La Vangs Restaurant

Old location sucked and now the new location sucks worse!
Technicolor meat
Frozen fresh rolls
MSG likely — way too much sodium.
Terrible Service
and phở broth that tastes oddly sweet, like sugar has been used to enhance lack of flavor.
At least the iced tea is good.

This is place is a big bag of crazy awesome. Let’s start withe the Phở. Unlike many places I have been to, the beef is rare and then added to your bowl of broth so that it cooks while you are adding all of your goodies to it. If you order your soup to go they will put all of the meat separate from the broth so that you can still get the same experience once you reach you eating destination.
If you come here for lunch, chances are this place will be packed. The owner and another girl don’t stop power walking through the dining room and kitchen, making sure that everything comes out quickly. This can make fore a bit of a chaotic scene so don’t be surprised if the owner loudly warns you of incoming food or if you hear him sound less than pleased with someone on his staff.

This rating is based on my experience, not the food, since we walked out. We came here to have a nice lunch and spend time with our family. As we were being seated, it was busy and a server yelled hot soup really loud to my husband who stepped in front of him by mistake on the way to our table, we all looked at each other in shock. When the other server came over, I ordered a Vietnamese coffee and her response was, it’s not going to happen, we ‘re too busy. Again, shocked at the bad customer service. While waiting for our food, both «Servers» started arguing in the back and then in front of everyone, they did not even lower their voices, come to find out he was the owner. Everyone was quiet watching these two and shaking their heads while some were laughing. At this point we were debating whether to leave or not. Then the owner took a phone call, started yelling in front of everyone and then slammed the phone down enraged. That was when we all decided we had enough horrible customer service for one day and got up and left. We ate at a delicious BBQ restaurant next door were the customer service was excellent and the people were pleasant.

The best Phở in Portland and Beyond!
I have been to Vietnam and the Phở simply didn’t have as much flavor as La Vangs…
If you aren’t a soup person than go for the Bun it is pretty outstanding.
My go to soup is the Thai Curry Noodle Soup… Flavor bursting
They just came out with a Bahn Mi Vietnamese Sandwich and wow I have never had a sandwich that good and fresh. Only $ 5.00… Say no to Subway

This past December, I had my Phở cherry popped here.
Sadly, like the real thing, I was disappointed and left wondering what all the hype was about.
Yes, my favorite Oregonian held me afterwards.

This was my first Phở experience, a co-​worker and I googled Phở to find a place in Lake Oswego that was near our office and we found La Vang’s…The owner was very friendly and helpful and my Phở was amazing! I can not wait to go back!

Delicious phở! I’ve had a hard time finding a great phở restaurant after leaving the International District in Seattle but I think I’ve found it! The staff was also incredibly friendly and service was FAST. I haven’t dined in, only done take out but next time I’m looking for a sit down phở experience this is where I will go.

I am Vietnamese. I have lived most of my life off of phở, and let me say this… EEK! Don’t be fooled by all these 4 and 5 star ratings… because I was! The gentleman that everyone talks about may be friendly, but his wife and workers are anything but! Not only did service blow (it’s even worse than «Bolsa,» where the majority of the Vietnamese population is and the service isn’t always the greatest)… but the food here was NOT good.
Please tell me how you can possibly mess up tendon?!? It’s literally cooked all day in the broth to the point where it’s soft and tender… and yet my Phở with tendon and meatballs was full of chewy/​hard/​defrosted-​tasting tendon as well as dinky little meatballs. The broth is straight up beef buillon (salty). I doubt there’s any marrow or other beef bones used in their broth, there is a HUGE difference between La Vangs phở and a phở restaurant that is passionate about cooking phở.
They may be vietnamese at this establishment but that doesn’t mean they’re not smart enough to rip non-​native people off when it comes to a bowl of good authentic phở with all the right ingredients! I think everyone is getting ripped off paying $ 9 a bowl of phở that is below sub par. Never again will I be back here. I’d rather drive 20 miles out for a good bowl of phở then settle. I hate writing a bad review, but this had to be said.

Excellent Phở but watch out for the unusual behavior by the owner. He’s definitely a different sort.

I had a fair bowl of phở here; however, the restaurant was really smoky and the wait staff fairly aloof. I would suggest that they get a better or clean their ventilation system, first, and second, check in after they drop off your meal. Also, they should check the quality of the Thai basil and cilantro they drop off as it was in poor shape. I got charged an additional $ 2.50 for the tendon and tripe I asked for on my SMALL bowl of phở. I will not be back.

One reason to get excited about the return of our rainy season is definitely the soup. Cold? Get some soup. Sopping wet shoes? Soup will make you forget about it. That cold that won’t go away? Soup will heal you faster. Sick significant other? Bring them soup to show you care (while covering your mouth and running the hell away!) Hands down the best place in Lake Oswego to get said soup is La Vangs.
My favorite is their Thai curry soup, it is a massive bowl stuffed with egg noodles, shrimp, chicken and coconut curry broth that packs a pretty good spice punch. They don’t skimp on the good stuff here and I can never finish this bowl in one sitting. I’m also a fan of their Phở and consider it to be the best I have found out in the ‘burbs to date. The broth is just right in my opinion. The small bowl size should more than suit the average person. If you have a giant Sasquatch hunger, go for the large.
When I’m able to tear myself away from their soups I also enjoy the buns. I haven’t had anything here I haven’t loved, but seriously, that Thai curry soup, I just can’t kick the craving.
The dining space is small so if you are short on time go during off hours or consider take-​out, during the noon lunch hour and dinner rush it is usually packed.
Ah yes, and the owner. He’s a little eccentric, but it’s mostly with the regulars. He really cares about his business and it shows. Consider the show a bonus to your meal. Enjoy!

I believe I called this «magical» to Andrew W.
Maybe it was because I was under the weather when I ordered… but truly… DELISH

Friend or Phở? Chris is a character, loud and obnoxious, pretend he’s just a Saigon street urchin and just ignore him!

Firest 3 – 4 visits:
I’ve only had the Phở so far & it’s VERY tasty. The selection is VERY limited as compared to a full-​menu Vietnamese restaurant. I really miss the tendon, tripe, and other more original offerings seen from more complete menus.
Update 1÷12÷12
I finally tried a dish from the «Other» side of the menu. Should’ve stayed with the phở. OMG. what horrid trash! Chicken with peanut sauce was exatly that… tasteless, dry chicken (Albeit a large portion), with thin, tasteless peanut sauce ON THE SIDE. The chicken was sitting on a bed of steamed, unseasoned, unflavored veggies that were TOTALLY American… carrots, broccoli, celery… yuk. At least give me some bok choy & Chinese broccoli.
On top of this, the service was non-​existant. The waitress made only the absolute minimum visits to the dining room, & NEVER a check to see how we were doing.
This was our last trip to Lavang. A shame since it’s walking distance form our home.
Other items seem to be geared to American pallettes as opposed to be offerings of authentic Vietnamese fare.

Best kept secret in Lake O. Hands down. I have been coming to Lavang off and on for 2 years now. I have experienced the highs and the lows of bizarre interactions described in other reviews. I have ordered incorrectly from the menu (not that I thought so, but the owner clearly did). I have woefully prepared my phở to scrutiny, raised eyebrows, and growling. I have stumbled, and I have fallen. But Chris never turns me away. And now that the weather is cold again, I can’t get enough of this place.
My most recent discovery — the #42 (Thai Noodle Curry Soup) — is so damned good I cry when I eat it. Okay that’s mostly because of the spice and my admittedly gringo palate, but there is a touch of food euphoria going on there as well, I admit it.
This is a restaurant I would leave Portland to visit. I would actually get in my car to go here, bypassing how many other phở places scattered around SE Portland? Yeah, it’s that good. So the next time you find yourself heading south out of the city, you are seriously missing out if you skip Lavang.

Very nondescript strip mall not too far from bridgeport village.
Great find in lake oswego. Good phở for good prices. I now understand what the reviewers all say about the owner. I like the guy. Talkative but no-​nonsense attitude.
I thought the veggie salad roll was just ok. The sauce was almost straight peanut butter. The phở was actually very good. Didn’t try the bun but heard it was pretty good too.
Will definitely be back to try the bun and the lemon grass chicken.

I really like this place because this was the only vietnamese restaurant in Lake Oswego and I went here a ton when I was in high school. I remember when it started as a tiny hole in the wall restaurant when I was young and I’m glad to see that they have grown into a successful business.
But to be completely honest, the phở is very average. In my opinion the broth is the most important ingredient and its very mediocre. Its a little on the salty side (probably a fair amount of MSG).
The service is friendly and I really enjoy talking to the owner. I wish I could give Lavang a higher rating but alas it is what it is. I still frequent Lavang whenever I come back to Lake Oswego.

OK, so I’m down here in Portland on business and am about sick and tired of the chain restaurants. Being from Seattle, one is almost obligate to go for some phở on a semi-​regular basis. Little did I know that Lavang would serve me up some of the best phở anywhere.
I approached the restaurant with some admittedly mild trepidation, as I had read over and over about the grumpy owner dishing out some great food. I spent an extra minute on Carrie S.‘s review, and was convinced to give Lavang a try. Well, the reviews were half-​correct. The food is great. The owner – Chris – is equally great!
I ordered up some salad rolls and a large bowl of flank phở. Within about one minute, two thick, delicious salad rolls with fresh shrimp were sitting in front of me. While I’ve had better peanut sauce for the dipping, the rolls were a delicious start to the evening.
Next, however, came the best bowl of piping hot phở in recent memory. Savory broth, lots of noodles, tons of Thai basil and other veggies, and more meat that probably any other bowl I’ve ever eaten. What a treat.
Now, about the owner: Chris is the man! Look folks, Chris is a real person. He has kids. He has a business. He’s constantly moving, serving, refilling your water glass, clearing tables, chatting up the customers. He’s human and he’s going to get tired. What do we go to a restaurant for, anyway? A smile and a hug? You can get that at Denny’s, along with an expensive, crappy meal. I’d much rather a guy like Chris, a real person who is working REALLY hard to give you a meal you’ll remember.
I just met Chris for the first time in my life, and quite honestly, I am impressed that he took the time to chat up everyone, EVERYONE in the restaurant. He introduced himself, took some time to find out about me, encouraged me to bring in my kids, and made sure I had a great time.
I’m in Portland at least several times each month for work purposes, and Lavang will become a regular stopping point for me!

The best phở I’ve had. I love going to this place, and it is close to work, so while everyone grumbles about the owner, he really does love his customers. I have a thing for guys who are a bit curmudgeonly anyhow. Besides, it takes some gumption to start a business is a different country, and certainly some entrepreneurial spirit to keep it going and successful. He can rib and tease me anytime, I admire what he has done with this place, and with the food.
I have never ordered anything that tasted bad here, and their to go is ridiculously quick and hot. Everything is very affordable. I am partial to the Bun and Cam dishes as well, but at least be adventurous while you are there and not have the chicken. The beef and pork options are yummy too!

My friend and I have a running joke about never sitting with our backs to the front door of a restaurant [1]. Clearly we’ve watched too many mafia movies. But at Lavang, I’m more concerned with turning my back to the owner.
There is a reason that almost every review mentions their interaction with him. You just never know what you are going to get and I say this after multiple visits. Apparently I have not reached ‘regular’ status like many of the folks I’ve started to recognize at surrounding tables.
He is mercurial and his mood can change on a dime. Try to make light banter — shut down. Take too long ordering or prepare your phở in a manner that is not up to his standards and there will be repercussions. Not that this is all bad. In fact, I kind of find it intriguing. The same way I am amused by the owner of Escape From New York Pizza in Portland.
The food is pretty good. I’ve ordered items from all areas of the menu: bun (fried noodle bowl), phở, lemongrass chicken, chicken chow mein and a couple of appetizers. Nothing stands out as the best food ever, but there aren’t too many Vietnamese restaurants in this area and Lavang is a good option.
I’ve lived in the area for years and never seen advertising or coupons. I think they have a core group of regulars and newcomers through word-​of-​mouth. It is slightly out of the way a few blocks off Lower Boones Ferry Road. The restaurant is nice inside and since we tend to eat lunch on the early side, we’ve never had delays receiving our meals.
Just one final note to the newbies. Don’t wait for them to deliver your check to the table. Just go to the counter to pay.
[1] Same friend thinks my phở photo looks like boiling brains. Is this a bad thing?