Thien Hong

Okay to start off I've been a customer here for over 4 years now. Over the years the restaurant has began to demolish from the the inside out. The last two times were the last straw for me. Both times the restaurant has been filthy. The tables not wiped, the seats dirty, the floors have stains on them that look as if they haven't been cleaned for weeks. Not only this, but the jars at the ends of the tables with sauces in them, are always the same jars! They don't even clean them, they just refill the sauce and call it good. The salt and pepper shakers have seen better days too. I work in the restaurant business and I know that the first thing someone notices when entering a restaurant is the cleanliness. The restaurant is foul in this category. To add to the list the inside window stool is always dirty and dusty.... Along with that the restrooms are filthy. Now to get on with the waitresses. 2 times ago I went in by myself. Food was good, service was bad. I asked for a spoon to mix my tea and the waitress replied, ""for what""? Who asks you what you're going too use a spoon for in a restaurant? I thought okay, maybe she's having a bad day today. Well it gets worse. When I leave my bill is around $11. I thought she did a bad job serving so I wasn't going to leave a tip. She had the guts to say to me as I leave, ""No tip""? Just as others have said they're rude, and desperate for money. I serve for a living and I can say this restaurant, along with the Le Bistro Montage has some of the worst servers in the Portland Metro Area. be advised of these before going there. Yes the food is normally good and cheap, but I'll take my business elsewhere. I''ll never return neither, and they've lost the business of at least 20 close friends and family members. more

only go to this place if you plan on tipping the horrible service. my husband and i went there got a booth, then 10 mins later a couple that the host knew were seated next to the other booth got their meals FIRST even though my husband and i had already ordered. mind you our order was small compared to theirs. we were ignored by the waitress. we never got our glass of water filled. the pepper salted squid [which is our families fav sincec mid 90's] tasted like it had be reheated. we didn't even finish the food we just wanted to leave. so we paid our bill and the guy at the counter always likes to say ""no tip""?? this man has been there since i can remember. oh the best part the waitress with short auburn dyed hair chased us out of the restaurant yelling why we didn't tip? and started speaking in her language to the other waitress and pointing at us. i told my husband to go back and tip her a quarter. how embarrassing. my entire family loves this place and look at the way they treated us. THIS IS NOT AN EXAGGERATION either. oh and just FYI i agree on tipping when the service is RIGHT. not sloppy and rude. they don't have to wait on us hand and foot and treat us like we're the only ppl there. but serving us reheated squid that you can't even chew, never bother to even fill up our glass of water and since we were not satisfied and did not tip, your going to YELL at us and chase out of the place for not tipping?? more

I had to ask them to bring me extra water 3 times in order to get it. Also, they never went back to my table to check if we needed anything else. They didn't give us enough plates & silverwares and I had to ask them again and again. We ordered 6 dishes and none of them was fresh especially the fish dish...very fishy. Food was bad so was customer service! more

I went in around 230pm on a weekday and ordered the General Tso's Chicken. (I'm on a quest find the best in the city ~ it's not going well) They brought out soup and a couple crab rangoons which was a surprise to me. Tea was complimentary. Between all that and the main dish it was a nicely over-sized meal. Everything was good flavor, except the Chicken which I would rate as average. I had a feeling the sauce was nuked and spooned on out of a packet, as it tasted a little too similar to many other restaurants I had tried. I cannot remember if the chicken was breaded or dough fried... Again- man meal. Wait-staff was pleasant and the bill was less than $6. I don't know why someone who is looking for cheap man food would read a review, but there it is. more

I have read the reviews on here and have to strongly disagree with some peoples opinion of the staff! I don't think they are rude or standoffish at all! You just have to get to know them. They don't always understand things the same way you do, not everyone was born here or has excellent English! However, once the staff gets to know you they are wonderful and very personable! My family loves to go there, my children ask to go there every year for their birthday dinners!!! The staff come over and welcome us when we walk through the door and talk to the kids and are genuinely happy to see us! The food is excellent also! My husband is Chinese and this is the ONE AND ONLY restaurant that we can take his family to when they come visit and not have them complain about ""American Chinese Food""!!! We have been going for 15years and will continue to go there until it closes or we can no longer drive! As for all of you not tipping, maybe you should think more about why they are uncomfortable and don't talk much. It is horribly rude not to tip, maybe don't tip so much but to not tip, that is stupid! They are not there to hold your hand, they take your order, bring the food, fill your water, and give you the bill. Anyways, if you don't come back...well the quicker my family and I can get in and eat!!! If you love excellent Chinese food, try Thien Hong...just expect that until they are comfortable with you, the staff will seem a bit standoffish, give them time, it is well worth it!!!!! more

I've gone to this restaurant on and off for a decade. When I moved back to Portland after a few years away I wanted to go back and see if it was as good as I remembered - I have always loved their pepper-salted squid and thought my family would love it. So a couple days ago I went in and ordered take-out. The guy at the counter has been there for years and the restaurant looked the same. I was happy with the service and how fast the food was ready, so I left the tip. Went home and ate the great food and was very happy with the whole experience. My family liked it and we planned to go back , even though its a distance from where we live. Pros: food Cons: Management!!! more

I went Yesterday with all my family, all the food was excelent, the service was fine, its no the best , but wasn't rude at all, the best thing was other than the food, the prices, I was expecting the bil for a little more of $100 but instead was $75 Pros: food, prices more

I have been reading some of the other reviews and I have to agree with those who were confronted on their way out because of not including a tip. I witnessed it happen to the couple paying in front of us. The wife was nearly in tears by the time they were released. I say that because the female owner was so insistent that they pay a tip it felt like the police would be called if they didn't! When I got up to the register, I paid in cash and walked out. I had intended to go back to the table and leave a tip, but there was no way I was going to do that after they way the other customer was treated. They are abusive to their customers. I will never return to this restaurant. Pros: good food, convenient location Cons: Extremely inappropriate staff more

OMG! We were pressured to hurry up and order our food, then when we did, the woman, who turned out to be the owner, GRUNTED at us as we told her what we wanted. The food was practically thrown on the table by a server taking food to several tables. No one ever came back to our table to see how we were doing. We paid with a credit and did not include a tip. OMG!!! You would have thought we were refusing to pay!!! The man at the cash register handed us the receipt then said something to the woman in their language and she lit into us, saying we did not pay enough!!! We showed her the receipt and she said it needs a tip!!! She was getting louder and louder, and it was so embarrassing in front of the customers waiting for a table, that we just pulled out our wallets and tossed a couple of dollars by the cash register. I am FUMING!!! Isn't that extortion or something? This place needs to be investigated for tax invasion or something!!! They need to be shut down!!! Pros: Good food Cons: Rude, Demanded a TIP!!!, Way over-priced!!! more

This place WAS my favorite restaurant for the last 10yrs, however, after tonight, I will be looking for a new place for squid--(i'll try the place across the street for sure, thx Steven503! ) We had a wonderful meal tonight, great conversation with my family. The food was quick, probably because it was late in the evening and not too busy. The employees are very impersonal, they do not respond to any attempts to lighten their moods or get them to smile. When my husband paid the bill, the tired man at the register looked at the slip and spoke something in their language to the rude round lady, and the round lady made a scene saying that the total wasn't right! We looked at the slip and my husband argued that he paid the total, and the tip is not mandatory. It is his personal preference not to leave a tip with his CC. The round lady then questions why we did not leave a tip, and we argued that they cannot demand that we leave a tip. It was unbelievable. Although we enjoy the food immensely, we enjoy good customer service and the OPTION to leave a tip when we feel the service is deserving. Sad to say we will never go back... Pros: Excellent food Cons: Impersonal employees will demand a tip more

I have been going here since I was 8, I am nearing 20 years old now. Every time I go there I always get salad roll, general tso chicken and salted pepper squid. All these foods are great, their steamed fish is great too for seafood lovers. Nearly 12 years and I have had no problems with them, the waiter and waitress may seem mad, but they have great service. This is the only place I go for Chinese food. They have probably the biggest menu for a Chinese restaurant. I wish I went to this place more than once a month. I feel like going this week, first time in like two months I think. Pros: great service, food, hours Cons: its 20 minutes away, small parking more

I am not sure why so many people complain about this Chinese Restaurant. The food is exceptional, and delicious. The service can be sluggish, but only when the place is packed. Now a packed restaurant means it has something going for it. I will admit it is hard to get the waiters and waitresses to smile, but if you bother to engage them in conversations you will find out they are friendly and have a good sense of humor. I have never seen them be rude to any one, or say you have to order now. Thien Hong is a busy restaurant, and if you want special attention or you are use to that then I would suggest you find a place that is not as busy. Pros: Great food and friendly service Cons: During busy hours service gets a little stressed more

This place is usually packed for business but I can't see why. The restaurant staff never seems to be in a good mood nor really wants to be there. We had a big table and were waiting for 3 more people. The waitress DEMANDED that we order when she asked us to and that she didn't have time to wait for our 3 friends to take our order. We had roasted duck among other dishes, but when the roasted duck came out it was literally skin and bones. There was very little meat on them. Our drinks were never refilled. Waitress never came back to check on us. After dumping the food off at our table the waitress just left and we never saw her again until she came back to give us the check. I guess this is fine and dandy if you were at McDonalds' and you wanted to be left alone, but Chinese food is greasy and salty so you have to keep yourself nice and hydrated. The kick in the nuts came when we gave no tip and the waitress started screaming like she was possessed by some demon, then ran off to summon the manager. The manager came over and literally begged us for a tip. We finally felt so pressured under the circumstances that we left a tip and left the establishment. Tip should be something that is based upon performance and even then it is still optional. Key word here is optional. Now before people start jumping down my throat about being cheap or I don't know anything about the food service industry and how hard they work etc etc, I can start by saying I am a very generous tipper. I even tip the person when I'm picking up my ""to-go"" orders, and get yelled at by my gf every time for doing so, but I always end up tipping them something. Tip should never be mandatory and this is the culture here at Thien Hong. They believe in it being mandatory, and will hoot and holler like some bewildered pack mule if they don't see a tip on their receipt. Have they ever taken a step back and wondered why they didn't receive a tip? Dumping food off at a table and bringing them the check at the very end of the dinner isn't anything ground breaking, a chimpanzee is capable of doing such feats. Such feats do not deserve tip especially if the customer is sitting there with a parched throat. Good food, but absolutely the worst customer service period. Yes, Thien Hong has good salt and pepper squid, but you get the same taste and quality and MUCH BETTER service right across the street, at Yen Ha. Pros: Good food Cons: Terrible service - You can get Squid at Yen Ha more

The people who run this place suck. There is no nice way to say it. The personalities run from obnoxious to bitterly aloof. I know there are some people who chalk this up to ""culture"", but don't be fooled. Also, the squid is much better at Jin Wah. I know this may sound like a mean review, but I have been to both places many times. After last night at Thien Hong, I will never go back. Pros: Big Menu Cons: Lots of bad food and staff/owners more

seriously, where else are you going to go from 9pm-12am for chinese or vietnamese food in portland? it's the only place open, so you might as well try it. as long as you avoid the pork or beef, and stick with the chicken, seafood, tofu or vegetable dishes, you'll be pleased. deal with the lady-server-dominatrix by asserting yourself. don't whine about it because you secretly wish you not only owned *a* place but could walk around confident in the knowledge that you were in charge of a tightly run, economical operation! they'll feed you yummy squid plus whatever else you order in about 5-10 mintues, give you free tea, and refused to hover around your table or talk you into ordering more than you really need. take thien hong for what it is- a salt and pepper squid people-feeding factory and be glad that you're not paying for the decor. take your significant other with you if you really need cuddles and emotional support when you go out to dinner. Pros: *select* simple, predictably good dishes Cons: no frills service, waitress can be intimidating more

I had friends in from out of town and they wanted ""good"" Chinese food. I had been to this restaurant before, and had good food. I was excited for them to try the squid. We arrived and were seated in a both in which one side or our table could see into the women's restroom. Not like, oh hey I can see in there, but more like we had to avoid seeing in there, it was uncomfortable. We ordered noodles and specifically asked if they would be like Lo Mein, and specified we did not want beef, only vegetables. They came out looking nothing like Lo Mein, and topped with beef. We asked to have them replaced with noodles with only vegetables. The lady that was our server almost refused to replace it with what we wanted claiming that is what we asked for. We also ordered two sodas with our order, and had to remind them to bring them. No wait staff even checked in with us while we were eating. We finished our meal, and out waddled the server with our vegetable Lo Mein. We were done eating and didn't want the noodles. The rude and cranky lady serving us refused at first not to return them. After insisting we were not going to pay for them, she stomped away obviously complaining about us in Chinese or whatever her native language is. The squid was great, unfortunately my guests didn't like it. As we were leaving, the round Asian lady that served us came walking out practically chasing my friend who paid, yelling ""NO TIP"". He turned around and said, ""no, you forgot four things."" She ignored him and so he walked up to her again reminding her what was forgotten. The service here is TERRIBLE. The people are rude and cranky. How could anyone possibly expect a tip after such rude, horrible service. The purpose of a tip is because of good customer service. I know they try to pull this off as authentic, but if rudeness is part of the authenticity, then FORGET IT!. I will not go here again, nor recommend it to anyone. Cons: Rude, Cranky, Rushed, Awful more

The service here does leave something to be desired, but along with the atmosphere, this isn't somewhere you go for ambiance. The food is incredible however! Fresh, cooked to perfection, fast and reasonabely priced! I would definitely recommend this place as this is the best chinese I've had in Portland! Large groups of asian american's eating there proves that it's authentic! And if the american chinese isn't what you want, ask your server for the authentic chinese food! They'll make it for you! Pros: Great food! Fast and well priced! Cons: No ambiance and impersonal service. more

I'm a transplant from Seattle who has been looking for good Chinese food. I read the reviews and decided to give Thien Hong a try. I must say that the squid was good but that's all that was good. Things didn't start out well, as I waited for my to go order I saw a woman in the kitchen sneeze into her hand and whipe it on her shirt, then run her hands through the fortune cookies at the counter. She wasn't the cook so I decided to just take a pass on the cookies and give the food a try, I'd already ordered any way. For our group I ordered the ribs with black bean sauce, squid, crispy duck, kung pao chicken, fried rice, beef and brocoli. The duck was indeed crispy it was cooked to death, the rice was gummy, the kung pao chicken was ok the ribs were awful. If you want squid go if not forget it. I should also mention that I have traveled extensively throughout China so I'm not in need of Americanized Chinese food, it just wasn't very good, nor was it clean. Pros: Squid Cons: Everything else, service, food, ambience more

This is the best place to find Pepper Salted Squid. We will drive a long way to eat here. Just look on every table, Every diner has this dish sitting there. That alone should tell you how good it is. The rest of the menu is great too. Like their Seafood Tofu Soup Pros: Pepper Salted Squid...Seafood Tofu Soup Cons: Parking more

The pepper salted squid is the only reason we continue to go back to this restaurant. Service is ok; fast, but very impersonal. The only other dish I would recommend is the House Special Chow Fun, otherwise, the food is standard chinese fare. They seem to be consistently busy, so parking can be a pain. Pros: Pepper salted squid. Cons: Parking, service. more