Haan Ghin

I like the style of this spot — a very simple concept but very nicely prepared. A terrific no frills lunch.

Great laotian food cart on PSU campus, open only on weekdays though. Got the Mii Gai, a wonderful concoction of noodles, spicy sauce and chicken. Its unlike any noodle dish I’ve ever tasted, very different from thai/​malay cuisine.

Super hungry and never a big fan of food from food courts… so I decided to check out the food carts at the park block today.
Wasn’t too impressed by the choices until I stumble upon this little cart that looks more modern and cleaner than the rest, so I decided I would try something from here. (Cleanliness is always very important in my book.)
They didn’t have a lot of choices on the menu and that is a good sign! I am always unsure of places that offer a million things because the food most likely will taste mediocre.
I ordered the Mii Gai ($ 7). It’s a egg noodle dish with shredded chicken meat, deep fried chicken skins, and veggies covered in a sweet and savory sauce. I saw the guy in the back boiled the noodle in the back as soon as I placed my order. I am happy to know it was cook fresh!
The noodle was cook al dente! It was a little bit chewy and not soggy just how I like it. The overall flavor was great. Sweet and savory sauce with deep fried chicken skin. How can a dish not be awesome when it contains deep fried chicken skin?
My only complain is that it tasted too good and I wish there was more noodle for me to eat.

Where do I even begin.
This is my favorite, FAVORITE foodcart in Portland. Favorite. Mii Gai is definitely my kind of guy. I love the Mii Gai here so much that if I can eat only one dish for the rest of my life, Mii Gai would be it.
I want to marry Mii Gai.
It is such a flavorful noodle dish. Every component of it works so well with one another. The spiciness and garlic-​y-​ness of the Jaew Bawng, the sweetness and savor of the Mii sauce, the crispiness of the fried chicken skin, the freshness of the ong choy. I can go on all day about this.
This is how I get my Mii Gai: with extra veggie, extra noodles if I didn’t eat breakfast, 2 wedges of lime, and a little bit of chili oil. I often pour a little more Mii Sauce on top as well.
Anything else on the menu is also fantastic. Mii Gai has been my main for a year and a half now, but sometimes I do find myself craving the Laap Gai.

My favorite food cart at PSU! It’s healthy and fresh. The laap Ghaa (misspelled probably) but it’s so good. I also get the banana leaf coconut rice that has a plantain in the middle. It’s so yummy. I used to come everyday practically last year and have it for my lunch in between classes.

Tried the Mii Gai today as they were sold out of everything else (gotta get there earlier!), and it was very satisfying. It had lots of flavor and texture, and my picky toddler loved it. We’ll definitely be back.

This is fast becoming one of my favorite carts in town. I try to keep a bell-​curve distribution to my ratings, i.e., not too many 1s or 5s.
The Laap puts Haan Ghin in rarefied territory. The flavor and texture (spend the buck and opt for the fried chicken skin) nuances create a culinary medley. I enjoy the sticky rice, but they give TOO MUCH of it. So yes, portions are ample. They often sell out of this dish in the Summer.
The owner and staff are so nice, location is awesome for people watching. If you’re driving then that might be an issue.
What would take Haan to the next level is some sort of non-​canned/​bottled beverage option.

What a little gem this place is. A super simple menu but it goes to show you don’t need a ton of options when your only options are made well. I tried the Mii Gai and Laap Gai both were good but I go for the Laap Gai and put some of the brown sauce on it. I didn’t realize how much I liked this until I started to crave it. It mixes spicy, savory, and fresh all into one. The sticky rice gets stiff pretty fast but I don’t mind. Also the chicken in the laap gai is served cold, just a heads up. Did I mention the spicy sauce? Because it’s really good, they should bottle it and sell it. I’ve never seen a line outside this place and I think it’s easily passed over, which is fine by me! It’s super quick and easy to grab this and go.

I read about Haan Ghin in WW’s annual cheap eats issue. I was intrigued about Haan Ghin for two reasons: I love Laotian food, and when asked, Nong Poonsukwattana of Nong’s Khao Man Gai fame, said Haan Gin is the food cart that excites her most in Portland right now. Those were two compelling reasons for me to check out Haan Ghin.
Tucked away on the park blocks in front of PSU, It’s not the easiest of food carts to find. But it’s worth finding. They are also only open M-​F and close early. I’ll say it again, the food is worth dealing with the hours and location.
They offer two dishes, Laap Gai, which is a chicken DIY lettuce wrap dish with minced chicken that’s been cooked with cilantro, lemongrass and shallots. It’s served with sticky rice and lettuce leaves. The crisp lettuce with the flavorful chicken, a hunk of sticky rice and a dollop of homemade chili sauce makes for a delicious lunch.
I will be back to try the Mii Gai, the other dish on Haan Ghin’s menu.

This is my first experience with laotian food, so I can’t really compare it to other laotian restaurants, but it’s certainly the best cart on the PSU campus.

Coming from Seattle I really miss Lao food and I passed this food cart so many times thinking it wasn’t even worth it. What do Portland ppl know about Lao food lol! But I was wrong this place is wonderful!
The mii gan is pretty good but ask for extra sauce it’s kinda dry if you don’t! But everything else is pretty good! The crispy chicken skin on top makes it so much better a great texture to it!
the chili sauce they have is pretty good but there’s something missing to it! I’m not sure what it is yet?!
The larb gai is well seasoned and is true to the taste! Not over salted or dry!

You guys. You need to try this place. They don’t have much on the menu, but it’s not necessary — I’ve had everything on the menu and it’s all good. Super convenient for us PSU folks, but it’s worth a stroll down the park blocks if you’re downtown. They can adjust the level of spiciness if you need it. Just gobbled up the last of my Thanksgiving special with turkey, egg noodles, green beans, crispy bacon, toasted almonds, and cranberry chili sauce. I wish this is what I was eating for Thanksgiving dinner… Sorry to everyone who missed out on this special!

Freezing cold weather I stopped by hoping for hot meal with lots of veggies and herbs with some protein. So menu looked like it was what I wanted.
Well, sticky ride was hard and cold… And it was at noon just hour after it had opened. Chicken with herbs was cold, almost icy. Lettuce was a huge chunk but edible after ripping with hands and spice was not too hot. It was mediocre at best :/​Fried chicken wing was just a small topping for $ 1 extra. I barely forced myself to finish half of it… For $ 8 I expected more of a scrumptious meal. Maybe it was just not my thing. Cold rice and meat after it was just handed to me seemed wrong though.

I trust the Oregonian’s Michael Russel’s tastebuds (
) which led me to this new food cart. I ordered the recommended Mii Gai, which is thin egg noodles tossed in a secret and delicious sauce, then topped with chicken, green onions, and fried chicken skin. I had one of those blissful moments when my food was handed to me and I got a good whiff and immediately thought, «Damn, this is gonna be good.» And it was, down to the last bite. I ordered it «spicy» which I think translated to some fried chili on the side, but on my next trip, I will be sure to add an extra spoonful to kick it up to the spice level I like. From the fried chicken skin to the drool-​inducing sauce, I could easily eat this meal every day of the week.

The best food cart on earth!!! Simple yet magical menu! if i could eat one food the rest of my life it would be mii gai!!!

This is a PSU food cart.
I have never tried Laotian food before but from my experience with Haan Ghin, it’s superbly delicious. I had the Laap Gaan (spelling?) which is a fine dice of cold chicken and fresh herbs served with cucumber slices, a wedge of crisp iceberg lettuce and this deliciously addictive spicy garlic chili paste. It usually comes with sticky rice but I have them sub out the rice for more lettuce and make little chicken wraps. It’s so fresh, so good, and super cheap at $ 6.

This was my first exposure to Laotian food and it was a success. I ordered Chicken Laab — a wonderfully seasoned sort of chicken salad that can be made into lettuce wraps.
I’m definitely interested in exploring the menu more in the future. My first trip definitely gave me reason to go back.