Haan Ghin

I was reading my feeds on the train (since I don’t drive, I often am writing posts or reading blogs or links on FB/Twitter/whatever as I commute) and came across the Oregonions’ article on Portland’s Top 10 new food cartsof 2014. That’s where I learned about a food cart that was only a few blocks from me by co-owners Anthony Manivanh and Ann Derryberry, a Laotian little shack/cart right by the PSU Library at SW Park and Harrison.
Haan Ghin and co-owners Anthony Manivanh and Ann Derryberry Haan Ghin and co-owners Anthony Manivanh and Ann Derryberry

It’s only open during the daytime and on the weekdays (aka Monday – Fridays 11isham-2:30 or 3pm, which is why I had never been able to visit. When there was one day that I had some online meetings in the morning but no need to be in the office until right after lunch, so I decided to grab some of their food to go on my way in.

Laos is a country just to the east of Thailand, and similar to its other neighbors Burma, Vietnam, and Cambodia but most similar to Thailand. In fact, the two languages are extremely close, but yet have differences. At least, it’s different enough that when I hear the language and sentence structures and see the written language, it is both familiar but I also don’t fully understand. I can read a few of the letters (and fully read the Open sign), but when reading the menu there are letters I just don’t know. Haan sounds like Ah-Haan which is food in Thai, and Ghin means to Eat.

You are going to get the same experience with the food of Haan Ghin – it will be reminiscent of Thai food in some ways, but also new.
Haan Ghin, a Laotian Food Cart in Portland Haan Ghin, a Laotian Food Cart in Portland

The Haan Ghin menu is small, which I take as a sign of expertise. I went with both the Mii Gai and and Laap Gai main dishes.

Mii Gai in both Laos and Thai means Noodles (Mii) and Chicken (Gai). The details are that these are egg noodles with housemade sweet and savory Mii sauce topped with chicken, ong choy, fried garlic/shallots, scallions and crispy chicken skin. I was sorely tempted to pay a mere $1 more for extra chicken skin but wanted to show you what a regular order looks like, so held in my greed. It is a sacrifice I still think about.
Mii Gai, egg noodles with housemade sweet and savory Mii sauce topped with chicken, ong choy, fried garlic/shallots, scallions and crispy chicken skin from Haan Ghin, a Laotian Food Cart in Portland Mii Gai, egg noodles with housemade sweet and savory Mii sauce topped with chicken, ong choy, fried garlic/shallots, scallions and crispy chicken skin from Haan Ghin, a Laotian Food Cart in Portland Mii Gai, egg noodles with housemade sweet and savory Mii sauce topped with chicken, ong choy, fried garlic/shallots, scallions and crispy chicken skin from Haan Ghin, a Laotian Food Cart in Portland Mii Gai, egg noodles with housemade sweet and savory Mii sauce topped with chicken, ong choy, fried garlic/shallots, scallions and crispy chicken skin from Haan Ghin, a Laotian Food Cart in Portland

I thought that would be my favorite dish. I am a sucker for Southeast Asian noodle dishes, especially if they have egg noodle. But, do not overlook the spicy Laap Gai. This is a dish of minced chicken that you eat in lettuce wraps and can adorn with cucumber, a pinch of sticky rice, and a little scoop of jaew bawng (a dark thick reddish paste made from chiles and galangal root).
Laap Gai. This is a dish of minced chicken that you eat in lettuce wraps and can adorn with cucumber, a pinch of sticky rice, and a little scoop of jaew bawng (a dark thick reddish paste made from chiles and galangal root) from Haan Ghin, a Laotian Food Cart in Portland Laap Gai. This is a dish of minced chicken that you eat in lettuce wraps and can adorn with cucumber, a pinch of sticky rice, and a little scoop of jaew bawng (a dark thick reddish paste made from chiles and galangal root) from Haan Ghin, a Laotian Food Cart in Portland Laap Gai. This is a dish of minced chicken that you eat in lettuce wraps and can adorn with cucumber, a pinch of sticky rice, and a little scoop of jaew bawng (a dark thick reddish paste made from chiles and galangal root) from Haan Ghin, a Laotian Food Cart in Portland Laap Gai. This is a dish of minced chicken that you eat in lettuce wraps and can adorn with cucumber, a pinch of sticky rice, and a little scoop of jaew bawng (a dark thick reddish paste made from chiles and galangal root) from Haan Ghin, a Laotian Food Cart in Portland

Really, just look at those photos, and know that it is as excellent as it looks.
Haan Ghin food cart in Portland's delicious craveable dish of Mii Gai in both Laos and Thai means Noodles (Mii) and Chicken (Gai). The details are that these are egg noodles with housemade sweet and savory Mii sauce topped with chicken, ong choy, fried garlic/shallots, scallions and crispy chicken skin Haan Ghin food cart in Portland's delicious craveable dish of Mii Gai in both Laos and Thai means Noodles (Mii) and Chicken (Gai). The details are that these are egg noodles with housemade sweet and savory Mii sauce topped with chicken, ong choy, fried garlic/shallots, scallions and crispy chicken skin

You can find out more about Haan Ghain on their Facebook page or also follow them at @HaanGhin on Twitter

Haan Ghin on Urbanspoon

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Comments

  1. these things look SO good. hungry already!
    http://www.ladiesinnavy.com

  2. I should not have read this post before I ate lunch. Now my leftovers look extremely unappetizing, and all I can think about are those lettuce wraps.

  3. Yum! That looks great. And so funny I was just reading another friend’s blog post this morning about her travels to Laos and what good food they’ve been enjoying!

  4. I love love love lettuce wraps! Yum!

  5. Wow! Don’t you love it when you get to discover something new in the paper (or on a favorite food blog!?) I can’t wait to try it!

  6. God this looks absolutely fantastic and delicious.
    Though this is not thai food, it reminds me of when my husband and I were in Thailand in 2011, for a month, backpacking, and we had the best food ever… and very healthy actually… I had lost about 9 pounds on that trip. Not that I was on a diet, but most likely because we would walk and hike a lot, and the food was very simple (not fried, not much fat, no sugar whatsoever) yet so yummi!!
    Now I can’t wait to try this food card! I have tried the Thai peacock in PDX and I think it is fantastic!

  7. Looks yummy! I’m rarely in that area at that time of the day, but I’ll keep this cart in mind if I do find myself there.

  8. oh those noodles look delicious! I think it’s probably best that I am not near the food carts, because I could eat food like this every day!

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