lousy service
Guest
jazzinjake
Points +13
Sweet little vegan spot - Edit
I really love this place, and all the care that goes into it. I like the quirkiness, including the alkaline water that is served to everyone there.
Read moreIn terms of food quality, the bowls are a pretty good bet (come with a spring roll), and all the soups are good. Some of the food is a little too gluten-reliant.
For those who haven't eaten there much, you may need to go up to the counter and make your presence (or needs) known, because they're busy in the back and don't readily come out.
I brought ten people out there for my birthday, and we shared like 8 dishes and people that it was weird and interesting, and it was an enjoyable experience.
Pros: Enjoyable staff, Authentic Experience, Hole-in-the-wall
Cons: You have to get their attention
Guest
eirefox
Points +55
A Fun & Affordable Place to Eat - Edit
I've been to this place many times. Let's face it, it's one of the few truly vegan places around. And they're serving vegan food for the right reasons. I've ALWAYS enjoyed the food. It's affordable, has great hours, has a fun atmosphere and is in a convenient location.
Read morePros: Affordable, Ethical, Tasty
Guest
akpresto
Points +31
Good Soup - Great Price - Edit
The young lady seemed a bit confused that we were there. But we motioned to the table and she invited us to sit. She brought menus which we had to point at, because she spoke very little if any English. The food was amazing, however. I had Pho and my Wife had a stir fried dish. The flavors were incredible. The Pho was filled with varying faux meats, which I'm usually not a fan of, but this place pulled it off.
Read morePros: Good food, Inexpensive, Free parking
Cons: Very little english, the bathroom is upstairs
Guest
Strawberrypickle
Points +28
AMAZING MOCKMEATS - Edit
I love this place! The staff is very shy but very sweet too. The food is really well priced and absolutely delicious. The spare ribs ROCK. The lemongrass chik'n is FABULOUS, I could eat that stuff til I'm busted full. The glass noodle dish is delicious. Just thinking about this place seriously makes my mouth water.
Read morePros: GREAT GREAT MOCKMEATS, NICE STAFF, REASONABLE PRICES
Guest
cookiem
Points +5888
Outstanding Aura - Edit
This place couldn't be more heartwarming and belly satisfying! The nuns are such nice people, but be patient, they aren't fluent in English! If you like Vietnamese food, you'll adore this place.
Read moreThe Vietnamese Crepe is a staple, made vegan, only on the weekends, but worth the wait! It's always busiest on weekends around lunch, so be patient.
The tasty Vietnamese dumplings are filled with a tasty but light mung bean filling, just be aware that the dough is a glutinous rice-based dough, so it's not your traditional dumpling! The best roll to get is the sushi roll: the combination of the seaweed, cilantro and peanut-y sauce is other-wordly! Egg rolls are also fabulous! If you want a fresh untraditional lettuce-filled salad, go for the papaya salad, it's sensational!
As for noodles, you can't miss a beat with the vegan yellow noodles or the flat noodles, the flavor is wonderful but simple, but very satisfying! All the noodles bowls are delicious, if you are familiar with this kind of fare. Unbelievably filling, great portions!
Entrees that are favorites include the green beans with mock chicken, Thu's spicy tofu, veggie fish and the fish and veggies plate (tasty ginger dipping sauce). All entrees come with your choice of rice, go for brown, yum!
Of course, if you're ultra-traditional, the soups will not let you down, classic-style pho for the vegan! Great on a cold and/or rainy day!
Wonderful atmosphere, reasonable prices and great portion sizes. Bring cash unless you spend over $15!
Pros: Noodles, Portions, Nuns
Cons: Location, Not organic
Guest
MelChelle
Points +24
A meal to ruin the night... - Edit
Maybe my friend and I picked the wrong selections but every part of our dinner from the apps to the main entree was dissappointing. Flavorless and tasted like it was re-heated in a microwave. I don't think I would give this place a second shot. In fact, I was sick just thinking about the meal. I tried to like it but it just was awful.
Read moreCons: rude staff, long wait for take out, lacked flavor
Guest
bizarro
Points +28
Excellent! - Edit
I have been here a few times and I enjoyed it every time. The food seems to be really authentic except with faux meats. Lots of cilantro and traditional spices. The atmosphere is very humble (but clean) so don't go there for ambiance. The nuns are very reserved and I can see how some people might be surprised by that but they really are friendly. If you smile, they will smile back:) Not a great place if you have any special dietary questions because they really don't speak English. I like the idea that it's a non-profit and the food is so cheap!
Read morePros: Cheap, Tasty, Non-profit
Cons: Busy street, Communication problems
Guest
nephaline
Points +49
Take out/don't stay in - Edit
Visiting Portland for the first time, we tried Van Hahn because of it's listing at Happy Cow. The atmosphere is abyssmal, the bathroom was frightening and did not have paper towels or even cotton towels, the servers did not seem to understand english. But the food was fairly good.
Read moreThe jicama spring rolls were huge,delicious and cheap - because there were two of us sharing, they gave us 4 rolls instead of 3 and charged us a bit extra - they never asked but we didn't mind.
The Spicy spare ribs looked like coiled worms, had an excellent texture, but a strange taste (5 spice powder?) that we didn't enjoy. We ordered the curry vegetables with mock chicken. The mock chicken was the best we had ever had, my carniverous friend was impressed. The curry was just okay, I think that chinese and vietnamese curries just don't appeal to me as much as indian and thai curries do. For dessert I ordered one soft tofu/ginger/coconut dish for dessert, and they brought us two small dishes and charges us for two(communication can be a problem here). Once you stirred up the flavours in the dessert, it was nice like a rice pudding, but not everyone will enjoy the squishy soft tofu texture.
While we were there, many people came in to pick up their orders, and a large vietnamese family bought many containers of the mock meats which are available for sale. I always take it to be a good sign when customers favour a restaurant that serves their cultural foods. If we are ever in Portland again, we will pick up some dishes from this restaurant, but not eat in again. The prices (except for the tofu dessert) are exceptionally low.
Pros: cheap prices, big portions, excellent mock chicken
Cons: filthy bathrooms, abyssmal atmosphere, difficult to communicate
kindlizard
if the bathroom was that bad, imagine the kitchen...
Read moreGuest
draccy
Points +18
Worth a Try! - Edit
A friend recommended this restaurant, telling us not to miss the Green Papaya Salad -- but that item wasn't listed on the menus handed to us in the restaurant. Perhaps it is seasonal? Instead, we had spring rolls, which were fresh and tasty and accompanied by a good peanut sauce. We tried two main dishes. The Lemon Grass Tofu Sticks had an amazing consistency, like very tender meat on the bone. They tasted delicious -- although too salty. If you don't mind something reminiscent of real meat, you'll like this menu item. We also had Thai Fried Rice, which had a few veggies mixed in along with strips of fake meat, and a some large florets of broccoli alongside it. The fried rice had a hint of spiciness and a pretty good flavor -- nothing too exciting, but not bad, either. As for the service, it was efficient, but the waitress was dour at best. She never smiled, only mumbling the occasional reply to a question. No, she wasn't just the silent type -- she looked really unhappy to be there. The atmosphere at Van Hahn is very basic and plain, but that's fine -- you don't go expecting cloth napkins and lovely decor. Overall, I'd consider going back on occasion to sample some of their different dishes, and I give a moderate recommendation. Worth a try if you're in Portland, but don't come with sky-high expectations.
Read morePros: yummy fake meats, vegan options galore
Cons: salty, dour waitress
Guest
tofutodd
Points +94
Cheap and good. Vegan house-made mock-meats! - Edit
Through caution to the wind here, the mock meats are house-made and contain no dairy or casein, however they are deep fried. Even when it says seared, I think they are deep fried first. After returning from China I recognized the stuffed steamed buns - a deal and a meal in their own. I think they are $1.25ea and two would make a quick meal. The mock chicken was great. The atmophere and location are terrible, but for $5.95 - $6.95 you can't complain!
Read morePros: Cheap & Good portions, Brown rice by default!, Diverse menu!
Cons: Bad Location & atmosphere, meats are all deep fried, Can be slow
Guest
infinitriet
Points +6
Great Food - Edit
This is the only vegetarian restaurant I go to.
Read moreVisit their new website for menu and price at www.vanhanhrestaurant.com
Pros: Nice staff, Good food, Eat there twice per month
Cons: Small area
Guest
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