Trung Nguyên Legend Cafe: Titanic Vietnamese Cafe Opens in Portland | Eater Portland

"Opening weekend functions as a test run in a big, 1,800-square-foot space in the former Pho Le II restaurant and billiard hall, and the draw is the line-inducing coffee program: ornate Ottoman and Roman ice milk coffee sets arrive as pretty displays in singular serving vessels, the signature Thien Coffee comes in a small black pot, and even the brand’s beloved kopi luwak–style drink is now factory-made rather than animal-processed. It’s currently a daytime café (7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily) with a grab-and-go counter—think croissants and a few cakes—but hours will extend to 9 p.m. when a full menu of fusion Asian dishes like banh mi, pho, and rice platters launches, with a big party planned. Designated a Legend “Coffee World,” this is one of the company’s higher-end cafés (a Starbucks Reserve–like counterpart to its E-Coffee shops that use lower-grade beans), and Brad Tran says the wide array of flavors and ornate presentations are unusual for most American coffee fans, adding that “the bean is number one rated in Vietnam.”" - Paolo Bicchieri