Saturday, March 5, 2011

Hoang Thanh Chinese Restaurant

Are you in need of an inexpensive dim sum fix or a good Cantonese noodle dish, yet don't feel like braving the sea of traffic into District 5?  Look no further than Hoang Thanh, where you can get dinner tonight and have leftovers for the next two lunches.  We recently happened upon this cavernous establishment while hungrily running errands in District 1.  At 77-89 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia St. (near Ben Thanh Market), we were lulled out of a midday driving stupor by the looming Chinese characters and tacky fish mural that adorn the front entrance.
While the atmosphere leaves much to be desired (a massive, well-lit Marxist-Leninist food hall), the service is lightning quick, the tea is hot, and the faces are friendly.  The menu included all of our favorites and in our customary fashion, we over-ordered and gorged ourselves.

Between our chow fun (wide flat noodle) bowl filled with tofu and vegetables, several dim sum orders, and a sizzling, Szechuan Mapo tofu dish, we ate ourselves ill and still had enough to take home.  I'm sure there are better Chinese joints out there, but it felt eerily like we were right back in the heart of San Francisco's Chinatown.

5 comments:

Carol said...

As usual, just got up and you are making me think of dinner already. Where to go is the question,I want to duplicate that exact meal!

David said...

Hey there, wait a minute folks, I am getting the drift that all you two do is loll about between trips to the beach waiting for your next meal or next pampering at the spa. What gives? We had an early post about the cute children in Nellie's classes and then it's been onto the FOOD, TRIP, FOOD, TRIP, FOOD. What about us out here in reality? Where do we find this ShangriLa? What is amazing to me is that after a lifetime of sitting at the same dining table listening to Nellie tell me what she could never eat, now you try everything in sight. I guess that is called "growing up." POPS

Nellie said...

Poppers: When we aren't choking through traffic, being sprayed by fine pieces of glass from bus mishaps, or being robbed by motorbike bandits, we do indeed know how to enjoy ourselves! Thanks for reading!

Isis said...

Nellie !!

So love your posts. Yeah, David is right, y'all are in a Far Distant Exotic Shangri-La.

I know you posted that bit about "work" to fulfill your "Witness Protection" obligations. You really don't have jobs, do you?

Ha ha. Hey went to the "Burnal Equinox" last nite on the bay side (MissionRock Cafe). It was F****** awesome !!!!! I was so happy to see Burners (out in Full-Force). Burnal Equinox is the "half-way" point between Burns, made me think so much about "transformations" and accomplishments since Burning Man.

Getting my "eye" surgery (after all these years - a cornea transplant, that's Hard core) and moving to SF ... you in Vietnam ... such great, amazing changes !!!!!

I posted some new photos on my website of SF (it will probably make you nostalgic :) .....)
http://www.peacechief.org/TOKYO.html

And, on an entirely irreverant note, I just bought an $87 dollar bottle of perfume on Amazon.com.

See what you can do when you don't have a husband ? LOL !!!!!

xox Isis

Isis said...

Ps: Tell G that "Umphrey's McGee" is playing next Sat. at the Fillmore .... I'm going (based on my new found love of WSP !!) .... and I remembered Gavin telling me about them.

I will surely Represent !!

And, I really, really wish you had been at the Burnal Equinox, but (sigh), you are so far away, but thankfully, having a wonderful and exciting time, I am so happy for you and I love to read about your adventures !! xox.