(415) 661-1688, (415) 661-8078
Parking: street parking
Hours: Open Daily 9am to 9pm
Last Visited: June 6, 2010 (Prices shown for most items are from a visit in March 2005)
Food: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 2 to 3 stars
Price: $ to $$
Enter the restaurant and to your immediate left is the display of roast duck, chicken, and other assorted barbecued items. They’re especially well known for their barbecue and boiled free range chicken with salt. People line up to buy these items to go. I've waited two hours for the chicken (I probably won't do that again, but the fact that I did it tells you something about whether or not it tastes good).
The restaurant is extremely well lit. The walls are light in color, with wood paneling from the middle of the wall downward. On the right side are large mirrors running the length of part of the room. Red lanterns dangle from the ceiling along with strings of Christmas lights. On the opposite side of the room is a large wall hanging with brightly colored trees and an interesting scene.
There are lots of picture frames with Chinese calligraphy in gold on bright red backgrounds. A listing of specialties is also posted on small sheets of paper along the wall. In the back of the room, you’ll see more large calligraphy as well as a large cabinet containing a rather large Chinese figurine thought to bring protection and wealth to the restaurant. Incense is burned to this figure.
The restaurant is busy, so often times, the big tables are shared. There is a lot of hustle and bustle throughout the restaurant. It’s not a quiet atmosphere. Service may vary depending on time of day.
On each table, you’ll find marinated spicy peppers, chopsticks (both plastic and bamboo), and a multitude of sauces – soy sauce, chili sauce, hot sauce, and of course salt and pepper. You’re set to go to flavor your dish any way you wish.
- Phodacbiet (Combination pho) – Unlike some other pho places, Lam Hoa Thuan serves up pho in only one size, but it’s a pretty large bowl. The combination pho includes rare steak, well done beef brisket, flank steak, tendons, and strips of tripe. The fragrance of fish sauce was particularly strong, but after the first few bites, you won’t notice it much. Accompanying the pho is a dish of bean sprouts, Thai basil, slices of jalapeno pepper, and a lemon wedge. The portion is hearty and the ingredients are all fresh. Very good. $5.20
- Com Thit Quay and Com Vit Quay (Roast Pork and Roast Duck over Rice) – The plate is half filled with rice, a quarter filled with roast pork, and a quarter filled with roast duck. The roast pork skin is crispy and golden. The roast duck also has a nice flavor. Both are above average in terms of flavor compared to other establishments – not too strong, and not to weak. After trying these items to go, they seemed to be just okay when I tried them sitting down in the restaurant. Maybe there’s just something about having a whole box of the duck at home with homemade dishes, or sitting in the car and eating the skin of the roast pork before the crunchiness disappears. It could be the quantity in comparison to take out orders, or the lack of vegetables soaked in the juice of the roasted items. This is not to say the roasted items were bad, but something seemed lacking. On my second visit, I found the duck to have a crisp skin, but again, the duck skin was just fair. Okay overall. $5.20
- Nuoc Dua Tuoi (Young Coconut Juice) – Of all the coconut juice I’ve had that was served in a glass, this is definitely amongst the best. The coconut flavor is especially fragrant and tasted delicious. As usual, pieces of young coconut are floating in the juice along with lots of ice. Very very good. Even better if you take out some of the ice to prevent the flavor from being diluted. $1.65
2010 visit: Still as busy as ever, the lines for the bbq are still out the door.- Gravy Egg and Shrimp over Rice - While this description doesn't translate nearly as well into English as the Chinese name, it's still likely to give you a full stomach. In Chinese, it's called smooth and creamy egg over rice. The egg is cooked with hot oil and shrimp until it reaches an almost gravy-like consistency. Then it's put over an abundant bed of rice. While it's way too much rice for me, it would be great to order this dish with another main entree - you could easily have enough rice to serve two people. Good. $5.89
- Rice Stick Noodles Singapore Style - Singapore style means curry seasoning. The rice noodles are cooked with shrimp, red bell pepper strips, onion strips, green onion strips, jalapeno slices, bean sprouts, bbq pork strips, and of course, dry curry seasoning. This makes for a very flavorful noodle dish since the seasoning covers every strand of delicate rice noodle. The portion is also hearty for this dish. Good. $5.49The value is definitely present at Lam Hoa Thuan. The barbecued and other items sold at the counter are great, especially the boiled chicken with salt. If you’ve never had this type of chicken, you’ll find the flavor and taste different than Foster Farms or other brands available at the local grocery stores.
If you can’t try them for sit down dining, buy some of their roast pork. You’re sure to be pleased. It’s a great place to go for barbecued items Chinese style. You’ll probably be pretty happy with the Vietnamese food too.
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