Josephine in SF

It’s a pretty strong statement but I would venture to say that Pagolac is one of the best Vietnamese restaurants in SF. Not only do they have really good pho but offer all my favorite Vietnamese dishes plus special traditional ones.The quality of ingredients is high, the service level is very friendly, and although located in the seedy Tenderloin, the restaurant itself is clean and more modern.

My old friend Andy was in town, fresh from graduating from B-school. Having not worked for the past 2 years, he requested something casual, affordable, and ethnic. Several Japanese, Thai, and Chinese restaurants cycled through my head before I settled on Pagolac being the perfect place. Two things to know before you go: it’s a cash only joint and no reservations!

I have been to Pagolac quite a few times before and am fortunate someone introduced me to this great restaurant. I certainly wouldn’t have discovered it on my own just by the exterior. There are quite a few favorites I enjoy and others I have only witnessed neighbors eating. Two must-get
appetizers are the shrimp over sugar cane and the imperial rolls. I was so intrigued by the shrimp the first time I ate it. It comes steamed over sugar canes and each shrimp is atop an individual cluster of rice noodles. After soaking the rice paper in boiling hot water to soften it, you add the shrimp with noodles and whatever fresh vegetables – basil, bean sprouts, pickled carrots, and lettuce and then dip it in the fish oil sauce. Similar to a fresh spring roll, it’s like build your own shrimp roll!

If you only have two people but want to try a lot of things, I suggest getting the bun – rice vermicelli noodles with bbq chicken or pork. This way you can try their famous 5 spice chicken and a bit of their kick ass imperial rolls. If you have more people to share, get the 5 spice chicken entree with rice or
one of the clay pots. Although pho is traditionally eaten on its own, I highly recommend getting the beef pho and it is definitely shareable between 2-3 people. It will be a small bowl but at least you’ll get a chance to try this high quality pho. Also, very popular with many patrons is the 7 course beef tasting menu. It’s quite an elaborate set up when they bring the tabletop grill to your table. It is certainly a lot of food!

Prices were very reasonable, ranging from $7-10 for mostly everything we ordered. Pagolac is a fantastic place for reasonable and authentic Vietnamese cuisine. I can’t wait to return!