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    Lime Tree Southeast Asian Kitchen

    4.0 (1.6k reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 2:00 pm, 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
    Updated 2 months ago

    Lime Tree Southeast Asian Kitchen Photos

    Business Info

    LIME TREE SOUTHEAST ASIAN KITCHEN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Classy
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups

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    Glass noodle
    Ed W.

    Lime Tree was a delightful dining experience where the food shines. The baked salmon, finished with a great curry or something that tastes like it on top, is cooked perfectly. Another standout is the glass noodles, which feature a wonderfully garlicky mix of shrimp and mushrooms. The ambiance is average making for a relaxed meal. While the service could use some improvement, it does not significantly detract from the visit. Finding parking is straightforward with ample metered spaces available in the area. Overall, it is a very good experience and definitely worth a visit for the food alone.

    Corn fritters and noodles
    Michelle G.

    I came to this restaurant because I saw they had corn fritters on their menu and really wanted to try it. I got that and some noodles, both were solid but I doubt I would come back here. A hearty, filling portion - my friend said he likes their other location better. But the staff was nice and the food came fast

    Beef Rending
    Raymond Y.

    Great food in a lovely neighborhood! We had the martabak, beef rendang, and nasi goreng (highly recommend sharing plates for more variety). First time I've tried martabak, but it tasted like a stuffed crepe with ground beef. I thought it was delicious, especially with the curry sauce, but thought it was a bit too dense. Beef rendang was solid and came in a heaping portion, though I wish it came with veggies to spice up the dish instead of solely consisting of beef and rice. The nasi goreng was my favorite! Loved the flavors and large pieces of chicken and the egg on top was a solid touch Staff was very nice and felt very hole-in-the-wall-ey

    Mie tek-tek (mild)
    W. W.

    Cool and comfy location. Service was friendly and speedy. Nice, casual vibes. The food was decent--the corn fritters were delicious, the mild mie tek-tek was alright (might have been better spicy), and the martabak was kind of bland without the curry dipping sauce. Portion size was pretty good. They have a 3% surcharge if you pay by card, but didn't have change when we tried to pay cash with a $100 bill for a ~$50 meal pre-tip, so that wasn't great.

    Mia W.

    one of the best fried rices ive ever had! super favorable, huge portion, great prices, and super friendly & attentive owner. the soup was tangy, a huge portion (lots of leftovers), and the restaurant wasnt too loud indoors. i liked that the menu didnt have too many options & food came out very quickly after ordering. the best part was free watermelon for dessert..what a great idea! highly recommend this place to others

    Mie Tek-Tek
    Meiyi Y.

    The beef rendang was very well-seasoned. The sauce would be perfect mixed with rice, but I swapped for a side of salad. The Mie Tek Tek was cooked with slightly thicker noodles, and the tomato broth was a great balance of sweet and savory. I preferred the laksa noodles more because the noodles were thinner. This is a small restaurant that felt very cozy. The owner was friendly and would chat with his costumers. Roti was given to us on the house and the curry dipping sauce was rich and incredible. I would order this next time I come!

    Nasi Goreng*
    Beilin L.

    A true hole in the wall - clean and cozy but unassuming and hidden from the street. I ordered the martabak and nasi goreng. I loved the martabak texture, filling, and the sauce that came with it. The nasi goreng flavor was delightfully savory (as I'd hoped) but not too heavy. The portions were very generous and the staff were helpful responsive. Overall, a quintessential hole-in-the-wall experience.

    Mie Goreng Jawa
    Audrey L.

    I ordered the Thai tea and the mie goreng Jawa. Both were flavorful, but while eating the mie goreng Jawa I found a metal tie in the dish. This is a serious food safety issue and could have been a choking hazard. Because of this, I wouldn't order from here again.

    Beef rendang
    Karina S.

    Am always in search of Indonesian food in the Bay Area so Lime Tree has been on my list for a while! Went to the location in Inner Sunset and the restaurant is very cozy and clean. I tried the martabak, beef rendang, and nasi goreng. Our waitress was very friendly and sweet! I really enjoyed the martabak though I wish it had been a bit more crispy and found the beef rendang and nasi goreng very flavorful (though I maybe should have asked for the rendang to be more spicy). I saw that their other location in Richmond may have a slightly different menu- definitely looking to hit that spot up for some gado gado and mie goreng sometime soon. Thrilled to find some good SEA food in SF and will be back :)

    Mie Tek-Tek*
    Christine S.

    Unassuming restaurant that you could easily miss since their entrance doesn't face the sidewalk! Went there for a quick dinner and prices are very reasonable, with big portions. We ordered the Singaporean curry noodles (glass noodles stir fried with chicken and mushrooms) and the Mie Tek Tek (egg noodles with chicken & veggies and spice level can be adjusted). I liked the noodle soup more and it was super flavorful! Service was fast and efficient, we didn't see many people eating in person but lots of people came by for take out orders. The cashier/waiter was really nice and kept refilling our waters throughout the meal

    Martabak
    Bibi B.

    Came for lunch around 12, seated immediately. We ordered mie tek tek, whixh was quite delicious - worth trying and martabak ( just ok). Parking can be difficult in the area of irving- ucsf. Small eatery. Previously, i had ordered singapore curry noodle which was good. Prices are typical for san francisco.

    Food spread
    Heliana M.

    Delicious food. We had food take out for a private ngo dinner at a friend's place. Food was outstanding. We got to try a lot from the menu. We tried: -Fried chicken wings -roti with sauce -chicken satay with sauce -beef rendang with rice -pepes salmon -tofu and green beans -hokkien bee hoon -mie goreng jawa -fish dish -Veg Fried rice Food was all great and very reasonably priced. Everyone enjoyed and we took leftovers home and they kept well for next day

    Felix D.

    Small hole-in-the-wall with excellent food. My friend and I ordered dishes that were flavorful and perfect for a cold winter day. I would definitely go back to try their other dishes. Please support this local SF business!

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    5 days ago

    Decent prices, amazing food! It's a hidden gem for sure. Must try beef Rendang, roti pratha, nasi goreng chicken and chicken satay!

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    Lime Tree Southeast Asian Kitchen Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Lime Tree Southeast Asian Kitchen

    Do you serve halal meat here?

    What are your hours? I went by on Tues at 11:30am and you were closed.

    Hi, are there gluten free options on the menu? Thank you!

    I guess it's not common knowledge that rice has no gluten. They absolutely do have gluten free options.

    Does this place have Singapore Chili crab or black pepper crab?

    It's available on weekend as stated on the wall menu.

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    Damansara

    Damansara

    3.7
    (136 reviews)
    2.5 mi
    $$$

    SERVICE - located on the corner of noe valley…read more- street parking only can be difficult to find especially on a weekend - small but well decorated interior - ambiance good for a semi casual meal - service is friendly and quick MENU - Malaysian food - vegan and vegetarian options available - slightly pricey ($25 per entree) FOOD - vegan laksa (8/10): creamy mushroom broth with rice noodles, tofu puffs, and sprouts. The portion is quite generous and is good for sharing between two people. I liked the richness of the broth with the sweet coconut and the hints of umami from the mushrooms. I would have liked more tofu and slightly less oil in the broth. - vegan rendang rice plate (9/10): jackfruit stew with butterfly pea flower infused rice and cucumbers. The flavors in the jackfruit marinade are complex yet so well balanced. I would eat that sauce on any protein. This portion is also generous to share. WOULD I GO BACK? Yes! The ambiance was nice and the food was tasty.

    Came here for the special 15 item brunch Malaysia Day celebration…read more Arrived 10 minutes before the event started and right at 12pm they started to seat everyone. At each table we started with a cup of Iced butterfly pea lemongrass honey and then a cup of hot teh Tarik which was my favorite drink of the day. It reminds me of hong kong milk tea. The first dish did not come out until 50 minutes after we were seated. It was Kaya Toast with semi soft boiled eggs. I think traditionally the eggs should be alot softer forming a type of egg jam for you to dip the toast into but that was not the case here. Next was the Dabai fried rice which came out room temperature. The flavor was savory and reminds me of rice and beans texture but with more of an olive taste. I think it would've been better if served hot. Then the forbidden rice pudding came out warm and it was not bad. At 1 hour and 30 minutes after seated, they brought out a big tray of assorted food with no descriptions of what anything are so it was a taste and guess and reference back to the instagram post of this event. The kuih talam tasted like it was missing sugar and just tasted bitter to me. The Rosewater kuih sago was interesting and pretty tasty. It was prepared like a piece of mochi. The bingka ubi kayu is my favorite peace of sweet and reminded me of butter mochi. The mung bean kasturi was not bad but really heavy. The curry puff was cold and didn't tasted fresh. It was also quite salty. The pumpkin Cara berlauk was interesting and also quite heavy. The beehoon fresh roll was cold and lack flavor. The keropok crackers are good as they should be. The dip tasted like sweet and sour sauce. Overall not a great experience. All the food didn't taste fresh and tasted like they were all prepared a head of time but the service was still very slow. None of the food items really stood out to me. Items were all placed in a giant tray that was was meant for people to take togo but they were awkward to carry (especially since we were taking public transit). We asked for another togo box since we consolidated everything to one tray with some more leftovers that wouldn't make since to carry two giant trays. And the server was reluctant to give an additional small togo box. The instagram post about this event also advertised more drinks to be paired with this meal but it was never served. Never got our green tea, coffee, and tropical punch which would've improved the heavier and sweeter items that were served.

    Photos
    Today's tasting menu
    Today's tasting menu
    Damansara Laksa
    Damansara Laksa
    Five Spice roll, Otak-otak, Bak kwa Sando

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    Five Spice roll, Otak-otak, Bak kwa Sando
    Lime Tree Southeast Asian Kitchen

    Lime Tree Southeast Asian Kitchen

    4.3
    (483 reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $$

    I have not stepped into this space in almost 40 years. It was a work lunch rotation spot then when…read moreIt was a Chinese restaurant named Yunan Restaurant. It was my favorite for an extremely popular dish now prominent on Irving Street near 12th Avenue, my introduction to their famous staple chicken wings. I continued to periodically get them here until they closed. Fast forward forty years and a friend invited our group here for a birthday lunch on summer Saturday at 12:30 pm. Running late from my morning errands, I arrived shortly after the meal was ordered (Forgive me for possible inaccuracies and incomplete information) since our host ordered seventeen dishes for our party of 12 to feast on family style. Here's a summary of the highlights. Favorites in no particular order: a. Chow Kway Teow (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=OXyh4S0Zwn0zipsVbIfDRw) - flat rice noodle stir-fried with shrimp, Chinese sausage and eggs; this is a classic dish using chow fun as the base and a mix of ingredients. My favorite. b. Basil tofu (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=yyuLG6v-DwEePR0j1kArYg) - tofu and shiitake mushroom in basil sauce; I enjoyed the ingredient mix and the sauce made everything balanced. c. Singaporean curry noodles (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=W1xq3h8e0WW7u20WyKJB9w) - glass noodle stir fried in our special curry sauce with shredded chicken; not your typical version as it is glass (as in transparent) noodles, a more slippery texture. This is also wet and made with mushroom slices. My 2nd favorite. d. Sambal okra (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=a5na569KcDG96eS9q_kHVg) - Wok fried okra with spicy sambal sauce; I enjoy the texture of okra though it's an acquired taste. The spice level was perfect for me, medium with a lean towards spicier. The other notable dish is the Hainan chicken rice (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=hCAhsBqrYfSFKP1mKg7Sjg), steamed chicken served with rice cooked in broth and ginger. It came with three sauces, a special soy sauce, garlic ginger sauce, and a bright red chili sauce. It was well made though I wished the rice was more fragrant. The restaurant was empty aside from our party when I walked in at 12:45 pm for several diners came in as our meal progressed. The two young ladies who tended to our party were efficient in removing empty plates and refilling our water glasses. In reading other reviews, the chili dungeness crab seems to be a popular dish. Maybe on my next visit.

    Having lived in SE Asia for ten years, and drawn by the high Yelp ratings, I was enthusiastically…read morelooking forward to Lime Tree. What a disappointment! First, the pros: very pleasant staff and quite reasonable prices. But the quality of the food was extremely erratic. We ordered six dishes, of which one was good (5*), two were 2*, and three were fails. At the high end, we started with the roti prata, which was excellent - among the best. Unfortunately, everything after that underwhelmed us. The common characteristic of all the following dishes was sheer blandness. They ALL needed additional seasoning. Specifically, 1) The char kway teow (2*) was mediocre. There was flavor from the shrimp and the dish was okay to eat, but a long way from top quality. Could have used more ingredients other than noodles. 2) The laksa also had an okay taste, probably from the coconut milk and some mild seasoning, but absolutely needed more pepper 3) the basil tofu was bizarre - a brownish heap of tofu and mushrooms, with no basil in sight 4) The mee goering also was bland, lacking both seasoning, character, and other (non-noodle) ingredients. 5) Finally, particular scorn for the beef rendang, which is one of my favorite dishes. A good rendang has slow-cooked, relatively large beef cubes that should be fork-tender. The Lime Tree version beef is tough, cut into smaller cubes that are chewy. The sauce should have some kick to it and you should taste the tamarind. None of that was in the Lime Tree version. What we got, instead, was a visually unappealing brown beef stew, with a sauce that tasted like it came out of a can. The Bay Area could use a good Malaysian/Indonesian restaurant, and I would like The Lime Tree to be that restaurant. But they need to make their dishes much, much more authentic: use better ingredients (and more of them!) and don't hold back on the spices. I would rather pay a little more for better quality food.

    Photos
    Interiors
    Interiors
    Hainan Chicken Rice
    Hainan Chicken Rice
    8/22/25 FYI. Table settings

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    8/22/25 FYI. Table settings
    Penang Garden

    Penang Garden

    3.2
    (396 reviews)
    3.8 mi
    $$

    I went for a late lunch with a friend. I was pleasantly surprised that the food was good, service…read morewas efficient and the price was quite reasonable.

    Mix of Malaysia, Chinese, Singaporean dishes. Nice portions for the price, but dishes were just…read morealright. I went here for dinner on Tuesday, party of two, and was seated right away. Interior is bigger on the inside once past the small entrance, with plenty of tables which could accommodate larger groups, and quite a few round tables which would readily seat nine. Service was not great, with my friend and I repeatedly having to try and get someone's attention throughout the entire meal. Decoration is a mix of harsh lighting, softer lighting, wine display and palm tree wallpaper walls, all varying greatly depending on where in the restaurant you are seated. Peanuts on the table come complimentary and are a fun plus. We ordered the curry laksa, roti canai and fish head rice noodle soup (the fish head rice noodle soup was a last minute change as they didn't have rendang and they said it was their number one dish). The fish head rice noodle soup was a creamy coconut milk base with a slight sour tang. Comes off as something which could be made at home with random vegetables thrown in. The roti canai was the best dish we got, though the roti was more on the flaky side and lacked having any chew to it. The curry laksa felt like a mix of both the other dishes: same curry as the roti canai, and same eclectic mix of vegetables which would have fit well in a stir fry dish. Flavor was so-so, but felt too oily which was strange as the roti canai was great and not as oily. The staff gave us a complimentary red bean dessert to wrap up the meal which was superb. Overall, I'm glad there's a spot for Malaysian/Singaporean dishes in Chinatown, especially as it's slim pickings for the cuisine in downtown SF. However, I feel this spot misses the mark.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Seafood Hong Kong style crispy noodles $20
    Seafood Hong Kong style crispy noodles $20
    Entrance

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    Entrance
    Four Kings 四大天王

    Four Kings 四大天王

    4.2
    (465 reviews)
    3.8 mi
    $$$

    I've had this spot bookmarked for ages now and my boyfriend was able to snag a birthday…read morereservation!! Unless you're a party of 1, I highly, highly, recommend a reservation. While we were waiting for our table, we saw 2-3 couples get turned away. The restaurant is small, but the interior is well-decorated. It pays homage to HK posters, music, and culture. They offer two complimentary small bites of smashed cucumber and peanuts. - XO Escargot: a must order, the dish only comes with 6 pieces but it's so worth it. The sauce is garlicky, buttery, and each bite with the milk bread is so good. The bread also has a crispy outer layer while the inside is super soft. - Eggplant: at first, we thought the dish was good, but the pieces on the bottom that soaks up all the sauce makes the eggplant full of umami flavor. This paired so good with rice. - Mapo Tofu Spaghetti: just as you imagine, but very yummy. I wish there was more of a numbing spice personally! - Black Pepper Steak: The steak was cooked perfectly to medium rare and the sauce was very yummy. This dish did not blow me away like some of the others but was still good nonetheless. I really wished we could have try the Singapore Chili Crab, but that would have been too much food. Our server was also fantastic and so kind, I wish I caught her name. Will def be back!

    Overhyped, Salty, and a Disappointment for Cantonese Food Lovers…read more I wanted to love this place, but unfortunately, my experience at Four Kings was a huge letdown. It felt like a classic case of an overhyped restaurant failing to deliver on the fundamentals, from service to the food itself. Service: The service was disorganized and unwelcoming from the start. I arrived before the restaurant opened and was told I could wait inside for the restroom, only to be immediately contradicted by another staff member who sent me back outside. Later, while we were in the middle of our meal and looking at the menu to order more food, a waitress abruptly snatched the menu from our view and stood it upright, which felt incredibly rude. The confusion continued when we tried to pay; flagging down a staff member for the bill was met with a look of surprise, despite the lack of assigned servers. Food: As someone who grew up with Cantonese and Hong Kong cafe-style food, I found the cooking here to be a poor representation of the cuisine. The overwhelming characteristics of every dish were salty and greasy. The beef chow fun was so oily that it became unappetizing after just a few bites. The pork chop rice with tomato egg, a classic comfort dish, was nothing special and suffered from the same issues: too much salt, too much grease, and a price tag that didn't match the quality. This is fusion food that misses the mark and, frankly, is a huge disservice to the real flavors of Cantonese cooking. Ambiance: The restaurant seems to be going for a nostalgic 90s "四大天王" (Four Heavenly Kings) theme, but the execution is messy. The walls are plastered with a random collection of posters from various singers and eras that have no connection to each other. Instead of feeling like a thoughtful tribute to a specific time, it comes off as a cluttered and generic attempt at creating a "vibe." Overall: If you're new to this type of cuisine, you might be impressed by the bold (albeit one-note) flavors. But if you're looking for authentic, well-executed Cantonese food, this isn't it. The combination of confusing service, overly salty food, and a forced ambiance made for a truly disappointing experience. I would not recommend it.

    Photos
    View of kitchen
    View of kitchen
    Sichuan cabbage
    Sichuan cabbage
    Fish fragrant eggplant

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    Fish fragrant eggplant

    Lime Tree Southeast Asian Kitchen - malaysian - Updated August 2026

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