8220 N Denver Ave

An An was airy, full of light, and a very easy environment to settle and get comfortable. Ther staff was super nice and friendly and greeted us immediately. They even apologized for having to taking a moment to clean a table right by the window fit us which we thought was wonderful. The food option were an interesting fusion various cultures. We started with with a macha Thai tea which was not too sweet, in the way that I like, and a lychee juice spritz. Both were good. The sizzling beef with a nice soft egg and a baguette was perfect. The sauce was tasty, the the soft egg yolk mixed in with the baguette with sop everything up was just divine. The ube waffle and chicken had a crunchy crust on both, with the waffle semi sweet and the chicken crunchy and moist. The only thing is that the hot sauce for the chicken could use a bit of vinegar to cut through frying and the syrup can a more sweet to show contrast. The pork belly bite was our least favorite. It had a crunchy exterior much like a chicarron but soft interior for chewing. It's just the flavor wasn't quite right. Not sure how to put it but perhaps a bit gamey. The cucumber salad accompaniment was good though. Overall a great experience and a demonstration of what fusion can be.

Came for brunch. Nice bright cafe with table and bar seating. Iced Vietnamese coffee vegan (4/5): tried vegan version for coconut condensed milk, but it wasn't very coconuty. I asked for no/reduced ice, but it did not seem to be different. All of their drinks appear to be iced. Vietnamese sizzling beef: 3.5/5 average beef--not super tender, but not tough. A bit on the salty side for me. Garlic noodles (4/5) and pork belly (1/5): garlic noodles nice and buttery and garlicky. Pork belly was fried and dry. (Definitely not as good as roasted pork belly with juicy meat and crispy skin.) Ube toast (4/5): rolls soaked in butter and ube sauce They accept reservations, although there did not appear to be a wait while we were there. Service is friendly!

Love the vibrant colors and vibes this place gives off from IG posts but the actual taste is lacking unfortunately. We started off with some Ube and pandas coffee which wasn't fragrant at all, followed by our main courses below: - Fried Oyster Mushroom 4/5: Nice, light crunch to the batter, flavorful, dipping sauce that accommodates paired well with it. -Garlic Noodles 4/5: I liked this dish! I don't want to question how much butter was in it, but for a once in awhile dish, yes please! You can't go wrong with garlic, butter, and a splash of soy sauce! -Ube Waffle and chicken 3/5: Looks prettier than it tasted. Nothing amazing stood out about the dish including the Ube waffles, mediocre at best. -Asian Shakshouka 3.5/5: I wouldn't say the flavors here are spot on but it's a good attempt at the Vietnamese Xíu Mai dish which is pretty similar. This dish was a bit sweeter than I liked and could have been served with more bread. Overall, if in a pinch we would try some other items. We love Asian fusion foods, but this one just didn't hit quite right. Giving this 3.5 overall!

Friendly staff. Cute restaurant. I've been to An An for both brunch and dinner, and both times have left satisfied and belly full. This is my favorite Asian Fusion spot currently, but I may be biased cause I am Vietnamese and it includes some of my fave comfort foods on the menu. They also have a simple kids menu for kids portions and pricing and as a Mom who is also a foodie, I felt at ease knowing my daughter could enjoy her meal too. Brunch menu must have: Vietnamese Sizzling Beef and the Ube waffle Other must haves: Pork Belly, Star Anise Beef Stew, Shaken Fries Everything is flavored well, priced decently, and balanced with food that enhance and compliment the flavor of the dish. I was surprised at how much I liked the beef stew because sometimes I don't feel like people get the flavor right and it ends up bland (not here!) Some of the items can lean more salty, so make sure to balance it with rice or carbs.

We tried this place for lunch and while overall everything was tasty, especially the ube Vietnamese coffee, and the decor is beautiful, there were a few things that need improvement. The pork belly in the Bahn mi was tough and over cooked, the white wine was severed warm, and the service was really slow for lunch. I would give this place another shot though to see if it is any better a second time.

All the food was good although I am usually a salty eater and to me it's was good but to the rest of the gen pop it would be salty. The curry udon was not good way too bland and so much bell peppers. The garlic noodles was by far the best. Drinks were decent although and service was good. The lights in the place were like the yellow lights that made you tired though so not really that lively.

I came here for brunch one day and had a great time! An An is a Vietnamese fusion spot (you don't see many of these!) located in Northwest Portland. The inside of the restaurant is high ceilings, wooden, and bright. There's a huge bar area with tables around and it's a very lively ambiance. Service is good. When I came here for brunch, I got their bok choy, ube waffles with chicken, and garlic noodles with pork belly to eat and hot tea, green tea thai iced tea, and a coffee to drink. Everything was absolutely delicious and the service was quick. I loved the ube waffle with chicken as you could really taste the ube flavor and the portion was huge. I'm not quite sure I would quite call this Vietnamese fusion, but it was delicious nonetheless and I would definitely come back.

An An's pork ribs were the best, fell off the bone and were super flavorful! The fries were very crispy with yummy sauces on top, and the pork belly bites were kinda bland and weren't very warm, as if they cooled in the kitchen for a little bit. Although, it seemed like the staff may have been overwhelmed when we visited for Dumpling Week.

Came on a Sunday and was seated right away. The interior is super cozy and inviting and each server that came to our table was super informative and attentive We ordered the sizzling plate, the seasonal ube toast and pandan and an an coffee When I tell you we devoured everything, we practically licked our plate clean. The sizzling plate was amazing!! The beef was so tender and delicious. The ube toast was heaven on earth and was the perfect dessert dish. The Hawaiian toast was warm and buttered and the ube topped on top was the perfect combination. I wish we ordered 2 plates instead so that we each had our own! That's how good it was. I can't wait to come back and try something else on their menu!

Food was extremely fresh, reasonably priced. We went on a Saturday morning very crowded get there early. A must try 10/10 simply delicious.

We can here on a Saturday morning right when they opened and there was plenty of seating available. The restaurant features a large bar in the center and smaller tables along the sides . We started off with the Vietnamese ice coffee, both the vegan and regular options, along with an ube iced latte. The drinks were amazing and the vegan version was the best I've had in Portland. I would come back here for the coffee alone. For our meal we tried the three most popular brunch options. The sizzling beef was my favorite, with its strong garlic flavor, fresh bread and perfectly cooked meat. The service is also definitely a factor in why my rating is so high. Our server was extremely friendly and patient with us as we decided what to order. We stayed for much longer than a typical breakfast would take socializing, but everyone was so kind and would continually check up on us. I will definitely be back to try their dinner and lunch menu as well as the drinks.

As an SF native, I am huge sucker for garlic noodles. So evidently, An An would be in my list of places I wanted to try. Thankfully, I had been in the area after attending a celebration of life, so I decided to have a late lunch at An An. For starters, the place was nice and spacious and full of natural light. I ordered their house garlic noodles with chicken katsu. I also had to order some of their appetizers: fried oyster mushrooms, house fried chicken, and pork belly bites. As for drinks, we had mimosas and ube coffee. Their house garlic noodles tasted a lot like how I'd make them at home although they had a lot more liquid seasoning than I'd prefer. My favorite had to be their fried oyster mushrooms and pork belly bites. Their house fried chicken wings were good addition as well. As far as drinks go, mimosa was simply a mimosa, but their ube coffee was definitely delicious. Next time I'm in the area, I'd love to try their brunch menu items: ube waffles and Vietnamese Sizzling Beef.

I've been here twice in just a few months after stumbling on it while at a street fair, and I can't believe it haven't heard more hype about it because it's just that good! The coffee is incredible, I haven't been for brunch but got this during lunch and it was delicious. At night, the cocktail menu is equally delicious and creative. As far as the menu, you honestly can't go wrong. Ordering a bunch of dishes and sharing everything has worked great every time I've come. Definitely looking forward to coming back for brunch service!

Good was great I got the shaken beef and the ube waffles they were both amazing. The shaken beef could have been hotter I think but none the less it was great

The Vietnamese house ice coffee topped with cheese foam is one of the most delicious coffee drinks I've had in Portland. There's about three other varieties on the menu I look forward to trying. I was mixed on our two entrees. The sizzling beef - available only during brunch - was worthy on flavor, light on portion, and the meat was tough. The Beef Stew was very tender, good flavor, fair portion, but the broth was soupy, rather than a thick stew-like. The Ube waffle made for a not overly sweet ending. Interior ambiance is simple, with no wait on a Sunday at 11:30 a.m. They offer a homemade Chile oil concoction, otherwise it's just sriracha for condiments. Service was very friendly and prompt.

Cool vibes for dinner, super vibrant! Awesome service and the food came out fast. The dishes are definitely not authentic Vietnamese food but it's new like fusion. The cocktails were meh, wasn't impressive. The food portion is small and buy salty, maybe ask them to adjust. I will come back for the beef stew and caramelized pork only.

I have been wanting to try this place for awhile and I'm so glad I did! The restaurant is very clean and I love the set up of the bar being in the center. I definitely recommend the ube waffles and beef rib pho! They also have amazing coffee and drinks! I would definitely recommend other to check this place out!

We saw An An on a random Instagram reel and the food looked delicious, so we decided to check it out on a chill Friday afternoon. When we arrived, there was no one in the dining area so we felt a bit silly for making a reservation ahead of the time. However, a crowd showed up a few minutes after we got seated. So if you are coming here during the weekend, it's probably easier to make a reservation. The shop looked tiny from the outside but was much more spacious inside. An A was decorated in a whimsical modern style with Asian inspired decor and murals. It has a large bar area in the middle and plenty of seating. We tried the Ube and the pandan foam Vietnamese coffees, the Ube waffles and fried chicken, and the Vietnamese sizzling beef and baguette. All were delicious. My fiancé said he preferred the pandan Vietnamese coffee because of the subtle and less sweet pandan flavored foam. Personally, I liked both flavors because the coffee was strong and I couldn't make out the difference between the Ube and pandan. The beef sizzling plate was delicious with tender beef covered in gravy, tomatoes, and cilantro. It also came with freshly made baguette which was so soft and crunchy. However, my personal favorite was the Ube waffles and fried chicken as the rosemary and the syrup went so well with the savory fried chicken and sweet Ube waffles. Overall, we liked An An and would like to come back and try more.

Actually great all around restaurant. Drinks were great, food was great! Felt very much like a restaurant back home called Nep Cafe that we also love. The pho had a great meaty rib, the ube waffles were nice and crisp and sweet. The garlic noodles were really great and we also liked the vietnamese sizzling beef. We got the ube and pandan coffees and both were excellent. Seems like you can't really go wrong with anything you order, so definitely worth going for brunch. I would go early to miss the crowds.

Tl;dr solid fusion brunch food Came here with some friends for a lunch and had a great meal. We ordered the fried oyster mushrooms, ube waffle with chicken katsu, and garlic noodles with pork belly. The ube waffle was delicious and had a good ube flavor. The spicy syrup was great with the katsu chicken. The oyster mushrooms were very tasty as well with a surprisingly great texture. The garlic noodles were delicious and the pork belly was nice and crispy. Overall a solid spot I'd come back to

At first it was pretty scary. They are located on a street that has many mentally ill homeless people who walk back and forth saying obscenities. We arrived on a Saturday about fifteen minutes before they opened. No line. Again, waiting outside was scary. But once you get inside, it's much better. I ordered the ube coffee with the waffle and katsu chicken. Hubby ordered the specialty coffee with oat milk and an order of wings. Ube coffee was like a Thai coffee with a nice sweetness. Not too sweet. Specialty coffee tasted like a strong latte with mint in it. Also not too sweet. We enjoyed both drinks. Wings were unique. Tasted like fried wings dipped in shoyu and fish sauce. Since my hubby is a wings man, he said this was not his favorite sauce for wings. I personally loved the pickled radish and carrots the wings came on. Now onto the ube waffles... maybe our expectations were set too high with the Instagram post we watched. This was very bland. The chicken had zero flavor and was hard to cut. We ended up dipping it in the leftover fish sauce from the wings. The waffle was a typical Ube waffle but the syrup also had no flavor. Maybe we should have selected the spicy syrup? I would not recommend this meal for breakfast. Sorry everyone. Don't let the Instagram video get you overly excited to try this. Lastly, service and coffee is very good so that may be worth the visit. But maybe try something else.

My husband and I like to try Vietnamese food in every state we visit. Decided to try An An since they had some impressive reviews. We really enjoyed the vibe of this restaurant, along with their hostesses who were all really nice and provided awesome recommendations. Annie was our hostess and she was great! I didn't know what to expect with this fusion asian/vietnamese food; however, everything we had was DELICIOUS and so flavorful. We had the pork dumplings in chilli oil, garlic noodles & grilled shrimp, and a sizzling platter with steak. Every single dish was perfectly seasoned and taste was on point! Planning to go back before returning home to try their other dishes. Oooh... and before I forget their Ube coffee was bomb.com, too! Planning on getting their pandan coffee next.

I recently dined at this modern Vietnamese restaurant and was blown away by the experience. The interior is stunning, with fresh flowers adding a touch of elegance to the ambiance. Service was awesome! I ordered the pho and the house garlic noodles with pork belly, along with the ube coffee. Every dish was a blast of flavor! The pho was rich and comforting, while the house garlic noodles with pork belly were a perfect combination of savory goodness. The ube coffee was a unique and delightful treat. Would definitely come again- there are also cute shops around the location.

Husband and I popped in on a Sunday for brunch. We went on a whim, we were on our way somewhere else. We were so happy we changed our minds. The food is classic yet innovative. The house garlic noodles are top tier not overly greasy and just the right amount of garlic. The ube waffles had just the right amount of crisp on the outside, but not too hard. The banh mi was so fresh tasting, the bread was perfect with the crisp vegetables and the vegan pork belly was so good it had a slight sweetness with the crisp texture and savory flavor. The tofu in the popcorn berry was perfectly cooked and seasoned well, it was a fun appetizer. Service was good and not overbearing or neglectful. I enjoyed the minimalist decor and openness, it was bright even though it was an overcast day.

Service was nice, our waitress let us know brunch would have a bit of a wait but we were seated pretty promptly. I thought the fries and mimosa were great! I love the Asian flavors of the drinks. The fries were very plentiful for a starter, I thought it'd be smaller portion so I was pleasantly surprised. The thit kho I was a bit disappointed with.. I think if I would have known it was more liquidy i would r gotten the bread not rice withit . It wasn't as flavorful of the pork taste :( smaller pieces of pork bits too. My friend's crispy pork dish was good though. So I think the next time I'll try something else. Lots of seats inside, all street parking.

We ordered the garlic noodle w/ pork belly, ube waffles and chicken, pandan coffee, and popcorn berry w/ fried tofu. Food: 4/5 Service: 5/5 Value: 4.5/5 An An is a perfect fit in a gap that Portland has in Asian cuisine. Modernized Asian brunch with contemporary cafe vibes and good r&b, hip hop in the background. Great vibes. The food was a 4/5 overall. The pork belly was nice, garlic noodle was aldente and strong garlic flavor. I would order this dish again. The ube waffle needs a stronger ube flavor. The chicken is good, but is not screen door juicy. I'd pass on the fruit plate next time. The highlight for me was the pandan coffee. It hit the spot and had a great blend of flavors. I asked for stronger pandan flavoring and it did not disappoint. Would definitely come here again.

Lovely Asian brunch in Kenton. Ube Coffee was more of a purple dye show with glass filled with ice to the rim. Fried rice light & fluffy with only 4 shrimp. Ube Waffle was again more purple than flavor, topped with fried mushroom with standard sweet chili sauce. Service energetic, almost too energetic hyping each item as sooooo amazing. With high expectations from the server the food was not James Beard. Maybe more enjoyable if it was not so pricey. The space is mellow & relaxing. Featuring a wrap around bar in the center. Overall a nice visit to NW PDX. Street parking is limited so come at opening.

Been excited to try this place since I first saw it on social media! It's in a cute neighborhood and street parking isn't too hard. We went right at 5 pm when they opened for dinner and got seated right away. Our server was so nice! We got the cinnamon cheese foam and Vietnamese iced coffee, their cheese foam is amazing! And the Vietnamese coffee is the perfect strength. To eat, we wanted to try a few things. We got the pork belly bites, chicken wings, katsu chicken garlic noodles, and pork belly banh mi. I asked for the veggies on the side with the banh mi and they had no problem doing that. Highlight was definitely the katsu chicken garlic noodles. The chicken wings were pretty basic, but if you dip it in the tamarind sauce the pork belly comes with they're sooo good. The pork belly is perfectly crispy. The banh mi bread was fluffy and crispy without hurting your mouth. Their fries are good too. Total meal was a pretty good price and we had leftovers too! Definitely will be back to take people here and try more things.

8.75/10: I took my mother here for brunch because we love trying new Asian restaurants, even rarely one that has brunch specialties. The tables were a little small so be wary but there are so many amazing options, how can you choose and not order everything?! Anyways, the Vietnamese Sizzling Beef & Egg was pretty good. The Pho was pretty decent. So were the Ube Waffles (but I like the Trader-Joe's mochi ones better). The takoyaki fries were the best because it had an amazing flavor-combo. But overall, I recommend trying this restaurant out! I will definitely be back to try their cocktails and dinner menu items.

Incredible service!!! Amazing food and drinks. One could not hope for more:). Can't wait to eat there again!

My husband and I decided to give this place one more try after the last time we came for dinner. This time we came for brunch and the food did not disappoint this time. Sadly, the service was worse. There were only 3 other tables when we're there and the service was so slow. We stood there waiting to be seated while the workers stood around and chatted amongst themselves. We finally got seated and the young gal said she would bring us menus... Well she never did and we sat there waiting for someone to walk by so we could ask for a menu. Finally after 10 mins or so, another gal walks by to clear off a table by the window and I asked her to bring us menus. Food was great but the pandan coffee and the customer service was not. We will not be returning.

First of all, the vibe and design aesthetic just hits. The colorful bold wallpaper, mid century wall sconces and simple table scape is lovely. My sister and I ordered the ube waffle with fried oyster mushroom, pork bao and chicken wings. The ube waffle was crisp on the outside and moist on the inside, perfectly cooked. My sister loved the hearty mushrooms. The wings were flavor packed and so was the bao! Neither of us drink coffee so we asked the staff if they had an ube beverage that was either tea or soda based. They didn't but she said - let me make something special for you! We were delighted - she comped two newly created drinks, an ube matcha tea with ube cold foam and it was not only beautiful but it was a 10/10. Such amazing customer service!! The staff was so nice helpful and on top of it!

I've been wanting to go to this place for a while and finally made time to make the drive over here. We really enjoyed the food and loved how aesthetic it looked. I couldn't resist getting the Ube latte because it looked so pretty. I felt like it was a pretty average price for a coffee, but it was smaller than I expected. I barely taste the ube, which was slightly disappointing. For food, the first entree we ordered was the ube waffles. It was good and was super unique. The sauce paired well with the waffle. We opted for the spicy version which was mild. We also ordered the Vietnamese Sizzling Beef which came with some baguette. The beef paired with the black peppercorn sauce was delicious! For appetizers we got the bao which came with 2. We got one fried oyster mushroom bao & one grilled pork one. It was pretty good, but kinda of expensive for what it is. Everything was beautifully presented and came out decently fast. The service was decent. The servers came by and check on us on in the beginning, but towards the end of the meal they were just sitting down and talking amongst each other. We had to go up to them to ask for boxes and the check after waiting for a while. Overall, it was a good meal and we will hopefully be back again!

Had a lovely Sunday brunch at An A this weekend! Service was great, everyone was kind and attentive, wait time for food and drinks wasn't too bad at all. The Ube Latte is fabulous, perfect amount of sweetness! Everything we ate was amazing, the Vietnamese Sizzling Beef was our favorite. Pricing is also fair, between a friend we split 3 entrees and 4 drinks and we clocked in around $75 total! I will absolutely be back to try again!

Higher end fusion Viet food. Nice space. Food not quite authentic but worth a try....

Disappointing food, lots of flies by the window. * Vietnamese Iced Coffee ($5.50) - 5 stars: Started off strong with the vegan coconut version of this coffee which I've never had before. They couldn't adjust the sweetness but it was still perfect! * Vietnameses Sizzling Beef and Egg ($20) - 1 star: On the brunch menu. Very low quality beef. It smelled like it had gone bad. * Beef Rib Pho ($19) - 2 stars: Beef was inedible, hard. Soup was not good, portion was small.

Visited my friend in Portland and she was excited to take us to AnAn for their new brunch menu! They have a beautiful modern space with gorgeous bar in the middle. We ordered the beef stew, beef and egg, passion fruit shrimp, and garlic noodles. Everything was really tasty but my favorite were the beef and eggs. The sauce and flavor was really rich and full. The Vietnamese coffee we ordered wasn't as strong as im used to but the cinnamon cheese foam on top was tasty. The quality was good but I expected a little but more for the price. I'd def come back for the ambiance tho!

Fairly priced and very yummy! Highly recommend the Vietnamese beef and ube waffles. Anything fried is tasty as well (oyster mushroom or chicken)

We parked in front of An An on our way to the nearby farmer's market. I noticed two men walking out with pretty colored drinks, a takeout bag and smiles from ear-to-ear. Those guys inspired me. I wanted to eat somewhere that made me smile like that. We came back after the market and sat out back on the gorgeous patio. Excellent service provided my Mara. The food was very tasty, we had a variety of snacks and entrees. But my drink was BEAUTIFUL!

Absolutely incredible. Been wanting to come here for a couple of months. Finally decided to today and WHAT A TREAT!!! For drinks we ordered the iced coffee and the cinnamon cheese foam. Both fantastic. Iced coffee is very much like a great mocha. The cheese foam was our favorite. Tasted like a tiramisu! For food we got the mushroom baos, bok Choi, pork wontons, vegan pho, and Vietnamese sizzling beef. Yes, way too much food for 2 people but we like trying extra first time visiting a place. Mushroom baos were amazing, come with a great sauce, pork wontons was my favorite appetizer and came with bok Choi which was also good. Vegan pho was solid but think the other dishes shined brighter. Both of our favorite dish was the sizzling beef. Absolutely incredible and comes with some baguettes to dip in the sauce. Insanely good. Cannot wait to go back. Also the owner, Lynn came over to chat with us. She was the sweetest lady and makes unbelievable food. This place is like a Vietnamese version of Eem that is not your typical pho/banh mi Vietnamese order and should 100% be on your list of must try restaurants.

A 3.5 star review but I'll round up because it's a gorgeous space and the food is above average. My sisters, mother, and nephew came by at opening on a Wednesday in hopes of some good Vietnamese food. While authentic isn't quite it, they make a fantastic Vietnamese coffee and we thoroughly enjoyed the pandan coffee and ube coffee. We split the Vietnamese sizzling beef (Bo ne for the Vietnamese folks out there) and it was pretty good! If they made it with a richer sauce, softer beef, and some Vietnamese meatloaf and/or pate on there, this would be a 10/10. Overall enjoyable. We also split the garlic noodles with fried maitake mushrooms. I'm not quite sure what the sauce was but if it was to mimic fish sauce, I'm not sure it was right for me. Overall really tasty, but Vietnamese garlic noodles are special to San Francisco (iykyk) but as an interpretation of Vietnamese garlic noodles, pretty good! The space is gorgeous and so incredibly aesthetic. I would come back with vegan friends in tow, as while my Vietnamese family might not love this, An An succeeds in being a very veg and vegan friendly Vietnamese inspired establishment!

Very flavorful brunch. The fries were a recommendation from the server but I could do without it. The pork ribs from the seasonal menu was falling off the bones with a wonderful cilantro garlic seasoning. The baos are similar to the Taiwanese baos. The udon was okay for me, nothing special, like a thai curry with udon. The Vietnamese coffee flight was delicious without being too sweet. Restaurant was a bit loud. Good food overall.

Lovely new restaurant with a nice bar, good seatings for meals and drinks! The Vietnamese (fusion) food is delicious and some dishes are not served at other local Vietnamese restaurants. There is also a nice selection of tea / cafe too. Prices are reasonable, under $20 for most entrees, pho and banh mi. The service is good and the owner is very friendly and welcoming.

Overall while service was great and we had a good meal, the food itself was pretty mid. I went with the caramelized pork with eggs and rice while my friend went with the Pho. We also ordered the oyster mushroom appetizer and some beverages. The deep fried oyster mushrooms first came out cold, to which the waiter kindly got them remade. Much better after that. The Ube Vietnamese coffee was an interesting touch. The pork was alright...nothing to rave about or go back for. My friend enjoyed his pho but for $18 a bowl it felt pretty high in comparison to other more seemingly authentic spots in Portland.

Great spot for brunch. The restaurant feels open with plenty of seating. Our severs were friendly and attentive. I wanted to try everything, but today started with the Vietnamese coffee flight (pictured: regular, cheese foam w/cinnamon, ube, & matcha). They were all delicious, but the Ube coffee was my favorite! Ube waffles came with regular and spicy syrups, both paired well and were mild. The chicken katsu had a crunchy and flavorful fried batter with an optional egg added. Lastly we tried the sizzling beef with onions, roasted tomatoes, a creamy pepper sauce, optional soft egg, and side of baguette. Will definitely come back to try the garlic noodles.

My wife and I were in the area last summer for a street fair and saw an opening soon sign and thought the place, what is now An An looked pretty cool and we should try it out next time we are in the area. Having seen the grand opening posted on social media, I thought it would be a pleasant surprise for a weekend lunch date - somewhere away from our usual in southeast Portland. Luckily, we didn't have to fight for any street parking at all since they don't have any private parking. We immediately got seated and got our menus pretty quickly for how busy they were - only a few open tables in a big space where you could see everybody. The service wasn't spectacular because when we got seated, the tables were visibly still wet from being just cleaned when we got there. Instead of offering to get us more napkins or drying it for us, the waitress mentioned it but didn't do anything. Ignoring that fact, the wife and I ordered the house garlic noodles katsu chicken ($16), and an ube Vietnamese coffee ($6). I have mixed feelings about the noodles dish because it was extremely oily but the katsu was very well cooked - crunchy on the outside but yet soft on the inside. The Vietnamese coffee had a lot of ice like you would find at any traditional shop, while the ube added a bit of flavor - it felt a bit overpriced for the size.

I stopped in An An for a mid-afternoon snack after some business at a nearby plant store; they were still in their soft opening phase. Although I had only one dish there, the crispy oyster mushroom appetizer, there were sufficient clues for me to feel that the remainder of the options would be solid. There may be some hits and misses--no way I can judge that without working my way down the menu. Speaking of the menu, you can get great food at places with poorly constructed menus, but the opposite is less likely. This is hard to explain if you haven't been in the restaurant business a long time, but as a former chef, certain menus just have "mu," a sense of simple 'rightness,' purpose, and elevated simplicity. These clues let you know that the small details needed to make good food will be adhered to. Maybe not great food, but certainly solid eating. The ambience is also clean and crisp. When you enter a restaurant, smell the air. Over time, you can also learn a lot. This is also not bullet proof, because, as with An An, the kitchen is far from the dining area. But I walked back to check it out, and it smelled good and radiated calm. My server was also attentive and informative in proper measure. She was there when I needed her, and not when I didn't. Granted this was mid-afternoon, as I said; who knows how she'd do during a mass crush. BUT, some of the worst service I have gotten has been in near empty places. Staying on top of your game and not getting lax or tuned out is difficult without a nice electric buzz. A busy restaurant requires every one be on top of their game, and workers keep moving. In an empty place, it's super easy to see your server too much or barely at all. Finally, when a menu says soft opening on top, it lets you know that the owners understand new restaurants have kinks to work out. A soft opening says an owner will forgo a bit of short term profit for longer term durability. Another good sign. Visit this new venue and check it out. Leave a review. I think they will do well. I hope so.

Stopped by An An to try their Vietnamese coffee only to find ourselves staying for brunch so we can try their food since we were thoroughly impressed with their coffee. We had the Ube waffles with chicken katsu, and it was an absolute delight. The portion was generous, and the flavor was spot on. You could really smell the ube in the waffle, which added a unique and delicious touch. The owner, Linh, was incredibly nice and hospitable. She made a sweet chili syrup with Gochujang to pair with the chicken katsu, and it was the perfect complement. Linh also recommended their Bo Luc Lac (Vietnamese Shaky Beef), which we will definitely be back again to try. Overall, it was a fantastic experience, and I highly recommend checking this place out if you're in the mood for some delicious and unique Vietnamese cuisine with some pan-Asian inspiration!

A cute little place to take a break right at the Oregon-Washington boarder. The cheese foam coffee is smooth, rich, and flavorful. And the fusion style waffle fry port chop added an Asian twist to the famous southern style dish. Service is nice. Not like a high end restaurant but definitely feels like being taken care of.