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    Mong Thu Cafe

    4.5 (219 reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 4:00 pm

    Mong Thu Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    MONG THU CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Quiet
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Mong Thu Cafe

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    Banh Uot Cha Lua & Hu Tieu Nam Vang
    Melody L.

    Mong Thu Cafe is a small mom and pop shop that is a TL staple. It is a tiny space that only seats about 12 to 15 people. Sometimes they'll ask if you could share your table with other people if there's room. Just a heads up that they get very busy during lunch time. Since there is no space to wait inside, you will have to wait outside on the sidewalk if they are full. I highly recommend taking public transportation or a ride share because finding street parking in this area isn't the greatest. This is a great little spot to grab high quality Vietnamese food. I always come here for the Banh Uot Cha Lua. Note that they are cash only. While the area is not the best, the food is absolutely worth the trip.

    Andrew R.

    Came here for lunch with some friends and got a chicken banh mi. I do appreciate that this restaurant has seating, but unfortunately the food was not as good as some nearby banh mi spots (Saigon Sandwich). I found the banh mi to be a bit dry and lacking in flavor, and definitely on the smaller side. The restaurant itself is a bit run down, but has great natural light. The service was good overall. Really annoying they don't accept credit card, fortunately I had cash on me.

    Kevin C.

    I have been coming here for a while now and it is one of those spots I keep going back to. It is small, locally owned, super clean, and they do Vietnamese comfort food really well. I usually get the Pho Ga (Chicken) and it is always consistently great! The soup comes out boiling hot every time, which is exactly how pho should be and something I expect with all the herbs and bean sprouts on the side. Their sandwiches are also very very good, especially the meatball banh mi. The coffee is strong too and it will wake you up! :) There are only four tables that seat 4 people each inside, though some can split into two so it still works for solo eaters and pairs. The staff is super friendly and quick, and the food comes out fast. This is a CASH only spot, but the prices are very affordable and some of the best in the bay area. Street parking can be rough right nearby, so if you were to come here by car, I would recommend parking a bit farther out closer to Van Ness and walk over. Luckily I just live a couple blocks away. This place is a solid neighborhood spot with good food and good value. Opens early at 7am but closes at 4pm everyday and closes on Tuesday.

    Bun mam =
    David V.

    I've been on the hunt in finding more hidden gems and my palate is yearning for more soup spots. I read a few reviews for this place and since I was in the area, I stopped by to see if this bowl they call Bun Mum met my palates expectations. First slurp of the soup, WOW! It had so much flavor and depth, everything that I look for in a bowl of happiness!! Nice little hole in the wall in the TL. The ladies were very sweet and welcoming making me feel like family that was just getting up from a long night out in the city!!! *Extra kuddos for the ladies calmness even while there was a person just outside in need of mental assistance which is a sign they have compassion for the people in the area they serve

    Vietnamese vegetarian noodles
    David C.

    Authentic and great Vietnamese food. Try any of the soups. The #1 has pork spam and shrimp pancake. Delicious. Baum Uot chao lua The soup # was shrimp and pork was also delicious Hu Tieu Mi Love the shrimp pancakes. The Vietnamese coffee is good but very strong Family restaurant and very good service. Only has four tables. So call for take out. Cash only so bring money

    Menu June 2026
    Francina L.

    Cash only! Walked in on a Saturday around 1:30 PM and it was completely full. Fortunately, a table of two was leaving and we only had to wait about five minutes. The restaurant itself is pretty small. There's only about six tables and most of them are for either four people or two so if you're thinking of going in a big group, maybe try to go when it's not rush-hour. Re-ordered a #7 Hu Tiem Nam Vang and 6C Hu Tiem Bo Kha. #7 was my favorite as it came with minced pork, a cha siu like pork and shrimp, super clean broth with glass noodles and side of shrimp pancake... would definitely get that again. The slow braised beef in the Bo Kha was super tender, just had lots of noodles that soaked up the delicious broth. I wanna go back for some of their plated dishes and try their corn dessert.

    Menu
    Jared D.

    Nice cute tiny shop run by Vietnamese ladies. Great authentic food being served here. I tried the Bun Mam, fermented fish soup. It was amazing omg. Some pork belly, shrimp, and fish in a funky, pungeant broth. Comes with lots of fresh veggies like mint, rau rum, bean sprouts, lemon, and jalapeño. The neighborhood is a little rough, but that's the Tenderloin for you. Will come back for more.

    No. 1
    Maurine S.

    Came here for a quick bite since we were in the area. The place is tiny, but the waitstaff are super nice. Note it is CASH ONLY so we had to pull out our wallets to make sure we had enough to cover 4 people. Whew! Just made it with $10 bucks to spare! So I won't spell things wrong I'll just tell you the numbers we ordered hahahah. We had a No. 1, 2, 17, 18. My son had the No. 1 and it was surprisingly good! Never had the shrimp inside the rice flour like that so it was different. I was skeptical of the flat rice noodles as I thought they would be all hard but they were warm and pliable. It was a dish I've never experienced before so I'd come back just for that. I ordered the No. 2 and even though it was good, there were a couple of bites where the meat smelled a little funny and I wasn't sure if it was me or what. Cuz of that I didn't enjoy the meal as much. Hubs and friend had the other dishes which I didn't try but they did like it. Overall the portion sizes were decent and I liked that the cost listed included the tax! I'd stop in again if I was in the area. Just don't forget the CASH!

    menu
    Thaybeth M.

    Came by a Sunday around noon. It's a very small spot, and it was a bit busy, but they cleaned but a table very quick and we were able sit down within 5 minutes. The staff was kind and attentive. I ordered the bun thit zoo. It was good, but the stir fried pork has a lot more grease than actual meat, so I was a bit disappointed by that. However, the actual flavor was good. As expected the rice noodles had a neutral flavor, but the combination of the pork, veggies and noodles was good. Overall, I would be down to revisit; they have a decent selection of Vietnamese dishes worth trying. Also, keep in mind that it's a cash only spot before visiting!

    Bun Bo Hue
    Laura J.

    ** CASH ONLY ** This is a little hole in the wall spot in the Tenderloin, it's a little small inside with few seating so you may have to wait or share tables with someone. I ordered the Bun Bo Hue and the Che Bap. The Bun Bo Hue is a beef soup with pork slices and rice noodles. I'm a huge fan of rice noodles and really enjoyed this dish, it tasted great with a squeeze of lime to make things a little sour and savory at the same time. The soup was hearty and savory but I was not a huge fan of the pork slices, I found it a little tough. I also tried the Che Bap, which was their corn pudding dessert with coconut milk. I never had this before but I really loved it, it's definitely a very unique flavor and might not be for everyone. The dessert is sweet, a little salty and a little savory, and the corn itself is kinda chewy. It tastes like a salty and sweet corn dessert.

    Outside
    Allison W.

    Came here around 12:30 PM on a Sunday. There's not a lot of tables inside, but they were able to clear a recently vacated table for our party of 3 very fast. It's a bright, cleanly painted store with beautifully large windows for sunlight to stream in from, which made the small room feel bigger. They are cash only, so keep that in mind before coming. I got the 4. Hu Thieu Mi, and I loved it! Loved the mix of noodles, and the broth was clear and fresh yet robust. There were plenty of slices of pork and peeled shrimp, and it comes with lemon and jalapeño slices. Very satisfied after! The waitstaff were very kind, efficient and friendly with customers. I wish they were open later so I could come for dinner, but I'm willing to come in the middle of the day just for their food. Can't wait for my return!

    Banh uot, banh mi bo kho, banana tapioca che
    Alison H.

    Sooo delicious, excellent Vietnamese food. They open up pretty early, so if you're feeling breakfast noodle soup, this is the place to go. I've had their banh uot, bun rieu, and bo kho with banh mi. All delicious and generous portions. I recently tried my friends bun mam and the broth was so flavorful - may just need to get that next time. I love their che options - my favorite has been the che bap (sweet corn pudding with coconut cream). My husband likes their Vietnamese coffee. Their iced water is also great (lemony!). The neighborhood is definitely on the rougher side and it's quite a gauntlet to get through... but you'll be rewarded with some of the tastiest Vietnamese food in SF! (Coming from San Jose, this is high praise. Not many good Vietnamese food options in the city!)

    Bun bo hue and Vietnamese iced coffee, a great combo
    Ming S.

    A hidden gem in the TL! This restaurant is loved by locals, you'll see plenty of non-English speaking customers drop by. This place is super clean, the staff is helpful and friendly, food and drinks are delicious, and don't pass up on the desserts!

    From bottom and going clockwise: Bun Rieu 8/10, Bun Bo Hue 9.5/10, Banana Pudding Sago Dessert 7/10, Vietnamese Coffee 9/10

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    17 years ago

    Awesome place to grab lunch. Friendly service. GREAT food. Gotta try the Pork Xiu Mai with bread. It's soo tasty.

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    9 years ago

    This probably the best hu tieu nam vang that tastes like in viet nam. I always come here for hu tieu kho.

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    Anh Hong - Cha gio Saigon (@joeynht)

    Anh Hong

    4.5(160 reviews)
    4.2 miOuter Richmond

    My friends and I visited Anh Hong as a large group of 9 and we able to try out a wide variety of…read moretheir dishes. Some dishes were better prepared than others, but overall, the food was solid across the board. If you enjoy making your own spring rolls, you'll love the grilled pork skewers. The pork is super tender and has such a incredible flavor profile of lemongrass, garlic, fish sauce, and more. Rolled up with the woven vermicelli noodles and fried wonton crisps in a rice paper, you get a wonderful combination of texture in a single bite. The other crowd favorite of the night was the bánh xèo -- the stuffed rice crepe. The bánh xèo here is by far the best one that I've ever had, even surpassing ones I had in Vietnam. The outside was insanely crispy and and was surprisingly not particularly oily, while the inside was loaded with fillings. Two other dishes that were well received by the group was the betel leaf wrapped grilled beef and the sugar cane shrimp. The beef had a very similar flavor profile as the pork, but the texture was a lot more lean. The shrimp had a bouncy, yet firm texture to it, and was very well-seasoned. My only qualm with the shrimp dish is that the sugarcane did not actually have any sweetness to it. There's fish sauce on the table along with a shrimp paste sauce, but to be honest, every dish we had was so flavorful on its own, the sauces aren't even needed. The only dish that we ordered that fell short was the grilled river shrimp. The presentation of the shrimp is impressive and very photogenic, but the flavor was lacking and the cook was inconsistent. Some people had shrimp that was undercooked -- borderline raw, and on the other end of the spectrum, others had shrimp that was so overcooked, that it was very difficult to remove the shrimp from the shell without completely tearing the meat. That said, everything else we ordered was well-prepared, and very tasty. Service was good throughout the meal, and I would definitely come back again for a meal with a large group. 4.5 experience rounding up to a 5.

    I can't say anything bad about this place. I LOOOOOVE this place and the idea of rolling spring…read morerolls together with family and friends. I don't have to clean up or cook all those yummy proteins to go in our spring rolls + you get to eat them super fresh! I took my partner here one time and he mentioned the amount of veggies he ate here was top notch (he doesn't usually eat veggies). The staff is friendly and if you don't know how to roll, they will make sure to walk you through it. Don't be afraid and come to Anh Hong!

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    An Chi

    An Chi

    4.5(282 reviews)
    3.6 miOuter Richmond
    $$

    San Francisco is known to have microclimates and it seems whoever tries to fight Mother Nature will…read morefind out real quick it's not a consistent battle. The last two Saturdays in San Francisco have been not as sunny as people want them to be. One thing I always like to get in those days soup. When the sun is down I go to get Pho Ga at a Vietnamese restaurant. So I decide to pay An Chi a visit. On a weekend stroll on Geary boulevard in SF I landed at An Chi. Inside there is plenty of seating and it has an interesting and welcoming decor. The menu has everything from Banh Mi to different Buns like Bun Rieu to Bun Cha Gio Ga Nuong. I decided to get Garlic Noodle with Five Spice chicken. The noodles were like Angel hair but with a garlicky taste. I then I got the Pho Ga and the broth was tasty and it was refreshing . The noodles were fresh and chicken was tender. Overall a great place to grab Vietnamese food in SF. It feels the Fall has already "begun" when there are days in the Summer where there is barely any "sun "and some visitors and tourists get surprise and some are "stun"but you can get something warm like some some Pho along with some "bun" Go to Geary which is a boulevard and not a "street"where they serve lemon grass and bbq "meat" the Summer in SF isn't always sunshine and trying to hide from the "heat"it's also enjoying Pho and garlic noodles which are like Angel hair because An Chi is a good place to "eat"

    We stopped by for an early dinner at 4:00 PM on Sunday. Since there was only one other party dining…read moreat the time, the service was quick. The staff were both friendly and attentive; they even jumped in immediately to help another table with a spill, which was great to see. We ordered our usual, banh khot. Although this time it wasn't as crispy as I remembered, more fluffier this time, it still satisfied our cravings. We did have to ask for cilantro though since it didn't come with it. Also ordered the grilled pork vermicelli with egg roll. It was a big portion. It came with 2 pieces of thin but big pieces of grilled pork. The pork and dipping sauce was on the more sweeter side. Still need to try their Banh xeo next time.

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    Thanh Long - Fried Calamari

    Thanh Long

    4.1(3.6k reviews)
    5.2 miOuter Sunset
    $$$

    Roasted crab and garlic noodles - 55 years of experience is not an easy feat for this "umamiest"…read moredish. They should rename "Michelin" to "Thanh Long". Amazing service - We felt that we were very well attended to. We didn't have to flag anyone for service. It's as if they know exactly when to check on you. The lighting was soft creating an environment of warmth and the HVAC system did its job of keeping everyone comfortable. Great balance. One valuable tip - if you do not already know - fork in some garlic noodles into the crab shell so the pasta gets coated with the mustard colored crab fat. That experience is the peak of gastronomic pleasure. Chardonnay was my choice for pairing. Enjoy my fellow Yelpers - this is in my top 5 list of worldwide restaurants and hopefully it would be yours too!

    I feel decided mixed about Thanh Long…read more The ambiance is exactly what you'd expect, nicer than a hole in the wall but more ordinary than anything, which tracks for a place that is so well known for their food. Service, at least upstairs in the large but rather austere room, was done by a very direct waitress who seemed to be either used to culling tourists, or was being very direct about the menu, possibly both? We were essentially told to order garlic noodles, crab, beef, veggies, and not much else. Now to be fair those dishes were all good to excellent, particularly the crab and the garlic noodles, with friends absolutely raving about both. Seafood fried rice was good as well, although portions (aside from the crab) were not large, so expect to order more dishes than you might expect. The overall meal was very tasty, the physical vibe worked, but the menu felt more limited than expected, and combined with the terrible parking in the area, it didn't feel like the exceptional meal that was hyped.

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    Mong Thu Cafe - vietnamese - Updated September 2026

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