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The Kerns neighborhood food court The Zipper has weathered significant changes since Guerrilla Development Co. founder Kevin Cavenaugh sold it amid financial troubles WW reported earlier this year. After losing the Korean restaurant Sari Ramyun in May, hungry diners had one less option to chow down on with cocktails from the adjoining bar Paydirt. But after a quick face-lift, a new restaurant rounds out The Zipper’s pizza, taco, burrito and fried chicken-based offerings.
Hello Pho, Banh Mi & Boba opened in July, serving what its sign says and more. The expansive menu includes Vietnamese standards like vermicelli noodle bowls, rice plates, milkshakes and an array of appetizers like calamari ($10), salad rolls ($8) and crab puffs ($6). Hello currently comps your drink if you spend $25 or more, which can be done if you’re strategic or ravenously hungry—it’s possible to slurp down eye of round steak and brisket pho ($16.50) after chomping on a bulgogi bánh mì ($9) if your first meal is coming way too late in the day. A more responsible combo for bargain hunters might be pho with calamari, or a bánh mì with a couple of appetizers.
Eye of round steak, for the uninitiated, is an extremely lean cut of beef, so ordering pho with brisket could be the way to go if you want something a little fattier, though vegetarian options and meatballs are also available. Hello’s pho is served with a side of sprouts, hot and savory sauces, and a sprig of basil leaves to customize your bowl however you need it. Soup in the summer might still be a tall order, but The Zipper’s regular diners will be grateful once the temperature drops.
However you hit your quota (or don’t), you can load up on juice tea, milk tea, smoothie (all $5.75) or milkshake ($6.50) with additions like fruit, tapioca and crystal pearls; fruit, grass and aloe vera jellies; red bean and egg puddings; and creams flavored with sea salt, cake custard and salted cheese ($1 each).
Hello’s produce and meats seem especially fresh and savory, and translate well into dishes other than pho. The bánh mì sandwiches are served in deep-dish wicker baskets, carrying a balanced proportion of meat, veggies and sauce to bread. While the baguettes could be a touch fresher, they are no worse than other popular Vietnamese restaurants west of 82nd Avenue, like Bánh Mì Up. Hello’s bánh mìs are better than any made within a short walking distance; Fred Meyer is your closest option, if its deli case carries them that day.
Drinks can have their sugar and ice levels adjusted by 20% to 30%. Light ice is the way to go for anything that’s not a milkshake, especially on our remaining summer days. Hot drinks like matcha, taro and pumpkin spice milk teas, honey lemon tea and Vietnamese coffee ($5.50) will hit the spot later this year, but for now a loaded fruit tea still quenches the thirst.
Hello’s service is prompt. No matter how you order Hello’s saucy bulgogi, or whatever else calls out in the pop art-decorated shop, you’ll likely be served in time to set up your cards whenever the drag artist Peachy Springs brings her regular bingo game to The Zipper’s dining hall.
EAT AND DRINK: Hello Pho, Banh Mi & Boba, 2713 NE Sandy Blvd., 503-841–5149, hello-pho.com. 11 am–9 pm daily.