Broken Rice Restaurant

Heard of this place thru friends and referral but did not get a chance to try their food until today. I’m very happy, impressed, and satisfied with the Special Sausage Egg Combo dish and Peach Tea drink this evening. Really love the generous portion in the box, the meat is so tender and so flavorful and the side veggie, pickle is so fresh. This dish is very common and can be found at any Vietnamese restaurant, but this place is definitely a step above. Recommended!

Look I didn't intend for this review to be a tirade on my worldview of bahn mi living close to 82nd but here we are.

There is a whole world of bahn mi in Portland -- I like to look at it as a spectrum. On the upper end of the spectrum is $18 "bahn mi" you might find at a trendy restaurant in inner SE. Honestly I've never had one because I'm offended and perplexed with this scenario. On the other side of the spectrum is $2.50 cash only bahn mi at any number of hole in the wall establishments on 82nd. It's often unclear to the onlooker why the sandwich shop has a pack of middle aged men smoking INSIDE, drinking beer and playing cards at 10:30 on a Tuesday morning. I'm also perplexed my this scenario but at $2.50 a pop I'm not paying to have an opinion, ya know?

Enter Broken Rice, a new cart in 82nd's hip new foodcart incubator -- CORE. Their sandos were cheap enough that I bought both the chicken and the pork. The bread was flakey and fresh, the veggies were crisp, and there was plenty of protein. On the spectrum, it's called the golden ratio.

Obviously I ate the bahn bi and didn't take pictures. Can't wait to try their rice dishes.

Oh my! Everything is sooooooooooooooo delicious!!! The pickled veggies are the perfect complement to the savory meat. And the rice!!! WOW!!! Mind blown. Variety of yummy choices; everything on the menu is lose-your-mind-fantastic and made from the heart!!

I was so hungry and starving to death one day… I went around and around looking for something good to eat… then I saw Broken Rice food cart. From afar I saw a beautiful girl at the window and the wind was blowing her hair in slow motion as she reach out to hand a customer their food. She smiled and said “thank you, come again” and that smile stopped time. Everything was frozen. I was no longer starving, I didn’t hear any traffic sound on the busy streets of 82nd. All I heard was my heart beating, and no one was moving, everything stood still, besides her hair in slow motion. I walked towards the cart slowly… drooling a long the way. I asked for the Special. And she said “I am not on the menu.” We smiled, and giggle, and then she recommended the Daily Special ice tea… she knew I was thirsty. I got that and the Broken Rice with an egg. Sat down right in front of the cart and ate ever last drop of rice. Both was sooooo good, best I’ve ever had. And the view there was amazing! Highly recommend. Definitely a hidden gem I found in Portland!

I’d moved to Oregon a little over 2 yrs now and haven’t found a decent com tam place until Broken Rice. Their rice is full of flavor! Not only is their rice dishes good but all the other items they have are delicious! Peach ice tea is bomb too! Definitely will come back and try all their specialties =)