I was looking for a pho restaurant near me, and paper bridge popped up on my maps. It had good reviews so I went in to check it out! They have a lot more unique dishes I've never encountered before when comparing to most Vietnamese restaurants I've been to. It must be a different region of Vietnamese cuisine which I was really excited to try. Online says they're northern Vietnamese style dishes! I ordered the closest thing I knew to regular beef steak pho because I'm getting over a cold, and got their beef pho. It came with a delicious fried bread stick that the waiter said you dip into the pho broth, and a side of pickled garlic slices and homemade mild chili dipping sauce. The pho noodles are slightly different than your typical skinny flat rice noodles, and the broth was a bit peppery, but not overpowering! It was delightful. The meat in the pho was of excellent quality, I was pleasantly surprised. The location is a quaint cute hole in the wall next to Scotch Lodge, and I appreciated how they designed the interior to replicate being in an authentic northern Vietnam restaurant. I went during lunch time and it was busy, so it must be good. Service was decent, nothing above and beyond, but nothing to steer me away from returning. I'd come back with a few more folks next time so I can try a bunch of dishes instead of just one. My beef pho was $24 - Pricey but I think the quality of the food make it more worth the price tag. read more

The Paper Bridge - Cute little side tables, reminds me of the tables they setup at street night markets popular in Asian countries - Vietnamese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Soooo good!! The vegan options were amazing!! Would definitely go again!! And highly recommend!!! read more

The Paper Bridge - Vietnamese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Busy restaurant specializing in Northern Vietnamese fare. Duck roll 3.5/5: I love the housemade rice noodle wrapping! Overall tasty, but the wraps were 95% lettuce and skimpy on the duck Breadsticks 4/5: 3 cute little baguettes with pate. The fresh bread that has a more delicate outer crust and soft center make this shine Puffed pho 5/5: surprisingly delicious fried stacks of their housemade rice noodles served with tender beef, tomato, and greens Nam Dinh beef pho 4.5/5: I've never had pho with fresh noodles--they're more tender with a little bounce. This Northern style pho had a clean beefy broth--less aromatic spices than its Southern counterpart. The thin-sliced beef was also tender and beefy. Service was attentive without being intrusive. Water never ran dry! Reservations recommended. read more

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It was my first time here and got here when they just opened. Everything was delicious. Service was quick and friendly and attentive and answered all my questions. My favorite is the banh pho phong with beef. It's like Bo luc lac with crispy soft cracker. Must get! The coffees are good. Nothing too crazy about it but get it if you need the caffeine. I think we could've skipped the small baguettes. It was more of a breadstick doughy texture that I was expecting more of a baguette. I enjoyed the fatty broth of the pho soup. The tossed noodles were kinda salty in my opinion. Enough protein but I just wasn't feeling it as much. Will be back to try other dishes. read more

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Off of E. Burnside in a old building you will find The Paper Bridge a Northern Vietnamese style restaurant. When you walk into the building, you walk down a set of stairs to access the various seating areas, keep this in mind if you have strollers or more senior members of your party. Once we were seated, we were near the bar area and near the main staircase, thankfully we did not experience any disruption, we enjoyed the interactions as a group. I would say that if you are not familiar with Northern Vietnamese I would encourage you to review the menu to get familiar with the various dishes. The menu is huge. The food was very good, great tasting and lighter slightly different than Southern Vietnamese food which is a bit sweeter and bolder. We ordered Dungeness Crab spring rolls, very light, lots of crab meat and veggies, I did forget to take a picture but they are worth the taste. We shared a grill pork dish, with fish sauce and pickled veggies. The other dish was similar but it was served with rice noodles and some very spicy peppers, be careful if you cannot tolerate spicy peppers, they are strong. The staff was very friendly and quick to stop by and check on our table, they do turn their tables quickly as they tend to have a short line outside or down the stairwell. We did not get a chance to try any of their adult drinks but maybe next time. One other key item, parking, come early if you have a reservation do you have time to find a parking spot. read more

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The clams were our favorite dish of our trip to Portland and came with a Chinese style donut and rice cracker. Chinese donuts can be very greasy this one was not and was perfect for soaking up the pineapple, sourish broth that the clams came in. Our server was not as helpful. When asked what the difference between pickled morning glory and garlic 3 ways, the answer was one is pickled and one is with garlic. Pickled can be very variable in flavor across the Asian cuisines. Would have took a star but another server who came to check in on us was super nice and helpful. The drink was refreshing but would probably skip next time in favor of drinks next door. read more

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This place was aesthetically pleasing, staff were nice. However, as a first timer here, I was tryna ask regarding food they serve and still ended up being confused because I didn't get the answer to my question. I.E I asked what's comes with fritter/what is it made out of? If it comes with shrimp or what not because Vietnamese fritters usually comes or made with those things, however the only answer I got was "it's just a fritter and it comes with the hot sauce" ... okay. Another negative things is that looking for parking was challenging, they don't have a designated parking area and street parking can be tough especially because it is shared by the neighborhood. PROS: They were able to accommodate us with our little one, and duck roll was great, and the breadsticks with pâté was also great. Their pho was mediocre and their supposedly "bun thit nuong" was deconstructed and was swimming in fish sauce :( read more

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Had a fun dinner here! Ambience is very energetic and colorful. The staffs were also super friendly and provided an amazing service. Come prepared to eat family-style since their dishes are big and that way you can try more novel things on their menu. We thoroughly enjoyed the Clams, Beef Marrow Pho, and Bun Cha. Loved the accompanying Chinese Donuts for dipping into the broths! Dessert was also tasty. The Steamed Banana Cake was tender and not too sweet. Can be a bit pricey but you get what you paid for. It wasn't the best Vietnamese food I've ever had but still a super great experience that would happily repeat. Do make a reservation! read more

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I've had the pleasure of dining at this adorable little spot twice in the last month. I highly recommend reservations, even for lunch on a weekday. It's always bustling! Do not let the menu intimidate you! Get a fun drink to start, there are a ton of alcoholic, non alcoholic, and tea options, the huckleberry rose myrtle spritz is my favorite. Both times I've been we've just ordered a bunch of food to share and that seems like the way to go. We really enjoyed the Vietnamese fritters, they are like long puffy soft breadsticks/donuts with a hint of shrimp, soooooo tasty! I'm also obsessed with the pickled morning glory, it's a generous portion that pairs well with other dishes so you can enjoy it throughout the meal. I think the puffed pho noodles is also one of my favorites. There's a lovely spicy stir fry that's the perfect accompaniment to the puffed fried noodles. I also love that they have salad rolls rolled in big homemade pho noodles, definitely get those, we went with beef, but they have a lot of filling options. The dungeness crab spring rolls are also great for sharing. My favorite entree is the Bun Cha Ha Noi, which has some deliciously flavorful pork with noodles in a fish sauce, not really a broth. I find the entire thing to be filled with flavor and perfect if you aren't in the mood for something hot. We recently ended our meal with their banana cake which has a dense mochi cake like texture, but is paired with sago and caramelized bananas. So good! Overall, it's so nice to try some new dishes and flavors. It's a little more upscale and pricey, but I think it's worth it. read more

10/10 - vegan puffed pho!! it was so delicious and unique. the vegan puffed pho was basically a fried rice noodle drenched with delicious sauce and jackfruit. I really enjoyed how flavorful the food was. I got to try my friend's stuffed tofu and it was also delicious with the mushroom jerky. Excellent service. Love the lanterns on the wall. I really like how the space is decorated to reflect Hanoi. read more

The Paper Bridge - Veggie puffed pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

We were told we were sitting at a "small table" which we assumed had a small surface area but it was in fact a kid's size table. It was a fun experience though! The food was fantastic. I enjoyed the duck pho rolls with thick soy sauce as well as the bun cha. My friend liked her stuffed tofu and puffed pho jackfruit dishes. The only thing we did not like was the cocktails. I almost sent mine back but felt too bad. It was a special, the Tonkin Mojito. It did not taste like a mojito at all. I only tasted the rum it was so strong. $16 for two sips was a tough one to swallow (literally). I would come back for the food but not the drinks. read more

Been looking forward to trying this place for a while, and it did not disappoint! We booked on Resy about a month out since we were planning a Portland trip. The overall vibe was immaculate. Very beautiful decorated, with one side of the restaurant a more modern style, and the other side a play on Vietnam street food atmosphere. It was nice to see the duality of northern Vietnam. We started with the crab egg rolls and skewers. They came out pretty quickly and tasted incredible. Then we had the pho with duck and roasted pork. So good. Broth was light, flavorful, and the proteins were delicious. Roast pork was crispy, just how I like. And we of course had to get the bun cha Ha Noi. Very good as well. Each component of the dish was good on its own but exceptional together. It gets busy so definitely get a reservation. Would 100% come back. read more

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I first heard about this restaurant after seeing it featured in The New York Times, so naturally my expectations were pretty high. When I initially stopped by, I was told reservations were required, which was a surprise since I've never had to make reservations for a Vietnamese restaurant before. The next available reservation wasn't for a few weeks, which only added to the anticipation. Unfortunately, the experience didn't quite live up to the hype for me. We ordered one of the monthly specials, the Nam Nuong Pho Gam Cau. The portion was quite small for the price, and when the dish first arrived, there were pieces of plastic in it. To their credit, the staff immediately took it back and prepared a new one, which we appreciated. Having grown up with access to a wide variety of Vietnamese restaurants, I came in with high expectations. Unfortunately, I found many of the dishes lacking the depth of flavor I was hoping for. The pho in particular was underwhelming, and I was surprised that hoisin sauce wasn't available, as it's something I personally enjoy using as a dipping sauce for the meats. That said, not everything missed the mark. The Nom Sach Bo Trai Va and Bun Cha Ha Noi were enjoyable. The standout dishes were the desserts. Both the Che Bo and Banh Chuoi Hap were delicious and ended up being the highlight of the meal! Overall, I don't see myself returning anytime soon. Between the reservation wait, the small portion sizes relative to the cost, and flavors that didn't meet my expectations, the experience didn't justify the anticipation for me. While I can appreciate the creativity of the menu and understand why it has received attention, it ultimately wasn't a place I felt offered enough value to return back. read more

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Restaurant is so cute. On the small side but ambiance is nice. The food was fantastic!! We ordered quite a bit and the stand outs for me were the bahn mi with liver patè, and the beef pho. This one was served with a rich broth, tender beef, and tons of fresh herbs. The hot sauce is hot and added a nice punch! The crab spring rolls and morning glory with garlic was not to be overlooked. Everything we ate was delicious! The only thing I may skip if I went back was the fried rice cakes. They were good, but they're sat in the sauce so it takes away some of the crunch. Outside of that the flavor was there. The Vietnamese coffee martini is a must order. read more

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Paper Bridge gets Vietnamese right. I ordered the Pho Chua Lang Son (dry pho) and the crab spring rolls. Dry pho is just noodles and all the "stuff" without the broth. This was very well done here. I have been dreaming of this dish every night since I had it. The crab spring rolls are shaped in little triangle packets, not the traditional cylinder. They were good but not a must have. The little restaurant is super cute. You enter at street level and then go down a few stairs. I went at 530 and there was a line of about 4 couples. Reservations needed. read more

The Paper Bridge - Vietnamese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

We have been hearing so much about Paper bridge, that we decided it was time to make a reservation to check it out. We arrived on a Friday evening at 4:50 p.m. for a 5:00 p.m. reservation. As we walked down the stairs to check in, our host said that we were 20 minutes early and needed to wait. We were confused beacuse our reservation was only 10 minutes away and there were empty tables. After standing by the entrance for a few minutes, we were seated at one of the open tables. That's the moment we finally get to appreciate the restaurant decor as it was very nicely decorated with papper lanterns all over the ceiling. The other thing I noticed upon sitting down was the smoke coming out of the open kitchen area. We sat near the back of the resaurant which is close to the front of the kitchen and you could literally see smoke flowing into the dinning area. We definitely smelled like the kitchen after we left. Ok, now with all the complaints out of the way, here is what we really enjoyed at the Paper Bridge. First of all, we liked our server. He was very friendly and took his time explaining the menu and giving recommendations. He recommended the black tea with lychee and basil seeds and the beef pho, so that's what I ordered. My husband ordered the Bun cha Hanoi and an iced egg coffee. The drinks came first and we liked both of them. The lychee black tea looked and tasted like passion fruit juice, it was very fruity and refreshing. The iced egg coffee was very thick and not too sweet, which we liked. My beef pho came with a deep fried donut (not sweet, think more like a Chinese you tiao) which was bready and quite delicious. The pho broth was light and savory, with apronounced star anise taste. I enjoyed it, but my husband thought the star anise was a a little overpowering. The meat was thinly sliced and the rice noodles were soft. I really enjoyed it. My husnand enjoyed his his Bun Cha Hanoi as he dipped his noodles and an assortment of vegetables and herbs in the sweet and savory sauce. The pork and the pork belly inside was also really good. We finished the meal with the banana cake, which came with a savory coconut sacue, tapioca and bananas with a creme brulet topping. The dessert was very enjoyable and I partuclarly enjoy the roasted peanuts. Overall, we liked the Paper Bridge and would like to come back and try more dishes. read more

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Delicious! We had an awesome experience here, lovely space, very attentive and helpful staff, and the food was amazing! Really interesting and well executed Vietnamese dishes, such a wonderful and unique experience. Highly recommended! read more

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Went again! Tried new and same dishes. All amazing. Thoughtful and helpful staff. Well done! read more

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We so enjoyed this meal. The ambience is nice--it feels as if you've been briefly transported away from the Central Eastside. Service was attentive, friendly, and helpful, despite the place being busy. Every dish was delicious, and the serving sizes were larger than expected. Everything tasted bright and fresh. Prices were reasonable too. I think reservations are a must, and I'm glad we weren't seated at the teeny tiny tables in the alcove (which are very cute, though). read more

I thought this place tasted okay and was overpriced. They had a lot of dishes I was excited to try and I can see that they were trying to try something new or have dishes that aren't as common but to me a lot of them missed the mark. The duck roll was just okay, it was cool to have the pho flavor in it but honestly it just tasted okay besides being like oh woah it's kind of pho flavored. The clams I thought were really bad, overcooked -- I did like the pineapple in the broth and thought it was sweet but besides that it was just mid. The rau muong was fine but the amount was tiny. Oysters were probs my favorite dish. Overall pricey for small portions, maybe is good If you prefer fusion - ish food or don't know what it's trying to be. Personally wouldn't go again. Service was nice, was sad that we ordered some drinks but I guess their ice machine was broken so they had to come back and change our order. Egg coffee was good too. Nice vibe but overall just alright read more

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The Paper Bridge is really one of them ones forreal! This spot definitely has some of the best food I have ever devoured in the PDX area. They are serving up some hyper authentic Northern Vietnamese cuisine in a beautiful environment. To get here, street parking will be your best bet and there is a good amount of it around the area. Reservations are highly recommended, but walk-ins can be accommodated as well. Inside, their decorations and ambiance transport you to Vietnam. They have a spacious setup with a good amount of seating. For their menu, they are stacked with so many good appetizer and entree options to choose from. Wifey and I stopped by with our homies for lunch and ended up getting a spread consisting of the Sapa Skewers, Bun Cha Ha Noi, Pho Cuon Tay Ho, and the Pho Nam Dinh. Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our dining experience and everything tasted amazing. All of the staff here are very friendly and welcoming. This spot really deserves more recognition and hype for the craft and intentionality that goes into everything they do. We will be back forsure next time we are in the area! The Paper Bridge is Viet gang approved! read more

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The Paper Bridge is such a cute spot, the restaurant is beautifully decorated, and they specialize in Northern Vietnamese cuisine. I made a reservation for three at 11am on a Saturday and we were seated on arrival. We ordered some dishes to share - Rau Muong Xao Toi (garlic stir fried water spinach), Bun Cha Hanoi (char-grilled pork patties served with rice noodles and veggies), and Pho Nam Dinh (nam dinh style beef pho). Everything was great. Rau Muong Xao Toi was nice to have since we always lack in vegetable intake while traveling. Bun Cha Hanoi was delicious, meats were tasty, and it came with a nice variety of herbs. Pho Nam Dinh had great depth/flavor and the meat was so tender. Overall the service was great, food was delicious, and I loved the decor of the restaurant, it really made me feel like I was in Vietnam for a minute. Definitely worth checking out if you're craving Vietnamese! read more

I am proud that the Paper Bridge is operating in Portland. Such a great addition to the city's food scene. In fact, the service and ambiance are the best in the city. (((NOTE: Get a Reservation!)))) The Salt Rooster, various pho dishes, sauces, tea and everything remains perfect. I can't wait to come back again and again. Seriously amazing service! Other restaurants should aspire to be like The Paper Bridge. Also the fritter and sauce is outta this world! read more

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If you're a fan of Vietnamese food, this is a MUST while in Portland. Flavors are unapologetically fishy, spicy and servers are gracious and let you take your time with a menu that can be quite daunting! Cannot recommend enough. read more

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Started off with Hau Nuong Mo Hanh. You get the richness from the scallion oil, texture from the fried shallots and freshness from the oysters--easily one of their top dishes. Only downside is that the oysters are pretty small. Next was Pho Cuon Tay Ho. Meat was a bit dry and the rice roll is a bit too thick for me, personally. Sauce could've enhanced the dish but tasted like your typical hoisin. Bun Cha was really good too. Pork had the perfect ratio of lean and fat and fish sauce really helped cut through the richness, pretty flavorful and authentic to Northern Viet style. Also, the amount of noodles and herbs were on point. The Ga Rang Muoi was also really good too. This spot does a great fry on the chicken, crispy on the outside but still tender and juicy inside. It's in between a wet and dry batter, but seasoning was perfect on the batter. The sauces went well with the chicken too since they give you a bit of everything. One thing to be aware of: the chicken has a lot of bones. Overall, this joint has authentic Northern Viet food and most dishes were smacking, would definitely come again. Service was pretty good and attentive. Inside vibes are reminiscent of Vietnam, with the table and chairs. read more

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Authentic Northern Vietnamese cuisine. I don't think I've ever seen a northern Vietnamese restaurant in the US so this was such a treat! They also spiced and seasoned the dishes really well. You can tell there were southern influences at play here, so it was a good balance read more

My family and I came to eat just before 11am on a Sunday. Shortly after we arrived, it got pretty busy! The decor was cute. Service was only okay. The food was good but it didn't wow me. Everything was a little too salty for my liking. They definitely had some interesting things on their menu though! The puffed pho was super interesting but didn't really taste like pho in my opinion, it tasted more like a spicy bo luc lac. Definitely worth a try though. The bun cha Ha Noi was sweet and savory but I thought the noodles were too soft to my liking. The Nam Dinh Pho was soothing but salty. The offal congee (only served on the weekends) was probably my favorite thing but you honestly can't go wrong with this dish. The small intestine in it did taste a little stinky though. I really wanted to try their egg coffee but at $12 a cup, I had to pass. This place overall was decent but nothing special so rating it a 3/5. read more

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SOO good. I was pleasantly surprised by how delicious everything was. The menu is a bit overwhelming but the waitress was able to give us some good recommendations. Service was a bit slow (like to get our check) but I'm sure it was busy. My favorite item was definitely the clams. It came with a delicious broth/soup that was addicting. Our group slurped that right up. And the meat in the noodle soups were delicious!! So flavorful. Will be back again. read more

The Paper Bridge - Vietnamese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

We made a reservation online for 11:45 AM for Valentine's day. We parked our car at a street parking location that has a 2-hour visitor parking limit. It was a little difficult to find the restaurant because it's right next to a large building on the corner of the block. Absolutely beautiful in the inside! The aesthetic as soon as I walked in felt very earthy and down to earth. We waited a couple of minutes to be greeted at the door and once they confirmed our reservation, they led us to a different area with a complete different ambiance. It felt like I was seated in one of those street alleys with the dim lighting and the writing on the walls. The menu was impressive. It was about 4 pages of drinks and then about 3 pages of dishes of various sizes. After that there was about 4 MORE pages that offered explanation of the cultural significance of their menu items as well as more details as to what each dish contained. Color me impressed!! We ordered the beef pho and pork bun cha. While the pho did taste good, the broth was on the lighter side and came with the fritters instead of the bean sprouts/herb plate that I'm familiar with. The noodles also were extremely tender and nothing like any other place I had before which made me wonder if they were made in store daily? Loved the Bun Cha! One of the servers that brought the order over walked us through how the dish was intended to be eaten which I appreciated since I've never seen the item on any other restaurant before. Every single piece of the pork was seasoned and flavored so well. The noodles were clumped pretty tightly together on the plate but once you dip them into the pork broth they loosened up instantly. Each dish tasted amazing! One complaint was how long the wait was for the server to come take our order-- we did request some time to look at the menu a little more but we waited for around half an hour for our server to come back. The herbs that came with the bun cha were mostly just mints and cilantro with 3 pieces of lettuce. The pho also came with a small plate of a sauce and sliced garlic which neither of us touched. There is a shared restroom area that's adjacent to the restaurant so just remember to ask a server! read more

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If you like garlic, this is paradise. Each dish has copious amounts of garlic all well balanced. Got the crab spring roll which had nice umami flavor. The morning glory was delicious. While I'm not normally a beef fan, the beef in the pho roll was delectable. Would go back just for that. The tofu pho roll was also great. I also enjoyed the pork bun cha hanoi. The drinks were tasty too! Staff was great and so was the decor. Similar to other reviews, I did not like the style of the menu. I was constantly having to cross reference details and prices. It made the ordering process overwhelming when it didn't need to be. Also, after getting home I smelled like I worked in a oily restaurant for hours. There just isn't enough ventilation, but do not go wearing nice clothes. read more

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This is the type of Vietnamese food I haven't had before because usually you only hear and eat Pho and then I also read that this is one of the top 50 places in the United States of America? Maybe I'm in accurate with my numbering but I can see why we chose a pork I assuming which was really juicy was like three different styles one was ground one was lean, and then the other one was just fat and all of them were good and the ground beef were really soaked in all that juicy flavor from the broth. It was a little sour, but it's sweet at the same time, so it was an overpowering one another. I really wanna go back here and try some other dishes. read more

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We went here on a Sunday afternoon and was thankful for making a reservation in advance. The place was fully occupied with a line forming along the stairs. The decorations and ambiance were quite pleasant. Their menu is very expansive and was definitely overwhelming. Towards the end of the menu, there is a section for detailed menu descriptions but the price of the menu item isn't listed in this section so I was constantly flipping back and forth between the menu. The spring rolls had a nice, crisp texture and were tasty but lacked any notes of the Dungeness crab. Initially, I thought it was because of the dipping sauce but I wasn't able to detect any crab flavor while eating it plainly as well. For the beef pho, the texture of the pho noodles were a bit too soft for my liking. I wish they were a bit more firm with a bit more bounce to it. The slices of beef were quite tender as well so the overall bowl of soup felt too mushy. The Vietnamese fritter, chopped green onions, and pickled garlic did offer a contrast in texture which helped. The puffed pho noodles were my favorite because of the uniqueness and the well-seasoned beef. This is the kind of dish that is difficult to find at other Vietnamese establishments so I was happy to try it here. The texture of the noodles were quite nice, you are able to discern the fried layers and the inner layers with each bite. read more

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Pro tip: if you can't get a dinner reservation, enjoy a beautiful, leisurely lunch instead! We had the crab spring roll (only ok), the lemongrass clams (amazing), and the Ho Chi Min pork (a fancy vermicelli bowl), plus a really lovely Che for dessert. Beverages are a lovely complement. We tried both an iced and hot tea. Can't wait to return for more of the menu! read more

Eating dinner here was a wonderful experience from start to finish. The food was absolutely outstanding: creative, unique, authentic, and delicious. They clearly mark gluten-free and vegan options, which is very important to me and much appreciated. We started with the vegan pho rolls, which were delightful in their simplicity. Even without meat, this appetizer was a true flavor bomb, capturing the essential flavors of pho without the broth. For our mains, we ordered the vegan stuffed tofu and the Mai Dich-style fish with noodles. The fish dish was deeply savory and comforting. The tofu was also enjoyable, though more mild in flavor; interestingly, the side dishes were perhaps even more exciting than the tofu itself. For dessert, we ordered the steamed banana cake, which was both unique and delicious, and a perfect way to end the meal. The restaurant itself has a warm, inviting ambiance, with beautiful lanterns hanging on the walls and rich wood paneling throughout. The staff were incredibly helpful and happy to explain menu items when needed. This restaurant is truly a gem and absolutely deserves its spot on the New York Times Best Restaurant list. read more

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I have been here twice, and both times the food had been consistently excellent! This is not your "regular" Vietnamese restaurant. The menu can be a little confusing, with many unfamiliar terms. But there is a whole section in the menu that explains each dish in details, or the servers are friendly and happy to share their knowledge of each dish in details. What I like best is that they make their own noodles, and it has very good texture and seems to soak up the broth much better. The restaurant is nicely decorated, especially the section with the lanterns, reminiscent of the city Hoi An in Vietnam. read more

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There's much to admire at The Paper Bridge, a rare spot in Portland dedicated to the nuanced, herb-forward cooking of Northern Vietnam. On a recent visit, the kitchen delivered dish after dish of genuine character. The Sautéed Morning Glory arrived garlicky and wok-charred, still clinging to its crisp snap. The clams swam in a fragrant, peppery broth that begged to be sopped up with the impossibly long, airy fritter (quẩy) --a textural triumph. The Mai Dich Bun Cá, a turmeric-tinted noodle soup from Hanoi's outskirts, was a revelation: light, tangy, and brimming with fresh dill. Even the Vegan Roll, often an afterthought elsewhere, sang with mint and crunchy vegetables. And the Vietnamese Banana Cake, warm and caramelized, provided a gentle, sweet finale. So why only four stars? The service. Our wait person was noticeably short and impatient-rushing orders, brushing off questions, and making the meal feel transactional rather than welcoming. In a city and cuisine that thrive on hospitality, this dissonance stung. The food is worthy of a pilgrimage. Just brace yourself for a front-of-house experience that doesn't match the kitchen's warmth. read more

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Had a unique and wonderful experience diving into authentic northern Vietnamese cuisine. I had no idea puffed pho noodles were a thing, and the ones I tried here were amazing. It was topped with such tender beef. The portion sizes for everything was perfect for sharing family style, and they made it very easy to share the pho as well (which was obviously delicious). The service was a little slow in the beginning but it went smoothly once we ordered our drinks and food. The dishes came out well timed, giving us enough time to finish each plate once the next one came out. They even gave a complimentary dessert for my friend's birthday which was so sweet! I noticed one side of the restaurant was a more typical (but still cute!) dining room while the other side had a very cool vibe that seemed to replicate the streets of Vietnam. Hope to check out the latter next time! read more

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make reservations! We went on a thursday and had reservations, they were super busy! Amazing and friendly service! Food was fresh and delicious! They serve northern vietnamese food and it had a more light and herby flavor. We got most of the popular dishes they serve. Get them! Everything was just so nice and refreshing. So if youre ever craving vietnamese but don't want to feel too heavy after go here! ALSO their restaurant is so cute! read more

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Every item we had was outstanding! I particularly liked the herby sauce that came with our meat skewers, which I happily ate with the puff pho rolls and other dishes as well. The meat was so tender throughout, on the puff pho rolls (beef) and the pho (sliced beef). The drinks were spectacular as well. Our waitress was super nice and attentive! We got our dishes out with great timing. The interior was also beautiful with paper motifs, plants, and warm lighting. Made for a super cozy and intimate gathering! read more

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This Vietnamese restaurant specializes in Northern style cuisine. I came here with a group of friends and we ordered a variety of appetizers and main dishes to share. The service was excellent, and everyone was friendly, attentive, and very accommodating. We also ordered drinks, and the Vietnamese coffee was especially delicious. I had the Bun Cha Ha Noi, and my husband ordered the Pho Nam Dinh. The pho was flavorful and beautifully prepared, though I personally would have preferred the noodles to be a bit firmer. read more

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