Kung Pow! Reviews

I had recently broken my arm and feared that my chopstick handling would send food flying. As it turned out, I ate everything with my hands. Gauche, huh? I couldn't help it. I had been starved for good Chinese food for ages. The world seems overtaken by Thai food. So we ordered those items I missed most of all. Sizzling rice soup, potstickers, steamed dumplings, mu shu, and sizzling rice soup. Although all these items are standard fare, Kung Pow! elevated the food to new heights. I could taste each component and they were super fresh. The meal was fantastic. I can't wait till I visit again. If you are in Portland, get the good stuff, eat at Kung Pow!

6 of us ate here last week. My father in law wanted classic Chinese food and Kung Pow came through as a hit. Wonderful handmade noodles, sesame beef was like meat candy - yummy. Fast and friendly service. If you order apps, ask them to wait to fire your main dishes until you are done. Our entries came out very fast and we hadn't finished the first course. Also remember parking in that part of town is a pain. We circled 10 minutes and finally found a pay lot. $10 and completely worth not having to hunt.

Went here on Christmas Day and it was crazy busy. The wait for a table was long and even once we were seated there were some long waits (between appetizer and mains) but the food was sooo good, for carnivores and vegetarians alike. The service was good. Yes we had to wait at times but this was Christmas day and the line was out the door and everyone was polite and accurate.

Because 9 of us in our family had attended large family events the night before we decided @ 5PM to go out to eat. We researched the "Open on Christmas restaurants" website and determined to go to Kung POW. When we arrived it was packed with a long waiting line but when a few of us walked in the aroma was wonderful and even though they explained that the wait time could exceed 2 hours we decided we could make it work. Like most folks we had been snacking all day. So we went across the street where children were allowed until 9PM and played ping pong and foosball until we were called that out table was ready. As promised our table was finally ready and even though another family tried to sit at our spot the restaurant employees handled the situation professionally and nicer than I was and found alternative seating fir them. We had some very hungry kids however the food started coming within 10 minutes of ordering. It was absolutely delicious and was beautiful and hot. The restaurant was ready for this business, had enough staff both on the floor and in the kitchen. All the while "to go" orders were constantly coming out for pick up. The staff was attentive, knowledgeable and calm. It was a terrific dinner and we will definitely return again and again. P

Downtown Portland has lacked a good Chinese place forever. Kung Pow is currently filling that void for me. It has all of the typical American-Chinese dishes, but the ingredients seem fresher. A favorite dish we had was the green beans. The prices are high so be aware. I would definitely recommend this place, but if you are searching for something more authentic, you need to go out towards the suburbs.

I've been here couple of times and their vegan potstickers are the best in NW Portland. Great and friendly staff, accomodate dishes if requested. Unfortunately my dishes were always quite a bit too spicy for me but I'm sure I'll get better at it at some point. Quite a variety of food options available for vegetarians, some vegan.

Being a person who has no liking for chinese Food and is a vegeterian, this restaurent was a good option. Visited it couple of times with colleagues, and this was one of the most picked and everyone loved it. It also had some decent veg options like mushroom sesame, veg kung pao etc..

Awful. Drove cross town to pick up because of high stars on Google. Potstickers were bland honey chicken was 5/10 but the broccoli beef actually made my friend sick. Tasted like it was grilled right after some kind of fish dish. Called and told us the only way to get a refund was to scoop it out of the garbage and bring it back to them. Why do people like this place?

We did take out and the food was unlike typical Chinese...more inventive and very fresh. It was tasty, though not stellar. And the over $40 price tag was a bit hard to swallow. For the $, it just didn't wow enough (say, like a Pok Pok meal). Sorry, Kung Pow. We weren't feeling the "pow" of a great flavor-punch, only the knockout hit of high-priced, small servings.

We have been enjoying Kung Pow! since they opened in 2015. We frequently dine-in (They are open on Christmas Day!) and we often order take-out via Caviar. The location is in the heart of the Northwest Nob Hill neighborhood. The atmosphere is more hip and modern feeling. The staff is friendly and familiar. They have a full bar and great beer selection (We like the Buoy IPA on tap). Up until recently, they offered higher-end sodas, Boylan, in bottles. I'm sad to report that recently they only have traditional fountain sodas. We absolutely LOVE their pork potstickers and steamed shrimp dumplings. The shrimp dishes are served with excellent quality and nice-sized shrimp. Some of our favorite dishes are Beef and Broccoli (The broccoli is steamed separately making this dish a bit healthier) Kung Pow Shrimp Lo Mein Garlic Spinach Honey Dry Fried Chicken I highly recommend Kung Pow! You won't be disappointed.

Unlike August Moon the service was great. We got the basics and everything was very good. Spring rolls, hot and sour soup and kung pow! Chicken

Went there with a friend for a business lunch today. The hot and sour soup was slightly too sour but still very flavorful. We ordered two dishes and shared so we could each taste some of each: kung pao chicken and kung pao shrimp. Both delicious.

Honestly, my favorite main course is Kung Pow's potstickers. If forced to order an entree, I order the Kung Pow Chicken, and its fantastic.

The food here was amazing. Very fresh and tasty. And the service was great. Servings are huge, perfect for sharing.

I ordered lamb Bao Bing which came with excellent Chinese pancakes, hoisin sauce and a chili sauce that the very sweet server warned me was extremely hot. It was lunch time & not busy so I could sit by the window & watch the people parade. You see a lot of diversity on 21st Street. The lamb was spicey, chopped in little bits, and plentiful. I had enough to bring home and complement my chicken & rice curry dinner.

I think it can be hard to find a great Chinese place, they all seem to fall short not this place! I have passed by this establishment so many times and my family and I finally stopped for dinner and I am so happy we did! Wow Kung Pow immediately has become our go to place for Chinese, it is so good I can barely write this review without wanting to go put in an order! The wings are amazing, the noodles are to die for, the pot stickers were great but my favorite the amazing string beans! All great!

We enjoy Shangdon, the sister restaurant, so were happy to see a second location. We stopped for lunch sharing rice, Kung Pow shrimp and pork noodles. Service was prompt, decor is okay, the food disappointing. I know Chinese does not have to be greasy, so please work on reducing the amount of oil used in cooking. Also, would enjoy less raucous music.

Oooof. This place was bad. We were so excited to see this new chinese place but with maybe a different spin on it. NOPE. Dude, i'd rather just get chinese take out from a chinese food place. WOW. It was so unremarkable that we didn't even feel it needed a second chance! If they are trying to do the "we don't want to offend anyone with intense flavors" as they do often here in Portland, than this place succeeded. What a major disappointment. If it had been good, i'd be scarfing down this place big time. And i'm one of those that if it's barely good i'd give it another try. Forget it man, this place is jive.

Great food, friendly service. Big portions, bring your appetite. The sizzling rice soup was incredible! We could tell as tourists that this place was a local's spot.

I am always skeptical about asian restaurants with trendy catchy names but decided to give this place a go after reading on its menu that they make their own noodles. A must try is Judy's noodles. Another spicy hit was the ma po tofu with pork belly. The portions of noodles are ginormous! I also tried the mushuu beef which came with well made wrappers. I would pass on the XL steamed beef dumplings. They need to work on their dough and the amount of spices in the steamies. Three dishes and it came under forty dollars!

We love this place, and go here often. The food is delicious an, in my opinion, much better than the standard American-Chinese fare. We usually get the vegan pot stickers and the cherry tofu. We've also brought a number of friends and relatives here when that are in town and everyone has enjoyed it.

We came here seeking crispy pork belly. We got a box of brussels sprouts with a few rubbery orange cubes in it. Nasty and overpriced.

Creative Asian dishes. My fave was the brussel sprouts and chicken. The soup dumplings are also good. Lots of small plates so you can sample several dishes. The also serve a variety of meatballs with different types of sauces. If you are cold, the won ton soup will warm you up! Friendly staff.

I'm from San Francisco so the first time I had bland, overcooked suburban Chinese food I thought something terrible had happened in the kitchen. Kung Pow! brought back those memories. I haven't seen frozen peas and carrots served in a restaurant in about 25 years, but those were the "Chinese" vegetables in my order of chicken. The chicken itself was tough and the pieces much too big too pick up with chopsticks. Despite a warning that it would be spicy it lacked any apparent seasoning other than salt. No flavor of ginger and garlic even. It was cold and rainy outside, and I assumed there would be a pot of tea, but no, only ice water. The food wasn't awful, just completely flavorless.

I raved about this restaurant. But my last personal and my Postmates order were both very average or less. Not up to their first year or two standards. I tried twice. Not good. What a shame, we needed this type of restaurant in the neighborhood. I would not recommend at this time. May try one more time.

We stopped in at this wonderful little Chinese restaurant before going to a nearby movie theater. We loved everything about this restaurant... food, ambiance, prices and service, but parking is a problem! We felt lucky to find parking on the street in front, but it was expensive at $1.60 per hour!

Had lunch with my brother at Kung Pow! and it did not disappoint. We were seated at a table by the window and because the restaurant is on the corner there is just the most excellent view to people watch on the intersecting streets. We started with an appetizer of spring rolls with the hot mustard and sweet and sour. The spring rolls were crispy and delicious and the hot mustard can sure clear any sinus problems. My brother ordered the honey dry fried chicken and I ordered the honey dry fried beef. Both were excellent dishes with plenty of flavorful "Pow!". Each dish came with a nice side of white rice which was excellent. The portions are large and my brother had to order a to go box. If you are looking for Chinese food that packs a punch and you are around NW 21st Ave, then I highly recommend you try this place out

It was later in evening and we were hungry. I ordered the pork belly noodle soup. OMG - it was great- you really have to try it.

Recently ate here with a group of 5. Not only did they take great care of our party but they were attentive and friendly. The food was delicious. We split the large hot & sour soup and spring rolls as an appetizer and I had the Curry Chicken - SO MUCH FLAVOR!! For being a chain I was very happy with this place. Also - Great spot for Happy Hour!

Recently went with a larger group and this place was quite busy at that time. Service was still as good as usual, just a bit more stressed it seemed, but very friendly and supportive. Food was excellent and our friends who were new to this place loved it just as much as we did. I must add, we were 5 vegetarians and we all had different dishes! Lol e, love love this place!

We arrived in the late evening to Portland. It was our first time. We rented an apartment and after finding a Trader Joe's, we just decided to do take out. KP was down the street from TJ's. I ordered the Kung POW chicken, Mongolian beef, and northern style chicken fried rice, and fried spring rolls. Everything was delicious! My favorite was the Kung POW! Good flavor with the right amount of heat. I do wish there was a sauce with the rolls, or if there was, it wasn't in the bag. Yes, it appears to be pricier than some places, but their location is prime! I would've liked to eat in their dining room, but we had our dog with us. The staff was friendly, funny even! I would definitely come back when my travels bring me up again!

I live in the neighborhood and I eat at Kung Pow all the time. The portions are generous, the service is excellent, and the food is delicious--lots of fresh vegetables and just the right amount of spice. It's a great place for vegetarians and anyone who is gluten-free. I am always craving their stir-fry Brussels sprouts and the "kung pow" tofu, but I'm trying to branch out and try all the tofu dishes on their menu. They've all been great, but I do keep coming back to my favorites. If you're from out of town, Kung Pow is located just a couple blocks from NW 23rd, in the middle of a hip and vibrant neighborhood, so it's worth the trip. Easily accessible from the Portland Streetcar or many local buses. A comfortable walk from the Pearl District. Come on over! I also order delivery through the Caviar app and my delivery orders have always been fresh, hot, and fast.

I arrived at 9pm waiting for a friend. My server kept hovering over me to order reminding me they would be closing at 10pm. The entire meal was extremely unprofessional and rushed. For that reason alone we will never return. One hour is long enough to dine, do not rush your guests in that way. The food was good but not spicy like they advertised.

First off, finding a place to park on a Friday night was nearly impossible and made us about 15 minutes late for our reservation. The hostess was gracious and seated is right away. Food came out fairly quickly. Potstickers were Delicious! Crab wontons were okay. The soup dumplings were not great, doughy and not very flavorful. The pork belly and brussel sprouts were the best thing we had and the northern fried rice was yummy. Judy's noodles were weirdly textured and bland. Service was excellent, but the food itself is hit and miss.

My first meal in Portland! Excellent chinese food! On the spicy side (much of it), but with good depth of flavor. Don't be scared to go, though, because there are several appetizers and entrees that are NOT spicy and are delicious. Great service.

Being unfamiliar with Portland and looking for a casual spot for dinner, I asked one of the front desk staff if she had any suggestions. When we answered yes as to whether we would consider Chinese, she told us Kung Pow was her favorite. Our first impression w from the outside was just ok, mostly because it was nearly empty (on a Friday night). We decided to give it a try and we're glad we did. The food was excellent with just the right amount of "heat" and not at all greasy. Service was great, as were the serving sizes (allowed 4 couples to share 4 appetizers and 4 entrees.

I love this place and have not had a bad thing here. Honestly.Service is good but the drinks are hit and miss. The Singapore Sling is my fav! I know it's not detailed but honestly I've not had bad food here. Cheers!

We ate Kung pao prawns, and shrimp southern fried rice, and they were great. This is a great place for lunch, as they always serve complimentary soup (hot & sour) which is always good as well.

We ordered a lot of food for an extended family meal. All of the food was wonder. Delivered in a short amount of time.Outstanding taste and flavor. So much food it took us 3 meals to eat it all.

Had dinner with a party of six at Kung Pow! last night. Our group was split pretty evenly between vegans and omnivores and this restaurant caters to both. Nobody was unhappy with their selections but the flavors in general were pretty unimpressive. The varied menu boasts how spicy their food is but I was adding a lot of chili oil to pretty much everything. We had pork belly Ma Po tofu in a crock that came to the table sizzling and red with chili flakes but it didn't have any real spicy kick to it and the pork belly had very little actual meat (almost all fat). Our vegans reported that their tofu and soy curl dishes were decent but unexceptional. Service was great throughout, truly top notch. My wife and I want to go back another time to see if maybe we caught them on an off night. It seems to us that all of the elements were there for an exceptional experience (interesting menu, great service, location, ambiance) so we're going to give them the benefit of the doubt and try again soon.

I've eaten Chinese food in dozens of cities at probably over a hundred restaurants (including Shanghai and Hong Kong). Kung Pow! was overpriced (way overpriced compared to other places in other US cities), one dish was missing an ingredient mentioned in the description, two were basically tasteless, and one was very good. Won Ton soup had a nice broth and some fresh shiitakes, but the wontons had no flavor, there weren't many and the limp spinach leaves were few and far between. All this for $10! The Shadung Beef was supposed to be severe "on a bed of cabbage" which was missing in action entirely. The beef itself tasted like the Terriyaki Beef that comes on skewers only in big pieces and very salty. It needed that cabbage (and maybe some white rice too?). Potstickers were also tasteless, although nicely cooked. Finally the home-made noodles were at least fresh (maybe actually home-made?) and the dish was interesting and tasty. Delivery was fast but added 33% to the price of an already overpriced meal. My suggestion? Find somewhere else.

Based on previous reviews I was expecting legitimately decent Chinese food, but unfortunately that was not the case. I would have preferred some greasy spoon mall food court Chinese food to what we ate for dinner here. The worst offender: the deeply fried and salty chicken wings (which were clearly not the delicious fusion food we were hoping for). The Mongolian beef and Kung “Pow” chicken were both bathed in the same overly salty but otherwise bland gravy (for lack of a better word). The mu shu pork was edible but nothing spectacular. Service was also mediocre. With so many excellent Asian restaurants in Portland, I am amazed that this place has managed to stay open.

Was on my way to someplace in the area amd passed this place so I looked at the posted menu. My eyes gravitated to the Chinese sausage fried rice. It isnt usually on most menus so in I went. It was about 1130 so was somewhat early and , therefore, no crowd. I was seated promptly. There was a couple at an adjoining table. Six more people wandered in before I left. Of course, I ordered the fried rice. The portion was quite large and I took half home. It was delicious! They didnt skimp on the ingredients at all especially the sausage. Service was attentive. Two staff (owners maybe?) came to check on things. A carafe of water was placed on the table do there wasnt a need to flag anyone down. Total bill was $13 which was extremely reasonable. I would return when in the area again.

HI we visited this place late afternoon was pleasantly surprised there were plenty of tables and not too crowded. Prices on menu are very fare and the selection seemed great. There are plenty of suggestions online as well.

Went there on the recommendation of one of our hotel staff when looking for a casual option. Lovely area of Portland. Food was good but not exceptional. But it wouldn't keep us from returning if in Portland again.

Great location on NW 21st ave, friendly staff and great atmosphere with cool mural of a street scene in China. We eat here regularly as it is the best fresh Chinese food around! I love the Sizzling rice soup and Kung Pau Chicken!

This is a really good Chinese food place in a cool location in Portland. It's not easy to find good Chinese in Portland, and this one is pretty convenient for take out, though parking can be tough. They have excellent hot and sour soup and every other dish I tried was tasty.