The flavor was good. Not a chef, but egg noodles in curry feel out of place. Thicker noodles would go well with curry. One could definitely tell the noodles come from packaged dried noodles.
Chavalit Chan
Tucked along SE Hawthorne Blvd, Khao Moo Dang is one of Portland’s best-kept secrets—until you taste their signature dish. Then you understand why this unassuming counter-service spot consistently earns rave reviews and top delivery rankings.
The namesake dish, Khao Moo Dang, is an absolute knockout. A beautifully plated harmony of five-spice BBQ pork, crispy pork belly, Chinese sausage, a soy-marinated half-boiled egg, and perfectly steamed jasmine rice. The real magic? That deeply flavorful, house-made sweet-savory red sauce that ties everything together. It’s the kind of sauce you want bottled and poured on everything.
Each bite hits a different note: the tender BBQ pork is smoky and aromatic, the crispy pork belly adds a satisfying crunch and rich depth, while the sweet Chinese sausage offers a chewy contrast that keeps things interesting. The garlic rice, subtly fragrant, soaks up the sauce like a dream. The egg? Silky, creamy, and the perfect finishing touch.
What makes this spot shine is more than just great ingredients—it’s balance, precision, and respect for traditional Thai flavors. It feels like street food in Bangkok, reimagined for Portland’s palate without losing its soul.
Service is friendly and fast, and the open kitchen gives you a front-row seat to the care that goes into every dish. Whether you’re dining in at the cozy counter or grabbing takeout, the quality is consistently top-notch.
For those new to Thai cuisine or simply seeking warm, soulful comfort food, Khao Moo Dang is a must. It’s proof that a humble plate of pork and rice—when done right—can be something extraordinary.
🌟 Must-try: Khao Moo Dang signature plate, Ba Mhee pi set.
Mo Cha
best noodle in town. I finish the whole thing in 5min
Ani Raven
Amazing food. For me, the dumplings steal the show, and I gravitate towards the dumpling soup with silky smooth tom kha broth. The cocktails are tasty, but for me my favorite beverage is the lychee hibiscus tea.
Service is always great.
Heather Reck
Daaaaaaannnggggg!!! Number 12.
When you read ‘crispy pork belly’ you think ‘crisped’, as in a thin layer of skin….but no. Stop right there because you have already underestimated this dish. At least a 1/4 inch crisped slabs of tender pork belly protein. And how is it like that STILL after standing up stacked in that warm lemongrasstastic coconut broth? Like a ‘hello’ punch-your-mouth-out crisp made with straight up witchcraft. Pretty sure I was moaning alone at my table eating it.
One guy that works there did a drive by to check on me and saw my reaction and was in total agreement. Like HE couldnt believe they were making it either.
That. Just. Happened.
Elise Le
First time we tried food here and wow it was delicious!!!!! You should open another store in Seattle ? Update: we tried Tom Yum 7.1 (so good T will try next time) and Ba mee tofu (sooooo good). Not recommend khao moo dang (#1) for us
Jim Dayworth
A hidden gem, recommended by my friend. This place is arguably some of the best food I've ever had in Portland. I had the number 6 soup version. It was amazing!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nicole Ho
Came here on whim and oh my god, it was so good. My highlight was the crispy pork belly in the house curry soup, it was so unbelievably flavourful. The soup was closer to a sauce and I’m not complaining because it accompanied the light noodles. 10/10 wish I could eat more and definitely worth the visit
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Crispy Pork, 8 House Curry Noodle
Lisette Larie
Everything is bomb! my favorite restaurant in Portland! Try the dumpling Soup! Also the best Thai Tea in Portland and it's reasonably priced which is great! Love it here!
Tad S'Klallam
Did not live up to the hype. The pork belly was slightly cold and not melt in your mouth like I've had other places. Slightly chewy.
Awesome tamarind sour cocktail with steamed dumplings
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
darren curammeng
Been to Thailand, and this is very authentic
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Az N.
Had high hopes for this place but it's not worth the hype. And they admitted to using large amounts of MSG! Their protein options are limited: tofu, pork & egg. I got the number 10 and the best part of the dish was the small bowl of broth. Everything else was subpar compared to all the other restaurants and options available in Portland. Also the meat was absolutely cold in my dish. My friend had a soup based dish and commented why is the meat cold? You would think they would serve piping hot broth but they don't it's like the purpose they give you cold food so you won't sit around. The noodles were flavorless! None of the reviews talk about the poor quality of the meat. There was so much fat on the pork that half the "meat"on my plate was inedible. It was gross to see all that white gelatinous fat stuck to tiny pieces of meat. They are clearly buying the cheapest quality of meat and passing it off by boasting that it's slow cooked for 12 hours. I was here with a party of five so I looked at my friends food and their pork was the same. Full of fat. They could surely trim the fat off the pork a bit so it's edible and actual meat. But they don't do that. I got the worst headache eating here called and asked them if they use MSG and she said yes we do we use it a lot. And my friend also got a headache! So if you're sensitive to that please know that they are using large amounts of MSG for flavoring in their bland food. The indoor seating is limited. And the guy who was running this place on Sunday was rude & barking at any customer who took a seat. He was such a jerk, other customers in line were shook by his behavior. If you have a party of four or larger you're gonna have a hard time finding indoor seating since this place is tiny. Also if your business has a tipping that starts at 22% and goes up from there you should be busing the tables for us and not requiring us to do that. To all the people saying this is amazing food maybe they are the same people that consider McDonald's gourmet burgers.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Kerrie Cougle
I love the food here. Their broth is divine. I just wish that I lived closer to eat here more often. #5 dry (so I can get the broth on the side) is my go to.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 3
Michael Dunne
Dumpling Soup had great flavor and a generous portion of dumplings but was so salty it actually brought tears to my eyes. Staff were friendly but counter service at this price is silly. Felt bad for people who had to pay this much and sit in the "outdoor seating".
The flavor was good. Not a chef, but egg noodles in curry feel out of place. Thicker noodles would go well with curry.
One could definitely tell the noodles come from packaged dried noodles.
Tucked along SE Hawthorne Blvd, Khao Moo Dang is one of Portland’s best-kept secrets—until you taste their signature dish. Then you understand why this unassuming counter-service spot consistently earns rave reviews and top delivery rankings.
The namesake dish, Khao Moo Dang, is an absolute knockout. A beautifully plated harmony of five-spice BBQ pork, crispy pork belly, Chinese sausage, a soy-marinated half-boiled egg, and perfectly steamed jasmine rice. The real magic? That deeply flavorful, house-made sweet-savory red sauce that ties everything together. It’s the kind of sauce you want bottled and poured on everything.
Each bite hits a different note: the tender BBQ pork is smoky and aromatic, the crispy pork belly adds a satisfying crunch and rich depth, while the sweet Chinese sausage offers a chewy contrast that keeps things interesting. The garlic rice, subtly fragrant, soaks up the sauce like a dream. The egg? Silky, creamy, and the perfect finishing touch.
What makes this spot shine is more than just great ingredients—it’s balance, precision, and respect for traditional Thai flavors. It feels like street food in Bangkok, reimagined for Portland’s palate without losing its soul.
Service is friendly and fast, and the open kitchen gives you a front-row seat to the care that goes into every dish. Whether you’re dining in at the cozy counter or grabbing takeout, the quality is consistently top-notch.
For those new to Thai cuisine or simply seeking warm, soulful comfort food, Khao Moo Dang is a must. It’s proof that a humble plate of pork and rice—when done right—can be something extraordinary.
🌟
Must-try: Khao Moo Dang signature plate, Ba Mhee pi set.
best noodle in town. I finish the whole thing in 5min
Amazing food. For me, the dumplings steal the show, and I gravitate towards the dumpling soup with silky smooth tom kha broth. The cocktails are tasty, but for me my favorite beverage is the lychee hibiscus tea.
Service is always great.
Daaaaaaannnggggg!!!
Number 12.
When you read ‘crispy pork belly’ you think ‘crisped’, as in a thin layer of skin….but no. Stop right there because you have already underestimated this dish. At least a 1/4 inch crisped slabs of tender pork belly protein. And how is it like that STILL after standing up stacked in that warm lemongrasstastic coconut broth? Like a ‘hello’ punch-your-mouth-out crisp made with straight up witchcraft. Pretty sure I was moaning alone at my table eating it.
One guy that works there did a drive by to check on me and saw my reaction and was in total agreement. Like HE couldnt believe they were making it either.
That. Just. Happened.
First time we tried food here and wow it was delicious!!!!! You should open another store in Seattle ?
Update: we tried Tom Yum 7.1 (so good T will try next time) and Ba mee tofu (sooooo good). Not recommend khao moo dang (#1) for us
A hidden gem, recommended by my friend. This place is arguably some of the best food I've ever had in Portland. I had the number 6 soup version. It was amazing!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Came here on whim and oh my god, it was so good. My highlight was the crispy pork belly in the house curry soup, it was so unbelievably flavourful. The soup was closer to a sauce and I’m not complaining because it accompanied the light noodles. 10/10 wish I could eat more and definitely worth the visit
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Crispy Pork, 8 House Curry Noodle
Everything is bomb! my favorite restaurant in Portland! Try the dumpling Soup! Also the best Thai Tea in Portland and it's reasonably priced which is great! Love it here!
Did not live up to the hype. The pork belly was slightly cold and not melt in your mouth like I've had other places. Slightly chewy.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 4
Restaurantji Recommends
Awesome tamarind sour cocktail with steamed dumplings
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Been to Thailand, and this is very authentic
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Had high hopes for this place but it's not worth the hype. And they admitted to using large amounts of MSG!
Their protein options are limited: tofu, pork & egg.
I got the number 10 and the best part of the dish was the small bowl of broth. Everything else was subpar compared to all the other restaurants and options available in Portland. Also the meat was absolutely cold in my dish. My friend had a soup based dish and commented why is the meat cold? You would think they would serve piping hot broth but they don't it's like the purpose they give you cold food so you won't sit around.
The noodles were flavorless!
None of the reviews talk about the poor quality of the meat. There was so much fat on the pork that half the "meat"on my plate was inedible. It was gross to see all that white gelatinous fat stuck to tiny pieces of meat. They are clearly buying the cheapest quality of meat and passing it off by boasting that it's slow cooked for 12 hours.
I was here with a party of five so I looked at my friends food and their pork was the same. Full of fat. They could surely trim the fat off the pork a bit so it's edible and actual meat. But they don't do that.
I got the worst headache eating here called and asked them if they use MSG and she said yes we do we use it a lot. And my friend also got a headache! So if you're sensitive to that please know that they are using large amounts of MSG for flavoring in their bland food.
The indoor seating is limited. And the guy who was running this place on Sunday was rude & barking at any customer who took a seat. He was such a jerk, other customers in line were shook by his behavior.
If you have a party of four or larger you're gonna have a hard time finding indoor seating since this place is tiny.
Also if your business has a tipping that starts at 22% and goes up from there you should be busing the tables for us and not requiring us to do that.
To all the people saying this is amazing food maybe they are the same people that consider McDonald's gourmet burgers.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
I love the food here. Their broth is divine. I just wish that I lived closer to eat here more often. #5 dry (so I can get the broth on the side) is my go to.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 3
Dumpling Soup had great flavor and a generous portion of dumplings but was so salty it actually brought tears to my eyes. Staff were friendly but counter service at this price is silly. Felt bad for people who had to pay this much and sit in the "outdoor seating".
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 3
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