Tu Thanh Whenever I'm craving bun mang vit (duck bamboo noodle soup), Tu Thanh is always my first choice. Duck can sometimes have a strong smell, so I've tried many places, but this is the only spot I consistently come back to when I want a good bowl of bun mang vit. My mom and I usually order the duck bamboo vermicelli soup. I personally prefer the duck breast. The flavor is clean, comforting, and very satisfying. The service is warm and friendly. It's a family-run restaurant, and you can really feel the genuine hospitality. They treat customers the same way a family would welcome guests into their home. Parking can be a bit difficult and is probably the biggest downside. For first-time visitors, finding a parking spot may feel a little confusing or inconvenient. Overall, a reliable and comforting spot whenever I'm craving bun mang vit. read more

TU THANH is the poster child for a hole in the wall, mom-and-pop restaurant. homestyle, northern Vietnamese food that has not been re-engineered for white-people palates, before Yelp profiles got "streamlined," one of the get-to-know-me questions was where will you usually find me. my answer was in a restaurant where I'm the only person eating there who speaks English. okay there was one other guest who spoke English, esteemed Yelp colleague, Omar S, but not that much of a stretch to say TU THANH still qualifies. we started with Dồi Chiên (fried lemongrass sausage). a lot like sai oua, a Northern Thai version I've had, but the skin's crispier because it's fried and not grilled. little overcooked for my white-people preferences which gave it a slightly gritty texture but still had great flavor. I ordered the BÁNH CANH TÔM CUA (thick rice noodles with real crab, shrimp, and fried fish cakes). flavors were subtle but the dish had the homey deliciousness of a bowl of warm hugs. Omar ordered the Bún Măng Vịt Gỏi Bắp Chuối (vermicelli noodle and coconut soup) that came with sliced duck and lightly-dressed cabbage salad on the side. one of my favorite things about duck is the gamey richness and theirs was more toward the chicken breast end of the flavor profile but still good. the ginger sauce (pictured in the sausage photo) helped. went for lunch and had to hike a ways from where I finally found parking but well worth the walk. read more

Favorite order here is the spicy sausages, they are rich and spicy with crispy casings, almost similar to Lao 'Sai Oua' The soups were delicious, northern Vietnamese food isn't something super common in SD. The Bun/Mien Mang was a broth with noodles and lovely soft bamboo and a side of steamed duck with a thin sliced salad with some kind of wonderful clear dressing. Steamed duck in general isn't my favorite but dipped in their ginger fish sauce it became a vibrant flavor bomb. The bamboo soup, dipped duck, and seasoned salad together makes a wonderful spoonful. The Bun Rieu was lighter than a central Vietnamese Bun Rieu but still wonderful, the pork meatballs are made in house and they give you 3 different types of mint leaves which were fresh and plentiful. They also give you a little container of fermented shrimp sauce which if used sparingly adds a lovely flavor profile. Atmosphere is OG yet updated enough not to scare away your western friends. Parking is a challenge but the service was excellent. The restaurant has 8 or so tables, not huge but bigger than I was expecting reading other reviews. I believe they have a couple small tables on the patio as well. read more

See all

I live in this area my entire life and just recently got introduced to this restaurant about a year ago. My go to order is the clear bamboo noodles soup with side a of duck. The soup is sooo flavorful. Its light, packed full of flavors and just a delicious morning breakfast. I usually don't eat breakfast but if I get a call to eat here, I'm there! This is also a good meal if you're feeling under the weather. Order the clear noodles with the duck. Thank me later. read more

Tu Thanh - Clear bamboo noodles with a side of duck - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Edit: Forgot to mention the lemongrass sausage! So delicious and spicy! I took it to go and it reheated nicely! Went perfect with the mild duck soup I had leftover. Would definitely order again! Duck soup- served with the duck and a light cabbage salad on the side. The duck was very flavorful and the sweet ginger dressing drizzled over it all was perfect. Others have commented the soup is sweet but it is only as sweet as you choose to make it. If you don't like sweet, don't add the ginger sauce, duh. The soup is a very light broth with slippery thin rice noodles. I loved the shredded bamboo topping. Very comforting warm bowl on a stressful day. Loved it! If anyone can answer this question for me- would it be heretical to add chili crisp to this dish? haha! TIA! The only spicy condiment available was sriracha which I didn't use. Ambiance was typical low-key unembellished for an inexpensive hole-in-the-wall yummy cafe in the middle of City Heights. Service was very quick. Parking was super easy at the curb. Will definitely he back to try more dishes! read more

Tu Thanh - Ginger sweet sauce for duck - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

We often here for Bun Mang Vit . Not sure why the soup it not the same as before but still good! Maybe too much MSG ? read more

Tu Thanh - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Sorry but this place deserves 1 star for service. Sat down and took 30 min to order and another 1.5 hour to get my bowl . Only 2 workers and it seemed like they make 1 bowl at a time when time can be saved but making more . read more

Tu Thanh - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

This is as authentic of a Vietnamese place it can be - Vietnamese speaking restaurant with limited seating. If you would like to try noodle soups, other than pho and bun Bo hue, then this is not too far of a drive. We got the crab noodle soup and duck bamboo soup. They were huge portions with free veggies and a clean tasting broth. Tap and Apple Pay is available. We would come back again. read more

See all

If you're looking for a genuine Vietnamese dining experience, Tu Thanh is the restaurant for you. Tu Thanh is hidden gem tucked within City Heights and the restaurant's aesthetic and the taste of the food are both genuine to what I've experienced when I visited Vietnam. I came here on a weeknight with a party of 7 ready to dine and there was ample seating available. Admittedly the night was a bit quieter because otherwise the limited seating would've been a bit more of a problem. My friends and I ordered dishes like the Banh Canh, Bun Rieu, Bun Mang Vit Co Goi, and some Doi Chien (fried lemongrass sausage) and Cha Chien (fried fish cakes) to share for the table. Both the Banh Canh and the Bun Mang Vit Co Goi have a light and clear broth with a delicious aroma made up of traditional Vietnamese herbs such as lemongrass. The protein in both of these dishes are also delicately boiled in water to create a more tender bite as compared to searing and frying on a pan. The Bun Rieu on the other hand features a more heavily seasoned clear tomato broth with more unique toppings like pigs blood which I really enjoy. Both the Doi Chien and Cha Chien were fun finger foods to nibble on before our main entrees hit the table and were the perfect sides to share with a large party. We were all extremely satisfied with the food and many of us felt like the taste and experience was very true to the culture. The service wasn't the fastest but the staff were all very friendly and welcoming. Parking around this area is often very rough so expect to park a few blocks away within the residential area for a less than 10 minute walk to the restaurant. read more

Tu Thanh - 1. Banh Canh Tom, Cua, Cha - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

Was so excited to try this place but it wasn't really my cup of tea. The chicken was quite dry. I will say the service was really friendly. Maybe it was an off day. read more

Tu Thanh - Cha goi ga - chicken congee - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Bun mang vit was on the sweeter side, which was basically msg loaded. Noodles were cut extra small like it was for a child. Duck was juicy tho. Banh canh tasted like store bought, so nothing special. Msg loaded for the soup as well. Cash only and no parking. read more

Tu Thanh - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Love this place for authentic Vietnamese food!! Their absolutely specialty is duck noodles with bamboo shoots! A must try!

We love the duck dishes here. Service is fast, no wait. Parking can be tricky. I would suggest bringing cash to avoid an extra card fee. read more

Tu Thanh - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

Most authentic Vietnamese restaurant I've been to in San Diego. The food was delicious. I'm really happy they had the real sides for the bun rieu. read more

Tu Thanh - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

Worse parking ever. SD needs to improve the area...plenty of restaurants but most of em had no parking lot. Street parking avail but no space avail at all. I drove like a couple of circles in order to find parking to eat here. Service here was lacking. Everybody was like hiding in the kitchen. They didn't even noticed customers walking in. We had to look for them and placed our order. Presentation 10/10 I liked how they sliced the duck so neatly. The sauce was decent. The bamboo noodle soup was good. Clear broth but flavorful. Fish cake was okay. It would have been 10/10 if it was super fresh. There was this frozen taste or something in it. I can't think of the word lol One thing I disliked about here was the portion they brought out for us was smaller than the other customers. I think it was because they thought me and my mom gonna share so they purposely gave us a smaller portion. Our plate of salad was a lot smaller than the others. I don't like business like this. It shouldn't matter if sharing or not. The portion should be the same. I usually will never return to businesses like this. I will only go if someone wanna go. read more

See all

Very good food, especially the duck noodle soup with reasonable price. The only thing that needs improvement is the organization of the store. It looks a little bit not appealing to customers. read more

I used to bring my ex here for dinner back in 2016 when they first opened the place, I knew the owner Tu Thanh pretty well as I was her regular customer, she used to give me extra food back in the day; it must have been 5 years since I returned, fun fact Tu Thanh and Phuong Nga are actually owned by the same people. The food definitely stayed the same, all the flavors of the original South Mekong Delta Vietnam, at least I didn't taste any MSG in the broth, bun mang vit, mien mang ga, mien mang tom cua, plus cha chien are all the favorite dishes. Since Covid and inflation I can see the portion got smaller and the price went up quite a bit. They now closed on Wednesday but still better than when it began, I can only go during evening time, I am glad to come back and try the food I used to love, they will be taking 1 month off, so more reasons for me to visit as I won't have a chance to eat anything for a month read more

See all

A little out of the way, but worth the drive to City Heights if you're craving duck soup. This mom and pop shop is a local go to spot for bun mang vit. Limited seating inside, however tables clear quickly. Street parking can be tough but you can park in the nearby neighborhood and walk to the restaurant. read more

Tu Thanh - 1. Banh Canh Tom Cua - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

I asked for beef Pho. They do not serve beef. The specialty is duck. I said yes sir. I feel like I left San Diego for a bit and ate something directly from Vietnam. Oh man so good. Should have taken a photo. read more

If you don't care about the ambiance, Tu Thanh is the place to go for a rare but authentic Northern Vietnamese noodle dish called Bun Mang (noodles with bamboo shoots). You can order Bun Mang with different proteins (duck, chicken, fish balls, shrimp, crab, etc.). What makes Tu Thanh special is they use fresh bamboo shoots instead of dried and hard-to-chew ones. The broth is savory with a hint of sourness. Bun Mang Duck is a must. My wife had a different type of soup called Bun Rieu (Crab, Shrimp, Pork & Tomato) Noodle Soup and said it was excellent. Our server was nice but don't expect prompt or good service. This is another hole-in-the-wall place. You are pretty much there for these special and rare noodle soups from Northern Vietnam that you won't find anywhere else. read more

See all

This place is very well known for the best bún măng vịt in SD, which is very true. I've been going here for several years and they never disappointed me. The bún măng vịt broth is light, but tasty; you can add fish sauce to your liking. A portion includes the noodle soup, shredded cabbage, and sliced duck (I forgot to take photo of it). The duck meat is very tender and fresh. The dồi chiên is delicious as well; it's crispy from the outside and has a little spicy kick to it. You can taste the lemon grass, chillies, peppers, and I think it's made from pork. - Service is quick and friendly - There's no parking lot so you would have to find parking on the street read more

Tu Thanh - Dồi Chiên (Fried Vietnamese Sausage) - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Came down to San Diego and we ended up coming here for 3 straight days. We had chao, mien, ban canh and bun rieu. The vit is incredibly good. Just right texture and no smell at all. Cafe sữa đá is also very good. Highly recommended. read more

This small store in City Heights is such a hit!! I absolutely love this place, I've been here twice now and am already looking forward to coming back! The bun mang vit is my fav choice by far. The duck is so flavorful, perfectly cooked, and tender. The side salad is also amazing, I could eat an entire bowl of that itself. The soup itself is comforting and warm. I had this during a nasty hangover and I felt better than pho ever made me feel LOL. The broth is so flavorful as well. The meal fills you up without making you feel groggy, it's rare I eat so much yet feel energized afterward. I heard they changed the type of bamboo used, however I've only had the one they currently use and have no issues with it! The store itself is small, but there's a decent amount of seating and it gives it a very mom-and-pop vibe. This place is 100% a City Heights GEM! read more

Tu Thanh - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

Open for pick up, closed on Wednesdays! I've had Bamboo Duck Noodle Soup (Bun Mang Vit Co Goi) in Portland before, and never seen it as an option in San Diego Vietnamese restaurants. A week ago, I saw it on another restaurants menu, decided to look and see if there was a place that specialized it in San Diego. Tu Thanh happened to be it! It is a little hole in the wall restaurant, not the nicest looking, and parking is kind of non existent..you need to find street parking if you are dining in or trying to pick up the food. The broth was light, similar to a chicken pho broth but with bamboo in it. The duck was a little chewy and had a good dipping sauce that came with it along with some noodles and veggies. Portion size is good and it's $9. This is a family own business, the owner and the daughter were really sweet. They offered me a yogurt, but I initially declined it. However, the owner was saying she made it fresh today and insisted on giving it to me at no charge. I've never had this before, there's a little tanginess but it's sweet too with a texture similar to a custard. (Unfortunately I ate it before I took a photo...) M read more

Tu Thanh - Ban 1. Mi Mang Vit Co Goi - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Not sure if I ever gave this place a review, but they do have the best duck soup in San Diego, if you never have steam duck, it's the stuff to died for, you dip the duck in that ginger fish sauce and you just went to heaven. The only problem I have is the parking, it's hard to find parking here. The owner is just nice people. read more

Tu Thanh has been on my radar for some time. I'm a huge fan of anything-duck so I was just waiting for the opportunity to visit this small family owned Vietnamese restaurant. They are located in the El Cajon area and can be hard to find. They do share a small parking area with the Mexican fruta store next door. We ordered: PORRIDGE WITH DUCK AND SALAD: - We appreciated the generous portion of this dish. The duck was served on the side with a side salad. The porridge had a nice clean soup base with the broken rice. I enjoyed the fresh green onions, fried scallions, and ginger. Look at the generous amount of duck that comes with the porridge. The ducked looked well boiled and was tender. It needed to be dipped in the ginger sauce for added flavor or eaten together with the porridge. I loved the cabbage salad as it was lightly dressed with a sweet vinegar dressing of some sort. BAMBOO DUCK NOODLE SOUP: - The duck pieces were different from the porridge but equally tender and meaty. The broth of the noodle soup was a bit bland for my taste but the table enjoyed it with the duck. SEAFOOD NOODLE SOUP: - The seafood noodle soup here at Tu Thanh was served with udon style noodles. There were two small crab legs, three shrimp, and a fried fish cake. We thought this was the weakest dish of the day as the crab didn't taste fresh and the soup was bland. FRIED FISH CAKES: - The fried fish cakes came last. We didn't know the seafood noodle would have an entire fish cake which would have been enough for us to share. So we only ate half of the fried fish cakes. I found the fish cakes somewhat boring but tablemates said it was better dipped in the chili sauce on table. We would have preferred to order another duck dish versus this item. my blog has more detailed review and pics Service was quick. This isn't a fancy restaurant but rather an eat and go kinda place. They do accept credit cards. I asked the cashier why they don't have to go menus and he said they stopped making them as customers kept grabbing too many. I'd return again to try Tu Thanh when I'm in the area. read more

See all

Supports local businesses. I've been eating here more than 10 years already. A little bit different taste of there fish sauce but still good. read more

Hole in the wall, tiny, mom and pop shop, in City Heights. I've been wanting to try this place since my Mom told me that they specialize in Bamboo Duck Noodle Soup. I love duck but have to be in the mood for this since I'm not a big fan of bamboo. And I guess today, I was in the mood. Since this was take-out, the bamboo soup/broth was in a separate container and everything else (noodles, cabbage/veggies/duck, ginger dipping sauce, vinegar) was in another. I like this better cause I was able to mix all the dry ingredients in my bowl and added my own portion of broth/bamboo to the noodles as I ate. The duck was very fresh, tender and fatty (which I love). Broth is very light and clear and the portion was very generous. I finished my dish and felt very satisfied. Will have to come back to try their duck porridge. read more

Tu Thanh - Bun Mang Vit Co Goi - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

My mum and I love this little restaurant! Bún riêu and bún măng vịt are always our go to along with chả and their lemongrass sausage. The ginger dipping sauce is delicious! Service is good here and it has a chill atmosphere. One of our favorite places to eat in San Diego. read more

This use to be a good spot for duck noodles in san diego the only spot for duck noodles. Went there today to get some noodles and find out they no longer have bamboo with there noodles. Such a sad day hope they change back to real bamboo instead of what they are using now. read more

Tu Thanh - They stop using bamboo and started using this stuff - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

This probably the most authentic Vietnamese place ever. I'm Vietnamese I wouldn't have heard of this place unless a friend of mine told me. It's a hidden gem among the Vietnamese community. Of course they are not specialize in the common plates are known to Americans, like Phở or Bánh Mi. The most famous disk there is bun mang vit, which translate to vermicelli noodle soup, with Bamboo shoots and ducks. They will give you a bowl of simple broth and noodle but it's so flavorful, a side of salad and boiled duck on the side and the ginger sauce to dip the duck meat in. I went twice and every time order the same dish. Would need to come back for a different choice next time read more

My mom friend's actually told us about this place a couple of years ago and we have been regulars ever since. I usually get the duck porridge and my mom always gets the bamboo duck noodle soup. Once in a while we will get the fried fish cakes but it's too much and we never finish it. I love that all the food here tastes like my mom's cooking. The duck porridge is so flavorful and you can taste the roasted rice smell. This porridge is served in a big bowl and comes with a side of salad and duck on the side. They also make a ginger sauce that you dip the duck and salad in and it's done just right. Absolutely a must get dish. The bamboo duck noodle soup comes in a big bowl with delicious clear soup and lots of bamboo shoots. The bamboo shoot is perfect, not too chewy or hard. I can actually chew it unlike other places where the bamboo just gets stuck in my teeth. This dish also comes with a side of salad, duck and ginger fish sauce on the side. The broth is a bit bland but I just dip the salad and duck in the ginger sauce and all is fine. You can get the vermicelli noodles or clear noodles, both are yummy. The fried fish cakes comes in a basket and the portion is huge. It tastes like fried pork loaf (cha lua in banh mi). Don't expect much from the shop in terms of decor, cleanliness or anything along those lines. I see ants all the time crawling on the table,,. Please just ignore it and eat good food. Service is really quick. This place is a delicious hole in the wall that serves authentic Vietnamese food. One thing I do hate about coming here is parking. I usually go right when it opens and there is always parking then. read more

Tu Thanh - Duck porridge - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

I would rate the food here as a 5, the overall experience is more like a 4.5 just because the location and the interior is very outdated. Parking is a pain in this area, we usually order take out and just park in the red briefly to pick up. I have eaten inside here before and while it's fine, it's just not the greatest ambience. However, the food and service are both very solid. My usual go to when I am here is the bun mang vit (duck and bamboo noodle soup) and a side of fried fish cakes. The bun mang vit is made by simmering duck for hours and the broth is super clean and delicious. It also contains bamboo and scallions. The boiled sliced duck they serve on the side is good, and the fish/ginger sauce that comes with this is part of the reason that I crave coming to this place. I have tried other things like their crab seafood soup which tastes really good but is sparse on the actual seafood. Their prices are very low for the quality of food that you get and the ladies are always courteous and helpful. This is a place I frequent regularly and can definitely recommend to my Yelp brethren and sisters. read more

Was really craving Chao (rice porridge) and I was looking on line, came upon this place and have to say the best one yet, reminds me of my childhood tasted so good! definitely coming back! read more

This place is my all time favorite in San Diego. The soup is clear but so flavorful. The probs are generous and a bowl of duck bamboo noodle soup comes with the salad. During covid, we ordered one of each item to try with friends at home, and every dish was legit. It's a small mom n pop place with a limited menu, but everything is delicious. This is a must stop for us every time we are in town! read more

The steamed duck reminds me of Hainan Chicken. Will be back to try the Steamed chicken next time. The bamboo soup noodles were so savory. I also got the pork blood porridge which was read more

Close enough with the food. Always get the rice porridge with the cabbage salad. The dipping sauce is good but a bit sweet. The family is nice. Feels like a shop in Vietnam which is no frills. read more

Have been a few times and Tu Thanh never disappoints!! Tasty and AUTHENTIC flavor with great portion sizes!! Always looking forward to our next visit. read more

If you want tasty authentic Vietnamese bamboo duck soup, this is the place. I think they should earn 1 Michelin star for their bamboo duck soup (1 star - "A very good restaurant in its category"). Even in Vietnam, you will rarely find any place that makes better bamboo duck soup. The duck was not overcook and still tender. The ginger fish sauce has the right kick and flavor - perfect for the duck salad. I have to drive 30-40 minute just to come here to buy the bamboo duck soup. I also order the fried Vietnamese sausage. read more

Store front is clean and well-lit. Parking is a bit tough, street parking in the residential area. We ordered waaay too much food. 1. Fried Fish cake: they took the shapes of potato wedges, crispy and a good starter. 2. Sausage: it's not a very salty sausage at all, it is stuffed with lemongrass and so unusual for a sausage. 3. Bamboo shoots noodle with duck salad - noodles sit in the clean broth, side with shredded cabbage, banana flowers, this unknown herb, and steamed duck that came with a ginger sweet and sour sauce. Such a refreshing combination, and what a pleasantly surprising flavor! The duck is juicy and cooked just right, not too fatty at all. 4. The bun rieu cua (crab and shrimp soup noodle) is practically 2-people's portion. The broth is clean and you can taste the crab and shrimp flavors well. We ordered 2 of this and I feel super horrible to have left behind the 2nd bowl...noooooooooo! This also look like a good take out place. I picked up their Vietnamese-only to go menu, which has a lot more items than the display in the store. Let me go run this all through google translate, lol. read more

See all