Always a good meal at this home in the wall in the Tenderloin. My favs are always the ginger fish and imperial roll. Had the pork and mixed vegetables and a vermicelli dish. Forgot to take photos. For 4 people it was more than enough. My friends who have never been there loved it. Come early on theater days because it gets busy. read more

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I have eaten at Tú Lan numerous times over many years. The restaurant is open Monday to Friday, 11 AM-8 PM. I usually order the same dish: #17 Pork Kebab & Imperial Roll over Vermicelli. I like the imperial roll because it's crispy and not greasy. However, this time the pork kebab seemed overcooked and was hard to chew. My friend ordered the same pork kebab and imperial roll combination, but over rice instead of vermicelli. Overall, this is still a reasonably priced Vietnamese restaurant, and I would recommend it. read more

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3% credit card fee. Pay in cash, and use exact change; They round your change *down* to the nearest dollar. Yes, I did see a cockroach crawl up the wall, but that is part of the charm of the place. - 3/5: #1 Imperial rolls. Not as good as Slanted Door. - 3/5: #59 Ca chien gung fried fish in ginger sauce. The sauce is served on the side, and it's flavorful but watery. I prefer a glazed sticky sauce that is baked onto the fried fish like you get at Sala Thai in Fremont. read more

Tú Lan - #1 Imperial Rolls $9.75 - Vietnamese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Great pho just in a bad area of SF. I had never stayed in this area of the city before so it was a struggle to find restaurants that I could trust This one stood out when I was looks for noodles. It looked like it had been around for a long time. I ordered the beef pho with a beef rib bone. The broth was on was very savory with a bit of tang like vinegar taste to it. To balance out the taste I added a bit of hoisin to the broth and it was quite enjoyable for me. I'm a more sweet and salty balanced person. If you're in the neighborhood and want pho this place fits your taste and price. What's even more impressive was an article was written about this place that Julia Child has personally loved coming to when she was alive. read more

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Love this place! The vermicelli always hits the spot and the service is friendly and efficient. read more

Tú Lan - 17. Pork Kebab, Imperial Roll over Vermicelli so good! Perfect amount of food for me. - Vietnamese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This spot is one of my go-tos for a quick takeout lunch or dinner! The area is not great but a short walk from SoMa so it's super easy to pick up food here. My usual order is the pork kebab + imperial roll vermicelli bowl which comes with rice vermicelli, grilled pork slices and an imperial roll. The fish sauce is great to bowl over everything or dip the spring roll in and it comes with bean sprouts and fresh herbs to mix in. I have noticed the the portions have gotten smaller over time but still a solid lunch spot in SF. read more

Tú Lan - Vietnamese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Best dishes with full of flavor . Good customer service and the food is prepared almost right in front of you read more

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It has literally been a decade or more since I've visited Tu Lan and it's pretty much just as I remembered. Just a few tables, totally not fancy, and very satisfying food. Great portions, friendly service. read more

Tú Lan - Flat noodles with shrimp - Vietnamese Near Me - San Francisco, California

This place is in a less than desirable area but the food is worth it. The curry pineapple fried rice is so delicious and well worth the trek. The fried fish dishes are also very good as well as the imperial and fresh spring rolls. There's a reason this place has been open forever. Affordable & tasty! read more

They've updated their sign outside! By the Way, I've been coming here for awhile now and first time eating with a big group. There's space upstairs check out the video. Food is still good as always!!! Service still the same. read more

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Dreaming about the fried fish with ginger sauce. Melt in your mouth with the perfect crisp on the outside. The shrimp rolls were fresh too. Prices and services were superb! read more

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All orders came out very flavorful!! Cooked to perfection. Got the top three choices and did not disappoint. Workers were kind, greeted us kindly with a smile. They were attentive and helpful. Although location may be eh, this local spot is worth the experience. Place is small and has many seating and has an upstairs. read more

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Tu Lan is a San Francisco institution. I have been coming here for many years and it still hits the spot. One of my favorites is the grilled pork with egg rolls and rice. A lot of the items on the menu is under $15 which is very rare for San Francisco restaurants nowadays. The Thai tea is really good, yet small. I would need two of these LOL. The staff is extremely nice and friendly. The best parking would be the 5th and Mission parking garage and walk fast to the restaurant because the area is very questionable, especially at night. But you'll definitely enjoy your meal and it's such a cozy spot with plenty of seating downstairs and upstairs as well. One of my friend's favorite items is the curry fried rice and it's really good! So next time you're looking for a delicious yet inexpensive meal near downtown or Soma, I would highly recommend Tu Lan! read more

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Is Tu Lan a dive more interesting in the getting-to and sitting-in than the eating? Yes it is. Move circuitously to avoid the walking dead with hypos sticking from arms and elsewhere; to avoid the droppings on the floor. To be honest, there's nothing really romantic or even cool about the Tenderloin. The place is gross. But it makes the pudgy pink faced foodie feel like a soldier when he braves that which is repugnant to secure his plate of nem nuong. The entrance to Tu Lan, more narrow than a needle point, confronts you with its slightly worn, worked in kitchen. Wok range. Stacks of imperial rolls waiting to plunge into the deep fryer. Maybe you're lucky and find a professional dancer, grabbing a meal before her shift at The Crazy Horse around the corner. Maybe you're really lucky and she practices upon you, as a warm up, the winning charm that her profession requires. Looking up at you from the cover of the menu is an etching of Julia Child. Apparently she dined here. An Article from the Chronicle hangs on the wall testifying to the veracity of this event. The Vietnamese coffee arrives, not in glass, but in plastic. Bummer. The cha gio (imperial rolls), pork and glass noodles stuffed into carby wrappers and deep fried have no discernable flavor of spice nor aromatic. And they're fairly sodden with grease. Not the best food. Not the best neighborhood. But it's cheapish. Idk. Try it out. read more

Came here for a quick lunch and decided to move away from my normal curry, fried rice and shrimp to move up and perhaps not order the same thing over and over and over again, which I love so much. The next delicacy I decided to chose after several years was to finally eat the curry chicken. And I have to say I did love the curry sauce. It was delicious the bowl of rice and I ordered some fresh lemonade and it was incredible. I have to say they were quick to deliver the food and it has a great Hole In The Wall experience with upstairs dining with small tables it was decorated for the Chinese new year, which really just added a little more backdrop to a very urban Street in a delight to eat at. The service people smiled and were super friendly as well as greeting you at the beginning and upon your exit this is a lovely charming spot that has well loved by so many people in the community. read more

Don't let the location distract you from this hidden gem on the edge of 6th street and Market st! I've been coming to place since the late 90's when I use to work down the street from this place on Howard st. The service is always quick and friendly and the food is hot, fresh and made to order! The pricing is fair considering the portions sizes and I can eat off the usual three order over a few days! My go to are #20 #4 and their Chicken Curry Fried Rice (the curry powder really makes this dish stand out!) This place has come a long way. I even remember when the current chef first started and was being trained by the guy before him and now the "new guy" is greyed haired! The food is consistent so what you have the taste for will be there when you get it which is a nice thing! A few years back they renovated the seating area and it's pretty nice and a big difference from what it was back in the day. A few months ago I made a drive from vallejo on my day off and I bumped into the new mayor of San Francisco (I didn't realize who he was at first but I did notice the men in black with earpieces!) Not related to the food but he did ask me how long I've been going there and I pretty much told him what I'm sharing with you in this review. Definitely try this place out and I know you'll find a new favorite dish. I hope you love this place as much as I have over the years! J Suggestion: if you are not feeling the area (which I understand) just call in your order to go! read more

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After seeing the Broadway show The Notebook today, we did not plan where to eat for early dinner. We were strolling on Market St. when a friend suggested Tulan so we ended up at this hole in a wall! It is a small restaurant and since we were 6, we ended up eating upstairs. One friend saw on the floor a dead cockroach. She was not pleased about it. Being new at this restaurant, some of us took a while browsing the menu. The server arrived and answered our questions. She was nice. We ordered Imperial Rolls, Hanoi Style Beef with Rib, Beef sautéd over vermicelli with Imperial Roll as side order, Wonton (pork) egg noodle soup, Basil leaf ground pork over rice, Fried Fish in ginger sauce, Marinated fish. The wall decors were simple except there was a picture frame of Julia Child from the SF Chronicle who dined at Tulan in 1980s. We had time to update ourselves while waiting for our food. The Imperial rolls were served first as appetizers. The food arrived one at a time and hot. We mostly enjoyed the food except one friend she said her ground pork with rice was lacking some taste so she ordered some sauce to add the flavor. We did not know that we had to go down to get our bill. We paid Dutch style. We said we wanted to return for the catfish as it was cooked to perfection. read more

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Imperial rolls and grilled pork with dry noodles with cucumber, bean sprouts, and lettuce. Yum. The rolls was huge with lots of filling, crispy. The pork was on the dry side but with a lovely dip of their fish sauce makes it up. Seats upstairs. They closed at 7 pm now a days so get their accordingly. read more

Stopped by for a quick snack, but ended up making a meal out of it. Both the Summer Rolls and the Imperial Rolls (fried spring rolls) were delicious. It's a bit stuffy in here and I was a bit confused on how to dine in the first time around (pick an open table and someone will come over). However, it's a very solid option for food (especially Vietnamese spring/summer rolls) if you're hungry and happen to find yourself in this part of the city. read more

Tú Lan - Vietnamese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I had a pork and imperial roll vermicelli to-go around 6 PM last week. What a disappointment! The pork was badly burned, tasted like charcoal. The imperial roll was soggy, mushy. I had to throw away most of the food. I wonder if they had different kitchen/chef. read more

Ate here because we were going to attend a performance at the Golden Gate Theatre. There were 6 of us and they sat us upstairs. This is the epitome of a greasy spoon hole in the wall! We each ordered something different and everyone seemed to enjoy their dishes. Portions were very big, so maybe two dishes would be enough for three people if you came with your family or good friends. I ordered a combination plate with fried rolls and pork. The rolls were delicious, especially with the fish sauce that came with it, but the pork was really dry; it seemed like maybe the pork had been cooked earlier and not freshly cooked. The items came with a large amount of rice and some salad. As I mentioned, each person ordered something different and, I have to say, everything else looked better than mine except the "chow mein", which I would never order at a Vietnamese restaurant anyway. The chow mein came with very crispy noodles and the person who ordered it expressed concern over it, so they brought her a separate plate of just plain noodles. This was an indication that the restaurant really tried to please their customers, so that was a plus. The chicken with vegetables came with rice and looked really good. The other dishes looked good, too! All said and done, I'd go back if I'm in the area again. Have to say, the prices were very reasonable! read more

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Hidden gem? hole in a wall? Instant classic? I would say all the above and then some. Tu lan is a bistro that cranks out some of the best Vietnamese/Chinese classic dishes in SF. Picture this: it's lunch hour and everyone and their moms are in line (including me). Delivery drivers, cops, construction workers, finance bros. I could go on & on with the eclectic patrons that visit this place and they all have one thing in common. It's to get a plate or two of bun thit nuong (grilled pork), wonton soup or their famous no.17 the grilled pork, imperial roll (absolutely delicious, crunchy & peppery) over rice noodles. I doused mine with nuoc mam (fish sauce) and completely destroyed it. Will be back for all of eternity. read more

Tú Lan - Number 17. Pork Kebab, Imperial Roll over Vermicelli - Vietnamese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Great delicious food and affordable! Had the lemon grass chicken. Their imperial rolls are famous and amazing.

coming here for 35 years, I'm glad they are busy. But as I ate my imperial rolls & pork kebab. I wondered why there was some lettuce in the corner, apparently a few other ingredients were missing. Then the imperial roll ... barish the thought I need to go to another restaurant to figure if this is a dish worth buying any longer. for the last 20+ years I used to stop here & buy Lemon beef salad & imperial rolls & beef & hang out at SFO before flying to Hong Kong. Lemon Beef Salad is still excellent! read more

With a reservation, my party of two was seated immediately. The menu is simple, and I ended up choosing #17 which came with grilled pork over vermicelli and pork imperial rolls. The pork was deliciously seasoned and tender and went well with the noodles and sweet sauce. The imperial rolls were HOT and crispy. Service was quick and no frills. They kindly allowed my friend and I to finish our meal 15 minutes after closing. Overall: - Simple, delicious food - Kind waitstaff and prompt service - Large portions! read more

Tú Lan - 17. Pork Kebab, Imperial Roll over Vermicelli - Vietnamese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Incredible food. Very friendly staff. So good I went twice in three days. The imperial rolls are sensational read more

I don't care where this restaurant is... when I say I CRAVE the fried white fish in ginger sauce... I mean I'm getting on the ferry from Vallejo!!! And the combination curry rice!!! Fire read more

Came here before hitting up a show at the golden gate theatre. It's a tad confusing since they're so busy, but you have to make your entrance known. Very small and tight. Great tasting flavorful food at good prices and portion. read more

Tú Lan - 18. Beef Sauteed over Vermicelli - Vietnamese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Hole in the wall Vietnamese restaurant located in the heart of Tenderloin. It comes up real fast as you walk around the corner, so be sure to keep an eye out. We were quickly seated and it might look tiny but there is more arrangements to sit down in the back area. We both ordered 2 servings of beef pho, containing thick rice noodles, beef meatballs, sliced beef chunks, and some fatty beef chunks with the bone in them. Everything was fresh and ready for us. It was all delicious. The waiters are super sweet, I'm guessing it's a family run business that has been around for a while. There is a younger patron who helps out but the rest seem like they could be his grandfathers. Overall, I had a great experience and I'm glad we chose this place. The total came out to be $33.10 which is hella cheap compared to other Vietnamese places I've been too--very tasty too! Beef pho - 8.5/10 Shrimp spring rolls - 10/10, love the peanuts on the hoisin sauce instead of straight peanut sauce. Good flavor read more

Tú Lan - 4. Fresh Salad Shrimp Roll - Vietnamese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Tu Lan is a must visit if you happen to find yourself around the 6th st corridor. The Vietnamese food here is like a party in your mouth. The seating is small and limited, but the flavors of this place pack a punch in your mouth. Coming to Tu Lan is a experience to remember. No wonder the food celebs rave about it. Pro tip: Come right when they open for lunch to get seated quickly. You don't want to linger around the sidewalks for too long. read more

I go here now kinda semi regularly during lunch. Food is affordable and decent. I like the egg rolls and the nem nuong rolls -- i would come back for those ANYTIME! The vermicelli bowl with pork is solid. I would avoid the combination rice place -- stir fried shrimp, pork and tofu. Just not the best flavors. Service was fast and impeccable. Feels like my uncle and auntie serving me. Ambiance is a bit of a rough neighborhood, and the kitchen is right in front so you will smell like cooked meat. 4 stars bc of the meh stir fry. read more

I've done several pick up's from here. My go to dishes is the bun thit nuong cha gio. However sometimes their grilled pork is grilled too long and the meat ends up being hard to bite. I have since gotten use to the black pepper in the cha gio and really like it. They really stuff the pork filling in them and the fried rice paper always stays crunchy after being brought home. My other go to dishes is their crispy noodle with stir fried veggies with meat and gravy. It has a good assortment of meat and veggies and the noodles are crispy. I recently tried their canh chua. It's ok. It comes with a side of small white rice. The fish pieces are small, it has a lot of pineapple and too many jalapeños making it slightly spicy. read more

I have been going here since I was a kid and it has not changed one bit - and that is just perfect. One of the best places to eat at in SF but just by careful when getting to this rough area. It could be a little sketchy even for a formal local like me. Positives: - authentic CHEAP food - amazing service - extremely quick service - one of the best food I've ever eaten. Definitely unbeatable. Negatives: - extremely sketchy area (watch your surrounding including your steps. read more

Tú Lan - #17. Pork Kebab, Imperial Roll over Vermicelli - Vietnamese Near Me - San Francisco, California

My team and I came here for a team lunch and we had the entire upstairs to ourselves. Our food came out quick and the service was amazing. They definitely took care of us. The place had a very homey feel to it. You can tell it was authentic as soon as you walk in. Food was absolutely delicious! The fried fish with ginger sauce was AMAZING!! We demolished that quickly. The imperial rolls were off the chain to the point we were fighting who got the last piece. And their Vietnamese coffee is an eye opener!! Definitely woke me up! read more

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For a place that Julia Child ate once, and only once , this restaurant has a bad attitude about it, I dont want to but will be honest for a vietnamese person it takes a lot for me to keep it short and simple, the owners as asshole with the worst attitude , you dont know maybe somebody can understand when a customer is being ridiculed since it was not on the menu , if you pay attention they have Julia Child on their menu, lets back track for a moment how far back this occasion happen when she did, it was 6 street late at night, do you want to settle with a donut being hungry? perhaps you can eat a piece of crack surpressing your hunger after a red eye like Julia Child did not or do you want a restaurant that was actually making food? Tu Lan was the only restaurant open on 6th street, TODAY there are many more options and like many would chose Tu Lan last. the owners son has a brand new attitude with broken English hes capable of, know what a huge NO NO and hell NO any Vietnamese person would write off a business for ? going to any claimed "AUTHENTIC" restaurant and ordering a dish only to get asked to speak English and tell them the number you want, its very telling , telling you to not eat here. Lets be honest while im here, any Asian person that is looking for a good restaurant would never make a choice to eat at a restaurant if looking inside anybody besides other Asians, Julia Child would be one of those people so would you want to eat there world famous chef of not ? how much value did she really have in the delicious food your grannie likely made that takes you back. their only claim to fame in my thoughts is that somebody like her had that place as the only thing open after a red eye flight when nothing else was open, its otherwise REGULAR DEGULAR you can buy and cook yourself equal to a frozen cook it yourself from Trader Joes, it would hit the same way lets me honest. read more

First off, I want to describe the interior of Tu Lan. Those who happened to be slender enough will perfectly dine in without any problems; otherwise, might as well order for takeout. Seatings were very limited even if there were few more upstairs. It's nice to still sit where Vietnamese chefs cook good food for us, while they talk to each other in their own Vietnamese language. My supervisor took me to Tu Lan for lunchtime after he recommended me about this Vietnamese restaurant he had gone to several times. And the Vietnamese chefs he mentioned had made the tastiest noodle bowls and dishes. Maybe it's my turn to recommend Tu Lan to my friends if they like Vietnamese noodle bowls like the seafood in the sea of tomato sauce and veggies. Tofu salad was way too good without any additional dressing. Deep fried (not extra crispy) tofu spring rolls still absolutely taste good when dipped in an au jus style sweet jalapeno dip. I do say Tu Lan was worth a good visit in the Mid Market after I went a block or two safely. What delicious dish or noodle bowl shall I savor on my next visit? I'll leave it to my friends to find out. read more

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I tried Tu Lan for lunch while at work, just a short walk away from the Civic Center. Looking at the menu, I was immediately impressed by the prices: almost everything was around the $12 mark, and almost all the dishes seemed to be under $15, a nice sight to see these days! I ended up getting the #17, grilled pork with imperial rolls and bun noodles and my friend got the #19, chow mein with mixed seafood. For only $12, I was impressed by the large portion of pork, imperial rolls, noodles, and fresh veggies. Everything tasted incredibly hot and fresh, especially the fried imperial rolls which weren't greasy, but were piping hot and crispy. It all came together beautifully when I poured the nuoc cham (dipping sauce with fish sauce, water, sugar, etc.) over it, with the mint and fresh herbs providing great texture and a fresh bite throughout. My friend loved his chow mein also, which was loaded with seafood and noodles. Overall, our check ended up being $28 for a two-person lunch. Highly recommend this place for a flavorful and fresh meal, at a great price! read more

This is a great place to satisfy those cravings and get affordable food with big portions! The interior of the restaurant seemed pretty clean but a little cramped, although there is additional seating on the top floors. Pork with imperial rolls and vermicelli: 8/10 I wanted to try the imperial rolls because I heard so many good things about it, and they did not disappoint! The rolls were so THICK with so many fillings, and yet the outside was still so crispy and the wrapper was not too overwhelmingly thick. I thought the filling of the rolls were too peppery and would have preferred a meatier flavor, but I still really enjoyed eating it. The pork had excellent flavor but was on the drier side. However, the fish sauce was great and tied everything together perfectly. Bun bo hue (beef spicy vermicelli soup): 5/10 The soup broth was very light and I enjoyed it, but at the same time it was also pretty spicy compared to other BBHs I've had. Don't slurp your soup too aggressively or the spice will go down the wrong pipe!! I was a bit disappointed by how thin the rice noodles were because I'm used to eating bun bo hue with thicker noodles. Overall this dish was mediocre but I did finish the whole thing! I would definitely come back here because of the affordable prices and would love to try more of the other dishes! read more

Tú Lan - Top: #17 - Bun cha gio thit nuong (pork kebab/imperial roll/rice noodle) Bottom: Bun bo hue (beef spicy vermicelli soup) - Vietnamese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Ambiance isn't really a thing here and sadly they were out of sliced beef, but I ended up with the chicken pho. I've been here before on other trips to SF and it was delicious. read more

I have been eating at Tu Lan since the early 90's. I don't eat Vietnamese anywhere else. They are the best and the service is great.