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Category: Vietnamese [Edit]
Neighborhood: Financial District
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Nothing beats a hot bowl of pho on a rainy day and Sai's hit the spot today. Certainly not the best pho I have ever had, but it calms the cravings.
If you plan on going to Sai's go early (by 11:30) otherwise expect to stand in line waiting for a seat. Food is fresh and hot and service is quick.
Decided to come here for lunch today..I work a couple blocks away from here and have never been here before. I usually just trek over to Chinatown and have my Vietnamese craving fix there! Got here pretty early at 11:30 for lunch. We were able to get seated right away. Good thing too...cause by 11:50 I looked outside, and there was a line formed.
I ordered the curry beef noodle soup....while it wasn't bad...it wasn't what I expected. The noodles were a little on the softer/mushy side, and the soup was very heavy. They did have lots of beef in the soup! And it wasn't very fatty like some other places may have it. I wished it was more soupier instead of feeling like I was drinking curry sauce.
Nothing fancy about this place at all..in fact if you ask me, it looks a little run down esp on the outside. I saw a lot of people ordering clay pots - but if you ask me, it looks like they just filled the clay pot with rice and put some food on top it and called it a clay pot dish. It's actually in a very good location, near the fidi - def try to avoid the lunch crowd by coming here early or later. While I was not impressed by my lunch dish, if I come here again, I will try something different here next time to see if my opinion changes.
I found this place through my Vietnamese girlfriend. She said, "Kel, you have to come with me to this Vietnamese place for lunch, soooooo good." So of course I replied with "Let's go now!" Thank goodness I did, because we've been eating awesome lunches ever since. Thanks Sally!
I'm a creature of habit, so my lunch of choice is an order of Vietnamese Pot Stickers (crispy rice around a succulent seasoned pork filling and dipping sauce) and their chicken curry noodle soup with an iced coffee in a to go cup. LOVE IT. I can never finish my soup, so I always get my left overs to go. Two lunches for the price of one. Oh yeah, and they pack it up for you too. Gotta love that.
I heart this place. Go early or go late, otherwise wait in line. It's worth it.
It's a pretty average Vietnamese restaurants, but there aren't too many to choose from in the area.
I usually come to this place with colleagues and friends that want to have Vietnamese for lunch. I usually get the Pho or Bun, both are decent, but nothing that special. It's still pricier than most Vietnamese restaurants and slightly below the average for flavor and quality. Phos are around $8 and Buns are around $9, but it's cheaper & slightly better than the only other Pho place in the area, Pho Hoa, where it's about $1-$2 more for Pho and comes only with two slices of beef.
(See pic)
I came here for pho and realized this is more of a restaurant than a noodle place. I am stubborn and still ordered a beef pho.
The soup base is fish sauce style so order it if you like this style. It's so strong that even after leaving the restaurant I can still smell it in my shirt.
The beef here is fully cooked but no tripes or other beef stuff. The beef balls are flavourful. The noodles are okay.
I will come back to try out other dishes.
The place itself is spacious and I do like the sunroof top. Makes it a very bright place on a warm sunny day.
Also, the service is pretty fast.
I work just around the corner from here and stop by every couple of weeks for some to-go tofu coconut curry. It's super good and a pretty decent portion. Not as spicy as I'd like it, but throw a side of Sriracha on it and you're good to go. Their imperial rolls appetizer are really tasty too. Every time I've dined in I've had a pleasant server--the younger guy is really nice and always makes conversation while I'm picking up my food too.
This place is POPPIN' every weekday at noon. The owners must make a butt load of money, but I must say, the vermicelli bowl with grilled beef and imperial rolls wasn't that great. The curry noodle soup I had last time was also mediocre at best. I don't really understand the appeal of this place. Maybe it's because there aren't that many Vietnamese restaurants in the financial district.
Anyways, back to the vermicelli bowl. The noodles were a bit too dry and sticking to each other. The beef was dry and not tender. The imperial rolls were just fried dough with minimal meat. AND they did not have pickled jalapenos OR the chili flake hot sauce. Those are staples at any Vietnamese restaurant!
I am sticking to my Irving Vietnamese joints.
Possibly the only pho place in the FiDi open past dusk. It's obviously not going to be better than places in Little Saigon so don't even try to form such expectations. An extensive menu of Vietnamese dishes are decently prepared. Perfect for FiDi residents looking for a close and inexpensive dinner option. This place is truly "A-OK"!
Imperial Rolls: Funny how the name sounds so regal whereas the reality is simply something deep fried... a style of cooking consumed by folks far from regal in this country! This is a standard dish at most Vietnamese restaurants, but their preparation pleasantly surprised me. The rolls were thinner than usual for a higher crunch-to-pork ratio. Also, some parts were lightly fried and some heavily fried for a nice texture variation.
Pan Fried Crispy Crepe w/ Shrimp & Chicken: Not on all Vietnamese menus, Bánh Xèo is always a welcomed appetizer. The coconut/turmeric crepe was light and crispy. The shrimp had been pan fried for good browned edges. The chicken was ok and they went a tad crazy with the bean sprouts. So much going on and so yummy.
Beef Pho: No tripe, no tendon: fine by me! No flank and no brisket: huh? A very minimalist soup of thin eye round (mostly cooked and barely any rare sections) and meat balls. I used to think it odd, but now I miss the pages upon pages of the various beef part combination options for Pho Bo at other restaurants. Once you get over the one-pho-for-all communism, you can appreciate the tasty broth and ample portions of beef.
Lemonade: Why do Vietnamese restaurants always give me limeade when they advertise lemonade? However, it is quite refreshing and tastier than lemonade (except for meyer lemonade). Thankfully they don't make the same substitution mistakes serving tofu instead beef, else I'd be saddened by the loss in translation.
I don't understand why there's such a line out the door for average Vietnamese food. If you walk a couple blocks up to Chinatown there's a much better selection.
In any case though, the pho is pretty meh, and their dry dishes are decent. Of course it's pretty cheap and quick, so this place definitely has that going.
Big fan of Vietnamese food and this place doesn't disappoint. The soup is not too greasy, yet it hits the spot and has their 5 spice chicken melts in your mouth. The fried rolls could be a little bigger and the prices could be cheaper but overall very good!
I just check the Department of SF health and saw it had a 95 / 100. I don't believe it with the whole thing about the closet bathroom so close to food prep and patrons, but whatever. They have been upgraded to 2 stars.
I love this place like a 3 headed cat, i can't turn away no matter how much it repulses me.
Taste - 4…
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Good place for Vietnamese comfort food - steaming bowls of Pho, flavorful claypots, variety of rice and noodle plates, and vegetarian options. They also offer 3 serving platter-sized Combo. Rice Plates. These combo. plates are huge!
My current favorite is the sauteed mixed-veg. with bean curd. You can request brown rice for an additional $2.
Service is quick and friendly.
Noise level loud during the lunch rush. Opt to call in and have your meal to go. Dine in the tranquil redwood park next door.
This is an amazing place for that quick, easy, and delicous pho fix. They also feature a large array of Vietnamese dishes.
My co-workers and I return here every month for "payday lunch." It's a lunch we all look forward to, and by the time the 1st of the month rolls around....our mouths are watering and our eyes are glaring at the clock anticipating that beloved lunch hour.
Without fail, we always get the five-spice chicken. It's SOOOOO good and tender, and combined with the fish/vinegar sauce and rice...it's Asian heaven. We also get the curry chicken soup, vegetable crispy crepe, sauteed noodles with veggies, and sometimes some egg noodle soup.
It's always been REALLY fast, and while the service isn't exactly super friendly, it's good enough for a great time with your co-workers.
They also have HALO HALO!!! And as a Filipino, any place in the FiDi with Halo Halo definitely deserves 5 stars! I thought I would never find a place in the city (besides JollyBee people!) that served this Filipino delicacy.
Thank you, Sai's!!
Gotta get-get some fuh this afternoon, and in 2008, their fuh got poor to so-so yelp reviews. It's July 2009, and the fuh is still so 2000 and late! The fuh broth is bland and msg'd out; the beef is not what flank steak should look or taste like; the noodle is a glob of rice flour. Instead, head over to the nearest pho substitute - the Pho Hoa at Embarcadero Three (http://www.yelp.com/us...). Also was not impressed with the "bun rieu", as it was also bland. Maybe next time I better try the rice plates again, or the rolls like other yelpeeps suggested.
For a place practically in FiDi, it hasn't changed through the years. Still got the divy feel...hmm, on purpose? Also, for a VNese restaurant, the workers spoke Cantonese and English, and only the owner spoke VNese. I couldn't decide which language to use.
The BEST Pho I have ever had... Now that I am in Denver and the weather is getting cold, I long for it. It's like crack in a bowl - absolutely delicious!!!!!! And the rest of their food? Equally good - try the clay pots for downright yummy-ness. The place looks like a hole in the wall, but the line that starts out the door tells it all. You have to get there by 11:30am or wait till after 1pm. Yeah, it's THAT good!
I was never really a big fan of Vietnamese food until I started working in this part of the Financial district and went to Sai's. Now I dream about nouc mam sauce.
I've tried a lot of things on the menu but always come back to the rice plate # 3. Perhaps it is the anticipation, since the aroma of the BBQ beef lofts it's way to the end of the block.
I am most gratified when I send clients over, looking for a place to lunch, and they come back to thank me for referring them to Sai's.
My friend and I came here for lunch around 11:30, earlier than usual, and I'm so glad we did because exactly at noon there was a long line of people waiting to be seated. The food is good. However, not only are their portions HUGE, the ingredients are very filling and fatty, which make me full quite fast. I ordered chicken chowmain and halfway through it, I already felt like I had enough. I just wish their food was a little lighter because I don't want to stuff myself.
Will I come back? Probably not. :)
Ok, I don't want to leave this review with out saying something good about this place. So, here I go. Good location, the service is great, and although their portions are large and fattening, it will definitely satisfy a very hungry customer. ;)
It's hard to find a good Vietnamese place in the Financial District, so this is pretty much you best bet in the area. Serves actual Vietnamese food (there are things other than pho).
The line can be long during the lunch hour, and the wait staff definitely tries to hurry you along. If you want to have a slower lunch, come early, like 11:30. There's no list, so you just line up outside and hope for the best. As the other reviewer's point out, it can be pretty chaotic inside.
The food quality is ok. It's not completely authentic, but it's pretty darn good for the FiDi. I wouldn't order the pho there. Go with the other dishes. They have a decent combo menu for lunch that includes an imperial roll and main entree.
If you don't want to wait, call ahead and order for take-out. Just walk right in the door, past the long line, and take your food to go and enjoy a nice meal outside. Try the plazas around the Transamerica Building.
I would have given this place 4 stars if it wasn't for that damn insect that was in my fish curry.
My co-workers love going to this place. I have eaten at the restaurant twice and had food delivered to the office once. It's unfortunate that I had to find that bug on that last order...otherwise, I would have continued ordering from here.
Some days four and some days three.
From a food standpoint Sai's is above average.
I've found every dish I've ordered to be quite tasty...and in all actuality too large. The spices and seasoning of the dishes are always spot on and the rice is always perfect too (big deal for me). The only detraction I can think of is that sometimes you know that this may not be the highest quality meat. I know...I know, a fast Asian lunch place that caters to the business knucklehead crowd like myself for some relative cheap eats north of FiDi will not be serving Kobe beef, or hell, not even Neiman Ranch! However, I like to think, that for the most part, I have an incredible suspension of disbelief. More often than not the food at Sai's is so tasty that suspension stays...but on some occasions the quality of the meat is just so meh that the suspension fails and I'm like how I was when I found out Santa wasn't real.
The ambiance is truly worth a look see.
One word. Clusterfuck. Shit...I'll throw in a possible close second: pandemonium. However, I'll stick with clusterfuck and raise it to the Mega level as in Megaclusterfuck.
I rarely eat in Sai's. I'm blessed, and cursed, to work in an office that likes to all stop what you're doing and all have lunch together. So...I am always picking up some grub here...which...honestly, sometimes the highlight of my day. If you have a chance try to camp out near the register while you wait for your food right in the middle of a lunch rush. The kitchen is about, hmmmm, 40 sq. ft....no fucking joke. the restaurant seats maybe 100 or so plus take out orders.
Food flying, fires raging, people shouting, dishes flying, people darting and weaving, every age imaginable working, ...like 9 cooks and 3 expediters (who are all busier than one-legged men in a butt kicking contest)...and what seems to be like 3 people just constantly running around in a state of high agitation on the outskirts of the kitchen...I call them the Vietnamese Valence Electrons..
Truly a sight to behold...Megaclusterfuck.
Go...if not for the food at least for the craziness.
Extreme disappointment! A friend and I went here for a quick pho fix and after looking at the extensive menu, he decided on chicken curry and I ordered the bbq pork and imperial roll bun.
I asked for a side bowl of broth, the chicken based broth that is often provided when you order a rice plate. Although the soup was free, it lacked of flavor! My friend was not pleased w/ his chicken curry. Apparently the chicken tasted "funny" and all I could taste was carcinogens with each bbq pork bite.
Sai's Restaurant is a step up above Pho Hoa due to taste and its extensive Vietnamese menu. Although… Read more »
Way over-rated by some of the yelpers.
Not authentic at all. The Beef Pho soup had no special taste in it at all which led me to believe that it was just the MSG. (My friend and I can tell an hour or so after eating at Pho places if they use too much MSG)
And the pork chop dish? Man. I didn't think you could mess that dish up. Those are the two dishes for our group to decide how it was. There was barely any flaor in the pork chop and it was not the same type of pork chop served in the restaurants that we've been to. Looking around I realized that more than 1/2 the crowd was not asian.
Oops. It makes sense now. I think they serve the working financial crowd how look how cute this place is and think "Ooh! Look a pho house. Let's go eat authentic pho!" Not.
Tiny little bathroom. Amazed that works for as much people they pack in there.
All in all, on with my search for the ultimate pho house in SF. You can read my Oakland review for what I think was the best in Oakland. That's the place to be!
P.S. Driving home, my friend and I needed to drink lots of bottled water because we were really really thirsty if you know what I mean! :(
Reliable. Efficient. Appetizing.
One extra star because the bf goes here about 3 times a week!
Don't mind the line out the door at lunch hour (unless your boss expects you back in 10) because these people are efficient! In n Out has a Vietnamese competitor!
The food won't amaze you, but it's delicious simplicity will impress you. The vermicelli bowl (bun) is a MASSIVE bundle of noodles, fresh and crunchy veggies, with the standard sweet and sour sauce on the side. Top this with 5 spice chicken or even the cheaper imperial roll option, and you have an aching full belly!
Sai's is fast, fresh, and extremely consistent. From the vegetarian curries to the stir fry to my fave, the verm bowls, you won't be disappointed for an $8-10 meal!
Know Before You Go:
1. Long lines during lunch hours - virtually empty between 2 - 8PM.
So I haven't been to Sai's in over a month (shocking!!!) and I feel like I'm going through withdrawals.
In addition to the entrees I listed previous, I've also had the lemongrass beef bun which is best served with egg noodles (recommended by the waiter). It's now my favorite item on their whole menu.
I really want that beef...so flavorful and delicious!
Oh, and that beef curry stew? SO much better in noddle soup form. And yes, it's beef. I'm an idiot...woops
Oh, to attest to how much my co-workers and I love this place:
2 of our co-workers are leaving to go back to Japan at the end of the month, but not before we have a "Sai's Night." We're having dinner at Sai's and ordering pretty much everything off the menu as their "last hurrah."
I'll be back after, but yes...Sai's Night. That's how important this place is to my office
I come here for my work's section lunch almost every week. My co-workers (who eat out pretty much… Read more »
Went there yesterday for the first time. It's about a 10 minute walk from my office, but worth it since there are very few quality inexpensive places to eat right around me.
I hadn't had a proper bowl of Pho in forever, so without hesitation I ordered a big bowl of it. The portion size, as with most Pho restaurants, is generous. I ate 90% of it, but I assume most people wouldn't be able to eat more than half :)
My friend had the basil chicken, and he said it was good. We split an order of Imperial rolls.
Overall, just what I wanted. I will be going back for more Pho fix.
Sai's has the best egg rolls with the translucent wrappings.
The clay pot is good enough to make one murmer "Father God, Son Jesus."
The server / owner Henry, is the nicest restaurant guy in the city.
since most people seem to concentrate their reviews around Pho, so will I, ...3.Its pho, not dazzling, not fancy, not spectacular, its pho. Its not gonna leave an impression in your mind. If you live or work in the area and want pho, this is one of the only choices, but dont expect it to be the best pho you've had, it will do the job though.
There are better pho place, actually a lot of better pho places.
Of course they have other dishes, they are ok, nothing fancy either...you will not be WOWed by it.
One word: Mediocre.
I love me my Vietnamese food but I came here on my lunch break thinking that this place would deliver and was sadly mistaken. An order of charbroiled pork and imperial roll bun yielded 5 matchstick slivers of charred meat, and three of the saddest, most shriveled and dried out pieces of imperial roll I have ever had the misfortune of looking at. Don't even bother.
I might give this place 2 stars to be generous if it weren't for the fact that I had to wait in line to get lunch here. I had the pho- I lovvve pho. But... the meat tasted like cardboard, both in taste and texture. The broth was mostly flavorless. And it's loud and full of the FiDi crowd, which I am thankfully no longer part of. I left hungry and disappointed =/
I'm from San Jose, city full of Vietnamese Restaurants! Sai's is nothing compared to these places, but the odd thing is during Lunch time, there is a line down the block. If you want a quick bite, not a good place to go to.
THe food is pretty decent just the price is way too expensive for what it is.
It's not like it's a nice restaurant or anything, I think it's just convenience and it might be the only Vietnamese restaurant close by.
You know how they say for mexican restaurants "the dirtier the better"...well the same goes for Vietnamese food! Keep that in mind when coming to Sai's, but the food is so worth it!
My work spouse and I (my best friend since college), always turn to Sai's as an instant mood picker-upper! I've only gotten the vermicelli #80 chicken (no skin), so I can't speak to the other items on the menu, but the vermicelli bowls are TO DIE FOR.
why you ask.....
- there sauce is not fishy (ew I'm not into fish sauce, this one is more taragon-ish)
- egg rolls are amazzzing
- the bowl is huge!!!
tip...
- after pouring the sauce on the noodles, use the container to mix sriracha and hoisin YUM dip your chopsticks into sauce and then grab some noodles.
The line get long if you don't get there at noon, but it's well worth the wait!
*for people who don't know what a vermicelli bowl is, it is cold rice noodles on a bed of lettuce, cucumbers, and bean sprouts- topped with meat (beef, bbq pork, or chicken) and egg rolls*
So, I'm a geek.
Well, for sure during my Jr. high/high school years of painful attempting-to-fit-in looking like a nerd. Nowadays I've seemed to erase the physical aspect of my nerdness but it seems to creep up and overtake me at times like that oily slime that came out of the water and covered the victims (an excerpt from a Stephen King short story). Then again, when there was a LAN party that involved serious gaming (Gears of War) I was oh-so-there.
In order to satisfy the nerd cravings in me, I am a regular at a lecture series and usually go with a brilliant friend of mine. Before these outings, I have to seriously prep my brain so that it will be up to its synaptic abilities. I met my friend downtown at Sai, since he was hungry and I was mildly hungry.
Sai is located on the busy strip across from the SFFD. Which means get ready for some loud sirens during the course of your meal. Apparently in the afternoons, this joint is packed with local clientele dropping in from surrounding businesses. Tonight, it was different. We were the only patrons there that evening and I liked it. It was quiet and we were able to consume away without any sporadic interruptions to our meal.
I had the Chicken yellow curry dish. granted that I usually order curry dishes at Thai restaurants, but this one specifically came recommended by my friend. It was a yellow curry and somewhat mediocre. I suppose I'm more inclined to the Thai curries. I also ordered the brown rice (currently on a health food supposition that will help me feel better surrounded by yogaphytes) and found it pleasantly heavy textured. This means most of the hull was still evident on the piece of rice.
Inexpensive, quick and for the meal on the go before hitting a hard lecture, I'd recommend this place anytime. Not to mention the loads of free parking in the area, a shock to anyone working in this district ;)
I had the beef curry noodle soup here. Amazing, delicious dish! Huge portions, just the right amount of spicy and creamy, and served steaming hot.
The only thing I didn't like was the wait to get in. You basically have to come at 11:30am to get a table or else risk not getting one. Also I tried calling in to make a reservation (which you can do) but when I said it was a table of two the guy who answered the phone yelled at me. :(
I've been here a couple of times and really like it. The food is very good and the service is attentive. I agree with others, the vermicelli bowls are great!
Wonderful place for a quick dinner after work and you cannot beat the price!
Sai's is a rare gem in an otherwise uninteresting culinary part of town. I used to go to Sai's at least once a week when I worked in the Financial District. Now that I work from home all I do is fantasize about the day when I will revisit this glorious mecca of vietnamese goodness.
I usually get the same order of coconut curry fish. It comes with celery but I usually substitute it for broccoli at no charge. Pho is average but good on a cold San Francisco day.
Beware, this place is packed at lunch hour with a line out the door, smaller parties of 2 have a much easier time of being seated. If you know me I'm all about the price + portion = good value. Sai's definitely embodies this equation.
The best thing about this place are the beef/chicken spring rolls!!!! They are the best I have ever had in my life.. So good!!! REALLY GOOD!!!
the pho sucks!
Whenever I'm battling a cold, it's the usual routine - Jamba Juice coldbusters and pho. The latter today came courtesy of Sai's. The true verdict will be when I wake up tomorrow, but so far I'm a fan. Super friendly service (had the feeling this has been a family run joint since day one), a healthy amount of chicken in my soup, all of which looked like white meat. And for $8, it felt completely worth it.
Yelpers say there is often a line, but I went around 2pm for takeout and didn't have any problem getting my food in less than 10min.
the spring roll has no noodles in it. weird.
The chicken and shrimp clay pot is the Chinese-Vietnamese version of the Korean dol sot bim bim bap. Burnt rice rocks.
The vegetarian choices are greeeeeeeeeat. I usually have to search for the word "chay" but here,… Read more »
Heard from coworker so I tried.. disappointed.
$8 for pho and it tastes so bland... the beef is not the kind should be used for pho. (It is like the stir fry kind)
After hearing the staff speaking Chinese and reading the reviews, I believe the owner/chef is not Vietnamese.
I will go one time and try a Chinese dish. If that doesn't turn out good, I will not be back again.
Neighborhood: Financial District
Category: Vietnamese
Neighborhood: Financial District
Category: Coffee & Tea
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