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Category: Vietnamese [Edit]
Neighborhood: Civic Center/Tenderloin"Tao Cafe is an amazing place in every respect. The location is nice, the restaurant is very cozy and nice, the food is breathtaking and the…" read more »
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I come here instead of Turtle Tower when I'm craving some classic Southern style pho. Just the basic rare steak, well done flank, brisket, and tripe noodle soup.
Their pork chop and broken rice dish is also pretty good and definite filling.
They're a little pricier than I would expect from a pho place and I'm sure I can find a place that's cheaper, but for now, this place is convenient for me and still affordable.
+s:
1) Wide selection of rice, vermicelli, noodle soups and more.
2) Easy to find - it's right on the corner of Larkin and Ellis.
3) Clean.
4) Accepts credit cards!
5) Yummy pho broth.
-s:
1) Metered parking.
2) We had to wait forever to get our check.
3) Beef was way overcooked.
4) The noodles were in a huge clump and took some chopstick skillz to get them apart.
Good place overall. For a party of 3, each of us ordering the Pho Tai, total before tip came out to $25. Hoorah!
I like this restaurant. I've had a lot of authentic home cooked vietnamese food and this is pretty much on the dot.
Usually when I come here, I order the Banh Hoi dishes, which is the dish you would wrap the bbq/shrimp with lettuce and rice paper. Its very tasty and the portion are just the right amount for two.
I also order the Canh Chua (sour catfish soup). I order a side of rice with this and dip the catfish into fish sauce. Also a very authentic vietnamese dish.
Food comes out quick, service, price and foods tasty. I would highly recommend this place!
TWO WORDS: FOOD POISONING.
Currently in recovery from eating there the other night. I had chicken Pho.
On another note, our friends ordered imperial rolls that came with out lettuce. Seriously. We asked for some lettuce to go with our imperial rolls and were told "lettuce is expensive, so it will be extra"
Are you kidding me!? This place blows. Stick with Mangosteen or Turtle Tower.
I live a block away so I've come here a lot. I thought their food was decent, not bad, but not great, but that was until I ordered their Tamarind Catfish Hot Pot soup.
Let me just say that it's amazing! It's the perfect combination of sweet and spicy, with about two filets of catfish in a small bowl. They make it just like my mom would make it with catfish, pineapples, tomatoes, bean sprouts, and they added that weird Vietnamese celery thing with the awesome texture. (what is the name of that?)
The small bowl is actually pretty ginormous, and can feed 2-3 people. It's also really good with a side of brown rice (healthy) That you can put in your soup. They have a large bowl version, so I would imagine it would feed 4 people+.
Seriously though, I was in heaven. They really made it just like how my mom would make it when I was growing up. So, yeah, it was super comfort food. It's not a big deal to me that there are bones in the soup, because you just have to be careful (I mean you could technically choke on them and die) But yeah, to me, doesn't matter. Just be careful, and ohhhh!!! It's sooooo good!!! hehe :)
Oh yeah, and our waitress was awesome! She was very funny and charming, and made my friend and I laugh. And our fortune cookies were pretty rad too. Mine said "You are very good with words and speech and should write a book." I've never gotten a fortune cookie so crazy like that. It kind of made my night because I was thinking of writing a book earlier today.
Anywho! Yeah! I'm definitely a fan! And their Imperial rolls are pretty tasty too :) Oh, and I'm pretty sure they got our catfish out of the tank like right before they made it. Like seriously, the fish was that fresh! :D Although poor fish :( Oh well! It was tasty! :D
I came here since I was a kid, and I would always like it. The place is well kept, and it hasn't changed over the years. The bathroom is rather cramp, but if you look past that, the food is good.
Came here right before poll worker training with Lauren L. and a group of friends. We all ordered the air place size pho. It wasn't super huge compared to other places, but I thought it was nothing special.
Now, the wonderful part is what I highly recommend. The Cha Gio here is the best. It's what my mom comes here for, it's what I came here for, and it was part 1 of my "introducing Winnie L. to Vietnamese food." I called Winnie L. up because I got off work early, and off to the Tenderloin we went. I found a spot with a broken meter, so free parking! I usually get the Bun Cha Gio Thit Nuong, and the 3 colored ice is good. Winnie L. liked it. So that's a plus.
I vaguely remember my first time here, so coming back again was quite exciting.
For seven of us, we ordered six dishes to share family style. My favorite was the hot sizzling soup, which was loaded with shrimp, meat, and veggies. This was my first time having this soup and I think I can eat this alone as a meal. Other dishes included the veggie clay pot, shaken beef, pork chops, and spicy fried chicken.
Waiter was patient with us as we took awhile trying to decide what to order. Parking can be bad depending on the time you arrive, but street parking is available.
Them Ky across the street is my usual pho spot. But Peter L shared with me that one of his favorite spots for bún riêu is at Vietnam 2.
Bún Riêu: crab tomato noodle soup. The noodles are cooked in a tomato based broth, topped with crab "meat". The crab meat is traditionally a mixture of shrimp, crab paste, eggs and seasoning. Then usually served with shredded cabbage instead of bean sprouts like with pho noodles.
This is definitely a spot to keep! The bowl was loaded with noodles and crab meat. Best of all, fried tofu! OMG I've never had fried tofu in bún riêu before! The tofu retains its crispy texture while the inside soaked up all the delicious broth. Yummmmm!!
They only have one size for pho and noodles. So for $6.90 I got a huge bowl of bún riêu. Even though I was full midway, I ended up finishing it since it was soooo good!! Thanks Peter for your awesome recommendation!! =D
Vietnam Too Restaurant (per the menus and receipt) is the correct name for a Vietnamese restaurant on Yelp with 100+ reviews incorrectly titled as "Vietnam 2 Seafood Restaurant."
The restaurant has been around for over 20 years, and is actually Chinese-Vietnamese. Most of the workers are multi-lingual, speaking Cantonese to each other from what I could hear. The Cashier was from Saigon, and we chatted briefly about the era that I was there as a child.
The restaurant is pretty large, with basic diner like decor, except for the large water fountain and pool in the front with real live small carp swimming about. (Feng Shui to bring in the business.) There are about 25 tables, mostly quatres in an L shape arrangement, with about 10 large rounders for families, including a small room in the rear with 4 tables that is part storage room.
The menu for lunch is classic Vietnamese diner food, offering the usual suspects of Khai Vi, Banh Hoi, Pho, Goi, Hu Tieu and Mi, Com Dia and Bun. The Chinese part is the Com Dia Tau, or Chinese style rice plates.
The dinner menu adds all the seafood dishes, like live Seafood from their tanks (sparse choices), oysters, clams, scallops, prawns, calamari, fish, with some pork, beef, and chicken dishes, and clay pot and vegetarian dishes, all with Vietnamese names, but more Chinese in tradition.
We were just looking for someplace to slurp up some noodles real quick before heading out of SF. So Pho Tai and Pho Tai Nam were our choices. Both were $6.50, and came in a large bowl, considered a large order in most other Pho restaurants, making the $6.50 price more competitive.
They gave us a mountain of fresh veggies, enough for 4 people, really. Lots of fresh basil and sprouts. The Pho broth had a good flavor, but seemed a bit salty in taste (this coming from someone who likes salt). There were also a lot of noodles, more than many places I have been. The beef was average in quality and portions. Our fresh squeezed lemonade was good, and so was our Thai iced tea (both $2.50). Service was very prompt bringing and removing.
I would think that this might be a good family place to eat seafood, except the Tenderloin neighborhood is not very inviting for families. The Pho was decent, and it is good to find some Pho in SF not too far from downtown. I would be interested in trying their seafood dinners sometime in the future.
By truth or fate, my Yelp friends are the most reliable sources you'll find. It is the way I roll as there's no need to look further than the reviews of those in my inner circles. Thanks to Marti L, I just came from Vietnam 2 after having their Bún Riêu ($6.90). This gigantic bowl of vermicelli came steeped in a rich semi-savory chicken, clam, and tomato broth with eggs thoroughly scrambled with real crab meat to intermingle with fried tofu, tomatoes, fresh shredded lettuces, bean sprouts, jalapenos, and mint leaves. The bowl came piping hot and with a squeeze of lime and siracha, this bowl of noodle soup was the perfect comfort food for today's chilly weather. With tofu nicely fried externally and tender silky at the center, the amount of eggs was generous while the minced crab meat was the clear taste of interest. There's no beating around the bush that they take their crabs seriously here.
Service and value were outstanding. With most of their dishes cost less than $8, the server took the time to discuss the soup and other authentic Saigon dishes that I should come back for. Although it was already passed their lunch hours, this place was still semi-crowded with ambiance aided by a bar, clear water fish and crab tanks in the back, and a running water fall by the front door. The venue is spacious and appropriate for individual or family style dining.
Eeek, I'm reeking crab right now. 4 stars for the flavorful experience. Thanks to Marti, this restaurant has just joined my rotation of noodle places in the Tenderloin. I hope to be back.
Pros:
- open late, until 11pm (popular for nearby residents)
- can order from both the lunch and dinner menus anytime
- relatively cheap (dinner for $7 is a good deal, if u pick lunch items)
- they accept credit cards (most nearby places don't)
- large capacity space, good for groups
Cons:
- Pho is NOT that good (avoid!!), soup was murky and didn't taste right, u get a large portion of noodles but it's overcooked - every other shop on Larkin street is better.
Some of the dishes I liked: fresh and tender Chinese broccoli, salt & pepper wings (6 pcs.), imperial rolls, and shaken beef was okay.
Hours: daily 10am-11pm
(they might close early if no business)
Came here because Turtle Tower happened to be closed.
I asked for bun cha with meatballs and imperial rolls. I ended up with bun cha topped with tough strips of beef and tendon and imperial rolls- odd since this combo isn't even on the menu. I asked where my meatballs were, and the waiter said, "sorry." and walked away. Other than the beef, which I couldn't eat, the imperial rolls and noodles were tasty.
My friend ordered pho and was disappointed that the broth was so cloudy when it should've been clear.
Huge restaurant inside, and it was pretty busy when we were there.
Seems like most others go for the hot pot and the Chinese-Vietnamese family style dishes. Those might be better.
Is it Vietnam 2, Vietnam II, or Vietnam Too??
I saw it spelled all 3 ways in the restaurant. Weird.
So I'm gonna give this place 3 stars but I hope to try it again soon & update their star rating.
First of all, their lunch menu is HUGE. Like 8 pages. So it was difficult to decide what to order. We decided to go with 2 of the specials (listed on the wall on various pieces of colored paper). We decided against the crab special cuz it was a whole crab & it was $25. I'm thinking it was probably delicious but I couldn't imaging paying $25 for lunch in the Tenderloin. So we got the chicken with basil & the fish with pineapples & tomatoes. Both were just OK. The quality of the chicken was not so great. My niece got a bowl of beef pho which she seemed to enjoy. But the best part of the meal were the imperial rolls. They rocked! I think they are even better than Cordon Bleu's imperial rolls & that is a huge compliment.
I think that I will try some more traditional Vietnamese dishes next time & probably stick to seafood. The place is large & open & has lots of windows to watch the excitement out on the street.
We were heading to Masonic this morning, trying to grab a quick lunch. The original place we wanted was closed on Wednesdays, so instead of wasting our parking meter money, we opted for this place.
The place was quite packed. We ordered the Dac Biet Pho and Pork Chop and meatloaf over rice. The meatloaf is egg baked with fungus, carrots, pork and vermicelli, one of my favs. I have had better in Oakland.
Well, Yelper Erin S. and I had lunch here yesterday and it looks like we have the same thoughts on Vietnam 2 (or II or Too). Hmm, my receipt says I ate at "Vietnam Too."
Some menu items were better than others. I think the beef Pho was the best, but the Imperial rolls were good, too. The lemonade soda was a nice combo of sweet and sour. I loved the strange koi pond near the entrance.
Ladies should beware of the first stall in the women's restroom. The flush handle spins like a roulette wheel when you try to push it down. I guess you could consider it free entertainment, but anyone after the first customer of the day won't be so amused.
So I was looking for some really tasty Vietnamese Food (something other than PHO) so I heard about this place and decided to try it, regardless of it being in the ghetto bum surrounded area...I sucked it up...oh well, I love food. So I tried the:
1) Catfish Claypot (salty and the catfish tasted like chicken to me)
2) Sauteed Osyters (Ok, I had to get wine thought to wash it down :))
3)Sizzling Seafood platter (taste like any ordinary seafood combo platter you can get at a chinese restaurant)
4) Shaking Beef (that was good)
Conclusion:Parking was difficult and there was really nothing I would come back here for again....It was alright but nothing special to me...Oh well....
This is the place for Pho. Not in the best neighborhood mind you, but we think it's the best Pho in the USA so far. On our quest for the best Pho we have slurped down Pho from New York to Los Angeles - nothing beats Vietnam 2. Why? It's the broth. It is so tasty you hardly need a condiment. I don't know what they do but it's full of yummy goodness. On the side they serve a heaping bowl of really fresh sprouts and basil. If you love Pho - look no further.
We also tried the catfish, which are swimming live in a tank prior to their demise. It was really good. The waiter would not take the consumed fish away until we ate the head - which "is the best part".
Ambience? Interesting with lots of character. Most patrons were Asian. The owner, an elderly lady was running around telling everyone what to do. It was cute and funny. My impression is that the place has been there for a long time. Waiter was really nice. Next time we are in SFO, we will FOR SURE eat here.
Did I mention we went to the Slanted Door the night before? We did. Not bad but it's no Vietnam 2 ;-) .
I've had better Vietnamese Food.
Went there for lunch.
1. Ordered beef tai chanh--beef was still "partially frozen" & sauce was bitter, probaby b/c the lime juice used was old.
2. Ordered papaya salad--sauce was tasteless, seem like I was eating just papaya.
3. Ordered Pork chops---This was actually not bad.
A very solid three stars for their pho.
Broth: The broth is very balanced -- it was definitely less greasy than many places, and the flavor while not particularly deep, was still good and felt much lighter. Not too salty either, a very well balanced broth that earns 3.5 stars. The bowl size itself was alright -- I had a small and it would (and did) make a great light lunch.
Noodles: A good amount of noodles without being overwhelming. There was minor clumping, but it didn't alter the taste or texture, so I overlooked it. The noodles were thin and complimented the lighter nature of the broth. However, they were nothing special and could definitely be overlooked. 2.5 stars.
Beef: The quality of the beef was average and the technique of the cutting for the rare flank was excellent -- they lose points because other than the rare flank, the rest of the knifework was very mediocre. The brisket was very fatty and everything else was not cut properly. The portion of beef was on the lighter end, but not too stingy. 2 Stars.
Service: Service was good despite a hefty language barrier. I pointed, and got what I ordered. That's good. They also give complimentary tea, which is something that I appreciate. I didn't feel rushed at all and had I needed anything, I could have gotten it really quickly. 3.5 stars.
So, all in all, for pho and pho alone, It's a solid 3 stars. I am definitely going to try the other cuisine there and give it a separate review, as some of the other food looked really good.
I'm having food coma as I'm typing right now...
Had lunch to go from here today. I ordered the vermicelli w/ chicken and eggrolls and I am STUFFED! The portion was massive and stacked to the top. This is definitely my go to place in the TL for some good and decent priced vietnamese food!
update: Not very crowded on a Monday night (http://static.px.yelp....). The "cháo"=rice porridge with shredded pork and salted egg (http://static.px.yelp....) is good when under the weather - figuratively or literally. They also do other versions, though none are actually on the menu. The "banh canh" was surprisingly good.
4.5 stars ITTET. The best "bún riêu" in SF is why I go here. I've been to other places but they aren't as consistent. Here, it's a nice balance of rice noodle, soup base, tomatoes, tofu (http://static.px.yelp....). However, they skimped on the mint and didn't ask if we wanted "mam tom" (shrimp paste - an acquired taste/smell, so beware). Both are necessities for sure. Was so good I forgot to ask why there's no pork blood cubes, which is also a standard.
Friends had a similar item call "bún oc" (basically, bún riêu with sea snails) and sate "fried" rice noodle; both were good as well. I recall the "canh chua" and "ca kho to" are good; rice plates are ok; phos are okay; spring rolls are okay. Good place for larger groups as there are lots of seats/tables. Washed the meal down with a VNese iced coffee or beer (http://static.px.yelp....).
Unsure why but this place has many names (Vietnamese 2, Vietnamese II, Vietnamese Too, and Pho Tau Bay).
Portions were huge depending on what you got and service was on point. My friends and I did not have to ask for anything as the waitstaff managed to meet or exceed our needs.
Vermicelli w/ beef was one of the best I have ever had. Will definitely be back.
One of the best vietnmese places in the city. Been eating there for years. We used to go there for the pho almost every day for lunch when we lived in the TL. I went there recently after not being there for a few years, and it was exactly the same. Even the same nice lady was there and she recognized me.
The menu is outrageous. I always find my self laughing in a kind of bewildered state at the diversity and number of items to choose. I can't remember exactly but I think there are 200 items if you combine dinner and lunch.
This is the perfect place for parties, if you don't mind the the whole linoleum tile floor and big tv atmosphere thing. You can feed alot of people for not too much money.
A couple important notes:
1. If you go you must have the clams. They offer different sauces for clams and they are all excellent and unique.
2. The crabs here are exquisite for the price. If you go to that expensive place at the end of judah for crabs, stop going there and go vietnam 2 instead.
3. The catfish in sweet and sour soup is (with catfish alive and swimming just minutes earlier) is too good for words, and truly authentic. the catfhish in claypot is the same.
4. The pho is always fresh, very thin the way I like it, and very tender. If you happen to of caucasian descent, but you still like all the other stuff in your pho like tendon and everything, you should let them know, or they will automatically cull it from the soup. I think it is one of the best phos in the city, for the thin cut style.
This is a special place to me so the only cons I can think of are below, just adding to be imparial.
5. The imperial rolls are just so so. Not anything close to Tu Lan.
6. if you aren't used to the TL, then you need to go with a sense of adventure. You will either be entertained or disturbed by the elements outside the restaurant.
I just realized my last 5 reviews have mention of alcohol or the word "drunk"...that can not be a good sign for my liver. Well, might as well keep the streak going...
Woke up New Year's Day at the Marriott still maybe drunk, and all of us either had headaches, backaches, or stomach aches. Ahhhh, NYE was not good to us. So the cure-all as usual was pho! We were actually on our way to Turtle Tower but came across here with parking nearby so why not. Not the best neighborhood but there were 3 pho spots within a 1 block radius.
This place must have an identity crisis like a 16 year old girl. The awning said Pho Tau Bay, this yelp review says Vietnam 2, and the menus said Vietnam Too. I went with my tried and true fave at any pho spot - Rare Beef & Tripe http://static.px.yelp..... Flavorful soup and no S-M-L sized bowls here...one size fits all which was plenty for me. We shared the Imperial Rolls http://static.px.yelp...., which were crispy, meaty, and not overly oily...delish.
Would I come here again? Yes.
Will I be coming again? Probably not since I don't venture all the way out to the TL for pho.
Well, unless you find me sleeping overnight in a hotel nearby again. In which case, look the other way...
You ever have to go use a restroom in a restauarant where you have to use your feet alot? Had to use my foot to lift the toilet seat.........most of my friends would've just left it down but I'm a gentleman. Then I had to use my feet to flush the toilet. Was hesitant to turn the knob of the sink but had to wash my hand. I used the paper towel to dry my hands and to open the door.
Went with tony h. so we had the catfish clay pot, catfish soup, black bean sauce clams, oong choy, shaken beef, two fried banana and ice cream. I'm tired of him showing me mediocre places that he thinks is good. Binh Minh and now this place. At least this place was a little better and it wasn't that far of a drive.
I thought everthing was average. The items that stood out were the shaken beef and the fried banana and ice cream. Food was consistent. I thought it was ok. It's a huge restauarant and it has a lot of potential in this rough area of tenderloin. We met up with a couple of other friends that we saw walking around the area..........don't ask me who they are and what they were doing there. We started talking and before we knew it we were there for almost 4 hours. They have very consistent business but it's not crowded.
Whole meal was like around 79.00. Was decent.
To: Anh
A hot bowl of pho!
From: Anh
Came here for lunch after volunteering on Christmas -- it was nice that they were open! Average bowl of pho. Some friends opted for bun bo hue instead and this place does a good job to catering to specific needs, such as no blood, no feet, this kind of noodle instead of that kind of noodle, etc. Only downside is that walking around in the TL to get to this place was not my cup of tea, with random people hootin' & hollerin'. I'm sticking to good ol' Irving for pho in the city!
Date & Time: Friday October 17, 2008 @ 4pm Quick Bite before the 5pm Showing of The Secret Life of Bees- 5 Stars
Company: Michael
Crowd: Neighborhood Asian Families
Vibe: Very Casual
Decor: Cheesy Water Fall. Huge TV. Tables for Quatre & Big Round Tables for Parties of 8-10
Service: Efficient
Imbibe: Beer & Vietnamese Coffee
Devour: Rare Beef Pho & Grilled Pork
Total: $20.26
The service in this place is abysmal. We had to flag someone down to take our order in a 3/4 empty restaurant, the waiter was pushing me to order kung pao shrimp when I wanted shrimp and broccoli (for some odd reason) and it took us no less than 5 requests before we got some hot tea. Dirty dishes sat on our table until the end of the meal.
The food is decent but definitely not good enough to warrant being ignored by the staff. It's Little Saigon; you can find better options if you're craving Vietnamese.
I've been here twice for lunch. The food is mediocre at best, but it's a quick in and a quick out. Despite the number of Vietnamese restaurants in this neighborhood, there are just no standouts for me personally--with the exception of Saigon Sandwiches, which is so good and so cheap that I just want to cry and laugh.
Anyway, back to Vietnam 2. I've had the grilled pork, shredded pork, and quiche with broken rice as well as the imperial roll and sugarcane shrimp with vermicelli. This restaurant gives too little meat and too much starch. Case in point: Only one imperial roll and sugarcane shrimp for a bowl full of vermicelli! Although the food appears cheap, it's expensive once you do a cost-meat analysis. I don't think it's very delicious either.
My friend and I came here yesterday and she had the shaking beef with rice, which surprisingly looked marinated and tasty. I'll get that next time--if there is a next time at Vietnam 2. There's too many Vietnamese restaurants in this town to go anywhere more than once.
Step back in time to say, the 70's, and enjoy a good and inexpensive meal in this very understated restaurant. I say the 70's because I don't think that 1 dollar has been spent on renovation or upgrades since that period. I think they somehow got some of my parents furniture in there I remember from my childhood!
The food came quickly and seemed fresh. Everything we tried was average to good. One standout for me was the tomato and crab meat Pho which was very good. The Mongolian beef was what you would expect but not stellar and the Imperial Rolls were also average to good.
The staff is definitely no-nonsense here and didn't seem to be the warmest of people. Don't really need to make friends with them but a smile and thank you for bringing you business is nice. Not sure if I'll go back but at least I know what to expect if I do.
I've been here so many times and for some reason- I have had no inkling to Yelp this place, until now. I'm very apathetic about this place, being the Vietnamese food snob that I am- thanks Mom (You Rock!)
This place doesn't have a specialty of any kind. You can go here for Pho, Bun Noodles, Bun Bo Hue, lemon beef, broken rice plate, random home- made dishes such as their cat fish sour soup, clay pot, stir fry, and they're all mediocre. However, if you want something cheap- this place is cheap. If you want something fast- this place is fast (usually 5 minutes). If you want your food to come at different times (they do that too). All these things are very important when you don't want fancy- so it's fast and cheap.
*Pho broth is too oily for me so I never sip that beef broth.*
Oh and what is it about this place's name? It says "Pho Tau Bay" and then it's "Vietnam 2 Restaurant". By the way, Pho Tau Bay is much better since it translates to "a flying ship of Pho" oh yaaa!
For such a big "planner" - I can also be quite spontaneous. While I love (and need) to plan every event out and can be almost OCD about it - some of the best things in life happen when you just wing it.
Specifically, I really enjoy driving by something, spotting a restaurant, and deciding to eat there without knowing a thing about it. (Yes, without checking Yelp first, go figure!) Furthermore, I like walking into these places and ordering something strange off the menu - either something a place is not necessarily known for, or something I would not normally eat. Yeah - live dangerously. (Beware, I'm outta control!!)
Vietnam 2 is in one of the shadiest neighborhoods in San Francisco. You risk car, life, and limb to park and walk through this neighborhood, but it's how I get back to Nob Hill from the freeway, so I drive through this area often, always passing this restaurant.
On a Monday afternoon, I decided I am eating Vietnamese food, and I was going to eat it at a new place. Enter: Vietnam 2.
You enter and find a rather spacious but really basic restaurant. At the time of 2:30 pm or so, it only had 3-4 tables with patrons, but passing the food on the way to the table, it looked decent enough. All over this restaurant was posted signs reading, "Today's Special: Crab $20".
Unlike Rob had thought, I was not going to order Pho, so he did. I decided to try their combination fried rice (I know, outta control, I'm telling you), and their special crab. They will cook it for you in a variety of ways, your choice, and I picked steamed crab w/ green onions and butter off of their dinner menu. We also ordered a Thai Iced Tea for me, and a Vietnamese Iced Coffee for him.
While the service wasn't outstanding, I did notice that forced or not, the lady took our order with a smile and while she didn't say much - she was friendly enough, especially for a Vietnamese restaurant. Our food was also brought out quickly.
The pho was pretty decent, though I thought the noodles could have been cooked a bit less. The meat was plentiful. Noteworthy is that there is only one size of Pho here - no small and large - - it's about "medium". Basic.
My crazy self also made a mental note that the fried rice was good. It wasn't as good as the fried rice served up at http://www.yelp.com/bi... but OK nonetheless.
Yes, basic.
The crab was served up last, on a hot plate with a small flame below the serving tray that kept the butter and juices at a small boil throughout the meal. While it tasted fresh - in hindsight, perhaps I should have picked a different cooking method like deep-fried or something as this steamed version was rather bland... boring.... and basic.
The entire meal, including drinks, came to $38 plus tip or so. For the amount of food we got - it was a good deal and like I said, the food is BASICALLY good, but there's nothing about Vietnam 2 that I found "special". It wasn't even especially bad.
Because I would eat here again - I am giving it 3 stars, but it doesn't secure itself a spot on my "do or die lunch list".
If comparing it to typical joint on this imaginary lunch list, I'd likely pay about the same (for 2 people) and go to My Tofu House for 2 bowls of Soondubu and a platter of galbi, pay nearly triple and go to Yank Sing for excellent siu mai and Shanghai dumplings, or pay a mere 20% to have 2 sandwiches at Saigon Sandwiches. For one reason or another, these places stand out. Vietnam 2 does not, but it does serve pretty decent food.
Vietnamese food is one of my favorites, but my quest to find a good joint in San Francisco continues..................................
Wow! What excellent food. I've been coming here a couple of times and I even had a birthday here. It's just an amazing place to dine with the best of your friends. The atmosphere is like any other asian joint with sometimes sticky floors and just dimly lit lights. However, that doesn't really matter that much to me as long as I don't see any cockroaches and stuff. If I do see one, I just hope it doesn't get into my food haha.
This place has great pho and the Vietnamese authentic dishes are just superb. There are a few items that are of Chinese influence here, but by no means is that a negative thing. I've only good things to say about this place and can happily say that this is one of my favorite Vietnamese restaurants in San Francisco. If you are interested in a great dish, you must try the special that is displayed on a small placard on your table. I forgot what exactly comes in the special, but all I know is that it is good. I have pictures of the other dishes that I've gotten in the past. (Pictures are in the Picture Section)
Overall, great place to bring your friends and family. Great food also.
Recommended Dishes:
- Imperial Rolls
- Spring Rolls
- Charbroiled Pork (used to make your own rolls with veggies)
- Pho Dac Biet
- Hot and Sour Soup
- BBQ Five Spice Chicken
- Charbroiled Chicken
- Spicy Lemon Grass Chicken
- Clams with Black Bean Sauce
- Everyday Special Combo (Pork chop, Shrimp cake, etc.) $9ish
Great food look fresh. We had five full tables maybe 50 people. Paid by Ted Fang the owner of Asianweek. We had a meeting on Asian Heritage Festival about what to expect. I like the fried bananas and ice cream. I show late or they started early on the food. There were still plenty. I like the fried squid and grilled pork. Had vermicelli w/ chicken and curry pho or whatever is left, the others ate most of the meat. I was the weakest link or maybe I shoulda took some food from the other table. It was good when I don't pay.
Man, talk about a BIG bowl of pho dac biet. I could only plow my way through half of it, no joke.
I am now sitting in my living room in only my underwear because I am stuffed full of pho broth, cow parts and rice noodles.
UGH.
I have been coming to this establishment for years, and I mean years, as in over 14 years. They have changed owners recently, like maybe a few years ago, but that's beside the point. Now that I work near Vietnam 2, I come here for lunch often. My coworkers don't like this place. However, they have the best friggin pan fried noodle dish here! Can you imagine, my favorite dish at a Vietnamese restaurant is a Chinese one?
Anyways, their combo pan friend noodle is REALLY good, and so is their pork and eggroll vermicelli. Also, their pho is not bad.. I've had some hits or misses (did I spell that right???) with their pho, but the last 5+ times I've gotten it, it was pretty darn good! I'm a happy camper!
Had lunch here last week and it was pretty good and very cheap! Total out the door was less than $20 for two full people, tax & 18% tip included.
Came here again a few weeks ago because my friend and I was craving for Vietnamese and this happened to be the only place we could find that take credit card . I got the chicken pho which tasted actually pretty decent . The 3 color drink wasn't that great though .
Came with once with my friend a long time ago & I'm never coming back . I was craving for some good… Read more »
It's a Tuesday and my man and I bike up to the Civic Center for, first, brunch - then, hanging at City Hall with all the other folks to celebrate the first day of legalized equal rights marriage in California.
Brenda's was the plan. Turns out Brenda's is closed on Tuesdays.
"No problem!" we say. We lived in the 'Loin for 4 years, let's go to our favorite Vietnamese joint, Pagolac!
Pagolac was closed too.
Wait! A wafting smell captures our attention. In the Tenderloin, smells are usually a bad thing, but this smell...this was goodness. Fish sauce and grilled pork and sautee-ness.
The smell was emanating from Vietnam II. So we went.
My man got some cold vermicelli with grilled pork. Good. Not the best we've ever had (oh Pagolac, how I love you), but exactly what we were looking for. The noodles were cold, the vegetables were a little skimpy but what there was was fresh and crisp, the fish sauce could've used a bit more fish and spice for my taste, but again, not complaining.
I got lemongrass tofu which was pretty nicely done. Not spectacular but a LOT of tofu.
Service, yeah, indifferent. But it's the Tenderloin and it's a dive so I'm not looking for much more than:
sit wherever
menu handed over
order food
food arrives
apply siracha
eat food
check arrives
pay bill
leave
Worked for us!
Everyone has commented on the giant bowl of noodles, man jesus buddhist christ, they want you fat here, but very few commented on the magical pond they have as you walk in, that alone should be reason to come here... the food is so so, but when you are starving and have a hanker'n for some late night Vietnamese food, this is a great place to head to.
1. It's always an adventure walking there. I love to see the crazy crack head doing the 3 stooges floor spin on the opposite corner yelling at the top of their lungs.
2. the magic pond, I swear I saw a mermaid swimming inside of it.
3. the crazy large bowls of food.
4. the speedy service, it was speedy.
5. I am going back because some dude ordered a sizzling fajita kind of plate, and it smelled sooo damn good.
WOOT!
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