Turtle Tower

Where to begin…
Ordered two Chicken Phở Ga dishes from here to go on a Sunday. I’ve gotten Chicken Phở Ga from plenty of places in SF, including the Turtle Tower in SoMa. This version from Turtle Tower’s Geary location was BY FAR the worst one I’ve ever had. The chicken was basically «chicken parts,» rubbery skin, veins — basically the parts of the chicken NO ONE wants to eat. On top of the food being gross, which I didn’t find out about until I got home, the woman taking payment at the desk was EXTREMELY rude. Snatching my credit card out of my hand, and generally making me feel like I was bothering her??? Avoid this place unless you enjoy crappy, gross soup and very rude service.

This is a northern Viet phở place. The regular phở tai is okay so I don’t order it often as I prefer southern style phở. Their phở ga is not the best but it’s still good, however, I’d order the bun thang before the phở ga — who knows you may like it better. They don’t have the hot chili with garlic like at southern Viet phở places (had to add sriracha). The imperial roll is something I always order since I prefer rice paper instead of egg flour as wrapper.
Service is okay, don’t expect much. They seemed too busy for the personable friendly vibe you’d want. Also, I go here only once or twice a year, no fault of theirs but parking in the area is terrible so I avoid unless friends want to go. Be prepared to circle blocks in all directions for any spot! The TT on 6^th Street is not open on Sundays, so had to go here.

HORRIBLE service. Do NOT give it a try.
Gave me a seat but didn’t give me a menu even I called them several times for ten minutes. I told them twice about no onion for my meal but they never paid attention to that, the service even yelled at me that I didn’t told her about it.

I was desperate for noodle soup. I ordered the beef stew and asked for Phở noodles togo. Got make to work, which is across the street and my soup was cold already. I looked at my noodles and it’s some wide noodle, not Phở noodles!
I ate it and the soup was super salty! I thought i was drinking salt water. Meh! Maybe I’ll try the sandwiches.

came in on a rainy day and only had to wait a couple mins. quick service and delicious food, can’t go wrong! hot steaming bowl of chicken broth with an abundance of chicken, fresh made noodles and plenty of cilantro. mmm hits the spot any time of the day.

Best phở I’ve ever had, anywhere. I don’t understand when people (1 total) say they dislike this place… What are you ordering? I order the famous chicken soup and I think it’s amazing. The flavor of the broth, the consistency of the noodles, the fresh ingredients…
5 stars easy.

I have only been to the location in the outer Richmond, so I only can speak to that. The only thing I’ve actually ever ordered here was the chicken noodle phở. Super authentic just like my Vietnamese mother and aunts make it. Turtle towers’ noodles or so bouncy that they seem like they are housemaid. They are flat in shape just like the northern Vietnamese style. Anyone who enjoys phở understands that everything is in the soup broth. Their broth at turtle tower seems to be aged just right and plenty of flavoring. Chicken is always wild and free range as my mother always recommended when teaching us how to cook it. Parking is relatively easy in the neighborhood, and the wait is minimal, maybe 5 to 10 minutes. Service is kind friendly and fast. Is a place to go if you want truly authentic northern Vietnamese style chicken phở.

This place is perfect for cold days, rainy days, hungover days, any day really…
All you need to know is the #9-​Phở Ga. You can ask for no skin or dark meat for 50 cents extra. Also ask for their lemon pepper sauce! It makes the chicken more flavorful and more enjoyable. Food comes out really quick but service is nonexistent after that.
The place is pretty clean although I have not been to their bathroom so I can’t tell you what that’s like. There’s a public parking structure right next door so it should not be that hard to find a spot unless you’re here on the weekends.
I can only hope that my future husband will be able to make chicken noodle soup as good as this.

It was a short wait for lunch on a weekend and the service was quick. They are known for their northern style phở here. The difference between the phở that you’re probably used to is this has a lighter broth, wider noodles, no basil/​bean sprouts or hoisin sauce to add to it. The broth is filled with green onions and cilantro.
I ordered the large #1 flank and brisket beef phở ($ 9). It was delicious and didn’t need any flavor added to it. It’s just as good as the Tenderloin location in my opinion and could be a shorter wait.

My first experience with northern-​style phở. I had no idea there was a difference. Overall, I liked it and would recommend to others.
Service: not great but not horrible. I never expect overly friendly service at a phở restaurant. My biggest gripe was that they were slow. The food came out fast, but it took a long time to be seated (even though there were open tables) and a really long time to get the check.
Ambiance: nothing fancy, but it was really clean.
Food: I tried the chicken noodle soup (phở ga) as I heard that was their best dish. The broth was really yummy, the chicken was tender, and there was a good amount of cilantro and green onions. No hoisin sauce or bean sprouts, which other reviewers said is typical of the northern style phở-​who knew? At first I was bummed about the hoisin, but it ended up being a good thing because I really got to taste the flavors of the soup. I don’t care for the extra skin and gristle that came with the meat, but I could eat around it. I’m guessing it gave more flavor to the broth.

Still haven’t had better Phở Ga (Chicken Noodle Soup) else where. The soup base here and noodles are just unmatchable elsewhere. However… that’s pretty much all they’re good for… So other menu options are just whatever in my opinion…
Squeeze some lime juice, sprinkle some pepper, maybe tip it off with some hoisin sauce if you would like… to create that ultimate Phở Ga Combo.
The portions here are decent but personally doesn’t fill me up because i tend to be a taller figure. Also when it comes to value calculations it’s still pretty expensive because its just $ 1 worth of chicken breast, $ 1 rice noodles and the broth that is preheated… Charging $ 10 per bowl pre tax/​tip.
There’s also TWO locations for turtle tower. one being this one in Richmond area (Limited parking) and tenderloin (Limited Parking) which tends to taste better according to other people but i just to avoid the more ghetto parts of towns for safety precautions.
It is probably the spot everyone be talking about when it comes to chicken Phở Ga Noodle.
Cool spot to hit up on occasion or to simply cure hangovers!

SERVICE: Meh. As I’ve stated before in other reviews, Asian restaurants do not typically emphasize service as a part of the restaurant dining experience. It’s just a part of the culture, so do not come to this place expecting any fancy treatment.
FOOD: Awesome. As far as my experience with phở noodles go, the taste is pretty consistent wherever I eat. However, this place rejuvenated me with its Northern-​style phở. The noodles are slightly wider and the broth tastes a little richer. The rare beef noodle soup is a must-​try. I say this because if you have not had Northern-​style phở before, you’re in for a surprise. The beef is not sliced but rather somewhat grounded. This makes the beef more tender and avoids the issue of being overcooked in the hot brother. I also enjoy the Stir-​fried beef noodle soup. It is served with all sorts of veggies including carrots and celery which makes the bowl of soup incredibly flavorful. My one gripe is that the phở comes pretty basic. There are no sides of sprouts or mint leaves.
AMBIANCE: Tile floors and wooden chairs. Well lit. Nothing too extravagant so I would say this place is perfect for lunch and for a quick dinner.
OVERALL: I will continue to revisit this place because I love noodle soup and is located in an area that is in desperate need of more variety. Also, their imperial rolls are delicious, but expensive. $ 2.50 for one. FOR ONE! Ok, end of vent session. :)

I felt like a bowl of phở. Then I looked at the menu and changed my mind.
I’m thinking of a bowl of vermicelli noodles with imperial rolls on the side.
I asked the server if it comes with grilled pork or chicken on top. She explained it’s northern Vietnamese style. Minced beef, crab, and shrimp inside the roll. Is that ok? Sure, we said. So the three out of the four of us went with it.
It arrived on a platter. A heap of noodles, a bunch of mint and cilantro, and several leafs of romaine lettuce. You’ve got to roll your own. And a bowl of sweet vinegar sauce for dipping.
It was not what we were accustomed to, but we managed to eat our platter (not bowl). We agreed it was good, but probably not order again. Too much work.
When we left around 12:30pm, there was a line of folks waiting to be seated.

I stopped by to try their famous Hanoi-​style phở. Normally at a phở place I go straight for the beef, maybe with some tripe or tendon, but today I chose the chicken phở (phở ga) that Turtle Tower is better known for. A large (seriously large) bowl cost me $ 8.50, and appeared at my table almost immediately after I ordered it, along with an apology for the delay.
This was my first encounter with northern-​style phở. This is a phở for minimalists. The broth tastes like straight chicken-​water and salt — maybe a little too much salt — and I didn’t taste any of the spices and charred aromatic vegetables I normally associate with phở. Also absent: the usual pile of bean sprouts and basil and whatnot that most southern-​style phở places serve on the side. Instead, just a sliced jalapeño and a lemon wedge, along with some scallions and cilantro already in the broth. After a few spoonfuls, I doctored it up a bit, with a small splash of vinegar (lemon just felt wrong), and a shake of black pepper. Halfway through the bowl, I caved and added some Sriracha, too.
The other difference is the noodles: slightly wider than usual, fettuccine-​shaped. Mine were a little mushier than I like them. The chicken itself was perfectly cooked: skin on, tender, no gristly bits.
I also got a hot Vietnamese coffee. They served it in a beat-​up old aluminum filter, which seemed to be partly clogged: by the time I finished my phở, only about half of the coffee had dripped through. I had to by on my way, so I poured it into the mug with a spoonful of condensed milk, topped it off with some of the formerly-​hot water they’d served on the side, and knocked it back. It was overextracted from the half-​hour brewing time, but that’s what the condensed milk was for.
The phở ga was not a standout, but I’ll be back to try some of the other North Vietnamese dishes on the menu. I’m particularly curious about the stir-​fried beef phở dishes with celery, onion, carrots, and leeks, which seem to show off phở’s French ancestry.

Turtle Tower is known for two things.
1. Their Chicken Phở
2. Their Chicken Phở is SF’s favorite hangover cure.
In most places, their broth will give you some sort of weird MSG Phở Coma. Not this place– it’ll have you walking out of there feeling like that soup cured you of those 14 shots you took last night at the club.
Their broth is light, delicious, and hits the spot. The extra green stuff (cilantro, and other green things), along with the shredded chicken in the soup also makes it taste healthy. Their flat noodle is also soft and supple.
I don’t know what the other dishes on their menu taste like, because their chicken phở is the only thing you need LOL.

I don’t care what haters gotta say but I do enjoy coming here and getting the beef with wine sauce phở. It is my go too and another part I love is that when I ask he waiter/​waitress for extra cilantro, they do not skimp out on me. They load up my bowl with so much cilantro that leaves my friends asking «do you know you have noodles in your cilantro?». I love cilantro, boings wrong with that.
My order has never gotten messed up here like at other places that tried to convince my friend pork is beef. Bro, no, pork is not beef, and whoever told you that shouldn’t be in the food industry.
Haters gon’ hate!

This Phở Tái was OK.
It had an uneasy texture to it. Thicker than liquified fat, thinner than solidified/​cooled fat. And a slight fishy (?) undercurrent. I wondered if this was a combined stock, someone using an unclean pot or utensil, a consequence of the delivery container or perhaps just a pre-​made stock with preservatives.
It wasn’t the worst phở I’ve ever had. But, it wasn’t the best either.
Would retest if in the area. Wouldn’t go out of my way for.

Woohoo! As good as it gets! … As far as chicken phở (phở ga) is concerned.
Save yourself some trouble and forget the beef phở here, or really, any other menu items. Get the Chicken Phở (#9) or Chicken Phở with Giblets (phở ga long, #10) and you won’t be disappointed! That broth is the ultimate hangover-​curing, cold/​flu-​soothing, pick-​me-​up magic crack liquid that dreams are made of. Accompany that with smooth and slurp-​worthy flat rice noodle, heap of chopped green onions and cilantro, and you’re set. Deeeeeelicious every single time!
I also love their Imperial Rolls. Kinda pricey at $ 2.50 each, but it’s a great side for the chicken phở. I would personally skip the Fresh Spring Rolls because I’m not a fan of the dipping sauce, not peanut-​y enough.
They have strong iced Vietnamese coffees, if you desire such a cooling chaser for your noodle soup.
They do discounted Birthday Month promotions. Not sure if it’s just at this location or not. But you just fill out a small form, show your ID as proof of birth date, and you get 10% your dine-​in order. They also do a frequent visitor card, but I don’t come here enough to make that worthwhile.
They’re closed on Wednesdays, so remember that!

This place is known for their northern style phở. The northern style phở consists of wider and flatter noodles. I always get the phở ga, or the chicken noodle. The noodles are perfectly cooked and the chicken strips in the soup are moist and tender. I love the amount of cilantro and green onion they put. It makes the broth altogether delicious! There is no need to squirt sriracha or hoisin sauce into your bowl. No no. If you must, just squirt it in the sauce plate they give you. You can dip your chicken if you wish, but don’t ruin the broth with those sauces.
I haven’t tried anything else on the menu… I just stick to their phở ga since that’s their specialty: D

They take credit cards now (AGAIN)…But they have a lengthy disclaimer about how you have to spend at least $ 20 otherwise there will be a service charge.
Phở is excellent, but service is still not passable. They try to rush you out ASAP too.
I really do have a love/​hate relationship with this location.