Turtle Tower Restaurant
Category: Vietnamese [Edit]
Neighborhood: Civic Center/Tenderloin631 Larkin Street
(between Eddy St & Ellis St)
San Francisco, CA 94109 (415) 409-3333
- Hours:
Mon, Wed-Sun 8:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. - Menu: MenuPages
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: No
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Lunch
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
23 reviews
Neighborhood: Marina/Cow Hollow
"mmmm. Banh Mi Dac Biet!!!!!!! 5 stars for their tremendously good combination pork sandwich! Sweet Aroma serves a well constructed…" read more »
302 Reviews for Turtle Tower Restaurant
Two Words: CHICKEN PHO!
I usually prefer beef pho, but when I get my chicken pho craving once in awhile, this is the place to go. The broth is the essence of what clear flavored chicken broth should taste like. It's DELICIOUS.
The noodles are different from what I'm used to. I think they're handmade? Although the noodles are good, I prefer the usual thin type. These noodles are a tiny bit thicker and a little more slimyish (in a good way).
This pho comes from the region Ha Noi which doesn't use vegetables like bean sprouts, basil or hoison sauce. Their noodles is also interesting. It's not your typical white vermicelli but a short thick pasta. The broth is good but it's not what I'm use to or expect to eat as my Sunday comfort food.
$7 for a small bowl =\
3 Stars until another day.
I had the #9 and honestly it really didn't taste any different or better than any other pho place I've been too.
My friend told me to get the chicken pho since I guess it's suppose like the da bombdizzle there but I had a piece of chicken from her's and it had the skin on it (which she took off for me 'cause I fucking hate chicken skin unless it's like deep fried; I don't like that chickeny taste if you know what I mean). And it was alright...It's not like I jizzed in my pants over it. Haha!
And I always get Thai Ice Tea from any Pho place or places that have Thai Ice Tea on the menu and it was very...umm...Tea-ish...Not enough sugar or condensed milk I guess?
And...Where is the Hoisin sauce? C'mon now!
Oh, but on the plus the service was much friendlier than other Vietnamese Restaurants. =)
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3 1/2 *'s.
Pho get about all them other MotherPhoGas.
but no house chilli sauce :(
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3.5 stars.
I'm a hardcore pho addict, but I have never tried Pho Ga until I ate at Turtle Tower. I'm usually fixated on Pho Bo, but since I was in SF and everyone raved about the Pho Ga I decided that when in Rome...
I ordered the soup without skin, mainly because I don't like the texture of boiled chicken skin. The soup itself was good, but it didn't blow me away. I can make a mean chicken soup so I'm pretty critical when it comes to chicken soup. I will say that the fresh noodles are stellar. If I could have their noodles in my favorite NYC Pho Bo then I would weep openly with tears of joy.
I don't know if the soup itself was so filling or if the noodles are what did it, but I felt absolutely stuffed after I ate here. I mean like uncomfortably stuffed. Like the kind where you are writhing around in your seat clutching your belly and groaning.
Overall I thought it was good. I would have liked more lemon. I think it would have brightened up the broth a bit more. I'm still a hardcore addict of the south Vietnamese style of pho so if you're a northern fan then you probably won't agree with me. Service was quick and good and the wait wasn't too bad. Check it out if you are in the neighborhood, but don't go out of your way for it.
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Solid Chicken Pho.
I've been here twice in the space of three days.
I might be obsessed.
The Pho Ga (#9) was excellent both times, however, it was inconsistent.
Monday there were not enough noodles.
Weds. there were almost too many noodles and the broth was more salty than Monday (according to the chinzilla).
Hrm.
I'll still go. It's the perfect lunch on a cold, clear day here in SF.
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I was skeptical at first because my friends hyped up Turtle Tower so hard. I've had plenty of Pho Ga (Chicken Pho) in my life so "The best Chicken Pho" title is a little hard to fill.
I finally tried it out for the first time. The restaurant was nothing like I imagined. The name itself sounds a little on the high end side so I expected a high(er) end type of place. It was a small restaurant with two dining areas, one through the front and the other down an alley. It felt like a crowded asian market inside and out. The seats and tables were close enough to bump elbows with the patrons next to you and there were people waiting in line to get inside and get out. There was barely any room to walk around. This is my kinda place!
I ordered the Pho Ga Long which is the Chicken pho with gizzards. The aroma was enticing. I think I sniffed the broth for a full 5 minutes before I tasted it. The flavor was savory and light. I didn't lace it up with hoisen and sriracha because, well first of all, they don't even provide hoisen, and secondly, I wanted to savor the broth. I usually can't enjoy my food without a little bit of hot sauce, but it didn't really need it.
The noodles are the skinny hofun kind which goes perfectly with the broth. It goes down smooth like Henny XO. Best part about it was when I asked for dark meat only, they were able to fulfill that request. That alone got me excited. And it was cooked just right. The only complaint is that they didn't give you that many eggs and I was a little disappointed because of that.
Overall, I had a good experience. Good service, good Pho and good friends made the journey worth the travel.
Now, does Turtle Tower get my "Best Pho Ga" vote? Nah, it doesn't... but it does deserve to be up there with the best of them.
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What can I say? They have the best chicken noodle soup and orange juice in town. Too bad I work far or else I'd be there everyday. Can never get sick of noodle soup.
I'm lucky to work close enough to this place. HOWEVER the line is always long. You people suck. Stop having lunch in the TL so I can, hahaha.
So in comparison to their Geary location, I actually like this one more.
The pho ga (which is the ONLY thing worth ordering by the way... just trust me, you don't want to try ordering anything else. Northern style beef pho is a lot blander)
Although it is still packed full of flavor, the pho ga here is not crazy greasy like their Geary location. When I left, my face still felt fresh and clean and I was not dying of MSG thirst.
And okay, why did it take like forever and a day for Leap Leap and I's pho to come!??! Or maybe it just seemed like an eternity to me because I was so friggin' wired!!!!!!!
So take my advice. Come here, put your name on the list, go across the street and walk around Lee's for a little bit and oogle at the snacks, then come back.
Order a #9, put some jalapenos in it but don't eat them, just leave them in there. It'll give your pho ga just a little bit of heat but not enough to set your mouth on fire or have you crying for your mama.
#9 PHO GA ALL THE WAY!
p.s. cash only.
p.p.s. OH! OH! And at this location, you can actually tell if your server is a male or female. Don't know what i'm talking about? Hit up the Geary location...
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Hands down and on my knees like a dope feind. Turtle Tower has the Best Pho Ga Ive ever had (excluding home made). Im feelin the Northern Style. The hype has paid off.
I came here 7 heads deep with my folks. Parking was a breeze cause we got lucky. Alot of frisco dope feinds out and about because you know, its the TL's. The front section of the restuarant was packed so we were told to head to the back section which felt like VIP.
We got seated right away at the back round table. Got the menus and ordered. Mostly everyone ordered either the number 9 or the number 10 with intestines (large bowls). One of the folks ordered a small bowl for some reason, guess he was on a diet.
Anyways, I myself got the #10 with intestines. Im glad I did, cause it was deeeeeelicious. Service was pretty damn quick because they were up to date with the POS systems. They first brought over two bowls and one of them was mines. Man oh man...........at first glance and smell, my mouth started to water instantly. I was actually somewhat drooling. When I took that first sip from the pho spoon, I was on cloud 9. The chicken was juicy and moist along with the intestines/gizzards.
The "broth" was amazing. The flavor was wonderful.
The "noodles" were out of the this world. Its like the ho fun noodles, but not as wide.
Perfection at it's Best.
I only added a squirt of lemon and thats all that was needed. No need for hoisin, so dont ask for it cause they dont have it. (Dont F*** with the broth). They want you to TASTE IT, DONT CHASE IT (just like Hennessy).
I walked out full and satisfied.
Then I said to myself, "Mission Accomplished."
Two thumbs up. 5 Stars.
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This is my favorite pho in San Francisco. When I lived in the Bay Area, I was fortunate enough to work a few blocks away from this place. It's all about the pho ga (chicken pho) here. I've never had anything else. The rice noodles are wider and made in house. And, the chicken is so good. It's not overcooked to the point where it's dried out. The broth is light and not greasy either. I can't wait to eat here again.
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The big draw of this place is their chicken pho. I had it and well, I am not that much of a fan of chicken pho. I think I still like beef better. I have yet to try the beef pho there but the restaurant seemed very clean and they do not have hoisin sauce there like most pho places.
This place confuses me. Really. It has some pretty good chicken pho but everything else on the menu is pretty bland, including the other pho dishes. What the hell?
The hype surrounding this place confuses me. It must be that everyone is ONLY ordering the chicken pho if its getting such a high rating.
For some odd reason, I'm always craving Turtle tower on a TUESDAY!! Beware guys, they are closed!!
But when I finially got a chance to head over there it was delicious, perfect for after the snow. Try the one that they fry the noodles and then put it back into the soup. Then have a beer 33.
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You ever have one of those colds...
that make you sound like the lovechild of Tom Waits and Lauren Bacall?
Your throat is as dry as a Mojave sunburn, and you just want to take a vow of silence but you perpetually have to clear your throat and make a scene doing so? Then you have to tell the stranger next to you that you weren't admonishing them, you just had to clear the traffic jam in your throat so you could BREATHE?
That was my last cold, last week.
Having the pho at Turtle Tower was like getting a cortisone shot right in the esophagus. So soothing that I almost cried. Delicious broth, perfectly textured noodles (is there a phrase for al dente in Vietnamese?) and the saltiness was tuned immaculately.
Useful Note: leave your veggie friends and cards at home. Absolutely no vegetarian options, and cash only. My vegetarian friend treated me for lunch here, and I felt doubly bad that she couldn't eat anything on the menu AND had to go trapezing around for an ATM.
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So I came here several times, and did not know this was Northern Viet cuisine until today. I ordered a large #2 and it was very different. I'd say its more bland.. Food comes out fast. Just don't order the meat soup in wine sauce... BLEHHHHH.
The pho is cool.but man i feel hungry in like 30 minutes. One more thing $5 for (2) small ass eggrolls Damm. Gotta go Mcdonalds after.
I LOVE their food!!!!!!!!! I especially like their pho ga! If you are cold and want something warm, eat here! I also like their sua dau nanh. (fresh soybean drink: can be hot/cold)
I love that they have the wider rice noodles in their soup, but I did not love how much msg there was in the chicken pho. I absolutely love broth and eat it and make it whenever I can. Although they do use the stewing hens and not the regular "American" chickens, there was too much msg... it's a challenge to create a broth that is super flavorful with only a little bit of salt and no msg, which is why my mama's chicken broth would kick this one's ass.
I'm glad I finally got to Turtle Tower but I'd actually prefer to go to Bodega Bistro. The prices are about the same, but the taste at BB are actually more pure and you can't taste any msg in there.
I work right around the corner...and i crave these noodles pretty much everyday. I have literally had to put myself on restriction, meaning i can only have these noodles 2 or 3 times a week.
i have never been dissapointed with turtle tower, always the same whixh is great.
they make their own noodles, none of those hard sticking together pho from the grocery store i have had at all other places. I love Northern Style pho and i believe this is the only one in the city, at least that i have found.
my heart belongs to turtle tower. cheap filling and tasty what more can you ask for
on the hottest day so far in 2008, i was wandering the streets of san francisco, covering territory of my present and past.
i spent the morning and early afternoon at the cherry blossom festival where i had tako-less, doughy and flavorless takoyaki and a beer for breakfast, and, after an exhilarating taiko performance--where the drummers bounced between drums and built a thunderous crescendo, whipping the audience into a unified frenzy--i headed out towards western addition to find old school skaters ripping up the asphalt at a public high school and sipping jack daniels straight out of the bottle. these cats were too cool for that school.
i left, body intact albeit perspiring well into my spring attire of cut off jeans and cotton tank, and hightailed it on a crowded bus to take bart to the east bay where the sun was even less relenting.
all of this, mind you, on the hottest day of the year.
as i returned and stepped out of the staircase at the civic center stop, i pondered the emptiness in my stomach. "what is the perfect meal for a day such as this?" i thought as i made my way towards little saigon.
of course, pho and fresh coconut juice!!
once, when i traveled through that beautiful elongated stretch of land formerly known as indochina, an old vietnamese man in hanoi told me pho is the perfect meal during an especially hot day as it allows one to perspire and maintain cool. he was right. summertime in vietnam, especially in the big cities like ho chi minh and hanoi, are rather unbearable with the humidity, tropical sun and pollution.
i made sure to have the coconut juice with slivers of the meat floating at the bottom as it is considered a cooling element in chinese cuisine. you drink coconut juice to alleviate the "heat" in your body. too much heat causes ailments from acne to migraines.
all in all, i enjoyed the small pho bo dac biet. the broth was somewhat bland, but the rice noodles were fresh and wide. i added a lot of sriracha and jalapeno slices to make myself sweat even more, and gulped down the juice for dessert.
i asked the waiter if the side dish of chicken intestines were fried or boiled. answer: boiled. i think i'm going to return just to have them in a bowl of their chicken pho so that i may once again be transported back to that place in hanoi where i had a hearty bowl of pho and beads of perspiration ran down my cheeks and i was cool again.
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I tried the bun cha ha noi (?)... the pork was extremely flavorful. The only gripe I have is that they dont give you the right proportion of leaves to wrap everything with.
Oh yeah, and we were sitting next to a fobby couple and the guy was talking to his wife in such a girly wussy tone. I was annoyed because the tables were so close and I no choice but to hear his baby talk to his wife. Ack.
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I went to Turtle Tower for the first time today with my mother. I ordered a large bowl of rare beef pho with added tendon. The tendon was an additional 1.25 bringing my bowl of pho to 7.50. For 7.50, I got a steak-like beef floating in my pho soup. The beef was so tender that it melted in my mouth. This beef felt like the same quality I got at Slanted Door except I paid less and got more. The tendon was thick and also melted in my mouth-- I got two pieces. I thought they were stingy with the tendon but the portion of beef was right.
The noodles were fresh, soft and comforting. I read from another review that the noodles here are hand-made. Turtle Tower says that they use free-range chicken and high quality beef for their pho. Definitely get the large pho which is only 75 cents more because the large size is actually not that large.
The soup wasn't overpowering. The flavor comes from the fresh meat and green onions. It is a clean tasting soup that warms you up right away. My mother had their chicken pho and she reported that it was the best noodle soup she's ever had. She liked the clean fresh taste of the ingredients.
Unlike other phos filled with MSG, I didn't walk out of the restaurant with a headache from the MSG. I also had their iced coffee (2.95) and it was a nice experience to watch the black coffee drip into the condensed milk from its' silver colored cup. It took what seemed like 30 minutes for the coffee to completely drip into the glass. Their iced coffee was really strong tasting and I liked it. You can also get the iced coffee without the condensed milk. In fact, there are many drinks to choose from. They also serve you free hot tea.
Service was fast and pleasant but at 12:30, there was a line waiting to get in. You put your name on the list and wait about 10 minutes to get called. The wait is definitely worth it. It's a clean but small restaurant and plenty of napkins on each table. We had to share a table as it was so busy and they do try to get you out as soon as you finish eating to make room for other guests.
Two excellent large phos (one with additional ingredients) and one iced coffee came to under 20 dollars. This is surely a steal in the Bay Area, make sure you eat here before quality or price changes!
Update: I had the chicken pho and it was as good as the beef pho. I like the fact that they offer skinless chicken in their pho. Maybe next time I'll try the chicken intestine pho. : )
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Ok so this wasn't the best pho I've had but it still was worth trying. Here's the breakdown:
- Pho Tai Nam (#3): Well done and rare flank steak ($5.75). The broth was really good. So flavorful. You know meat has been simmering and imparting flavor throughout the day. The meat itself was a little - eh - it looked scary maybe cuz it was a gigantic floating connected slice. The noodles were a bit over cooked; it lacked 'bounce'. And there were NO sprouts? I was looking for my side of bean sprouts and basil and none came. =(
- Pho Ga (chicken pho): My friend ordered this one and again the broth was amazing. But same noodle limpness and no sprouts either.
- Imperial Roll: We ordered 1 roll and for $2 it was the dinkiest roll I've ever seen. Don't get it.
- 3 Bean Ice Drink: So it is this green drink with red bean, green bean, and some other indescribable bean, mixed with what I'm assuming is sweetened condensed milk. It's a dessert of sorts. Interesting texture. Can't say it's my favorite but hey, we tried it.
If nothing else, I can say I ventured through the TL.
Not much to choose from on the menu . This is just like the Turtle Tower on Geary except it's easier to find parking around here . Their noodles are not pho noodles .. they're flat noodles . I think it goes well with the chicken pho but not the beef pho . The beef is good but the chicken isn't . The one on Geary has chicken breast in their chicken pho while this one has black meat . Their chicken is from assorted parts such as the thigh . I guess it's more trouble to make and it tastes better . But in my opinion , it does not go well in pho . The thai tea was really good . I don't get why people rave about this place so much .. it's just alright .
I like to sit at the big table with strangers and eat the chicken soup. Sometimes I get the iced coffee.
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pho, and lots of it. when i say lots, i mean heaping huge bowls of pho. i don't get anything else.
there's only street parking and it can get packed.
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I don't see what all the hype is about. I suppose for Pho it may be good but we were underwhelmed. It is in the Tenderloin and the ambiance is location-appropriate, We had the roll bun and the beef in wine sauce and bread. It was ok. If there is a next time here, we will have the Pho.
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The chicken noodle soup #9 was tasty but greasy. The imperial rolls were a little on the dinky side, but still good. It was pricey though. $7.50 for 3 egg rolls? I might as well ordered another bowl of pho to fill me up! Sketchy location.
I was at my friends house and his mother made some pho ga and i couldnt belive the taste, it was out of this world. So flavorfull that my tastebuds went into shock that it was so good. I complimented my friends mom and we started to talk about pho ga, and where can you get good pho ga besides homemade and he told me about Turtle tower. He kept saying that he would drive all the way from San Leandro to San Francisco just to get this Pho ga and bring it home to eat. When i heard that I thought to myself, damn i need to try this place out. So today i finally got with my group of friends and went to try out TT. I ordered the number 10 which is the Pho Ga with intestine. And i always taste the soup before i add anything to it and it blew me away. This soup for this pho ga doesnt need anything. It is good how it is. You dont have to add nothing. Soup was extremely flavorfull. I was feeling the Ho fun style noodles in the soup, it was nice and soft. The chicken was just right not too rubbery and not to soft. I belive they dont use regular chicken for this stock. I belive they use stewing chicken for this dish. It gives it way more flavor then the regular chicken you get at the stores. I killed my bowl and gave it my signature smile face with the siracha on the bottom of the bowl. (once you get that smile face you know you got my approval) Done deal best Pho ga i have ever tasted. (only homemade beats it)
Parking: Street
Service: Great
Food: Best Pho Ga (Chicken Noodle soup)
4 Stars for Turtle Tower
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If you want a good bowl of pho consistently everytime, this is the place! Turtle Tower serves "northern style" pho unlike most other places like Pho Hoa and the likes which serves more traditional "southern style pho." Since I was taken here by a friend a over a year ago, it's basically the only place I go to have pho in SF. I like both the rare beef and the chicken pho. If you feel a lil adventurous, try the chicken pho w/ the "chitlins", ie liver, intestine, etc. The other noodle soup dish I'd recommend is bun thang which sort of similar to the chicken pho but also has shredded egg, gio (not sure how to describe it in english but it's like cooked shredded pork), vermicelli noodles in a chicken stock soup with a hint of shrimp paste.
Oh and if you like Vietnamese/French ice coffee, this is the place!
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I can't rave enough about this place. I've had a lot of pho in my life time and this is hands down the BEST pho I've ever had. The soup is so tasty and flavorful. The rare meat is out of this world. And the best part is the noodles! I think I can eat turtle tower everyday and still be super satisfied after every meal. It's so cheap and quick. Even though there's always line but they usually seat us within 5 minutes. The only downside is that it's in a sketchy area but it's totally worth it!
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It's all about # 9.
Great Pho, fast service. The noodles are great here, unlike a lot of pho restaurants, these noodles aren't clumped together when you swirl your soup for the first time. Great broth, it's light and tasty. I've always ordered # 9 - Chicken Noodle Soup, love this stuff. If you're ever feeling down and out with a cold, order # 9 and have someone pick it up, throw all the chilies you get with it and squirt some sriracha in there and you'll feel better after eating it.
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I was down to try this place out when I heard from a friend that this place had the best pho ga out there. I have not had good experience with pho ga before this because everywhere else i had it, the soup was bland, and there were very little bits of chicken scattered around in my bowl and my chances of having a chicken in each bite was as rare as hitting the lotto. But this place changed all that because their pho ga was delicious. The best I have ever tasted. The soup was on point and very flavorful. The noodles were perfect and they weren't cheap on the chicken and gave a fair amount. I ate it exactly how it came out the kitchen and did not tamper with it at all because it was perfect once it came out Tammy's hands as she said "excuse me, sorry" (fobby voice) Not sure if her name was Tammy but that seems to be the american name a lot of vietnamese females go with. This place also does not carry hoison sauce, but it doesn't matter to me because i never use it but just a heads up for those of you that might ask for it and i believe they take it as an insult or at least I would because that soup is on hit as it is.
The service here was good for an asian restaurant. My friends and I were escorted to the big table section where I guess they sit groups that have 5 or more because there were only big tables in this section. It made me feel like a VIP and kinda bossy which never hurts. The server excused herself everytime she came to our table. They thanked us individually as we walked out the door which was nice. The only thing that went wrong was I asked for no green onions in my bowl but they forgot but I didn't care much because it was still delicious and I had a friend that I donated those green onions to.
All in all, this place alone has fixed all those bad experiences i have had in the past with pho ga.
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Good Stuff.
I've been once with a friend who goes frequently. I had the cold noodles with crispy spring rolls (not what it was called, but describes what I got). The noodles with the cold sauce was good, but slightly greasy as others have mentioned. The spring rolls were nice, but again greasy.
I'd go back to try the beef pho. My friend had it and it looked good.
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It's supposed to be good right? Well, I guess it is, but it's different. I went here with an Asian friend visiting from out of town and she didn't like it as much. What's that got to do with the price of butter? I dunno. Anyway, She order Pho and they didn't' give her all the extra veggies to put in it. I swear there was hair in my food, but they convinced me otherwise. My dish was tasty, but different from how it's usually prepared. I'd still recommend it. Perhaps I'll go back and update this.
Great pho here. QUITE crowded during lunch time, but if you can get in a little earlier seating is easier. I've had a few variations and all were delicious. Bring cash, though. No cards accepted.
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In the heart of Little Saigon, right on the outskirts of Crackhead Land, lies the great Turtle Tower. Housed at street level the restaurant towers only metaphorically, based on its reputation for excellent chicken noodle soups. Said soups are indeed tasty with al-dente noodles, savory broth, and plenty of fresh herbs. The imperial rolls are very good as well, and nothing tastes quite as good as a cafe sua da. The only blemish I've found is the chicken comes with fat and skin intact.
Delicious stir fry noodle soup. The ambiance definitely makes you feel that you are in Saigon. Service is brusque but the deep fried rolls are delicious.
Pho is pretty darn good, as others have said ... cuts of meat are good quality, soup is tasty, noodles are fine, even if different than southern pho. Only slight complaint was that soup was merely warm, not hot.
Bun cha gio was very interesting -- much different than southern version.
Best reason to go though: super, fantastic Vietnamese iced coffee (drip coffee into condensed milk, poured over ice). I'm going back just for that.
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