Ha VL, Portland's
, is a family affair. Peter Vuong holds the reins, his mother threatening to retire, though she is an omnipresent figure. As Vuong will remind you, he only serves food he would cook for his own family. His family is spoiled.
(The name of the restaurant is derived from Vuong's mother's first name and the initials of her and his father's last names.)
Vuong's impeccable standards mean daily jaunts to the grocery markets. There are the Fubonn and Chang Fa Supermarkets of course, but he peppers his trips with American institutions like Costco and Winco, chosen for the better deals. Some days he goes to five or more stores.
But quality is never sacrificed. In fact, he will pass on one market's old ginger root, with its wrinkled skin, for the next market's shiny, plump ginger that oozes juice when cut into.
Vuong is proactive, especially when he knows something fresher might be languishing in the back room of yet-to-be-stocked items. At one Asian market, he ducks back and emerges with a produce bag of gorgeous emerald and burgundy-colored "tia to", an aromatic herb.
In the time it takes some 8-year-olds to choose a flavor in the cereal aisle, Vuong has rounded up eight lettuce heads, some lemongrass, seven packages of tofu, five packages of meatballs (for a friend), 12 pounds of beef bone, 11 pounds of onion and some boneless pork leg.
Ha VL serves up a limited amount of
. The selections depend on the day of the week, but you can bet on the same ones being served each Monday, for example.
After the restaurant closes, Vuong will go home for dinner and then returns to prep for the next day's offerings. That preparation can last until 1 a.m. He wakes up at 5:15 a.m. to arrive early enough to start the cooking.
Ha VL (503-772-0103, 2738 S.E. 82nd Ave.) opens at 8 a.m., Wednesday through Monday. They sell out often, so don't wait for a late lunch. They also serve banh mi and people swoon over their Vietnamese iced coffee.
-- Stephanie Yao