Tuyet Mai — Restaurant in San Francisco

Tenderloin has an abundance of Vietnamese restaurants in-fact there are as many as 8 specialized Pho restaurants apart from banh mi and coffee shops. I randomly decided to try Tuyet Mai one Saturday afternoon for lunch. At the peak lunch hour, it was completely empty. This seemed a bit odd as most other Vietnamese restaurants usually have a wait at this time. Anyway, as I had already committed myself I decided to push ahead and get something. After going through the menu, I decided to get the Duck curry noodle soup ($9.30) as I had not seen this item at other Pho restaurants. I had to pay cash as I think I did not hit the minimum required for cards.

After ordering it was a long 20+ minute wait for getting the food. It seemed that the kitchen was working on a large to-go order of almost 10 servings that they had to fulfill before they could attend to my order. I got two containers, a large plastic container with the soup and another small Chinese to-go container with the noodles which was a good start as it prevented the noodles from soaking up all the broth by the time I reached home. Let’s start with the good stuff. The duck noodle soup was pretty good. Even though there were no big chunks of duck meat its flavor came through pretty well. I was expecting it to be very salty but it turned out to be properly seasoned. Now for the bad. The quantity of noodles that I got was very tiny, filling about half the small to-go container. What’s worse if that they were small stands that seemed to be left over from the large order. It was as if they just took all the leftover noodles from the last order and packed those off for me. This is just not done. Goes without saying that I did not like what I got.

Price-wise it was pretty cheap and inline with what you would pay at other Pho restaurants in the hood. Unfortunately, the quality of the noodles let these folks down which is a pity as the soup itself was pretty good. I’m going to attribute this to maybe a onetime thing and try them again in due course but given what I got I’m in no...

My visit to Tuyet Mai Vietnamese restaurant in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood was an exceptional culinary experience. The restaurant boasts an extensive menu, with a particular reputation for their bun bo hue, banh xeo, and hearty home-cooked family-style dinners.

What truly stands out at Tuyet Mai is the unique blend of Vietnamese and Chinese influences in their cuisine. As someone who appreciates both cultures, I found the fusion of flavors and techniques to be a delightful surprise. It's like taking a gastronomic journey through Vietnam with a hint of Chinese influence, and the results are absolutely delicious.

The owners, a mature Vietnamese Chinese couple, bring a personal touch to the dining experience. You can sense the pride and love they put into their food. This familial atmosphere creates a warm and inviting ambiance that makes you feel right at home.

The service at Tuyet Mai is nothing short of impeccable. The staff, mostly local Vietnamese, are not only efficient but also incredibly friendly. Their knowledge of the menu and willingness to assist with recommendations further enhance the overall dining experience.

Tuyet Mai is a gem in the Tenderloin neighborhood, and it's clear that they prioritize adaptability, respect, and honesty in their approach. They adapt traditional recipes while showing immense respect for the flavors and techniques of Vietnamese and Chinese cuisines. Their honesty shines through in the quality of the food and service they provide.

If you're a fan of Vietnamese cuisine and appreciate the influence of Chinese flavors, Tuyet Mai is a must-visit. It's a testament to the rich world cultures present in the Bay Area, and I highly recommend experiencing it...

*Now called Tuyet Mai

I have to admit that Tuyet Mai offers an impressive variety of Vietnamese dishes that I normally don't see at most Vietnamese restaurants. Craving my favorite Viet noodle soup, bun rieu, my boyfriend and I decided to grab lunch here.

Restaurant is located in the Tenderloins and is a hole-in-the-wall type of place. The door to the restaurant has peeling paint and is a little difficult to open. The restaurant reminds me of a typical nicer-than-average restaurant you would see in Vietnam. By American standards, the restaurant is pretty run down. The service was excellent and very attentive.

We both ordered bun rieu and shared an order of egg rolls. The egg rolls came out freshly fried and with plenty of fresh lettuce to wrap it in. I'm usually picky about the nuoc cham that Vietnamese restaurants offer. The nuoc cham that came with the egg rolls was delicious and tasted just like my family's recipe.

The bun rieu was underwhelming and bland in my opinion. I had to add fish sauce to add more flavor to my broth, which was disappointing since the broth is usually the best part. I enjoyed that the bun rieu comes with shrimp, crab, tofu, and pork blood, but I could have gone without the overcooked shrimp. There also was barely any crab, another disappointment. I would probably come back to try their banh xeo or banh beo, just out...