Vic S.
Yelp
No longer am i gatekeeping SF's best kept secret. L&G is a hole in the wall, mom and pops Vietnamese takeout place in the TL that serves exceptional food at very affordable prices. It is also my go-to for Bahn Mis and Bun Bo Hue.
Bahn Mi (5/5)
- they have an assortment of diff flavors and I've tried most of them (except for the fish one) and my go-to is the BBQ pork and "meatball"
- Bread: the baguette is fresh and perfectly balanced all the flavors of the sando
- pork: eat the sandwich right away bc it comes WARM. the pork is full of flavor and the combination of sweet, sour, spicy, umami in the radish/carrot pickle mix, herbs, jalapeños, Mayo makes every bite perfect
- meatball: they call it meatball but it's more like a minced mystery meat mash - honestly not sure what's in it but I don't care :) it is soft, warm, collagen-y, a little peppery, and meaty. It's more rich than the bbq pork and i love it. Similar to all their sandwiches the pickles, herbs, jalapeños, and Mayo is perfectly balanced with the meat and bread.
- price: these delicious bahn mis are only $5... that's cheaper than a sandwich at subway these days. I would honestly pay double and maybe triple for this level of tastiness
Bun Bo Hue (5/5)
- most ppl don't know that they also have a completely separate menu of noodle soups and that they also make the city's best BBH (in my opinion)
- the broth is rich and beefy. I honestly don't know how they get that beefy, collagen-y consistency bc it doesn't seem like they have a full kitchen in that small space. they add in a bunch of goodies into the flavorful broth - beef slices, pork blood, and tons of veggies and herbs
- the broth is top notch and there is such a variety of flavors mixed together that each bite is different but perfect
Bun Rieu (4.5/5)
- same as the BBH the Bun Rieu is also on their non advertised secret/not so secret noodle menu. I personally think the Bun Rieu from its neighbor Pho 2000 is better, but I still love L&G's version bc I can tell they put in more effort and higher quality ingredients.
- the pork soup, minced meat, tomatoes, fried tofu, pork blood mixed with fresh cabbage and herbs is just as delicious as it sounds.
Pro tip: you know the broth is legit when you put leftovers in the fridge and after a couple hours the broth becomes gelitan. That's what the broth for both these noodle soups are like. I'm super impressed with the level of effort they put in.
The neighborhood is sketchy, so I would recommend calling in and picking up or getting delivery. The owners are a husband/wife duo who are super nice, hardworking, and clearly had perfected their recipes. They are also the most impressive multi lingual ppl I've ever met - I've heard them speak mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, English to diff 6 diff customers in one line within a few mins. It was impressive to say the least!
I can't recommend this place enough, the food is unassuming but extremely delicious and you can tell they put a lot of LOVE into every single item they make. The value is also unbeatable, so make sure you tip them well! So pay them a visit and give them the support and recognition they deserve. Bravo!