Sai's Vietnamese Restaurant |
505 Washington
San Francisco
(415) 362-3689
food type: Vietnamese
Average entrée: $6.95
Bender Rating: 3
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Famous dish: Pho (Vietnamese style noodle soup)

This lunchtime favorite is situated right between San Francisco's downtown and North Beach, and fills up with locals in search of a great bowl of noodles. There is a BBQ beef vermicelli bowl, served with lettuce, bean sprouts, mint leaves, shredded cucumber and diced peanuts; Vietnamese grilled chicken marinated with lemon grass; shrimp hot 'n' sour soup; and a curry of rock cod with bamboo shoots, onion and celery in coconut milk.

Try the classic Pho, a Vietnamese noodle soup served with crunchy fresh vegetables and seasonings on the side, usually with beef but also available with chicken, seafood or crab.

Appetizers include ground shrimp on a sugar cane stick, Vietnamese spring rolls, and a French-inspired, pan-friend crispy crepe with shrimp and chicken served with lettuce and basil.

Other local favorites include shrimp cooked in a clay pot; chow mein; and crispy noodles with prawns, string beans and pineapple. There are also nearly 20 vegetarian items to choose from.

Afterward, savor a slow-dripped Vietnamese iced coffee and fried bananas and ice cream. Don't expect any great décor here -- it's strictly fluorescent light territory -- but a cheap and filling way to fuel up.  

-- Lisa Tsering