Tú Lan — Restaurant in San Francisco

I have been coming to Tu Lan for over 20 years. The food is always great even though I always get the same thing (#18 beef and rice noodles). Another favorite are the fried Imperial rolls; astounding! That being said, you really can't go wrong with anything on the menu. There is the usual beef/pork/chicken/veggie entrees on offer so you will definitely be able to find something delicious. This is the 1st place I ever had Sriracha sauce all those years ago. Now it is an accepted condiment on our US tables. There is a counter downstairs if you are just dashing in for a quick bite, several tables and booths on the 1st floor, and even an upstairs dining area. Overall though, this is a pretty small restaurant. The waiter was super nice and easy-going. He even laughed at our table's jokes! My wife always celebrates her birthday here, and they even remember who she is because as I mentioned, we've been coming here for years. Even though the quality of the food is very high with fresh ingredients to please your palate, the overall cost is very reasonable. My favorite #18 used to be somewhere in the $5 range and now it is up to $9 something, but that is OK. San Francisco is friggin' expensive so whatevs! An they still hype the recommendation from Julia Childs on the menu. I can highly recommend Tu Lan if you are looking for some authentic...

I have been here many times, usually when I am in the area with a hungry appetite. The thing that driven me for my first visit was, I was watching a video on YouTube about this place showing their homemade and delicious foods along with their famous eggrolls. Their menu consists of many authentic Vietnamese dishes to choose from, soups, rice plates and much more. You can either sit on the bar top that gives you a view of their open kitchen when they are preparing your food or you can choose to sit at one of their tables. Everything is made to order just the way I like it since I never mind the wait because I am a very patient person. At times it can be crowded where the best options is for takeout or if you do not mind waiting just like me. The staffs here are welding, well trained and understanding where I never had an issue at any of my visits. You may not notice this place at first while driving by unless you come to a complete stop, because this place is basically the definition of a hole in the wall spot. Lastly this place is good for all group sizes or if you want to go solo that is good too. I highly recommend this place to anyone on a limited time, if you want to try something new or if you just so happen to be in the area. I definitely will be back to tryout the other delicious options they...

I visited this place many years ago and liked what I ate but not today. I don't know what is the factor for the change; maybe a new owner or a new chef. Whatever reason, I didn't think what I ordered was that great. Initially I wanted the turmeric rice but seemed it wasn't on the menu any longer. So I ended up with the grilled pork and egg roll rice plate. The meat was actually dry. It looked like the meat was precooked then refried. When the meat and egg roll were placed on top of my rice, the oil that was used to fry them wasn't drained thoroughly. Thereby causing the rice to completely get soaked in oil. Obviously the chef was not very conscientious. Honestly, I am not keen on trying other rice plates on the menu. If you want decent Vietnamese food, just walk over to Larkin Street and you'll find plenty. Tu Lan is located in the worst area of downtown. It is surrounded by panhandlers and street vendors. The restaurant itself is small and the seats are uncomfortable. If you sit by the counter you will have people brushing against you constantly. Also the prices are too high for the level of their restaurant. I will come back to eat here only for the reason of...