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    Pho Zen

    3.5 (257 reviews)
    ModerateVietnamese
    Open 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Pho Zen Photos

    Business Info

    PHO ZEN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Quiet
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Pho Zen

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    Reviews With Photos

    View from the booth adjacent to the yellow kitchen wall.
    Nikky B.

    Nice space, decent service, but the food misses the mark. I appreciate that the women's restroom is the closest to the hallway and comes equipped with toilet seat covers, a small but welcome detail. The other restroom is gender-neutral. Service was prompt and sufficient, and the ambiance is clean and pleasant. But unfortunately, that's where the positives end. The food was mediocre at best. If you're craving quality Vietnamese, you'll find much better options within a 15-minute drive toward SE Portland. One dish I can't forget, but wish I could is the Mì Xào Giòn. The noodles were stale, clearly store-bought, and soggy under a bland, flavorless sauce. The combo meat and seafood felt like an afterthought, cheap cuts, no seasoning, no soul. If you're here for aesthetics, fine. But if you're after flavor, you're better off zen-ing away from this place.

    Brisket Pho
    Zordone O.

    Hello Yelpers, New to me, very nice decor with real wood, friendly prompt service. The origami is very neat up on the lamps. We ordered our favorite Pho with brisket and tempura prawns appetizer. Peace & Many Rich Blessings

    Beef Pho, lemongrass chicken and shrimp salad rolls.
    Joe Y.

    My wife and I stopped in here after watching a movie since she had craving Pho. We walked in and were very pleased with the atmosphere. The restaurant has a beautiful decor and is very relaxing. We were ordering our meal within 5 minutes of being seated and eating within 10 minutes of that. Our meal tasted amazing and the portion sizes were just right. We ordered the salad rolls, lemon grass chicken and beef pho. All of it was great. We only had water to drink and even though we were there talking for 3 hours and they still kept our water glasses full. We will be making this a regular for us!

    Average garnish plate
    paul s.

    Been wanting to check this place out for awhile now. I was the only one there when I arrived right before noon, was seated promptly, and decided on salad rolls because they didn't offer crispy egg rolls. I wanted tendon tripe and brisket pho but that also wasn't on the menu. I asked if I could have that combo and she said ok. I asked for salad rolls but she didn't ask me what kind lol then it kind of went sideways, I got salad rolls with neither shrimp, pork or tofu lol, and my pho came out immediately but they gave me the special pho with everything in it instead of what I asked for lol. Portions are good sized, broth is bland and the tendon was like nothing I've ever had it was like jelly snot so gross lol salad rolls were tough like rubber but veg was fresh. Garnish plate was meh only 1 tiny circle of jalapeño oh well, I probably won't go back and now know why I was the only one there

    P8: tendon and tripe pho; shrimp salad roll
    Vanisa K.

    I frequently visit this establishment because of the speedy service that the servers always provide. The pho has a consistent flavor each time, but definitely needs seasoning/sauces and isn't as flavorful as other pho restaurants in Portland. But because it's locally in Happy Valley, it's a convenient lunch spot that isn't too packed, has lots of parking, and offers pretty decent pho, for the price. The servers are attentive and the food comes out very fast! My go-to order is the P8 (tendon and tripe pho) with the shrimp salad rolls. Their salad rolls are YUM!!

    Pho and Vietnamese coffee
    Tracie S.

    I have eaten here a number of times. My personal favorite thing on the menu is Pho and their Vietnamese coffee. First, their service is great. It is the same person each time I have come, which gives me the impression it is a family business. He is always friendly and no nonsense. He takes orders quickly. They are magicians in the kitchen. Every order is brought by quickly, even when I have to request accommodation for food allergies. Everything is quite good. Vermicelli noodle dishes are just as good. My least favorite has been pad thai. There was nothing wrong with the dish, I would rather have pho. The blackened shrimp on their pad thai was wonderful. I am usually part of the late lunch crowd. It is quiet during this time. The dining area and bathrooms are also cleaned and well stocked. I have ordered table service and to go. Neither impacts the quality of the food. This is a place I treat myself when I am in town. I also give them props for addressing food allergies. I know it is a pain when a main ingredient has to he omitted. They have always been understanding and kind. Thank you so much!

    Zen vermicelli

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    6 months ago

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    6 months ago

    Nice hidden gem. It's a good place for a quick bowl of pho. Salad rolls are pretty big. Usually isn't too packed.

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    1 year ago

    Noodle is good soup is hot, service so so, this place looks good, will come back again for the noodle.

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    2 years ago

    We love going to pho zen. Pho is a staple in our house! Perfect for a rainy day! We love the chicken pho and the Thai iced teas

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    3 years ago

    I had a salmon bowl, aside from the salty salmon that was inedible, I enjoyed the vegetables and noodles.

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    Page 1 of 7

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    Pho Gabo - Grilled Pork Salad Rolls

    Pho Gabo

    3.9(60 reviews)
    4.1 miSoutheast Portland

    Lots of Portland pho places are pretty much pho 1st and a few filler dishes just to round out the…read moremenu. What I love about Pho Gabo is that the lesser known Vietnamese specialities really get a chance to shine here. These are items that a majority of Vietnamese places don't necessarily serve and can be quite rare throughout a the many pho restaurants we have in Portland. On this day I had the banh canh cua which is the crab udon noodle soup. Despite being a smaller restaurant with a lot of various dishes/soups....I was worried that the broths would taste "stale" since they might not have much turnover. However everytime I've dined at Pho Gabo this has never been a problem as if they cook everything regularly in small batches sorta like how Ha VL does it It was a very good rendition at BCC, especially for Portland only 2nd to my mom's version (no seriously my mom's version is S tier). Lots of crab and other ingredients like quail eggs, mushrooms, and a very very good pork loaf "cha." The cha here is really really good and that's saying something bc it's not something I gravitate to. My suggestion if you're new to Pho Gabo whether you are a beginner or veteran of Viet food is to stretch past your comfort zone and try something you've never had or don't regularly order and you'll be pleasantly surprised.

    Don't go here. Got waters one had ice the other had hardly…read moreany aka they were sitting out on the counter. Ordered crab Rangoon's and they tasted like fresh fish. We ordered main dishes but was avoiding food posing. So we placed money on the table and left. The Coke we ordered wasn't even refrigerated and. We got 1/4 a glass of ice. Beware of this I've contacted osha

    Photos
    Pho Gabo - Interior

    Interior

    Pho Gabo - In Korea for 3 weeks and the first meal he wants is Pho Gabo when he gets home!

    In Korea for 3 weeks and the first meal he wants is Pho Gabo when he gets home!

    Pho Gabo - Jumping Beef Over Eggs was delicious

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    Jumping Beef Over Eggs was delicious

    Wan Lung Chinese - No flavors in chow mein.  Overcooked broccoli and beef.  Too much batter on the chicken.

    Wan Lung Chinese

    3.8(365 reviews)
    1.9 mi
    $$

    Food is consistently very good with a lot of flavor. They serve family style dishes, so be…read moreprepared to have leftovers if everyone orders something. Service is quick and the staff is very friendly. Not the best ambiance but it's a small, very clean family owned place in a strip mall. What do you expect? I like that it's an open format- so you get to see your food prepped and staff is readily available. I like that more than a place having a lot of decor.

    We have occasionally eaten here many times over the years. We live nearby, so it's always been…read moreconvenient and was consistently good "American" Chinese fare. After our last visit, I fear things have changed. The place still looks the same; clean and orderly but no art, no shrines, no decor whatsoever. Only the sight of busy cooks banging sizzling woks in the open kitchen and the smells of the dishes give the cuisine away. As we entered, everything looked as it always has. We were a bit surprised at the emptiness of the dining area. Early evenings are normally bustling with dine-in customers, and the phone constantly ringing for take-out. Besides us, there was only one other table occupied. The menu looked the same, but when we ordered some old time family favorites, they each were disappointing. Celery dominated the veggie dish, (Buddhist Delight) with no detectable asian spices and scant traces of the other veggies promised. The cashew chicken was more skin than meat, and minimal cashews. I don't know for certain, but I suspect the place has changed ownership, or management or both. If that's the case, it's a shame because the place really was a neighborhood gem for many years. We will likely give it another shot, but with so many fantastic Asian restaurants on the SE side, we won't be back for a spell.

    Photos
    Wan Lung Chinese - Prawns with snow peas0 and water chestnuts on the left and kung pao chicken on the right. Both very tasty.

    Prawns with snow peas0 and water chestnuts on the left and kung pao chicken on the right. Both very tasty.

    Wan Lung Chinese
    Wan Lung Chinese

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    Pho Zen - vietnamese - Updated May 2026

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