Phở Hùng on Powell — Restaurant in Portland

I'll start out by saying that the food was exemplary. The Spring Rolls were extra crispy and the Spicy Beef Noodle Stew arrived at the table with all the color and depth of a bowl of glowing lava.

The stew had great noodle lift, a nice little bite, layers of flavor, and there were plenty of basil leaves and sprouts to toss in. It was in fact one of the better bowls of broth that I have had in Portland, which is seriously saying something as I haunt the Pho shops like a lost ghost haunts crazy old cat ladies.

I mean, the broth itself was even exceptionally beautiful, such a deep red and orange and yellow Well, sprinkled liberally with chopped green onion and hiding a treasure of tender beef and perfect noodles. So why only 4 stars out of 5? Am I one of those people who will only leave a 5 star rating if Jesus himself comes down out of the clouds to serve my table? No, I take a joy in dropping 5 stars on those who can wow me like this place wowed me. The problem is something else.

The problem is the staff and it might not even be their fault. The place had a distinct cafeteria feel. It was busy of course and though it seemed the staff was banging, it did not look like they were understaffed, it was just, impersonal. Every interaction seemed rushed and distracted. I got none of that welcoming ethos that I find in so many Vietnamese Restaurants. If I lived down the street, I'd probably drop in pretty regularly, but I wouldn't go out of my way... I wouldn't take friends there or make it a destination, there are simply too many great places where the staff makes more of an effort to be friendly.

I mean the meal came quickly, the staff seemed to be keeping the place clean and everything, but I just didn't feel welcome. I mean, man! When I went to the pho place where no one spoke much english, I still felt more welcomed than Pho Hung on Powell. The clientele was certainly different than most Pho places around, not one Asian Family that I could see. Lots of what looked like students from the area.

I suppose I might be asking too much. Asking that I be greeted with some small semblance of friendliness, asking that the server pause for just a moment while taking my order , that someone smile for god's sake. There seems to be a disconnect there. I feel the passion, or at least the patience in the food, but not in the servers. I won't avoid the place, but it will never be a Destination. Four out of five isn't all that bad... really. I mean it's kind of good... right? But like I said, it might not be the staffs problem (other than youth). It might be a management issue. PS... Looking back over past reviews it becomes apparent that service is their weak point. Management generally replies with a standard "come try us again", but does not seem to address the issue. Before the place fulfills its true potential, they will need to...

I came to this restaurant from an article I read stating this was one of the top Pho restaurants in Oregon! Needles I to say I was excited to try it, unfortunately that was short lived, I ordered the meatball pho with rare steak, the meatballs looked like they were made with organ meat they actually squeezed when I chewed one of them😳I asked the waiter what they were made from... Get this he told me it said on the box! they came from, it was beef! These were frozen meatballs from a box! He said if I didn't like it I could get something else, so I got the chicken, it was fresh chicken, but there was literally only 5 little shreds of chicken in a $16 dollar bowl of soup! when I tried the broth it tasted like noodle water! The rice noodles were thin and over cooked, I had someone at my table try it thinking maybe I was being too critical, but they said the same thing... It has no taste to it, I've never been more disappointed, a good pho broth should be bursting with delicious flavor, My normal pho restaurant I go to (Pho Dalet on 102nd sandy blvd) has the most amazing pho I think you'll find in Portland, my go to order D3's ingredients are fresh they make their wontons fresh not frozen from a box, sliced pork, pork sausage crumbles, celery, lettuce, green onions, fresh basil, bean sprouts, jalapenos, plus you can choose from either rice noodles or egg noodle, and the flavor of the broth is just so amazing you can feel the goodness with every spoon full 🤩 I promise you you'll love PHO DALET it's incredible, I will NEVER! Try another pho restaurant again I've tried 3 others and every time I do I'm so dang sorry I did because they don't hold a candle...

Foodwise, this place serves the best pho in town. The broth is flavorful and aromatic, and susprisingly cheap. I would also recommend their grilled porks and vermicelli noodle and their spicy lemongrass noodle with beef. Both are delicious; though the spicy noodle is lack of the usual herbs and shredded banana flower but the flavor makes up for it. The crepe is a good appetizer to try if you want something else besides spring rolls. The portion is large enough to be an entrée so perhaps share it with a friend?

Locationwise, the place is a bit hard to find and my friends always confuse it with the one on 82nd. The restaurant itself is old; My parents told me it's been like that for many years. Their parking is spacious but usually fill up at night and there is nowhere else to park when it does.

Lastly, their customer services. The servers are friendly and honest as well as the owner. Unlike many other restaurants around, they don't give you the bad attitude when you ask for extra stuffs. In fact, they recommend things that their regulars usually ask for with the dish.

The only complaint I have is the check out line. You have to come to the counter to pay. The space is small and people usually line up all over the place because there is no actually sign to where to stand. I've accidentally cut infront of other people because of this. Overall, I give this place a five for their food and...