Portland Cà Phê
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Coffeehouse |
| Founded | April 23, 2021 |
| Founder | Kimberly Dam |
| Headquarters | Portland, Oregon , United States |
Area served | Portland, Oregon |
| Products | Vietnamese-style coffee beverages, bánh mì sandwiches, pastries |
Portland Cà Phê (Vietnamese for "Portland Coffee") is a café with two establishments in Portland, Oregon, focusing on Vietnamese-style coffee beverages such as robusta and traditional Vietnamese iced coffee. The menu also includes bánh mì sandwiches and a variety of pastries.
The company was founded by Kimberly Dam, who began roasting robusta beans as a personal interest in 2020. She then opened the initial physical store in southeast Portland in April 2021. A second location followed in northeast Portland in October 2022.
Description
Portland Cà Phê operates out of two neighborhoods: Creston-Kenilworth in southeast Portland and Eliot in northeast Portland. Its offerings include Vietnamese iced coffee, rose matcha, and an ube latte crafted using ube root extract.
Willamette Week notes that the café is among the limited number of Portland venues serving cheese foam—a mixture of whipped cream, cream cheese, and sea salt. The shop serves as a subtle extension of House of Banh Mi, a Vietnamese eatery owned by the founder's mother. Bánh mì at the café features House of Banh Mi's distinctive egg butter alongside pickled carrots and daikon, cilantro, cucumber, and jalapeño. Additional items include coffee cinnamon rolls and "pastry pop tarts" sourced from Jen's Bagels and Pastries.
History
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kimberly Dam established Portland Cà Phê.[1] In 2020, she started roasting Vietnamese robusta coffee beans as a pastime and supplied them to House of Banh Mi as well as food carts like Mama Đút and Matta.[2][1] The first storefront launched officially on April 23, 2021, after operating with limited hours earlier that month.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Pandemic-related supply chain issues caused delays from the two bean importers serving the business.[2]
In 2022, Dam revealed plans for a second café at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Northeast Russell Street,Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name which began welcoming customers on October 29.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name The company also ran promotions for Lunar New Year celebrations in 2025.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
Reception
In May 2021, Andrea Damewood of Willamette Week commended Portland Cà Phê for its adept use of Vietnamese coffee beans to create well-balanced beverages, specifically praising the Vietnamese iced coffee as perfectly sweetened and strong. She singled out the fried onion tofu bánh mì as an exceptional menu item and remarked on the brand’s swift rise to prominence within just one month after opening. The café’s signature purple ube latte has gained popularity on social media due to its striking appearance combined with quality.
Nick Woo and Krista Garcia included the business in Eater Portland's 2021 compilation of Portland’s most impressive Vietnamese restaurants and food carts. Katrina Yentch featured it in Eater’s 2022 list highlighting eighteen budget-friendly dining options across Portland, while Nathan Williams recommended it in a 2023 guide to eateries in Creston-Kenilworth. Furthermore, the café was part of Eater’s 2025 selection of Portland’s top affordable restaurants, demonstrating its enduring appeal and influence in the local market.