Hung Far Low - CLOSED

Elite '08

94

1293

Alex S.

New York, NY

Even though this place has made the move to the other side of town, PDX's Chinatown has lost an iconic establishment that had stood the test of time and ridicule for over 20 years.  Hung Far Low, isn't even the proper romanicized Cantonese spelling but rather one of straight phonetics.  In Mandarin, Hung Far Low, should be Hong Hua Liu, which sounds tremendously better but would not attract as much attention as this place has.

Most of the Chinatown locals and the community of Chinese in Oregon would never have flocked to this place.  It never had the ability to make Chinese food catered to Chinese patrons, especially with its concentration in American Chinese fare.  This place was better as a bar than it was a restaurant any day.

Now that its among the elite Chinese restaurants along 82nd Avenue, it now might realize that Chop Suey is the not the way to go (but then again you never know).  It's identity will remained preserved at its new location since after all, many folks love the name too much to see it go away.

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2

18

Cedric J.

Portland, OR

It moved... who the hell cares anymore?  No more cheap Singapore Slings and walking home.  Bah.

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17

259

Abe I.

Portland, OR

I hate that Hung Far Low is out on 82nd now, the "real" china town. I do love that the sign has stayed, although they now have "building" at the bottom where it used to say "cock tails," with the "tails painted over, of course.
Hung is still a dive though, and still a great place to get a cheap, very stiff drink, if you're in that neighborhood. I do miss though, my first time there, in the dark, smoky downtown bar, asking for "whiskey..no water," and the bartender smiling and saying: "whiskey's cheaper."

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Elite '08

282

348

Dan V.

San Francisco, CA

Dive, dive, dive bar where you should not eat but drink cheap, tasty cocktails with other like-minded tourists off the beaten path.  The name is a horrible, horrible pun but drink up and crack a smile and maybe the rain will let up by the time  you're done.

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45

71

Shinn C.

San Francisco, CA

god bless you anglicized-cantonese for making something poetic like "red flower pavillion" into an oriental pornstar name. having lived in portland for two and a half years, i have to admit i'd never been inside. although whenever i walked by i'd giggle uncontrollably like a schoolgirl. i was pretty sad to hear that this place had to move (damn yuppie scum) from the original location, but then again i think this is the 2nd move since it'd opened up in the early 1900s.

anyhow, my next trip back to portland, i'm turning my back on hubers and coming here instead. i wonder if they'll have spanish coffee?

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29

204

Eric P.

Baltimore, MD

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120

2112

Gourmet G.

San Francisco, CA

I admit it. Its name in multiple neon signs on the front of the building was a lure powerful enough to get me up a very steep staircase and into this Chinatown dive well-endowed (oh, of course the pun was intended!) with a decor right out of a Charlie Chan movie. Tucked inside a bare, hideously and mercilessly fluorescent-lit dining room is a small, dark lounge, with a giant Buddha presiding over shadowy booths and a curving, padded Formica bar bathed in red light. I fully expected the Dragon Lady to step out of the shadows and invite me to sample one of the lovelies in the back room. Certainly this is the place where married locals engaged in an affair come to eat, knowing full well they'll never run into anyone they know. The very cheap food is spectacularly mediocre and highly forgettable, although the homemade pot stickers were terrific. A two-star dining experience, but the name and Asian kitsch bump it up a notch.

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