The kitchen is open and in the room, so can see everyone working away. The cabbage salad, rice crackers, and garlic rice were amazing. Of the three, the salad kind of blew my mind because it's been a long winter and it was so fresh. You know what was even fresher? The staff. You feel at home the moment you walk in. Don't just go to CTB, stay there.Notes:Not expensive at allMake a reservationSit at the barGet the saladBe cool
I was excited to try this place after seeing it on Gastro Obscura, and it did not disappoint! We got the cabbage salad, the “lil shrimp cakes”, the top sirloin and the curried bean special. Everything was beautifully presented, super fresh and bursting with flavor. Vibe was great, food was great, cocktails were great, staff was friendly.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cabbage Salad, Shrimp Cakes
Sara S
Portion size too small.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 5
Ida Choy
Fun vibe. When you get Vietnamese food, you get flavors. This is fancified Vietnamese food. Bold flavors, some times a bit salty to my taste. Wish the apps would come out a bit quicker. Overall, would return for fun and try out other dishes.Had:S&P cocktail (gd)basil seed soda (gd)pineapple soda (ok), Shiso need to stand out moreChicken pho, super tender chicken, good flavor, but not sure if it’s $26 worthShrimp cake, fresh, came out slow, a bit saltyClam congee. Great idea, chorizo adds spiciness. Took away the sweetness of clams.Ran out of Loc Lac at 7:30pm
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Llyr Lauderback
I was lucky enough to have dinner here with my partner to celebrate our engagement but it turned into a celebration of vibrant flavors and creative showcasing of Vietnamese cuisine. Vien and the staff have done an incredible job from the ambiance and esthetics to the “dance party” of flavors that explode in your mouth. If we lived in Portland we would surely be regular guests! Best meal we’ve had in a very long time.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Megan Renner
Fantastic cold noodle salad - great balance of sauce, heat from peppers, and herbs. I was delighted by the meatballs in particular!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
B G
Charged us an $80 cancellation fee despite not being full and giving an hours notice since we were unable to join.
Leah
Incredible Vietnamese food and all but one dish are gluten free. Highly recommend eating family style so that you can try a whole bunch of different dishes. The cabbage salad was delicious and the perfect amount of spice. The basil seed seltzer with tequila was like an alcoholic boba.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kyle P.
One-dimensional food with eye watering prices: We had really high hopes for this restaurant, as we love Vietnamese food. We started with two drinks:S&P Martini: (4/10) It was okay, but not at all what I was expecting from the description. It was like alcoholic vegetable soup (maybe a fun party for the Bloody Mary folks). None of the peppercorn flavor came through. Fernet & Rums (8/10) Very much like a piña on the rocks. I would have preferred a stronger coconut flavor, but generally enjoyable. As for food, we ordered 4 plates to share. Shrimp cake: (9/10) Our favorite bite of the night. When paired with the shiso and dressing, it made for a very vibrant bite. It was $8 for 2 bites, which was disappointing. They were very fresh & hot. Twice cooked eggplant (2/10) Our least favorite dish of the night. The grilled flavor was nice, but this lacked any dimension and coated my palette with an absurd amount or oul. There was nothing to this dish except the taste of scallion oil. We had it with the rice (as recommended), but we didn't get our rice until 15 minutes after we got the eggplant ... I think this dish needs a lot more refinement. Garlic fried rice (4/10) The first 2-3 bites were nice, but it lacked any diversity after. I could have used some nicely sized vegetables, or large scallions (anything, really) to break up the monotony. Also very, very oily. Chicken Pho (5/10) The broth tasted heavily of anise. Chicken was nicely cooked. The noodles were gummy. But the idea of paying $30 for this is ... ludicrous. After eating it for awhile, it was pretty one-dimensional. This would have been improved if we were served more than 5 basil leaves and a small lime sliver. Overall, the toppings were not generous. Service: Meh. Our server was very nice, but the dinner service was very slow and disorganized given there were only 3 tables dining when we were. None of our food came out ate the same time. Overall (5/10): We paid $120 for 2 drinks, 4 plates (3 of which I wouldn't recommend), and were hungry still. We left and got something else to eat elsewhere.
Excellent, friendly neighborhood restaurant with outstanding (and unique) Vietnames food. It is well worth a visit.
Raoul Flaminzeanu
Good food, lovely service. Loved the pandam cake! A bit on the $$$ side, as the portions are tiny.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
mitochondria2007
We have spent A LOT of time in Vietnam, we love Vietnamese food and are very familiar with it. This place is a disgrace to the Vietnamese kitchen and a total disappointment. Unrealistic prices for what they offer. We checked it online and a pho was supposed to be $15. It was only Pho Ga ( no veggy /other options) and meat $30. Holly- That is the price for a main dish in a good restaurant! Chicken was supposed to be house chicken, but was undercooked with bones and seemed from 99 cents store. Horrible. The fried vermicelli was a minuscule portion so I had to order extra rice (bowl of rice but indeed was 2 tablespoons only). The 2 pho we ordered was on the smaller side too. We we just in Banff Alberta Canada where everything is so expensive and we had 4 options of pho double size and for $11 each. This place is insane in terms of prices and food offered. Do they think it’s Scales? Pho is a cheap food al over the world and not something that should cost $30 and after having it one would do and eat some more food for dinner. I should give them the pandan cake was real good though still very pricey. We will never return and would never recommend it. Unfortunately A complete disappointment and a waste of money.
Susan Lavine C
This is a fun, casual neighborhood restaurant with unusual Vietnamese food, exceptionally tasty, plus a great wine, beer and cocktail list. Highly recommended.
Barbara Blonsky
This is a tiny, funky little restaurant with lovely, knowledgeable waitstaff and outstanding food! The staff will describe dishes and help with your choices. The food is TERRIFIC! Flavorful and spicy. Wonderful textures, broths, fresh vegetables and tender meats. Very casual and comfortable with a full bar and a great selection of cocktails and wine.
The kitchen is open and in the room, so can see everyone working away. The cabbage salad, rice crackers, and garlic rice were amazing. Of the three, the salad kind of blew my mind because it's been a long winter and it was so fresh. You know what was even fresher? The staff. You feel at home the moment you walk in. Don't just go to CTB, stay there.Notes:Not expensive at allMake a reservationSit at the barGet the saladBe cool
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cabbage Salad, Garlic Fried Rice
One of my favorite restaurants in the world. ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I was excited to try this place after seeing it on Gastro Obscura, and it did not disappoint! We got the cabbage salad, the “lil shrimp cakes”, the top sirloin and the curried bean special. Everything was beautifully presented, super fresh and bursting with flavor. Vibe was great, food was great, cocktails were great, staff was friendly.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cabbage Salad, Shrimp Cakes
Portion size too small.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 5
Fun vibe. When you get Vietnamese food, you get flavors. This is fancified Vietnamese food. Bold flavors, some times a bit salty to my taste. Wish the apps would come out a bit quicker. Overall, would return for fun and try out other dishes.Had:S&P cocktail (gd)basil seed soda (gd)pineapple soda (ok), Shiso need to stand out moreChicken pho, super tender chicken, good flavor, but not sure if it’s $26 worthShrimp cake, fresh, came out slow, a bit saltyClam congee. Great idea, chorizo adds spiciness. Took away the sweetness of clams.Ran out of Loc Lac at 7:30pm
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
I was lucky enough to have dinner here with my partner to celebrate our engagement but it turned into a celebration of vibrant flavors and creative showcasing of Vietnamese cuisine. Vien and the staff have done an incredible job from the ambiance and esthetics to the “dance party” of flavors that explode in your mouth. If we lived in Portland we would surely be regular guests! Best meal we’ve had in a very long time.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Fantastic cold noodle salad - great balance of sauce, heat from peppers, and herbs. I was delighted by the meatballs in particular!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Charged us an $80 cancellation fee despite not being full and giving an hours notice since we were unable to join.
Incredible Vietnamese food and all but one dish are gluten free. Highly recommend eating family style so that you can try a whole bunch of different dishes. The cabbage salad was delicious and the perfect amount of spice. The basil seed seltzer with tequila was like an alcoholic boba.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
One-dimensional food with eye watering prices: We had really high hopes for this restaurant, as we love Vietnamese food. We started with two drinks:S&P Martini: (4/10) It was okay, but not at all what I was expecting from the description. It was like alcoholic vegetable soup (maybe a fun party for the Bloody Mary folks). None of the peppercorn flavor came through. Fernet & Rums (8/10) Very much like a piña on the rocks. I would have preferred a stronger coconut flavor, but generally enjoyable. As for food, we ordered 4 plates to share. Shrimp cake: (9/10) Our favorite bite of the night. When paired with the shiso and dressing, it made for a very vibrant bite. It was $8 for 2 bites, which was disappointing. They were very fresh & hot. Twice cooked eggplant (2/10) Our least favorite dish of the night. The grilled flavor was nice, but this lacked any dimension and coated my palette with an absurd amount or oul. There was nothing to this dish except the taste of scallion oil. We had it with the rice (as recommended), but we didn't get our rice until 15 minutes after we got the eggplant ... I think this dish needs a lot more refinement. Garlic fried rice (4/10) The first 2-3 bites were nice, but it lacked any diversity after. I could have used some nicely sized vegetables, or large scallions (anything, really) to break up the monotony. Also very, very oily. Chicken Pho (5/10) The broth tasted heavily of anise. Chicken was nicely cooked. The noodles were gummy. But the idea of paying $30 for this is ... ludicrous. After eating it for awhile, it was pretty one-dimensional. This would have been improved if we were served more than 5 basil leaves and a small lime sliver. Overall, the toppings were not generous. Service: Meh. Our server was very nice, but the dinner service was very slow and disorganized given there were only 3 tables dining when we were. None of our food came out ate the same time. Overall (5/10): We paid $120 for 2 drinks, 4 plates (3 of which I wouldn't recommend), and were hungry still. We left and got something else to eat elsewhere.
Restaurantji Recommends
Excellent, friendly neighborhood restaurant with outstanding (and unique) Vietnames food. It is well worth a visit.
Good food, lovely service. Loved the pandam cake! A bit on the $$$ side, as the portions are tiny.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
We have spent A LOT of time in Vietnam, we love Vietnamese food and are very familiar with it. This place is a disgrace to the Vietnamese kitchen and a total disappointment. Unrealistic prices for what they offer. We checked it online and a pho was supposed to be $15. It was only Pho Ga ( no veggy /other options) and meat $30. Holly- That is the price for a main dish in a good restaurant! Chicken was supposed to be house chicken, but was undercooked with bones and seemed from 99 cents store. Horrible. The fried vermicelli was a minuscule portion so I had to order extra rice (bowl of rice but indeed was 2 tablespoons only). The 2 pho we ordered was on the smaller side too. We we just in Banff Alberta Canada where everything is so expensive and we had 4 options of pho double size and for $11 each. This place is insane in terms of prices and food offered. Do they think it’s Scales? Pho is a cheap food al over the world and not something that should cost $30 and after having it one would do and eat some more food for dinner. I should give them the pandan cake was real good though still very pricey. We will never return and would never recommend it. Unfortunately A complete disappointment and a waste of money.
This is a fun, casual neighborhood restaurant with unusual Vietnamese food, exceptionally tasty, plus a great wine, beer and cocktail list. Highly recommended.
This is a tiny, funky little restaurant with lovely, knowledgeable waitstaff and outstanding food! The staff will describe dishes and help with your choices. The food is TERRIFIC! Flavorful and spicy. Wonderful textures, broths, fresh vegetables and tender meats. Very casual and comfortable with a full bar and a great selection of cocktails and wine.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cabbage Salad, Shrimp Cakes