Tú Lan

Put Tu Lan on your bucket list!!!

You will be missing out if you miss the opportunity.

They are known for their Curry Shrimp Fried rice!! The best you'll ever have period!

Try their chicken and vegetables. Another classic Tu Lan dish!

The beef pho was average, ate the bowl but not the best pho I ever had.

Went at 7 PM on a Friday with a group of five and we were able to sit right away. Staff were attentive though our waiter didn't really speak English. It felt like we were in someone's living room -- felt cozy.

To be fair I haven't lived in the neighborhood where Tu Lan is in about 5 years, but I did live in that hood for 13+ years and while I lived there I was a customer at least once a week. In fact I lived through the latest and dare I say only remodel?. Having said that This place rules. It's definitely different Vietnamese than you are used to but it's great and affordable and they don't run out of stuff.

The fried pork imperial rolls are to die for. They might have been a little msg heavy but the flavor was intoxicating as the umami to salt ratio was as balanced as the crunch to cocked pork filling inside the rolls. All of this was enhanced by the vinegary dipping sauce.

Vietnamese Style Chow Mein was my other go too. Crunchy noodles, veg, protein and broth, very home made feeling, tasty, restorative. So good. The VN Rice noodle is also a solid pick.

Everything is good heartwarming and nourishing, plus it's classic and tastes great.

Came here before hitting up a show at the golden gate theatre.

It's a tad confusing since they're so busy, but you have to make your entrance known.

Very small and tight.

Great tasting flavorful food at good prices and portion.

Hole in the wall Vietnamese restaurant located in the heart of Tenderloin. It comes up real fast as you walk around the corner, so be sure to keep an eye out. We were quickly seated and it might look tiny but there is more arrangements to sit down in the back area. We both ordered 2 servings of beef pho, containing thick rice noodles, beef meatballs, sliced beef chunks, and some fatty beef chunks with the bone in them. Everything was fresh and ready for us. It was all delicious. The waiters are super sweet, I'm guessing it's a family run business that has been around for a while. There is a younger patron who helps out but the rest seem like they could be his grandfathers. Overall, I had a great experience and I'm glad we chose this place. The total came out to be $33.10 which is hella cheap compared to other Vietnamese places I've been too--very tasty too!

Beef pho - 8.5/10
Shrimp spring rolls - 10/10, love the peanuts on the hoisin sauce instead of straight peanut sauce. Good flavor

Best pho in the city with super affordable price! Seriously you can't find any other place like this. So much history and everyone work so hard! This is my go to spot for pho. Get the beef pho and it's super flavorful and it has a beef rib in it.

My team and I came here for a team lunch and we had the entire upstairs to ourselves. Our food came out quick and the service was amazing. They definitely took care of us.
The place had a very homey feel to it. You can tell it was authentic as soon as you walk in.

Food was absolutely delicious! The fried fish with ginger sauce was AMAZING!! We demolished that quickly. The imperial rolls were off the chain to the point we were fighting who got the last piece. And their Vietnamese coffee is an eye opener!! Definitely woke me up!

First off, I want to describe the interior of Tu Lan. Those who happened to be slender enough will perfectly dine in without any problems; otherwise, might as well order for takeout. Seatings were very limited even if there were few more upstairs. It's nice to still sit where Vietnamese chefs cook good food for us, while they talk to each other in their own Vietnamese language.

My supervisor took me to Tu Lan for lunchtime after he recommended me about this Vietnamese restaurant he had gone to several times. And the Vietnamese chefs he mentioned had made the tastiest noodle bowls and dishes. Maybe it's my turn to recommend Tu Lan to my friends if they like Vietnamese noodle bowls like the seafood in the sea of tomato sauce and veggies. Tofu salad was way too good without any additional dressing. Deep fried (not extra crispy) tofu spring rolls still absolutely taste good when dipped in an au jus style sweet jalapeno dip.

I do say Tu Lan was worth a good visit in the Mid Market after I went a block or two safely. What delicious dish or noodle bowl shall I savor on my next visit? I'll leave it to my friends to find out.

I've done several pick up's from here. My go to dishes is the bun thit nuong cha gio. However sometimes their grilled pork is grilled too long and the meat ends up being hard to bite. I have since gotten use to the black pepper in the cha gio and really like it. They really stuff the pork filling in them and the fried rice paper always stays crunchy after being brought home.

My other go to dishes is their crispy noodle with stir fried veggies with meat and gravy. It has a good assortment of meat and veggies and the noodles are crispy. I recently tried their canh chua. It's ok. It comes with a side of small white rice. The fish pieces are small, it has a lot of pineapple and too many jalapeños making it slightly spicy.

I have only been to Tu Lan maybe 1-2 times in the past with my godparent and that was eons ago. I thought their food was fantastic! Plus the area is always a bit sketchy so I felt like we were living dangerously. Recently feeling a bit curious, I ordered some delivery. My taste buds must have changed because I thought the food was just okay. Nothing extraordinary but still pretty good kind of okay. I probably wouldn't go out of my way to eat here, but if I'm in the area, then this is a pretty decent option. No comment on the service as it was a delivery order. 3.5 stars.