Portland Vietnamese Restaurant Banh Mi Up Opens in St. Johns Nov. 8 | Eater Portland

"I learned that Banh Mi Up grew out of a downtown cart Linh Bien and Andy Tran opened in October 2018 that accrued positive reviews, and the pair—an army vet and a corporate-sector alum—are turning it into a restaurant opening November 8 at 8037 N Lombard Street in the former Mama San Soul Shack space in St. Johns. They’ll serve Vietnamese classics like coconut rice, pho ga (a 12-hour chicken pho), and the namesake baguette sandwich, including a pork belly banh mi and a vegetarian version with tofu and an edamame “pate.” The menu also takes broader Asian inspiration with wontons in chili oil and banh-mi–style bao, and the bar will stick to beer and wine while offering several creative non-alcoholic cocktails—think virgin lychee mojitos. The owners want the place to feel like a neighborhood haunt where everyone feels like family." - Brooke Jackson-Glidden