Cash or Venmo only! My friends and I all ordered the number 5! The imperial roll and shish kebab were my favorites!! The imperial roll was so crispy!! This is a no frills, hole in the wall restaurant that is definitely worth a visit. There are only about 7 or so seats, so be prepared to wait a little or order takeout.
Got there at 630 on Saturday night and got a table for two straightaway although others that came later had to wait. The food is delicious. We got two number 5s - seems like the most popular item on the menu. Imperial rolls very crispy and delicious, chicken is yum, shish kebab very tasty although a tad too salty, the sauce over the rice is tasty but I might ask for it without the sauce next time. Cozy, no frills ambiance. No rush in the cooking, lots of takeaway orders to fill as well as for eat-in customers. This place will be a regular for us for sure! Btw they take Venmo as well as cash.
This hole in the wall is a classic San Francisco gem. Amazing Vietnamese food with generous portions and reasonable prices (cash only). The imperial rolls were some of the best I've ever had outside of Vietnam. If you want good authentic Vietnamese food, without the frills and pretentiousness, this is your place. Cash only! The place is small and you will sit right up at the counter and watch your food being prepared. The lady has been doing this for decades and knows all the customers by name!
So, I had a hankering for 5 Spice Chicken & happened to walk by this place a week ago, it's a sliver of a restaurant but there was lots of chattering coming from inside the place, it intrigued me. I had already eaten but decided to give it a try next time. So after reading all the positive reviews, I went. As I entered the place I noticed the narrow counter/seating & surrounding area is in bad shape, not the cleanest, by no means. I was pretty surprised. The place needs a good wash down & paint but perhaps that would raise the prices on the fabulous, large portions of food. The opposite side where the chef/owner cooks is where the magic takes place. Flames are grilling the meats, heating up the area, the exhaust sucks out all the smoke. Another woman is bringing out large pots of steamed rice. The meals are being plated, egg rolls, salad, dressing. It's like an assembly line. And some how the chef doesn't forget anything the diners are adding or subtracting from their orders. She tallies up the charges on a yellow pad, taking cash only. This is her domain. You can tell she loves every moment, order & customer.
If you asked me what my favorite reasonably priced cash only restaurant in the us is I would probably say cordon Bleu. The food, although simple is so satiating. Don't expect table service or for that matter quick service but trust me it'll taste good. I always order the number five. What makes it so good? The charring of the meat? The vibe- you're literally sitting over an open fire watching the sole proprietor work her Magic. Or is it the perfectly crispy imperial roll? Wait could it be the rice with meat sauce? I love this place, sometimes it can be a little chaotic, and sometimes you may have to wait for your check. But trust me it's worth it. Oh btw the chase atm is no longer functioning so plan ahead.
A couple of friends and I were trying to pick a place for dinner and I suggested we check out Cordon Bleu since its been on my list for years. We walked in and realized there was basically only dining seating for 7-10 people here. Luckily there is a small table in the back where they let us pull up chairs so us 3 could sit. This place is the definition of hole in the wall spots with delicious food. Go with the number 5 so you can sample all the different roasted/grilled meats plus super crispy imperial rolls. Remember its cash only, but its so worth it.
Sheeeeeeeesh, I finally stopped by and it's a big-time hit! Cordon Blue is this SMALL mom and pop shop. The chef is a vibe and she's grilling these to order. Food: everything is extremely well-seasoned. The chicken fell right off the bone and was so moist. The grilled pork was seared to perfection. The meat sauce on the rice is what you call exquisite. Service: this place is all cash so make sure to bring that! There's a chase bank right next to the restaurant so it's no problem if you forget. Ambiance: the restaurant is so quaint. The counter sits around 8 ppl and I look forward to doing that soon!! All you can ask for!
This is one of the best hole in the wall restaurant I've been at in the city! This place is really small with only a couple of counter seats but the food is so delicious, especially the chicken that is so tender and comes off the bone easily with so much flavor! Their imperial roll is also amazing!!! Recommend coming here at lunch for their combo meal and the price is really good for the portion too 10/10!!!
"Possibly the best chicken you will ever have outside of Vietnam" 9 Bar stools. Be patient. Save me a seat please. Don't dare skipping an imperial roll.
My friends brought me here because they have been eating here for years since they live so close. We came for lunch around 11:30 AM on a Wednesday with a group of 4. The restaurant had just opened so we were the only ones there but after we sat down more and more people stared coming in. The restaurant is small with a few counter space and one small table in the back. It has a very hole in the wall appearance which is understandable since it has been open since the 60s. We had a nice chat with the owner who was very friendly and told us she has had this restaurant for the past 28 years! Service was good. And food came out quite quickly. I was told by my group to get entree five which I did. The chicken was tender and had a nice flame grilled flavor to it as did the kebab. The imperial roll was huge and very tasty - definitely my favorite part. My friends really like the meat sauce over rice but it wasn't my cup of tea. However, the plate overall was great! They are cash only but can take Venmo if needed but the owner prefers not to. All in all, I can definitely see why this place is an institution and really makes for a nice, comforting lunch spot.