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    Tu Thanh

    4.2 (109 reviews)
    InexpensiveVietnamese
    Open 9:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Tu Thanh Photos

    Business Info

    TU THANH ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Tu Thanh

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    Clear bamboo noodles with a side of duck
    Sary O.

    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.

    Ginger sweet sauce for duck
    Christina R.

    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!

    Silvia M.

    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 ?

    Vicky N.

    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 .

    Bun rieu crab noodle soup
    Gordon D.

    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.

    Cha goi ga - chicken congee
    Samantha W.

    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.

    1. Banh Canh Tom, Cua, Cha
    Jason T.

    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.

    Jimmy D.

    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.

    Quinn N.

    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.

    Gary N.

    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

    My N.

    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.

    1. Bun Mang Vit Co Goi
    Sanny C.

    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.

    1. Banh Canh Tom Cua
    Pam A.

    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.

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    7 months ago

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

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - Tu Thanh

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    Hoai Hue Restaurant

    Hoai Hue Restaurant

    4.3(654 reviews)
    0.5 miCity Heights
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    It has been a while. But they still have the same friendly atmosphere, and those delicious little…read morerice plates. My colleagues got soup but I got a vermicelli plate with pork and shrimp. I don't know what number it is but it is so good! What I really like about coming here is that it is very down to earth. Most of the customers are from the Little Saigon area of City Heights. I do feel like I've been transported somewhere else. I didn't feel like getting the mung bean pudding so that will have to wait until next time.

    Just moved here and looking for my go to Vietnamese spot. Took my mom here while she was visiting…read moreand we were pleasantly surprised! The space is a cozy mom & pop shop in city heights. The place was packed with Vietnamese so we must have been in the right spot! The fooooood: -Bun Bo Hue Great traditional flavor!! They even have shrimp paste you can add to adjust the flavor to your liking. 8.5/10 -Banh Beo chen This is more of a hue style with the ground shrimp and the fried pork skin on top. Probably my favorite dish. It was light and delicious! 8.8/10 -Banh Canh Cua A crab noodle soup with tapioca udon. The flavor was a bit bland but I added in some fish sauce and it made it better. The crab meatballs had great texture and flavor. 7/10 Overall, this place was delicious and I would absolutely come back to support this mom & pop shop.

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    Goi Cuon - Rolls and rolls

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    4.5(894 reviews)
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    Vegetarian friendly

    This is my go to local spot for a quick bite to eat! Never disappoints me and fresh food every…read moretime. MY FAVORITE!! First off, the staff here is so friendly and it's family owned. Always providing amazing recommendation and the service is fast. Second, any item here is delicious. Never had such a unique spot offer spring rolls of any sorts. I love the combo spring roll #1 for only $14 you get a variety of spring rolls and dumplings with a side of soup. Such a good deal! I also love their vermicelli dishes, Banh mi, and pho. If you're looking for a delicious spot in the Hillcrest area, I recommend stopping by for a bite! Food: 10/10 never disappoints, delicious and hearty Service: 10/10 so friendly and fast Parking: 8/10 small parking lot but easy to find spots to park!

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    Thanh Tinh Chay - Banh mi

    Thanh Tinh Chay

    4.9(1.4k reviews)
    0.5 miCity Heights
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    Not sure if I trust some of these negative reviews, since some of them even said they didn't eat…read morethe food. Others you can't even see their profiles. So, I'll leave a legitimate review along with pictures. Initially, we were ambivalent about trying this place due to the high prices but they also have an exceptional rating on Google and Yelp. 4.9 on both Google and Yelp, that's rare. We bit the bullet and headed there. Parking can be tough but luckily we found parking in front of the restaurant. It was free after 8 pm on a Tuesday. If you go earlier or on the weekends, I would read the parking sign more carefully. There might be free street parking on the left side behind the restaurant. Don't quote me on that. Like I said, parking is not as easy as other places in SD. There are quite a bit of tables to sit in. It wasn't busy when we went. Yes, they do have a very large menu with like 1,000 items. We are not vegetarian or vegan but we have tried vegan places in Denver, CO. We ordered eel Helen pho roll, crispy beef chestnut and pineapple banh mi, and duck wonton noodle soup. The owner also gave us complimentary desserts, vegan corn pudding and vegan creme. She also gave us cookies and two cups of that delicious special water to go. That special water is hands down one of the best drinks I've ever had. Prices range $22-30. -eel Helen pho roll 5 - not real eel but this was very tasty. I like that the rolls don't fall apart easily. -crispy beef chestnut and pineapple banh mi 5 - the bread has a crispy exterior and the inside is moist. The chestnuts and pineapple really pair well together. I devoured this fast. -duck wonton noodle soup 5 - I really like the broth and the noodles. -vegan corn pudding 5 - this has corn with some coconut. It's a light dessert. -vegan creme 5 - this tastes like the real thing. I honestly wanted more.

    Holy shit I am so impressed!!! We found street parking right in front. When we walked in we were…read moregreeted by Tran and seated right away. She went through the menu with us and gave us water. Water that tasted so freaking good! She mentioned the recipe is from the Middle East. Tran was so amazing! Plenty of seating inside. We found this restaurant on google searching vegan restaurants. This place did not disappoint. To be honest I knew it was going to be good cause being Vietnamese myself, my mom always used fresh ingredients!! Everything I ate tasted like my mom's cooking and that is extremely rare! Everything we ordered was 10/10!! I have no complaints from anything we ordered. It is expensive but you definitely pay for the quality of the food and you can taste it tooo! Can't wait to come back!!

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    Kingfisher - The flan was a great end to the meal

    Kingfisher

    4.3(686 reviews)
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    We had dinner here on March 16th. Food quality and taste was pretty good…read more Service was good too. The ambience and decor was nice. What was unfair and fraudulent was the tax. They already mentioned that 20% service fee will be included. We were OK with that. However, the tax amount that was calculated was not correct. In San Diego, the tax % is 7.75%, however, this restaurant charges almost 10-11%. I was about to tell the server this, but my daughter and wife told me to let it go due to politeness. I don't think I will visit this restaurant again just because of their fraudulent practice.

    I throughly enjoyed my dining experience at Kingfisher. My partner and I had a reservation here and…read morewas seated promptly after we arrived. The hostess had a note for our anniversary celebration. They also printed a little celebatory note directly on the menu - a great personal touch. Our server was friendly and answered any questions we had. We ordered the beef tartare, smoked aged duck, and the deep fried sand bass. For the drink we ordered the Seasame Soirée. While our food came out pretty slow, I'd say it was worth the wait. We also enjoyed 2 complimentary glasses of bubbly while we waited as part of our anniversary celebration. The restarant itself is decorated beautifully with a jazzy ambiance. The interior had bits of gold and green with a beautiful pearlescent leafy wallpaper. The bar is located in the center and also doubles as a centerpiece to the restuarant. Restrooms are located in the back - there we many private, clean and spacious rooms. Below is a summary of the food we ordered: Beef Tartare (5/5) - Savory, sweet and spicy beef tartare dressed in fish sauce and thai chilis. Paired alongside fresh herbs like cilantro, shiso, argula and radicchio. The sesame rice crackers were light and airy. Smoked Dry Aged Duck (5/5) - Perfectly cooked, sweet and salty aged smoked duck paired with rice noodles, herbs and 2 different sauces. I appreciated the many ways you can wrap and enjoy the duck. I do wish the slices of duck were either smaller or thinner - it's hard to eat in one bite. Whole Fried Sand Bass (4/5) - I'll always order a whole firied fish wherever I go and this was no expection. I loved the sweet & sour ginger sauce. The fish was a bit over-fried in my personal opinion, but the inside is still very soft and tender. Sweet & Sour Rice Noodles (5/5) - Aboslutely delicious! Slippery and cold rice noodles dressed in fish sauce and other seasonings. It's not overpowering at all and goes great with the Whole Fried fish as well. Seasame Soiree Cocktail (5/5) - A very unique drink made with gin, ginger, coconut, seasame seeds and more. It was very fragrant in the best way. The flavor really develops after the first sip. I love how nutty and decadent yet light this drink is. Overall, I had a great experience here and this is one of the top restaurants I've had the pleasure of enjoying in SD. Highly reccomend especially if you like Vietnamese food / fish-sauce forward dishes. (At least for the dishes I ordered)

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