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Category: Vietnamese [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Civic Center/Tenderloin, SOMAMon-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
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We had to take our Subaru to Putnam Subaru in the Tenderloin area for a minor factory recall that was going to take a couple of hours. After wandering around Union Square for awhile we eventually decided to grab a bite to eat. We had heard of Tu Lan from some of our friends and from the Dollar car rental staff on O'Farrell and decided to try it.
It is located on 6th Street just south of Market in a rather seedy area. During the day, there are plenty of pedestrian traffic around so patrons feel relatively safe. We got there just before 1130 AM and found seating in the back. The restaurant is tiny and could use a thorough cleaning. Our waiter promptly took our order, but he had little sense of customer service. We ordered #16 Imperial roll and rice noodle - $5.50, #20 VN chow mein of shrimp, pork, vegetables, and crispy noodles - $6.25, and two VN iced coffee = $2.50/each. The portions were large and we eventually had to take the rest home.
In terms of quality, it was adequate, though the quantity was quite ample. We've had better Vietnamese food such as PPQ on Irving Street. There are probably some health department regulations that were violated and a little more effort in cleanliness would be helpful. We wouldn't make a special effort to come here again, but if we were in the area again, we may drop by and try something else.
Fuck the haters. If you're not willing to weather some bums for a good meal, you stand a poor chance of surviving the zombie apocalypse. And who cares about the opinions of a zombie victim? Survival of the fittest, bitches. Clearly you weren't eating right.
Cheap, hearty Vietnamese food with a cozy hole-in-the-wall atmosphere and Imperial rolls to die for. I love the rice vermicelli dishes, and I've also had occasion to try the pho and the curry dishes. All are delicious and clearly outweigh any sort of mild danger you think you might put yourself in to get here.
Look, if you're that scared, just learn some fucking karate or something. Or bring a gun. Nothing says, "I want some good Vietnamese food and will stop at nothing to get it" like a gun in one hand and a karate chop in the other. Julia Child made it out here, for Christ's sake. Are you more of a pussy than Julia Child?
Whether she's telling you how to bone a duck, make the perfect vol au vent, or get your Vietnamese grub on, Julia Child does not lie.
And neither do I.
Tu Lan does not play. What if I had gone my whole life and never tasted those imperial rolls? That thought kinda freaks me out. I would not have even known what I was missing! Scary.
WAY scarier than sleazy sixth, the 'loin in general, or any (exaggerated by other reviewers) cleanliness-related concerns.
Do not cheat yourself out of one of the precious few ohmygodthisissogood food moments in life. Go and get those imperial rolls. They cost a whole four bucks and change, but they may change your life.
The lemon beef salad and pork fried rice are delicious as well.
Roaches on the walls, rat droppings everywhere!!! Do you wonder what's in your food? Nuff said! :(
Sure, the setting's kind of frightening, but the food is amazing. It is all about the imperial rolls and VN chicken.
This is the place to come for a scrumptious, flavorful, and inexpensive meal at a hole-in-the-wall. Eating here is part of the experience! It's cramped and crowded, but the food is plentiful and ready quickly. I am writing mostly to rave about their imperial rolls: flavorful, perfectly fried, meaty, huge morsels of goodness. I usually get their imperials rolls with rice noodles, delicious fresh vegetables, and fish sauce on the side. My co-worker loved to get their special vegetable crispy fried noodles; I must say, the sauce the noodles come in is delicious. I've had their pho, but I recommend skipping it. There is something off it, and you can get better pho elsewhere.
Be sure to bring cash as I don't think they take credit cards. However, rest assured, you'll be bringing home leftovers! Tu Lan was one of the highlights when I came to the Tenderloin for work. Well, we're here in the Tenderloin so what should we do next? Um, Tu Lan, of course.
Average Vietnamese food in a FILTHY environment. I'm not that picky about where I eat but when there are roaches crawling all over the wall and you see the cook continuously sticking her hand in the rice pot to eat wads of rice out of her hand, that, my friends, is where I draw the line. Observe line:
__________________________________________________ __
There are dozens of great Vietnamese restaurants in San Francisco but I guess, if you're drunk and near 6th street and craving greasy grubs, go there but just close your eyes.
Shangri-La on skid row. :p
I was feeling just a tad bit hungover when I wandered by this "juke joint" Nothing to get rid of a hangover like pho! i thought
Judging by how packed it was, i assumed the food was good...but one good look at the crack head barfing outside and the neighborhood almost made me turn around.... I must have been wearing my emotions on my sleeve because a random stranger walking by looked at me and says "mmm, dat place its gooood!"
So i say why not give it a whirl? i go in and sit at the dingy counter. I ordered a tofu salad because I remembered im supposed to be watching my weight.
The salad was HUGE and the tastiest thing to touch my lips in years. and it came with a side of rice and a coke, all for under 7 dollars. the service was fast and the salad was something from another planet or the heavens above. best damn to-go Vietnamese of my 28 years of life. Not recommended for the weak stomached who fear crappy hole in the walls in the name of good eats.
Time to add another review to the massive Tu Lan stack!
So yeah, 5 stars, definitely.
Tiny hole-in-the-wall place (thats been around longer than I've been alive). You often have to share a table w/ a stranger or two during the busiest hours.
Awesomeness! (What can I say? I'm the adventurous type!)
But it wouldn't be great at all if the food weren't so cheap & YUM!
$5 gets you a plate that you could share with 2 other people, and it's seriously to die for!!!!!!! Fresh, big, juicy veggies... Perfect sauce... great tofu.....
Just thinking about it right now makes me wanna hop on the BART and run over there real quick....
Literally the ONLY thing I'd want them to change is the street people who come in and stand at the door offering the employees their merchandise (random stuff like a painting or blender or watch).
GO TRY TU LAN!
YOUR TUMMY WILL THANK YOU!!!!
Tu Lan is the epitome of cheap, fast, & delicious. Seriously.
Yes, it's a not-so-nice hole-in-the-wall on Sleazy Sixth Street and the area is grimey & dirty, full of rather interesting people, but don't let that deter you...take it to go! Trust me, it's better that way. The place is tiny and hot inside anyway.
I've gotten the grilled pork w/rice noodles & imperial rolls every single time, and it has not disappointed once. For $7 (cash only!) they give you a massive amount of food (it literally comes out as heavy as my purse), AND they are FAST. Like, it usually comes out in under 5 minutes fast. Amazing. Don't forget to ask for an extra container of sauce. They give you so much food that you'll need it!
No matter what you get, you MUST try their imperial rolls. Though they're a tad oily, they are seriously GINORMULOUS (the tiny ones from other restaurants are put to shame) and probably the best I've had. Tu Lan's the only reason I'll trek to the ghetto but I get it to go and I'm outta there as quick as lightning!
Great food and extremely cheap. I would totally go there again. It was a tight fit inside, but I did go with 6 people. What ever you do you have to try the imperial rolls. I split the "The Tu lan Family meal" with another person and it was enough food for 5 or 6 people.
Awesome place. Very cheap.
Yes - it's in the ghetto..it smells..its dirty and no. You're not paying for any ambiance. But hey - if you've ever been to parts of Asia, this place is super clean in comparison!
Anyhow, portions are awesome and it is relatively genuine. Service is so-so but again you're paying for the cheap food! We did find hair in one of the noodles. And my friend did spot a cockroach on the wall behind me. But..I've eaten at a place in Hong Kong that had pubic hair on the table (and it was a deeeeelicious place!).
Food - 4/5
Service - 4/5
Price - 5/5
Atmosphere - 2/5
Best Dish: Ginger Chicken
Best Appetizer: Imperial Rolls
Yes, it's certified gangsta outside this place no matter what time of day.
No, the decor is not inviting and does not inspire much hope in finding edible food here.
It kind of looks like the type of place you would see on an episode of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. I half expected to see a pen of chickens waiting for slaughter.
That being said, this place is great for what it is and what it is is
Cheap - specially nice in this economy. I've gone with 4 friends and spent less than $40 for all of us and brought home a lot of leftovers. You get a lot for your money here.
Tasty - In the way that only greasy, salty, cheap food can be.
Fast - If you get here before the rush, which seems to happen after 630 or 7 the service is incredibly fast. You may have a little bit of difficulty flagging down someone to get you another beer after all your food has been delivered, so get their attention early if you can.
Unpretentious - This is a biggie for me. I like eating somewhere that doesn't reek of attitude. Where you wont find marina douche bags. Where its not so loud that you cant have a conversation with your friends.
The good: Ginger chicken, Imperial Rolls, Cheap beer, Any of the Fried Rice (The pork is bomb!), Beef Spicy Noodle soup, Chicken Curry VN Style and the Pork with Mixed Veg.
The Bad: The Pho, 33 Export, Not open late enough (understandable in that neighborhood).
Did that residentially challenged fellow ask me for "Fo' Dolla" or "Pho Dolla"? If the latter, I could totally understand because even I would beg for this Pho! Hole-in-the-wall to the extreme smack dab in the middle of crack alley. The bar stools have long been worn away with duct tape covers now. I felt dirty (not in a good way) just being there, so the open kitchen where I could keep my eye on things was a very welcome fixture. But dang, the slumming was worth it!
Imperial Rolls: An imperial size for sure! These rolls were massive, like super sized egg rolls. The pork seemed to be very soft and slow cooked chunks rather than the typically ground version. The glass noodles were substantial. I enjoyed how they added chili pepper to their Nuoc Cham dipping sauce.
Beef Pho: Very rich and flavorful broth. Huge chunks of scallions with add your own cilantro (different), peppers, lemon and bean sprouts. I did miss the basil leaves. The noodles were thicker than usual, but it worked well. Seemed like the only beef available was medium-done eye round. I missed the variety of meat choices and rare eye round, but I'll forgive them since the broth was so nice.
Vietnamese (Fried) Rice Noodle & Shrimp, Pork, Vegetables: A massive round of fried noodles topped with a mixed stir fry. Can't say any of the meats or vegetables impressed, but they were decent (except for the fact the shrimp weren't de-veined). The real star was the fried noodles which got a soft center when covered with stir fry sauce for a great mix of soggy and crunchy in every bite.
Fresh Lemonade: Finally a Vietnamese restaurant that gives you lemonade as advertised instead of limeade! Literally squeezed by my waitress over water, it was extremely fresh (and didn't even taste a bit like her unwashed hand)! They don't add sugar so be warned for quite a sour first sip, but you can add as much as you want from the counter (probably not organic).
All I have to say is cheap, fast and tasty!!!
Came here for lunch with the Power Puff Girls aka my co-workers. I was a bit skeptical as the place is 1) In the hood, like HOOD HOOD and 2) We went through the restaurant up a narrow stairwell to a dimmly lit area of just tables and chairs to eat.
(almost) Everything on the menu is about $5.00 and the portion sizes are made for 2!!
Recommend: Veggie or Shrimp spring rolls and veggie chow mein. Jen, the rowdy one in the group, gave a big hoot and hollar for her Beef Pho. Galeet, our token Veg Head, said that her cold noodle dish (#16) was two thumbs up.
Pass: Melissa, aka MixMaster M, said that her #71, was too greasy and would've rather ate three donuts (grease equivalent) then that dish. BUT that didn't discourage her as she's already planning on making a trip back.
I'd go back again, but probably would route for the take out option and would be a bit hesitant to go after night fall. I'm a wuss, what can i say...
To the guy who wrote this:
"Whatever you do, do NOT come here for the Phó though. First of all, I think they are from Hanoi and not Ho Chi Minh. Phó is not really known to be popular in that part of Vietnam."
Pho originated in northern Vietnam.
Fired.
Frankly, this place scares the fuck out of me - part of the reason for this is that I have no idea what is actually in the food (msg? pig nostril? rat vomit?) and the other reason is pretty obvious. That said, the food here is unbelievably delicious. That imperial roll thing is off the chain and the pork yellow rice jammie is delish. Yeah, I just wrote 'delish'. You might also be interested to know that I'm playing with my curls with my pretty pink nails and watching Valley Girl. As if. Whatevs, the point is that this shit is tight. Cheap, fast and under control - like TOTALLY!
Yes, it's ghetto. Yes, it's dirty. Yes, it's salty. Yes, we walk the long way there so we can avoid getting peed on by men who are drunk on the street at lunchtime. But we go back every single week. "Tulan Tuesdays" is our office tradition. If you are prissy, then go eat your Vietnamese food at the Slanted Door.
Solid dishes are their noodle bowls, pan fried noodle dishes, beef cubes, fried rices and fried fish w ginger sauce (My co-workers called me crazy for trying the fish here, but hey, its fried. How sick can it make me? I had the winner dish of the day!).
This place is awesome! I went to a concert at the Warfield and saw a huge line outside this place. I came back the next day for lunch and am so happy I did. The neighborhood is a little sketch, but not as bad as everyone is saying. I mean c'mon it's like barely in the Tenderloin.
Anyway, my BF and I split the Imperial Rolls which were incredible. They must deep fry them like three time, but holy crap they are tasty. Also, they taste great the next day!
#45 VN Style Beef steak - really delicious meat. Huge portion.
#31 VN Style Chicken Curry - my BF who claims he doesn't like Vietnamese food absolutely LOVED this. It was also incredible.
I think the entrees were like $7 each and the portions are huge. Definitely share if you're not able to take some home.
Let me be the first to tell you that Tu Lan isn't for the faint of heart. Tu Lan is for people who aren't afraid to brave the streets of 6th Street and step over a few bums to get a good meal! You must prepare yourself for the experience and put on your best tough-guy face and ignore the crackheads, drug dealers and crazies!
The location isn't really in a good neighborhood as you might have guessed, but that is no indication of how good and how mouth-watering-good the food is!
My boyfriend brought me here for the first time a few years back and I definitely enjoyed the experience! We ALWAYS get their imperial rolls. My honey likes to bring them back, fry them up on the stove and serve them piping hot to our guests. Needless to say, they're always a big hit! Julia Child used to come here specifically for said rolls!
My god i love this place.. this is by far the best hole in the wall.
My absolute favorite is the VN Style Beef Steak with yellow rice. Whats even better is their imperial rolls. No one compares to them!!!
It is one of those places that you will feeling that like you smell like grease but oh my god the food is to die for.. You can see why this tiny place will have a line out the door at the randomest of times. p.s The portions are more than filling...
There are mice in the walls. And green larvae in the salad. And the guy behind me in line had one of those cheek-teardrop tattoos, the ones that mean you've killed somebody.
I'm not making this up.
I wouldn't recommend this place to everyone because you have to at least tolerate the grungy place. After coming here twice, I do wonder about the health code in SF and the regulations that come along with having a restaurant such as this. I mean, they have to be doing something right to be in this city unless I am completely wrong.
On the other hand, visiting Tu Lan I have realized that someday I will be taking a trip to Vietnam someday. That would be jaw dropping and amazing just to see what the hell it's like.
As far as the food goes, I find it authentic, fresh and some things are better than others. Yeah you can't go wrong with the imperial rolls. I am not quite sure about the spring rolls or the Pho. But if you're starving and you're in Soma or the Civic Center, walk by here just to check it out for once. It's a fun place and the food is worth your dollar.
barbecued pork and an imperial roll over plenty of rice. the pork could have been just slightly moister, and I didn't need such an abundance of shredded lettuce, but other than that, goddamn. and for seven bucks and in ten minutes too. goddamn. number twenty four.
recent transplants take note: Tu Lan is always called out as some of the best cheap eats in SF's guidebooks because it's good cheap food, sure, but mainly because being offered a blowjob and a hit off a crackpipe in exchange for twenty dollars is part of your initiation as a resident. Julia Child didn't love this place because she liked lots of shredded lettuce, that's for sure.
This place is located in the meth sore of San Francisco. Worst area ever.
There are some good things and some bad things about this place. The good things namely being their imperial rolls. These things alone can fill me up. Damn, they're good. Another thing I liked here was the shrimp in tomato sauce. The tomato sauce was chunky and tasted like awesomeness. Me likey.
The bad things...this place just seemed dirty. I can respect the hole in the wall restaurants and the dingy look, but I don't want to get the feeling that the crunchy thing I ate was a cockroach. That didn't happen as far as I know, but it detract from the dining experience. The location doesn't help much.
I tried their pork kebabs. Meh. Probably won't order again.
Go here for the crack rolls, but don't look for any sort of ambiance. Unless of course seeing a homeless person walking by the front door with his pants down is your idea of fine decor :) At least it's entertaining.
Tu Lan is a San Francisco treasure that was introduced to me by a fellow musician. At the time I wasn't all that into Vietnamese food, but in the past 9 months it's become an obsession, and I find myself walking out of my way a few times each month to lunch here.
I don't have a lot of money to spend on gourmet experiences, so I find solace in restaurants that provide really great food for really cheap (and in huge quantities). I always splurge on the imperial rolls (or get a combo plate with the rolls in it). They are the biggest and some of the best I've ever had, and are always a sure bet. The Pho selection is pretty standard, and if you know what you're ordering there won't be any surprises (beware of the tripe and tendon if you're squeamish). All of the ones I've tried have been great so far. I've had the meat combinations over rice - not as good as the same thing over vermicelli, though. The last time I went with someone else they got a really great beef dish over noodles - I can't remember what it was called. Darn! The soup with tomatoes is great on rainy days.
Now, let's talk about the ambiance. As you approach the restaurant, you will no doubt realize that you are in the heart of the Tenderloin. While some people are freaked out about this (they have obviously never been to South America or Detroit), this ensures that you will have a completely douchebag-free eating experience. As you enter, you will be hastily greeted by either an elderly man, or a younger woman, both of whom will seat you as quickly and efficiently as possible. They will rush you to order and you will have to insist that you need a few more minutes. A couple of minutes later they will again prod for a decision. This action is repeated every 2 minutes until you have made your selection.
Once your order you may look around and notice that the place is so crowded and busy that there really is no room for decorations (except for the beloved picture of Julia Child on the menu and an occasional buddha pic), and as soon as you make this realization, a plate of the hottest, happiest, funnest food you can possibly buy will magically appear in your face! By now you don't care what the place looks like because you are too busy enjoying your meal. Now the kind but persistent host or hostess that was all up in your grill a minute ago has shifted their focus to other customers. You are now safe for the next 30 minutes. Your water will be refilled without asking, you will have instant access to another Diet Coke. You will eat, you will laugh, and you will sweat because you ate too many of the green jalapenos. And that's when you are having a good time.
As soon as you are finished there will be someone to take your plates and give you your check. Even if you're not finished, but still taking a long time, you will again be prodded by the host, only this time they will be wanting you to leave. It won't matter, though, because you will be the happiest you have been in a long time when you realize that you aren't paying nearly what the food is worth! It's so cheap, it's kind of amazing, especially in a city full of overpriced specialty restaurants that you can only afford to eat at once a month (I'm looking at you, Gary Danko).
2 word summary: CHEAP & DIRTY
1 bowl bon bo hue
1 plate com cha gio thit nuong
$12.50 total
A true hole in the wall joint for a cheap eat. The place is swarming with people, half of which seem to work there, so you are in good service. There is also a layer of grease everywhere, but I don't mind. I've been to dirtier places. What I did not like about this place was the lack of authenticity of food...
Nick warned me to stay away from the pho and recommended the imperial rolls, but I did not listen to him. I was really craving a hot bowl of noodles to ease this hangover so I decided to go with the bon bo hue. It was as murky as I imagined, but I was majorly disappointed by the lack of lemongrass, oxtail, and pig blood. There were only slices of shank. I was not even hoping for banana blossom on the side. Worst of all was the noodle!! They used thin round rice noodles instead of thick round rice noodles. I was sorely disappointed!!! How can one substitute thin rice noodles for fatty ones?!
I am having a silent fit over this right now because I'm in the office, but I know it was my mistake to not have gone for the imperial rolls...
(this would have been a one star review had it not been for Julia Child on the menu cover)
I'm definitely a fan and I would go back! (w/ a Kevlar vest) ahahahah
*Good, inexpensive food
*Tested and proven throughout the years
*No ambiance and barely any ventilation
*No fuss, no frills
*Recommendation:
Imperial Rolls, Vietnamese Fried rice, Ginger Beef, Vietnamese style beef, Hanoi Soup & Sauteed Beef and Rice Noodle (ask for Spicy)
When you feel like you're about to get sick, feeling a little stuffy get a bowl of the Spicy Beef Soup and you will come out thinking they have the cure for a common cold :)
You have to like Asian food to like this place...I was and still am not a big Vietnamese Food lover but Tu Lan is an exception.
My first time here I rounded the corner walking with roommate and friend and came up on a crack head who spit a tooth out in front of us. The food was great.
Today I went here again. Rode my bike. Locked my bike with two locks, and took the seat and still had to check on my bike every 2 min or so. People were eyeballin it hard.
ANYWAYS enough bout the HOOD. I live near 16th and Mission so I am used to it. THE FOOD HERE IS EPIC LEVEL.
Spring rolls, Noodles, Pork. Really good. Sitting at the counter you get to see these cooks in action and they work around extreme heat and flames. The whole kitchen and pans are aged, and seasoned with years of cooking. This is how you get unique flavors and isnt something you can just make up, it takes years of cooking in a place to get this.
BIG BIG UPS! To Lan For the win!!
BTW if you go here for dinner after dark, fill out a will before you go.
small dingy restaurant off 6th in the ghetto of sf. they have a cutty upstair spot in the back of the restaurant feels secluded n kinda romantic. the food was ok. i order the lemon beef but it wasnt made traditionally. Apparently the beed was already cooked but it was pretty good. Then i order the ca kho but it wasnt cooked in a clay pot either. =/
it was more like chinese style. blah i guess ill try other things next time. Kinda dissappointed.
You're not a true hipster until your ass has exploded from the creepy crawly delicacies of Tu Lan. Ahhh, i just love the smell of butt-grease in the mornin'. eewwwwwwww. anyone who says this place "ROCKS!" or some other cool term is a fool. Just smile and nod, then go to Vietnam II on Larkin. So much better, except you probably won't get the complimentary Hanta virus after each meal.
Hood is still ghetto.
Food is still cheap with massive portions.
No bum blowing ass-chow on sidewalk today.
I ordered the beef with mixed vegetables to go. I was hungry but was only able to finish ~1/4 of the carton. Leftovers make a nice side-dish for dinner.
I stepped in, I believe, feces of human origin while walking up 6th.
Oh joy, oh bliss.
Defecation is the final act of digestion by which organisms eliminate solid, semisolid or liquid… Read more »
I had been here once before with my friend who is obsessed with the place. This time, we split the imperial rolls and I got the tofu and vegetables over crispy noodles. The imperial rolls were so good. The pork/meat mixture had really good flavor and the dipping sauce was good. The tofu noodles were okay, not as good as I remembered them the first time. I was in a bit of a hurry to get to work on time and was just finishing up my food before asking for it to go when I found a giant bug in my food!!! It was so gross, and the waitress then kept trying to get me to order more food and to get my dish to go. No, no, no....I don't do bugs. It was bad enough that I had found a hair in the food at the beginning of my meal, but my feeling is that hair is forgivable because that stuff happens...I find my hair in food all the time and I'm really clean. But a giant bug? That, in my opinion, is because your kitchen is gross and filthy. The waitress barely cared that I got so upset, and it didn't help that my friend kept saying "well thats the trade-off for eating at a place like this". I left to go to work and of course he kept eating his food and I guess the waitress sat down at our table and said "I'm sorry for making the lady upset" which I guess I appreciate the sentiment but WTF....a hole in the wall restaurant doesn't have to have an infestation problem. What would Julia Child say??
This is my favorite "hole in the wall" Vietnamese joint. It's totally worth the walk down "seedy sixth". In fact, if you're going to a play or a concert off of Market St., this is the perfect place to eat. It's every bit as good as it is inexpensive. I highly recommend the imperial rolls and any "VN style" dish on the menu. If it's good enough for Julia Child... It's plenty good enough for this guy.
If you want to eat in an aesthetically pleasing place with room for parking and fruity cocktails do not come to Tu Lan. However, if you want great food, enormous portions, ambiance, and a small tab then come here. Order a Tsing Tao while you wait...only 2.50.
You may have to wade through the mass of humanity on sixth street to get here. You may have to hold your nose a little as you come through the door. And you might want to use the facilities at the mall prior to coming here. But once inside you can not go wrong with the food.
The waiter seemed to be not in his usual good spirits but by the end of the meal he was smiling and laughing. I am writing this late at night because I still smell like Tu Lan and it is fresh on my sinus ( I mean mind). This place has very good food. The vegetables are always crisp and the sauces are light and full of flavor.
I went there and wondered what was taking so long with our food. It turned out the table next to us was given our food and didn't notice nor did they care! The waiter brought the extra dish over and encouraged us to eat it so it didn't go to waste. The food is that good. We ordered the Curry Chicken VN Style and the Crispy Noodles with Chicken and Shrimp (#20). We asked them to leave out the pork and it was no big deal. I now have lunch for tomorrow.
We sat upstairs where the air is warm and humid.....how authentic is that I wonder? Word of Wisdom....Do not forget to order the Spring Rolls....enough said.
If I didn't have to shower when I got home Tu Lan would get five stars.
http://www.youtube.com...
Friiii-day on 6th Street
I think it was the third of July
Friiiii-day on 6th Street
I think it was the third of July
People yelling, really shouting
A crack whore was waiting
waitin' for her dope
Will I help her? I don't think so
Can I dig it? No, I can't.
But I've been waiting such a long time
Waiting to eat at Tu Lan
Friday on 6th Street
I think it was the third of July
Friday on 6th Street
I think it was the third of July
People whispering, people lookin' at
A wheelchair man yelling
Smokin' dope on the Street
Will we help him? we didn't think so
Can we dig it? No, we can't.
But I've been waiting such a long time
For Tu Lan
Slow motion waitress fly the colors of curry fried rice
Asian men still can tell stories their own way
Listen people we were not lost
We were not lost....no, no nooooo....!
.........
So we went there 2:30 pm on Friday afternoon.
We parked on Mission between 6th and 7th.
I think this economy down hole made the 6th Street more cloudy.
To get to the front door of Tu-Lan was an adventure.
I knew that people ganna lookin' at us.
So, I told my gF, " you have to make a mad-face. don't be happy till we got there!"
So we made it.
Safely.
I didn't know there is up-stairs with more tables.
We had:
The Killer Curry flavored Chicken Fried Rice.
The Killer Imperial Roll.
The Killer BBQ Beef cabbage salad
+
2 Cold Tsing Tao Beers
+
tax= 23 bucks!!!!!!!
We were SO FULL.
MSG? Sure, Why Not!
I don't believe that "No MSG" policy.
So tasty!
What a FXXXin' Great Gulty Pleasure!
To get to Tu Lan is like the board game called Mousetrap.
But it worth going.
Definitely.
It is always hard to go threw in the small front door because a few street people are always hanging… Read more »
If it's good enough for Julia Child, then it's good enough for me. Crispy noodle salad, spring rolls. mmm hmmm. minus one star for the homeless people blocking the way in the door.
Hmm, thought I reviewed this place already. Ok. I've been here many times over the years and it is a fantastic value for Vietnamese food. It's on 6th street. Yes, THAT part of 6th street, but it happens to be a block from my work. So... y'know.
I usually order one of 2 things. Curry chicken, which is such a huge serving, I end up taking half of it home. Or, vermicelli bowl (whatever that dish is with the noodles and pork, and roll, and fish sauce) Mmm. Always good. Always crowded. Usually a line out the door during lunch. There's seating upstairs and at the counter. Doesn't seem to be the cleanest place around, but, you know better than to expect that.....Especially on 6th St..... right?
I went to this place with several other foodie friends some of whom had been there "hundreds of times." When we went, the 6 of us we had some spring rolls, lemon grass salad, ginger chicken, beef and noodles, basically all the food Julia Childs recommended, and as a result 4 out of the 6 of us spent the next day running to the bathroom multiple times. I'm talking college dining hall type pipe clearing...
Moving on, the bottom line with this place as can be deduced by the range of ratings is that this is a dingy whole in the wall that has pretty low reliability in terms of next day satisfaction, but for the price and flavor its a good deal... as long as you don't have anything important to do the next day..
Now I am a believer! I went for the first time after meeting up with a former secret crush that I haven't seen for over a decade. We agreed on this place after some discussion and I am glad I went, finally! The portions are loving, fresh, and with just the right amount of spicing, but I kept getting funny looks from the staff. I don't care about that though. I enjoyed the fish entree (#52 or #56?), which was cooked and prepared just the way it should be. Even being located on the rough and tumble 6th Street won't deter me from a return, and believe you me that after Ramadan it's on like Donkey Kong! I really am looking forward to a return visit. Eating there didn't help get the girl so I'll return for seconds, minus the girl this time around.
SHINOBI 009
Neighborhood: SOMA
Category: Vietnamese
Neighborhood: Civic Center/Tenderloin
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Civic Center/Tenderloin
Category: Delis
Neighborhood: Civic Center/Tenderloin
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: SOMA
Category: Vietnamese
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