Tao Cafe

28 reviews

Casual fare in the Mission

(415) 912-1033

1000 Guerrero St
San Francisco, CA 94110 37.755 -122.4232

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Neighborhoods: Central, Noe Valley

Price:

Tao Cafe

Last updated 11.20.09

What People Are Saying About Tao Cafe

The Owner

Tao Cafe

Owner

The decor is of a colonial villa in Saigon. The food is Vietnamese: some traditional (Pho or Rolls), some with the French way of cooking (Duck Confit, Beefsteak, Calamari Salad); some revisited (No-Broth-Noodle-Soup that brings flavors of street stalls into your bowl, or the vegetarian Monk?s gourmet dish that would satisfy the most picky veggie eaters). Co-owner Thuy Nguyen is a Vietnamese native and a French citizen. Food is her first passion and second career, after a stint in health care field. Her knowledge on Health has shaped her choices for the food she serves at Tao Cafe as well as…

The Editor

Contributor

Citysearch

In Short – With celadon walls, dark wood tables and high-backed rattan chairs, Tao Cafe attains a French-colonial elegance that's graceful and tranquil. The clientele is schooled in explanations of Vietnamese culinary traditions peppered throughout the menu. The dishes range from fresh rolls of grilled beef, chicken angel hair noodle soup to Vietnamese confit of dug legs.

User Reviews (28)

07/07/09

My Favorite Place to Eat in SF

by Emily at Citysearch

The food is outstanding - I always have the fish claypot - yummy! The appetizers are hard to choose from so we always have them all. This is the jewel of asian/fusion cuisine and I can't recommend it highly enough. The owners are gracious and inviting - it is a great place to host a small event for a celebration. Try it!

Pros: Excellent Food
Cons: Not close enough to where I live - in SoCal

helpful (0) not helpful (0) comment

07/03/07

my favorite restaurant

by pucca_mnm at Citysearch

The first time I went there was 2 years ago, and it instantly became my all-time favorite restaurant. I love the food, I go there every time I get a chance, and I never get tired of it. Never. My very favorite dish is the Bo Bun, a delicous rice noodle salad with lettuce, beef, and yummy Vietnamese carrot pickles. I've never tasted better lemonade than Tao Lemonade. The chefs are two lovely Vietnamese women, both experts in cooking, and everything is beautiful there: the tables, the cushions, the color of the walls, the paintings. There are even some lovely little drawings in the restrooms, I almost asked if they were for sale! Anyway, just try it, you'll never get better Vietnamese food than at Tao Cafe!

Pros: Excellent everything
Cons: None!

helpful (1) not helpful (0) comment

04/29/07

Beautiful place, yum food and what a cocktail!

by rml244 at Citysearch

I was in the mood for Asian noodles soup and am sick and tired of not getting a good bowl in the city for a reasonable price.

Tao cafe is heaven sent. Beautiful interior decoration, warm, quiet setting and a great reasonably priced menu. I had the tofu (added chicken upon request) with coconut soup and noodles. The soup was not too heavy and creamy but rather light, flavorful and spicy. To go with the hot day I ordered the Mojito. Apart from Pena Pacha Mama this is the best Mojito I have had. Wait staff was so courteous and warm. Even the owner and the chef came out to our table to make sure we were comfortable and invited us to come back soon. I will definitely go back to get some of that authentic goodness.