Tu Lan

03/25/2008 Posted by bjorkchicago

OK, so this place is pretty sticky. Kinda gross and greasy and in a neighborhood that could be used for a scene in a movie where young kids are coppin' for heroin and they wouldn't need to hire ANY extras. If you can get past all that, you've made it to the front door. Inside you will merely find LESS crackheads. The food, albeit not the most authentic of Vietnamese around San Fran is pretty flippin good for the price! Their imperial rolls are better than any fried viet. style spring roll in the city. PERIOD. do NOT order the pho... there are plenty of other sketchy holes in the tenderloin which SPECIALIZE in that fabulous soup... such as pho hoa on ellis and taylor (or jones?) it's creepy too, but that's another review... don't come to tu lan with any expectations. least of all, keeping your clothes from smelling weird or touching sticky greasiness. However, you will leave with a full belly and an almost-full wallet! Enjoy! and don't talk to strangers... seriously.

Pros: Cheap, fast food.

Cons: Life threatening neighborhood.

01/08/2008 Posted by lpldlpld

Good service for a high volume place. My girl is vietnamese so i've had lots of vietnamese food . This place is kind of chinese/vietnamese. A lot more greasy. You get a lot of food for the money though and it's not that bad but it's not quite "authentic " vietnamese. Worth checking out once for the novelty of it but i don't think I'll ever go back.

Pros: Cheap,fast, good service, down and out type ambience..

Cons: GREASY, not that clean, GREASY...

09/21/2007 Posted by yappie

I can't believe Tu Lan is on Citysearch...how random. A few years ago I used to work in this area and several people kept talking about the "great Vietnamese" around the corner. I ended up going a few times with them and liked the food. It's basically cheap, hot, vietnamese food fast food style. I always ordered this curry that I crave to this day - very spicy and heavy, with slices of whole jalapeno in it. Mmmmmm. I wouldn't say it's "great" Vietnamese, though - it's a greasy take on Vietnamese and any foodie will immediately note its limitations. And the other reviewers have it right when they warn you against the neighborhood. 6th and Mission/Market is a sketchfest - many people walking around are visibly high or fiending. I always ordered my food to go to so I could enjoy the food at my leisure and not in the loud restaurant. This is one instance when I'd say it's okay to eat at your desk. :)

Pros: cheap, hot, spicy, good good

Cons: parking, location

05/19/2007 Posted by jtinsf

I have been here many times the food has always been wonderful. The dishes are a unique blend of flavors. One of my favorite dishes is the tomato beef. If you are not adventurous, unimaginative or just maybe just stupid and shallow, you might have a hard time with the location and the atmosphere. But if are smart enough to overcome those things, you will enjoy a great meal.

04/09/2007 Posted by check_please415

Where do I even begin....maybe it's the nice brisk walk past the crackheads and "street vendors." to get there...or maybe it makes sense to start about 20 minutes earlier when you convince a co-worker to be your wingman (the buddy system in full effect when cruising to 6th and Mission). Once you actually get past the narrow door frame, you find yourself immediatly on top of about a dozen other patrons and you get your first glimps of the local famed executive chef. He can be easily identified by having a towel rolled and afixed to his neck by a rubberband to ensure that his sweat doesn't contaminate your meal. Ok, now on to the service...(crickets)...Ok, now on to the menu. Thankfully they are laminated, which serve a dual purpose. 1) You can physically prop it open without having to have any actual skin-to-menu contact 2) The plastic used to cover the menus also helps offset the change of any grease fires. I'd dedicate the remainder of the review to the food, but it's something you really ought to experience yourself. In all seriousness, the food is fantastic. Fresh, authentic Vietnamese food, particlularly their spring rolls (fried hard!). Others have compared Tu Lan to eating a good meal in a bathroom stall, whereas I think a more appropriate depiction is: Eating at Tu Lan, is like drinking champaign out of a hippies birkenstock. 4 of 5 stars...(minus 1, cause both of my wingmen got sick the next morning)

12/21/2006 Posted by waddling

It's kind of like what being in a smoker's lung must be like - dirty, cramped, and smelly. If you don't mind grease on your seat, the floor, and everywhere else, or if eating out of dumpsters is your cup of tea, then this is the place for you. It's been a year or so since I was here, and usually I only remember eating at a restaurant if it's really good or really bad... a friend just asked if I wanted to go here and I quickly and easily remembered how horrible my experience had been, from waiting ten minutes in the sketchy neighborhood for a seat, to the gruff service, lack of cleanliness, and poor quality ingredients leading to abysmal tasting food. There is so much better Vietnamese food in this city, that we should not have to subject ourselves to such low-rent establishments as Tu Lan. Go up to Saigon Sandwich shop at Turk & Eddy for an incalculably better meal.

Pros: there's so much b*rf in the street in this 'hood, that no one will notice when you hurl your lunch

Cons: see review...

11/02/2006 Posted by robmur

I'm surprised I'm coming back to this greasy, smoky and stinky, dirty, disgusting place with sticky tables and chairs, but the food is decent, not really authentic though, if spicy hot it is HOT, don't try finding out from menu what to expect, inexpensive, big portions; oh yeah and the neighborhood: no looking left or right, folks, especially if you have to wait in line outside the restaurant.

Pros: price, food, fast service

Cons: grease, smoke, smell

08/05/2006 Posted by papillion

I went to this place based on the numerous positive reviews, and boy, what a disappointment. This was very bad Chinese food masquerading as Vietnamese food. Everything was bland, tasteless and, frankly, gross. The food (rice plate) was overcooked, soggy, and the pho was not pho--it tasted like salty dishwater.

Pros: None

Cons: Too many to list

08/02/2006 Posted by tobikko

I am woking around Market and Powell. My frined took me to this place for lunch(1hour) and I liked it. I expected restaurants to give me tasty food , not SERVICE, so this palce and also locaton was perfect for me! We, 2 of us, ordered 2 iced tea ,2 small paltes and 1 noodle and we shared. We even couldn't finish all. The food was served fast and I could get back to work without being late. I want to go back there and try different menu soon.

07/18/2006 Posted by staceyinsf

Going to and dining at Tu Lan is an experience . . . visiting 6th Street reminds you just how varied our fair San Francisco is. Getting there may not be dangerous (though it looks as if it would be), but it should remind you that any great city has an underclass that has fallen through the cracks. That said, the energy in Tu Lan can be scary as well -- there's some much going on with their stove top! -- but they put out quality, traditional Vietnamese, quickly and cheaply. It's worth the trip!

Pros: Authentic, quality food at a great price

Cons: Neighborhood