HA-VL

Find out why this little hole-in-the wall soup joint in a SE 82nd strip mall, consistently makes the “Best of Portland” lists.

Like many Portland food lovers, I read a lot of lists. “Portland’s Essential Restaurants,” “Heat Maps,” “Cheap Eats,” and “Neighborhood Favorites,” to name a few.  Lots of the usual high-end spots show up over and over: Paley’s, Ox, Ringside, Andina, Castagna… you get the idea.  But usually nestled on those lists, is also a random little spot in outer SE Portland:  Ha-VL.  A weird name, a weird location and if you look on Yelp or Zomato, a cult following.  

So what’s the deal with Ha-VL?  

It’s an Asian soup restaurant.  They make two soups a day, and that’s about it. Bánh mì and bubble tea are also on the menu, but pretty much everyone gets the soup.  The bowls are huge, delicious and cheap at just $8/bowl.  Tucked into a courtyard strip mall on SE 82nd, it feels hidden away, like a real secret.

Each bowl comes with tea and a big bowl of veggies and herbs to add in to your liking. The photos in this post are from a Wednesday so we had the Chicken Curry Noodle and Peppery Pork Ball soups.  Perfect for a winter day.  I forgot to take a photo of the menu but can find it online here.

So if you want to try one of the best restaurants in the city, but only have $10, head out to 82nd for a bowl. Happy slurping!
PS- The owners recently opened a sister restaurant called RoseVL.  Haven’t been yet, but it’s closer in,  so it might be more convenient for Portland folks.  

HaVL
2738 SE 82ND 
8AM-4PM, CLOSED TUESDAYS