Jacob Christensen

I loved this place. The staff were very helpful, and the food was amazing. They even guided me towards some other places in Chinatown to try.

Boonyawee Ch.

Feel like home and the portion is big. The soup is authentic. I tried the stew and I loved it.

Spencer Browning

Super nice staff, the food arrived quickly, and the beef pho is delicious! I recommend this place.

JUNE SMITH

It was raining, so we randomly stopped by a nearby Vietnamese spot, and it ended up being a great surprise. The broth was super rich and flavorful. I ordered the spicy shrimp noodle dish, but it wasn’t the type of noodles I expected. When I asked about it, they were kind enough to change it for me—free of charge. The service was really friendly, and the place felt like a cozy, old-school neighborhood restaurant. Great food, great service, and a very comforting experience. Would definitely come back.

db cheong

The restaurant is clean and spacious. The restaurant server quickly ushered me to my table and politely asked if I would like tea, if not water. The welcome drink is then served in a paper cup. I ordered my usual Beef Special Pho which comed with beef steak, tendon, balls and stomach, and also a hot viet coffee. The pho comes in huge serving and lined with hugh generous portion of steak slices and other ingredients. The highlight of the pho would be the steak slices. It was fragrant and is tasty like the steak you would have ordered at a steak house. The Vietnamese cofffee was strong and also have a balanced taste with the amount of condensed milk and hot water combination. Highly recommended as well. Beats blue mountain and star bucks hands down. 😄

Jeff Ho

2025 update. Golden Star remains my favorite Vietnamese restaurant in Chinatown. It was nice to see the long time staff still working here. The tall guy returned. The last time I was here earlier in the year, I asked about him. The other staff member said he went to work at a hotel. But now he is back. Joyful as ever. The food remains great. I still love their pho, bun bo hue and crispy seafood noodles. I would return back to the office if my office was closer to Golden Star. :) Updated review 11/22/2023: Golden Star is the best Vietnamese restaurant in Chinatown! I used to come on a weekly basis back in the early 2000's through 2013 from Embarcadero Center 3, where I used to work. It was an awesome place to meet up with co-workers. The kitchen and service were always fast, you know for the 1 hour limit lunch break customers. Today we had two bowls of #1 house special pho $14, #25 imperial rolls (cha gio) full order $10, #32 Vietnames beef carpaccio (bo tai chanh) full order $15 and a seafood crispy noodles $17. One bit of sad news. The tall waiter no longer works here. The other waiter said he left for a hotel job. Service was excellent as always. Outdoor dining 5/3/2021. Indoor dining was not available. I'm so happy to see the same staff working here. We've been coming here since the early 2000's. The quality of the food and service remains the same. This was one of my favorite restaurants to eat at when I'm was working down by the Embarcaderos. It was such a treat to come here on Fridays. Food by the Embarcadero area is filled with boring hipster salads and sandwiches. Love this place!

+12

Wang

This is a fantastic Vietnamese noodle restaurant; I've eaten here many times. The location is easy to find, not far from the Garden Corner parking lot. Their beef noodle soup is incredibly flavorful, with plenty of beef, tripe, and beef balls—you won't need to order any extra meat to feel satisfied. Topped with basil and lemon, it's a truly delightful taste experience！

Alice Hou

We were craving for some pho as a hangover cure and found this place! We were seated quickly when we arrived, and the room was already full! I ordered their imperial rolls, and the large #1 House special beef soup noodle, which comes with sliced lean beef, brisket, beef tendon, beef tripe, beef balls, and a side plate of bean sprouts, basil, jalopieno, and lemon. The imperial rolls were just alright; they didn't have enough flavor, lacking the distinct white pepper taste. I would try their shrimp spring rolls next time! The combination pho tasted delicious, the broth was fragrant, the noodles were cooked to the right texture, and it came loaded with meats. The staff was attentive, the food came out quickly, and they served hot tea! On top of that, the prices were really reasonable. Highly recommended!

+2

K K

This place serves consistently delicious pho that has stayed true to its flavor for over 20 years! The staff are always welcoming, friendly, and speak Cantonese, which adds a warm, personal touch to every visit. A true neighborhood gem!

Charmaine Goh

Top notch authentic pho . Tendon, braised beef all simmered till gelatinous and melt in mouth. Punchy and flavourful broth. Garnished generously with fresh basil and aromatics. A perfect bowl of pho, put together with Vietnamese pride. Super love it!