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Category: Vietnamese [Edit]
Neighborhood: Inner SunsetMon. 10:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Wed-Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
"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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Hmm so what can I say about this place?
Other than the fact I've only been here a couple times three years ago and have recently only gone once (today for dinner) I can tell you I'm only knocking down one star for the corney vietnamese pop-trance music they were playing. Other than that this place does stick by it's name.
My Experience:
Trying to avoid the Pho joints near my house which are the opposite side of inner sunset, I wanted something soupy and what better than Vietnamese Pho. Me and my sister decided to hit up the sunset since it's usually the better choice when it comes to this type of food. So out of curiousity decided to try out Yummy Yummy which has been neglected by me for some time now. The waiters were nice, fast and had common sense (knowing that I couldn't possibly finish a large they gave me a medium) I appreciated this when I was done with my meal.
As I gobbled down noodles, meat, and broth fairly quickly I realized that this place really hasn't changed. I even beat my sister who LOVES PHO and she was still working on her bowl. I was very happy to know they still are tidy, neat, and have amazing food.
Definitely satisfied my cravings for a big bowl of Pho noodle soup. Go try and see it for yourself!!
I went here a few months ago, so this is all I remember.
Their beef carpaccio wasn't up to par for me. I always get it at every Vietnamese place, and it just didn't have the perfect combination of flavors. It was actually rather waterlogged and didn't absorb the flavors of the sauces.
However, I was pleasantly surprised at how good their five spice chicken was! I would go there to get that again, but beef carpaccio? never again!
Went here on a Monday night around 8pm with 4 people total. Wasnt that busy (it seemed like the Chinese restaurant next door was getting ample business).
Got the Bun Thit Nuong (the rice vermicelli noodles/grilled pork), my friends shared the #1 (the combo pho if I remember correctly) and my other friend got the crispy noodles. Also, we had goi cuon (spring rolls). We got our food surprisingly quick, and they brought it out as soon as it was ready: pho (of course), followed by goi cuon, then Bun Thit Nuong, and lastly the crispy noodles. The portion of the pho was pretty big (considering it was an extra large).
All of the dishes were pretty good :D I only wish it wasn't so "expensive" $8+ for a dish. The cafe sua da (iced coffee) was like $3. That's super ridiculous because I can easily get it for like $1.75 at other Vietnamese restaurants.
They had diverse clientele which speaks to me that they cater to everyone. It was the first time in a bit that we actually had to request water to be brought out, they never really asked us. Parking wasnt so bad (we got lucky and found a spot outside the restaurant) but it is def. a busy area. As long as your patient you shouldnt have much trouble finding parking.
They didnt pester my table by placing the check super early before anyone was finished. :D
Dont know if I'll come back (cause I dont live in SF) but would not hesitate to go again. They even have the menu to preview on their glass window, so just in case you change your mind at the last minute.
Also, I want to try their Banh Cuon cause its not offered by a lot of places!
By golly, by gosh but they are good!
I always order the beef sate pho soup - mild - it's a cheap and tasty winner!
Bun thit nuong was pretty good - grilled pork was flavorful and tender but I liked the egg rolls less. The egg roll filling was fine but the wrapping was too thick.
Yum. Really. I always have pho here (delicious), but my friends recommend the bun, too. One of… Read more »
Been here quite a few times with the family. Also got take-out.
Eating there is FAST, FAST, FAST. They have it on your plate within just a couple of minutes of ordering. How they do it I don't know, but it's every time.
Orders to go are excellent. Packages are sturdy and survive the trip, and also are great for re-use. Good planning on their part.
We usually order the common soups and rice plates and don't try the unusual. It's hard to change-up a good thing. The kids look forward to their dinner every time.
Came here on Wednesday night after finding out that it is closed on Tuesday. That's okay because we tried San Tung next door instead. I tried someone's suggestion of #22 a soup bowl with yellow noodles and rice stick. I thought it was going to be like Korean rice stick pasta, but it was just okay. The fried shrimp that floats on top was too oily and mooshy sitting in the hot soup. It was just okay.
We also got the catfish clay pot that tasted really nice except it was rather sweet so we needed a lot of white rice to eat with it. My hubby ordered a Vietnamese beer that never came out. It wasn't busy at all, but they just forgot. It got busier later on after 7pm as we left.
Parking - It's Irving! Going to be as hard as heck
Atmosphere - The tiny tables make it really hard to eat
Food - Small portions
GET: Five spice chicken that you wrap with rice paper, and the crepe that you wrap with lettuce. They were messy to eat, especially with the lack of table space, but decent. The 3 color drink was delicious. I couldn't get enough of it.
AVOID: Clam soup. Very disappointing. It was very bland. Maybe it's just one of their bad dishes.
They also charge for a separate pot of steamed rice. You should come in small groups since it was really tiny!
Big fan of this place. It probably helped that my friend has been coming here forever and knew all the right things to order. It was packed when we arrived (around 2 on a Sunday), so there was a short wait, but the staff were friendly and down to discuss the Cardinals-Green Bay game (epic) that they were showing on their flat screen (not huge, but does the job). They were also very attentive and quick to fill to our drink/food orders.
I wish I knew the names of the dishes we had, but since my buddy did the ordering, the best I can do is explain them: egg rolls (best I've had a Vietnamese restaurant), raw beef salad (a must have), clams, green pepper beef, and a shrimp dish (HUGE shrimp in a broth).
If their rice plates and pho are as good as everything else on the menu, I'll update to 5 stars on the next trip.
Three stars for the food, one extra for service and location (3 blocks from me). They make an above average bowl of pho (by SF standards mind you), meat is tender, broth is flavorful but a little on the sweet side.
They make most things on the sweeter side here, esp the canh chua (sweet & sour soup) and ca kho (clay pot fish) - guys, you need to tone that shite down!
The banh cuon, goi cuon and eggrolls are pretty tasty, and you can't go wrong with their bun or rice plates.
Stay away from the bun bo hue and bun rieu. Too rich and fatty, and flavors too chinese, you have to break through a layer of fat to get to the broth!
Chicken porridge and the Firetruck.
All tops.
And I realized that I love it here so much because the chopsticks are always fresh. It's great to walk into a joint and not have to think about washing your utensils before using them.
5 stars for all the new stuff I've tried and want to try.
Rice noodle "skin".
The Order: Banh Xeo, Mi Vit Tiem, and Pho Ga Quay Chao.
The Question: "Do you think it lives up to its name?"
The Verdict: "It was yummy. But not YUMMY YUMMY."
Arrived with my friend on 1-16-10 for dinner. We ordered the beef carpacio with chopped nuts,green onion,and squeezed the lemon wedges and spread the juice around the sliced pieces; deep fried rolls with mint,noodles with fish sauce self-wrap in lettuce, and the fried chicken. There's complimentary tea and had a 2nd teapot also. Great chef there, obviously made the food taste great. Both my friend and I ordered the 3 colors drink, I killed the food and the drink.
I came here with my friend on 1-9-10 evening, initially went to san tung,since there was a long… Read more »
your typical pho resturant... i went inside here to eat by accident... suppose to go next door to sun tung and the line was so line, we like... lets give this place is shot... order pho and the raw beef... oh man its so yummy, for sure we eat here again....
Walked in this restaurant at random and was pleasantly surprised. I wascurious about all the pictures of crab on the wall ... is that a specialty I didn't find on the menu? I ordered a vermicelli bowl with chicken and egg rolls. The chicken was flavored with the right amount of sweet and saltiness. The fish sauce that came with the dish was not too overwhelming. I wasn't crazy about the chewy egg roll wrap bc I prefer mine extra crispy, but not burned.
To be honest, I arrived with a bias: I assume that Vietnamese people make the best Vietnamese food.
On the walls of Yummy Yummy, there are more Chinese characters than Vietnamese writing. I even tested the staff. One spoke decent Vietnamese, and another struggled with basic-food-Vietnamese. Trying to keep my biases in check, I reminded myself that some of my favorite sushi is manned and owned by Korean families. Question of the day: Do Chinese folks make good Vietnamese food?
We had the canh chua ca (sweet and sour soup with catfish) and the classic bun cha gio (vermicelli and imperial rolls). The canh chua was passable, but too sweet. I think they used canned pineapples instead of fresh, resulting in an overly sweet taste. What saved the restaurant for me was the bun cha gio. The imperial rolls were cooked nicely and so were the vermicelli noodles.
Back to the question. SF has average Vietnamese food. In this context Yummy Yummy does hold its ground in the average-Vietnamese-food-world. So one point goes to Chinese people, they can make Vietnamese food!
**This would be an entirely different story in San Jose or Orange County.
Yummy Yummy has the best name. It isn't King King 55 Noodle Pancake and Hamburger Bowling Alley, however it has good Vietnamese food, good service and how could you resist trying some place called YUMMY YUMMY? Bonus points go to the giant crabs hanging on the wall and lobster under glass that looks like a prehistoric blue cockroach that would eat you if it reanimated.
I came here with my roommate the other night before she left on her trip to Puerto Rico. She wanted some Vietnamese food and told me that this place was good. This place is right next to my favorite restaurant, San Tung.
The price for Pho is a little higher here than in most other restaurants. The portions are a bit smaller. I ordered the satay beef with egg noodles. When it came out, it looked huge with the broth hovering near the rim of the bowl. Since they only had one size, I figured it would be good enough. I swear to you after 4 scoops of noodles with my chopstick, the noodles were gone. The soup base...........still hovering the rim of the bowl. WTH?!?
The taste, however, is very good. It is very good pho and the noodles were great. The beef is a little lower grade than PPQ's on Irving but overall it was very good. It's probably one of those restaurants that I would probably not want to come back to unless I was brought here by my friends.
Just tried Yummy Yummy for the first time tonight. It was probably the best pho I've had in the City so far (I usually prefer Kevin's aka PHH on Irving).
Had the #1 pho, extra large, with everything in it. This was a definitely a biggie bowl and I had to take half of it home. The toppings; basil, peppers, and bean sprouts were fresher than I've come across. The peppers were very spicy and took me by surprise, in a good way ;)
The broth and whole thing seemed tastier than what I've had out there. BUT, now, 3 hours later, I'm dying of thirst :-p------
I can hardly believe that I've never yelp'd Yummy Yummy - this place never disappoints Pho cravings. Definitely one of the few restaurants that I come to on a bi-weekly basis.
Although I've never really branch out to most of what Yummy Yummy offers, their Pho is amazingly rich in taste. The price is slightly higher than your avg Vietnamese restaurants and their prices went up in the recent years, but you get what you pay for (besides, it's only about 50 cents extra compared to cheaper, tasteless restaurants).
Getting their Pho for the first time? Get #1 if you are hungry, #2 is about 75% of #1 in size (usually does the trick if you aren't starving).
The imperial rolls were amazing!
The rest of the meal was not far from it!!!
We had the beef Pho it was all bad, the noodles were sticky and nasty, that's the integral part of the soup!
I've been here before and I must say it's not my top choice for pho, but everything else is bomb!
I love going with my sister Regi K. since she absolutely knows this place inside and out, especially what's good and what's not. The boss there is really cool too. It's weird when you go in and he greets you all friendly but I'm not sure if he recognizes me because of my sister or that's just how he naturally is. I don't know you're name, but you are cool, sir.
Sister knew best:
-Grilled Clams x2 - yes, we had to get it twice since it was so good
-Cat fish clay pot - i could get a tub of rice for this one pot of fish
-Mixed Salad - vietnamese salad is always so good
-grilled pork chop special - not outstanding, but a nice variation to our other festive selections
Salt and peppa Calamari - get the special one since the regular fried calamari apparently isn't as good as this one, says the boss....and boss was right.
Vietnamese Ice Coffee - vietnamese coffee is always a favorite
Fried Egg Roll - the thing about their egg rolls is that it has a crispy flaky shell, unlike the other places. Fantastic!
This is the best Pho I've had in the bay area. I always get #2. Also the price is decent, the service is fast, and they are really sweet people. I could do without all the plastic to-go containers and the fairly large tv in the dining room, but its all worth it. Especially to hear them answer the phone "YUMMY!"
Pho is really a hit or miss type of meal. So many things can go wrong and so many things can go right. The broth can be salty or it can be flavorful. The meat can be fatty and undercooked or it can be succulent and delicious. The side items to put in your bowl can be fresh or they can look like they are from yesterday's dinner.
Yummy Yummy falls somewhere in between all of the above. It was just ok and nothing more. I wouldnt go back but I wouldnt protest if everyone wanted to go there.
I think the name says it all. I've only tried the vermicelli with pork and imperial rolls here, but it was deeeeelicious! My Vietnamese friend introduced me to this place, so I assume it's somewhat authentic. Bonus points for having my take-out order ready in five minutes. The staff is very friendly as well. If you need no frills Asian comfort food, come to Yummy Yummy. You won't be disappointed.
Solid pho and other dishes. Have been coming here consistently for over a year.
Average price per dish is $6-7, this place has attentive service, good portions, and tasty food.
Appetizers tried: spring rolls, imperial rolls, bánh xèo
Pho tried: #3 (pho tai), #9 (spicy pho), #2 (combination)
Other: vermacelli with lemongrass chicken and egg rolls, lemon iced tea, iced coffee, grilled chicken combo
Is this a consolation prize to San Tung? I think not. I don't care what anybody says but this is the best pho in the city (yeah, TL i'm talking to you!). Not as good as san jose, santa ana or I guess Saigon itself (that would be unreal if it was!)
I used to live only a 1 minute walk from here..so I had the opportunity to come a lot. Big portions, fair prices - easy seating! And if there is a wait, it's no more than 10 minutes usually. Whether you need something warm for a rainy day or a cure for a hangover come here. Only problem is inner sunset itself gets a bit foggy and cold sometimes..but after slurping down some of that mmmmmmmmmmm beef soup you're set.
Great place to talk about gambling on sports too! The workers there gamble on NFL football games. :)
After a wonderful day visiting the De Young Museum and the Warhol exhibit, we Yelped for local food suggestions. Not the first on the list but certainly the one Asian restaurant that has the most interesting comments from Yelpers describing each of their favorite dishes.
Simply amazing authentic Vietnamese cuisine!
Must orders:
imperial rolls
banh xeo (mungbean and shrimp crepes)
seasoned fresh crab
canh chua (sour soup with catfish)
Every time we visit we are greeted by the owner. He's friendly and provides great suggestions if you don't know what to order.
Prepare for family style with hearty portions. Vietnamese dishes are usually served with fresh mint and lettuce leaves to wrap your main dish. Rollup your sleeves and get ready to enjoy with your hands. Don't forget to dip hearty into the fish sauce.
A true gem and a delight; each meal from this restaurant is fitting of it's moniker....YUMMY YUMMY!!
I've only had takeout from here, and someone else picked up and paid for the order, so this review is based solely on the food itself.
I would say the restaurant's name is accurate. They have a decent selection of vegetarian options, and the two or three I tried were delicious. Of course, who knows whether anything really is vegetarian, but that's a philosophical question I should leave for an in-person discussion, preferably with someone less pessimistic than I am.
I want to try this place again.
Imperial rolls are excellent. Flaky, chewy fried outer shell and delicious insides. I forgot how much this was... I believe around $6-7 for 7 small rolls (not terribly cheap).
I order #26 when I want a full meal: rice vermicelli (nice and plump), with charbroiled pork, imperial rolls, and the vinegar/fish sauce/sugar sauce. Nice when you want something light as a salad but don't just want rabbit food (hence, the meat and egg rolls). This was $7.
Raw beef salad is great too - thanks Yelpers! They don't generally allow you to order it take out but since I was going to eat it right away they let me. It comes with the fish sauce/vinegar/sugar mix in one container and lemon juice in another and you pour the two over the salad and then mix it. I made the mistake of putting too much sauce over the salad so it ended up being too sugary sweet -> not so good. It's probably been said before in other reviews but this is like Vietnamese carpaccio. Only thing is the raw beef salad = $11.
It took me and my aunt a while to figure out what kind of herb / leaf was in the raw beef salad. I believe it's Vietnamese coriander: http://en.wikipedia.or.... It has a dark green color with dark purple undertone. If we're wrong someone please correct me.
I hear the salt and pepper crab is amazing and that its sauce is addicting. Must try the next time I am here.
Oh and on the inside of the restaurant, posted on the wall is comparison between The Slanted Door restaurant vs. Yummy Yummy. Basically it concluded the food is delicious in both places but The Slanted Door is more expensive and you get ambiance. Uh dur, I could've told you that. But yes, I take issue with really nice Asian-ish restaurants that charge you 2-3x the price for the same food. I suppose it's the premium you pay for feeling like a million bux and getting to dress up. I suppose it's also where you take your business friends.
After our dinner plans to meet up with my friends at Fisherman's Wharf got canceled, we decided to try a place that my roommate had heard about - Yummy Yummy.
We ordered the raw beef salad (#82), grilled clams (#107), and imperial rolls. The imperial rolls are different from how I usually get them. Because of the wrap they use, it's a little less crunchy than regular Vietnamese imperial rolls. And the rolls have very little stuffing inside. Not very impressive.
Next were the grilled clams which were good, especially with the ginger sauce it came with. My roommate and I tackled that like no other.
And then the finale, which happened to be the best dish ever - the raw beef salad (#82). It looks like prosciutto but with lots of fried onions and mint leaves on top. It's also covered with this sweet sauce that's so delicious. That was an awesome ending to our meal. I would come back here just to order a few dishes of that.
Our bill came out to $30, not including tip. Honestly, I wasn't that full in the end. The dishes are pricey ($8 for a bowl of Pho and don't count on the menu shown in the photos because they've updated their prices since then) and the only dish worth it is the raw beef salad. However, because I've heard good things about their Bun Bo Hue (Spicy Beef Noodle Soup), I might come back just to give that a try. And maybe order a raw beef salad on the side too.
We only went to Yummy Yummy because San Tung was closed on Wednesday night. I had high hopes because it was busy. After waiting a few minutes for a table, we sat down. First of all no menus...few more minutes past before we were handed some. After deciding what we wanted try as we might to wave down one of 3 wait staff, it was another 13 minutes beforew we got to order our food. The rolls stuff with meat was horrible, didn't taste right and the wrap was completely done wrong. The Pho (beef noodle soup) was lacking in taste as well as variety of meets.
I grew up eating authentic Vietnamese food, this place is the pits. I was more excited to pay the check and go home. I won't eat another meal here again
I love Yummy Yummy, you can catch me there, and don't say they are only busy because they are next door to San Tung's.
They serve compeltely different food.
If your in the mood for stinky fresh fish suace,
get the ban uot(rice noodles with crab cake),
ban xeo(seafood crepe),
bo tai (raw beef),
cha gio (egg rolls) and
coffee sua da(your iced coffe)
for a dinner menu get the cahn ca (fish soup) and anything in a claypot.
The Host is great is speaks chinese, vietnamese, and english. i don't recommend large groups during rush hours.
don't let the menu fool you PHO XE LUA does not mean Yummy Yummy in vietnamese ;)
The name of the restaurant say it all....
the pho and the rice plate are good but
my favorite item to get here is the Steam rice rolls w/ fancy pork (Banh Cuon) & Pan fried crepe w/ shrimp & pork (Banh Xeo)..
Best veggie pho around. Trust me been to many vietnamese restraunts and this one loads it up with 2-3 kinds of mushrooms and many fresh veggies that it looks like it might overflow. In my opinion, pho is the best option if it's a chilly night and your on a budget but don't feel like cooking. Wilson is the owner and he is fabulous. He is full of personality and the service here is very impressive.
Imperial rolls were very crisp, and the sauce was even better.
I had the five spice chicken It wasn't very spicy but very good. The Basil chicken #89 was excellent very high quality white chicken, cooked to perfection. Add some seracha sauce and your good. Staff is waiting to help you just give them a nod.
YUMMY YUMMY
i have been here at least 6 times and surprised myself by discovering that i have never yelped this place. quality vietnamese dishes and smack dab in my hood. a special dish that you do not see at a lot of vietnamese restaurants is the bahn cuon. which is a rice noodle crepe with fungus and minced pork. served here with fancy pork and fried onions, very tasty and well executed. http://en.wikipedia.or...ánh_cun. JYW likes it here since it's clean, conveniently located and serves yummy food.
Wow. frickin amazing viet food here. Ordered 3 things, all of em solid.
-Combination salad, better than the one at Bodega Bistro.. i like how everything's served with fish sauce. With viet food, everything goes good with it.
-Steamed clams, how can you go wrong with this? Garlic, chives.. yummy yummy
-Grilled Lemongrass beef, easily the best I've had.
Brought a bottle of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir.. the owner Wilson ended up enjoying some with us.. didn't charge a corkage fee Score!
My favorite place in the city for pho. #1 every time. The broth is good. It's all about the broth. Their other offerings are good too, but truth be told, the only things I really like about Vietnamese food are the huge bowls of pho, the ice coffee, and the occasional BBQ pork chop.
Really good pho. I visit every time I'm in the Sunset. In fact, I think that living near Yummy Yummy must be one of the best parts of living out there. Also, the vegetarian spring rolls are (1) unlike others I've had and (2) absolutely delicious. And the staff is very friendly.
The only bad thing is the muzak. But that's bad everywhere, so it's almost not worth commenting on.
Neighborhood: Outer Sunset
Category: Vietnamese
Neighborhood: Outer Sunset
Category: Vietnamese
Neighborhood: Outer Sunset
Category: Vietnamese
Neighborhood: Outer Sunset
Category: Vietnamese
Neighborhood: Outer Richmond
Category: Vietnamese
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