Hong Kee & Kim

Considering this is the only Vietnamese restaurant in the Fi-​di /​Embarcadero area, it will have to do to satisfy my sudden ph and vermicelli cravings. I ordered their bun thit nuong and noticed that their nuoc cham was made with APPLE CIDER VINEGAR instead of the typical lime or white vinegar. Am I the only one who’s thrown off by this? I can’t be the only one right? They’re not great, but they’re at least fast so I can just grab my food and go back to work.

I found this place while exploring the Embarcadero Center. It was cold so I ordered the basic choice of beef noodle soup (phở). Also ordered the pork dumplings/​dim sum out of curiosity.
The dumplings were ok but it wasn’t hot and tasted like it was microwaves. The phở was pretty decent. Service was fast but understaffed when it came to ordering. My only issue is the price– $ 11 for basic beef phở? And $ 5 for 4 pieces of dumplings?
Decent food, decent service, overpriced.

I had the rare beef phở — wonderful mixture of flavors, and warming on a chilly day.

It was my first time here at Hong Kee. I was craving chicken porridge and thought I would give it a shot. Considering that it is in FiDi, I didn’t expect my food to taste phenomenal or cheap (Chinese standard). Well, but for $ 10 Chinese street food, I did have some expectation. It came out bland and tasted nothing like chicken porridge I have had elsewhere…

2^nd story viet/​chinese fast food place above Oasis Grill. I had bun thit nuong (bbq pork noodles), it was just ehh. The pork was super salty and the noodles tasted old and dry. I drowned my bowl with fish sauce to offset the salty flavors.

We stumbled upon this place while walking from the Ferry Building to our hotel in Union Square. We were craving Vietnamese food and checked out the menu by the door and happy to see we could get vermicelli bowls and rice plates. It was just after 6 when we arrived and we went upstairs to find a few people at the tables. Glad they were still open for us to get take out to eat at the hotel.
We looked at the menu and a few more people came in for take out. The vermicelli bowls are about $ 10. There’s a row of chairs along the wall for those waiting for take out. We waited about 10 minutes for our food to be prepared.
We ate about an hour later and heated up our food in the hotel. The portion was big but we were hungry from a day of sight seeing so devoured it all. The spring rolls were not great, but the vermicelli and meat was good. There was lettuce, cucumbers, and bean sprouts under the noodles too. I used all my fish sauce for a tasty meal.
Decent food for a cheaper dinner.

Cafeteria style layout and cafeteria style food.
Its convenient and quick if you are in the Financial District, but otherwise it is pretty mediocre.

I’m giving this place 4 stars in the bubble that is the FiDi. There are definitely better places in Little Saigon, the Avenues and in towns outside of San Francisco (which I never visit). But this place serves up some tasty Vietnamese (and not-​so-​Vietnamese) dishes in a fast casual setting that beats the nearby competition for a good workday lunch bowl of Phở.
Beef Phở: Rare steak, brisket and beef ball is my signature combo. The rare steak is actually served rare here in a mound that thankfully isn’t all stuck together (as seen at other Phở joints). The portion of steak in the broth is medium and there is a gradient of doneness up to rare at the top. The brisket comes in large slices and offers a nice well-​done and fatty contrast. The beef balls seem smaller and chewier compared to most phở places, but still decent enough to include in a bowl. The broth-​to-​noodle ratio is good; in the past it seems like they had overloaded on noodles and skimped on broth so I’m glad that this has been remedied. The broth itself is respectable. Yes, there’s better out there, but it sure beats phở from a place that makes donuts!

Short story: bland, pricey, but if you have to, do it. Come in no later than 11:30am or face the local lunchtime line-​ups.
Long story:
In the kingdom of the blind, the one eyed man is king. Perfectly describes in this case… This is one of the only average-​priced Asian spots in the FiDi and so although it is rather average it attracts even Asian people to it.
I ordered a rare beef phở, fresh spring rolls, and an original bubble tea. Total was $ 20 + tip = $ 23.00
The soup smelled promising but something was missing flavor-​wise. The rare beef promptly got super hard (likely frozen before). The noodles were extra soft. It’s not the best phở you will taste, yet if you really need some, you’ll make do.
The spring rolls were okay. Nice enough. The peanut dressing watery and lacking flavor.
The bubble tea was nice, I liked that the original (black) tea base was bitter, but that’s rare and many won’t like it. It’s not much sweetened either and they don’t check how you like it. The boba were chewy and harder than the usual, likely not do fresh. Lots of milk. It’s a fair enough cup — again — if you’re pretty desperate to have it HERE AND NOW. If there are other options, go for that or take a quick ride to Chinatown.
I give it 3 stomata for lack of flavor accuracy.
The place is clean, quiet, organized. They accept cash and plastic, they’re quick to serve. It’s not a bad spot, just not a great one either for those of you who really know good Asian food.

Came in for lunch today after reading some good Unilocal reviews.
You really have to get in here before 12:15 else there is a huge line.
I ordered the vermicelli with grilled chicken and Mango milk tea. The service was quick.
The vermicelli was ok; nothing great, but the Mango milk tea was one of the best I have ever tasted till now. Great flavor and the pearls are soft and chewy.
Will be definitely coming back for lunch.

Short Story: A great place for phở if you’re near the Embarcadero Center.
Long Story: I’ve been here numerous times for the past 2 years for lunch and dinner as I work close by. The place is usually packed during lunch and pretty empty for dinner. The prices and quantity are pretty good for what you expect in San Francisco. Although they’ve recently raised their prices by about $ 1 per dish.
I usually get the phở with beef meatballs and sometimes get the Imperial Rolls appetizer. During the lunch hour, it’s tough to grab a table if you come later than 12PM. It’s best to get there around 11:30AM or after 12:45PM. They don’t have a lot of staff so when you leave your table, it takes a while before it is cleaned. Therefore, sometimes if you want a table you’ll have to clean it yourself.
The wait time is usually about 5 minutes and the staff are generally friendly. Overall, the place is good although the décor and ambiance are a bit lacking and so is the cleanliness. The place has been shut down a few times in the past year because of this. Still… you can’t beat it’s prices, how good it tastes, and the quantity, so I keep coming back.
Verdict: I’m writing this review at the restaurant! :)

so in general, there are just not many delicious asian food places for lunch in fidi for a reasonable price! i mean, cant afford to eat at hakkasan every day! found this randomly on Unilocal and came in today with a friend, and was pleasantly surprised. queue up to pay for your food, grab your number, scout for a seat (it can be SUPER packed so come early or later, but there is lots of seating and people eat fast) and wait for your delicious food to arrive! my friend got the beef combo phở, and i got spicy noodle soup. mine took longer, but i thought it was totally worth it! large bowl of noodles for 10 bucks, and they have other options — sandwiches, dim sum, appetizers, bubble tea, etc.
it seems pretty clean actually. one major improvement could be the food delivery system. would totally come back!

I can eat here almost everyday.
Everything is full of flavor. They have a huge Vietnamese and Chinese menu. I could eat here everyday and not get bored.
Top picks:
Chicken sandwich with a fried egg, +$ 1.35
Vermicelli w chicken, noodles, veggies, peanuts, fish sauce.
Spicy chicken soup/​phở, very delicious
Shrimp dumplings
Mango bubble milk tea is a favorite

This is 3 stars for the financial district. Elsewhere, it’s like a 2 stars kinda place.
Since Phở Hoa has closed down and been replaced by mediocre ramen, I reluctantly tried this place and was actually pleasantly surprised.
It’s one of those self serve places. You order/​pay at the counter, then you get a number, get your own utensils, sit down and wait for your food.
I ordered the phở with brisket, tendon, tripe. It wasn’t bad! I was expecting to be disgusted… I don’t know why either… I think the fact that it’s totally hidden, and you walk upstairs not really knowing what to expect. They have a bunch of other chinese food menu items along with the phở… it looked like a healthy portion for the price (esp in the fidi).
It’s not bad… but it’s definitely not amazing. The prices are decent, about $ 8.50 for my phở, not including tax. Since it’s self serve, you don’t need to tip either (or at least I didn’t see anyone leaving tips, I followed suit).

I’ve walked past this place a thousand times but something about having to go upstairs/​not being able to see the atmosphere before going in always stopped me. Man have I been missing out!
First of all– the reviews of «the line» also prevented me from trying this place out, but what those reviews fail to mention is «the line» is to order your food (which is then brought to your table) NOT the line to be seated. This means it moves quickly and after «the line» all you have to do is eat and go! SO EFFICIENT and then you don’t have to wait for your check or wait in line again– take that Phở Ha!
The phở was good! Broth was authentic and the beef was fresh/​seemed to be good quality. I think they skimped a bit on the side plate of mint and Jalapeños– but I’m sure I could have asked for more if I really cared.
Tip: they have a bar area so if your alone it’s not awkward and you don’t have to sit with strangers or take up a whole table!
Tip 2: the iced coffee is good but pre-​made (they don’t give you the traditional cup where it brews in front of you) — but it’s still authentic and delish!
Tip 3: once you order go to the right of the register and get your free water/​tea, spoon, chop sticks and napkins (I felt dumb when I asked a server for them).

Came here for lunch with a few friends during a regular workday and boy was it packed by 12:30pm. Definitely come before 12 if you want a seat. Seats are first come first serve and after you order, you get a number so they can serve you wherever you’re seated.
Not much to say about service since it was a help yourself kind of situation after you order. I had the beef phở with jasmine milk tea with boba for a bit more than $ 12. The jasmine milk tea was too bland for my tastes, but the tapioca balls were super chewy and soft. The phở was a bit bland as well, but it is served for a good price in the financial district. I ended up finishing my small bowl of phở and was very full on the way back to work. Lots of noodles and portion isn’t too bad. The spicy beef noodle one was also bland for a spicy soup and definitely didn’t have that bright red color they usually have in the broth.
Won’t come out of my way to eat here if I didn’t have to but I don’t mind coming back again for its price, it fills me, and it is equidistant from all my friends’ work locations too. You have to walk upstairs to reach the restaurant but you’ll need to make sure you don’t walk past that small doorway entrance.

Go up the stairs, order and pay at the counter and seat yourself. Also drinks and utensils are self serve. The staff will bring your food to your table.
Quick service for those who are short on time. But the food was very bland. I was craving phở and it was the only place I can get to since Phở Hoa closed. It was very disappointing. The broth had no flavor and tasted watered down. They give you very little sprouts and basil leaves. My experience here was not very pleasant.
I’ll probably go back if I ever crave watered down phở.

After discovering that Hong Kee & Kim serve boba, I made the quick walk here from my building and got the milk tea with boba for $ 3.75. It came in a decently sized cup and had a great flavor, but they were a bit stingy with the amount of pearl. I decided to come back in the evening for my meal break to try the food.
Came here for dinner at 6 and was pleased to find not a single soul in the restaurant aside from an older couple talking quietly to themselves in the corner. I ordered the grilled chicken vermicelli and the potstickers, along with a bottle of water, and found my total to be a whopping $ 16.03. Granted, the amount of chicken I got was nearly, if not, an entire breast, but the large bowl is padded on the bottom with lettuce underneath what I thought was a generous portion of noodles. The potstickers were very delicious, however, and the spicy chili oil/​soy sauce dipping sauce was quite good as well.
I was disappointed to find that my vermicelli tasted exactly like soap. Not that I’ve ever eaten soap, but it tasted like what laundry detergent or Dove smells like, and that’s not what I want to taste when I’m eating rice noodles. It honestly killed the entire meal for me.
$ 16 isn’t what I want to pay for soapy-​tasting noodles. I’d come back to try the rice plates or the other noodle dishes that aren’t vermicelli, but I guess I also won’t be ordering an appetizer either because I don’t want to shell out nearly $ 20 for one entrée just because I’m eating in the financial district.

Outstanding (and quick) lunch options for less than $ 8 (before tax). Expansive vegetarian options too!
Hong Kee & Kim is located upstairs from the typically lengthy line consisting of Fidi minions waiting to order Oasis shawarma. The rush here begins around 12:15 pm, so if you don’t want to wait long for lunch, make sure to pop in before then.
Portions are very generous here. I personally find that the phở is 2 servings. I’m a big van of the vermicelli noodle «bun» dishes.
Vegetarians will be in heaven here. There is a very generous menu dedicated to meat-​free dishes.
Take-​out is quick, but feel free to enjoy the dining room if it’s not too full

I like the spacious dining area provided at this place — in the Financial area and with feasible phở too!
It’s simple cafeteria style, where you order upfront and they conveniently accept credit cards!
Their Five Spice Chicken, lacked the spices ideally for it to be called five spice, but it sufficed. I like their Phở with rare steak and beef balls. Their broth was good. Entrees are priced fairly — especially in the FiDi. They serve up boba tea if you want a refreshment!
It’ll suffice for the FiDi lunch flow!