Luc Lac is the kind of restaurant that offers grab-n-go food but has an ambiance that makes you wonder why you would ever use it. When you walk into this restaurant, you are immediately greeted by a giant, looming, neon menu and cheery staff who all look cooler than you.

The neon theme continues throughout the bar and restaurant and the walls all boast beautiful and colorful murals. The front portion of their space is committed to their walk-up service where you can take your food to go. Because of this, there aren't many window seats. But I promise you'll have enough to look at that you won't mind.

Like Grassa, this restaurant has a sit-down energy with an order-at-the-counter system. You order first and sit down second. I played my usual game of menu roulette and asked the person taking my order what they preferred. I was directed to the Lemongrass Stir-Fry with Tofu and Shrimp. After recommending this dish to me they asked me to let them know how I liked it. In this regard... I failed. So if you work at Luc Lac and wear a cute hairband, know this: you were right! This dish rocks!

The stir-fry was amazing and though the rice was a bit tough at the end this was probably because I was eating slowly while participating in some rockin' conversation. The dish also comes with a simple salad on the side, which makes you feel better about eating such a whopping serving!

Here's hoping you skipped lunch before you got here because the plates are large! I persevered and finished my food and I'm glad I did. But if you didn't skip lunch (or you aren't as brave as me) don't worry. The restaurant has a stack of take-out containers for you to use at your leisure.

The dishes are rated on a Spicy Scale™ of 1-4 and I got a 3. Now there's a chance they noticed how white my skin was and reeled me in for my safety, but if not I can assure you that 3 is pretty manageable here. Just don't go quoting me on that!

My food arrived and my friend Sam immediately started WAFTING MY FOOD'S AROMA. On the one hand, how dare you? That's my aroma! On the other hand, I think it's proof that the food doesn't just look and taste good, it smells good too!

Speaking of wafting, my friend Alayna says that her dish (the Steak and Brisket Phở) is "definitely worth wafting" too. In her words the broth is amazing, the noodles have a perfect texture, and you get more than enough. Additionally, she said that the meat was tender and the veggies were very fresh. Aside from Sam's wafting, this was the only review I got out of my friends. Here's hoping 2.5 opinions are enough for you!

The service at Luc Lac was simple but effective. By design, the staff are stationed at the bar and the counter but there are always people walking around so you're bound to get help if you need it. Once you've ordered there are stations for you to get water, utensils, and other para-phở-nalia. The staff are all really nice and, as I mentioned earlier, they all look really cool. I'm not sure what the staffing process is here but I'm sure it involves finding up-and-coming indie musicians and tugboat operators (the coolest kind of boat).

All in all, this is a great stop for anyone looking to eat in downtown Portland. And with their take-out option, it's a great spot for people looking to eat anywhere else too!