Hai Ky Mi Gia — Restaurant in San Francisco

This is a Cantonese-Vietnamese Cho Lon Style hole-in-the-wall type of noodle place. I would go here every chance I get when I’m in town. This is my no.1 have to visit place before I leave town.

Service is very fast and friendly, I came alone and waited less than 5 mins for my food. I like my noodles with A LOT of vinegar, they had pickled veggies and jalapeños, those are must-haves sides for your noodles.

You can request 2 different types of noodles for your bowl, it is very common in Vietnam to order Half/half (half rice noodles, half egg noodles). I always liked mine that way, along with wontons. It’s called Hu Tieu Mi (rice + egg noodles) or Hu Tieu Mi Hoanh Thanh (rice + egg + wonton noodles)

You can also request normal or dry style noodles. Dry just means your bowl of noodles comes out with the soup on the side, and they mix your noodles with some special sauce. I tend to like this style in the summer when weather is hot, and normal soup style when its cold out. You can mix a little soup in your dry noodles to make mixing easier.

They’re also well known for their hot/cold soy milk, make sure to try that, I like to drink mine hot in the morning and evening, and cold in the afternoon

Just know what you want on top of your head when you walk in, because this will make service way faster and efficient. Most of their diners during the day seems to be regulars that goes in and out within 15-20 mins.

I got the roasted duck noodle soup, and togo the house special soup. Both were amazing!

I grew up in Vietnam as a child and their flavors and smell, from the moment I walked into the doors instantly remind me of the taste from childhood. It’s very distinct!

Don’t expect this to be fully Cantonese style because it’s not.

If I wanted better duck noodle soup fully Chinese/Cantonese style I could go elsewhere, but this is Vietnamese-Cantonese and its what I came here exactly looking for it.

The neighborhood-wise—not quite tourist friendly. I walked here from Japantown in broad daylight and within 2 blocks I was very hesitant to continue walking, but I still did. Some corners are quite intimidating. If you are older, young, or have kids, I suggest get a ride and arrive directly at the door, or walk with a group, if you’re alone, try to blend in with other walkers, at least that made me feel much better.

Payment They do...

I've been here several times and they are extremely consistent in taste and portion size. Prices are reasonable for the portions you get and the service is always very efficient and friendly. Sure it's messy in the TL, but the restaurant is a homey spot with lots of customers and comfortable on the inside.

Things I've ordered: House special ho fun (soup and dry) - this is the must order here in my opinion, it is full of toppings over the noodles (shrimp, char siew, pork slices, ground pork, chicken strips, fish cakes, beef balls, bean sprouts, pork liver if you want it). I've only gotten the rice noodle version and like it dry with soup on the side. It is well seasoned on its own but you can jazz it up with pickled jalapenos and other sauces that they provide on the table. The fried garlic oil they put in it is delicious and I've never regretted ordering this. Golden fried fish cakes - about 3 whole fishcakes in each order, cut into half and fried to golden perfection. They are a little greasy but tasty with a nice bounce, they taste great dipped in the hoisin sauce. Served with pickled vegetables on the side (cucumber and carrot) which cuts through the grease perfectly. Wonton soup - the wontons are just ok, there's no shrimp in it that I could discern and is mostly just wrapper and ground pork. It's seasoned well and comes in the same soup that they serve with the house special noodles. Beef stew ho fun - this was more soupy than stewy in my opinion, with a strong tomato flavor. The beef was alright and pretty chewy and tough, it would have been nice if they had stewed the meat a little longer to get it nice and soft. The rice noodles don't come with anything else except beef and bean sprouts. It's an ok option but I would opt for the house noodles over this anytime.

The crowds here seem inconsistent, I had to wait once for over 20 mins for a table and it was packed to the gills, and other times I got a table right away and there were a decent number of customers but no wait. The tables turn over quickly though since people are here to eat, not sit...

Hai Ky Mi Gia is a hidden gem in the Tenderloin district that serves authentic and delicious Chinese and Vietnamese noodles. The restaurant is small and cozy, with friendly staff and fast service. The menu offers a variety of noodle soups, dry noodles, and rice dishes, as well as some appetizers and beverages. I ordered the braised duck leg noodle soup with thick egg noodles, which was a generous portion of tender and flavorful duck meat, fresh vegetables, and chewy noodles in a rich and savory broth. The soup was hearty and satisfying, perfect for a cold day. The noodles were cooked just right, not too soft or too hard. The duck leg was easy to peel off the bone, and the skin was crispy and tasty. The broth had a nice balance of saltiness, sweetness, and spiciness, and I enjoyed adding some vinegar and chili sauce for extra kick. The station also had some condiments, such as soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and sriracha sauce, that you can use to customize your dish. The price was very reasonable, considering the quality and quantity of the food. The restaurant accepts cash and credit cards, and there is a tip jar at the counter. Overall, I had a great experience at Hai Ky Mi Gia, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves noodles and duck. It is one of the best places to eat in San Francisco, especially if you are looking for authentic and affordable Asian cuisine. The restaurant is located at 707 Ellis St,...