On December 2nd, HÂP Fresh will open in the former Thai Fresh location at 8409 SE Division Street. After four months of renovations and planning, the Asian fusion restaurant is ready to seat customers and serve its renowned handmade dumplings. This purveyor of Asian comfort food prides itself on fresh ingredients served into the midnight hours.
HÂP Fresh is the fourth restaurant recently opened by Nasy Chan with partner Thomas Trieu. Two locations are north of Portland in Vancouver and Carson, Washington. The first Oregon location previously opened in Gresham but paused operations due to a staffing issue. It is now open again, and the Portland shop will soon join it. The restaurant owners have plans to add made-to-order menu items to the SE Division Street location, where patrons select ingredients similar to how MOD Pizza assembles pies. They will offer custom salad rolls, roll-your-own bun options, and build-to-order banh mi sandwiches. However, the delayed start in Gresham has driven up costs, so the owners pushed back the customization plans to focus on having all locations ready. “We’ve been paying rent for both locations and not opening. We can’t do this anymore, so we have to open,” explained Chan.
HÂP Fresh will launch with their dumpling-focused menu led by chef Gulian Lui, who has a history of making the dish at some of Portland’s more notable restaurants. His creations complement Chan’s dishes, influenced by the foods of Cambodia, Thailand, China, and Vietnam. Chan grew up in many places before moving to the United States at age eight. “I’ve lived in the Philippines. I lived in Thailand and Malaysia. I lived in Cambodia and Vietnam. We moved around a lot during the war, so I experienced different areas,” recalled Chan. Traveling between communities early in life and her parents’ diverse mix of cultures influenced Chan’s tastes. “My mom is 100% Vietnamese, and my dad is Chinese Cambodian. So I learned a lot about their food cultures and combine them all the time,” said Chan.
Nasy Chan learned to cook early in life from her mother, an accomplished street food vendor. She understood that when her mother was sick and unable to cook for the family, it was up to her to fill that role. It is just one of the many instances where Chan embraced adversity as an opportunity to grow stronger. She opened her first restaurant at 21 years old and had a successful career managing chain fast food restaurants. However, her husband’s mismanagement of family finances and an illness that took his life left Chan with practically nothing. The last few years have been about rebuilding for Chan, but from a place of understanding that the community support she has received is up to her to pass along. Much like Thai Fresh before it, HÂP Fresh embraces the idea of community fundraising and support. From the Vancouver location, HÂP restaurant has held fundraisers for a family whose child has a life-shortening illness. Chan is also receptive to other opportunities to support the neighborhood around her restaurants.
Community involvement is a core component of the business, but Nasy Chan knows that her food needs to be memorable to keep people coming back. She uses her life experiences to craft authentic foods that remind people of their family recipes. The detail and time put into her dishes have made her popular with the Cambodian community and other groups with heritage from the region where she grew up. Although tradition plays into the menu, HÂP Fresh has fun with items, making new combinations and creating festive-themed creations. They also offer vegan and gluten-free options with additional substitutions upon request.
HÂP Fresh serves customers late into the evening, with many orders coming in after the dinner rush. They are open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The rest of the week, they are available from 11 a.m. to midnight, covering lunch, dinner, and late-night meals. They support many traditional food delivery apps, and their counter-service model makes it easy to order takeout or dine-in. They will offer a 20% discount through December to celebrate their opening and encourage people to try their menu. Customers interested in catering services should call (360)-828-8736 or email customerService@HapRestaurant.com.
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