Sunflower Authentic Vietnamese Restaurant

I was headed to a movie premiere next door but needed a meal after a workday and a commute from across the Bay. I have seen this cozy nook for years when in the area. Since I have a soft spot for mom and pop shops and some evenings call for comfort food, I walked in and was greeted warmly. I chose the table closest to the cashier and was promptly offered ice water and the menu. I opted for the garlic noodles and Thai tea. My dinner was a treat, hitting all the right notes of warm, rich, and sweet with some heat provided by the hot sauces available. I enjoyed having a birds eye view of the busy kitchen and watching steam rise as meals were plated.

My go to local pho spot. The portions are a good bang for your buck. They have some Hawaiian options on their menu too. The service is usually very fast and kind. It's a small spot so if you come with a group, hopefully it's not busy and you can get sat. What's confusing is they have a sister spot with the same name on 16th street.

Food: 5/5Service: 4/5Ambiance: 3.5/5Overall: One of my go to's when I'm in the mood for garlic noodles. It's reasonable and good in my opinion. The extended review...Food:Garlic Noodles with Shrimp - So these noodles are DELICIOUS in my opinion. I've been going here for a long time and it's remained consistent for years. Sometimes I even have enough for lunch the next day. So buttery and garlicy I LOVE IT!Service: Friendly and attentive service.Ambiance: A little nicer a setting as opposed to the location right around the corner. You won't smell quite as much because the kitchen is contained.

Some people think this spot is popular for Vietnamese on Valencia. They have a door on 16th and one on Valencia. I was excited to try it finally, but it was a bit disappointing. I got the chicken noodle soup(pho) and it wasn't that good. Maybe the broth was missing something or there weren't enough chicken pieces. There was a big pile of noodles and I didn't want to finish all of the noodles. They had sprouts to add, but I didn't use them. I squeezed some lime. I felt bored by the dish and underwhelmed. Ah well. My friend got chicken fried rice and he packed it up for later.

A good portion of delicious garlic noodles. I was deciding between the shrimp or beef garlic noodles but decided to go with the beef. Love the fresh garlic flavor. Noodles were chewy. The beef was tender beyond believe. Delicious. $11.

**OH NO!!! We just ate at Sunflower-- and the menu has changed!! NOT FOR THE BETTER(in my opinion). Now they are serving Chinese food (WHY??), which has knocked out Vietnamese dishes (hot&sour soup, vietnamese/veg crepe, and on and on -- the best dishes are gone.. OUR FAVORITES-- ALL ... GONE!!) I like this place... but less.... PREVIOUSLY WRITTEN:A simple place with great food- it's easy and tasty. I always enjoy this place, and it's a favorite of my mom's. Never have had an issue with service.

Ok here's the problem. They make the worlds BEsT Vietnamese soups so I continue to go there. But the service can be mean as F*ck to the point that I barely want to tip. When I went there the other day the place was empty, I was literally the only customer. They were blasting KOIT horrible 'light rock less talk ' elevator music with long long commercials. I asked if they would turn it down. No they would not. Ok think I'll go around the corner to the other Sunflower that isn't as nice inside but the servers are!

Ok some of the items are a hit and miss depending on the chef that day I guess, usually I love their shrimp fried rice but one time it was full of onions like three different kinds which is two to many onions. Otherwise the food is ok and its convenient for me to pick up on my way home.

Sunflower is one of my favorite Vietnamese restaurants in SF. I've been going here for 20 years and haven't been disappointed until today. I ordered my favorite lunch special and was surprised/confused when it arrived with egg drop soup? If i wanted Chinese, i would have gone to Big Lantern. Also, the veggie Imperial roll came with a sweet Chinese style sauce that was nowhere near as good as their usual Vietnamese sauce. I overheard the waitress telling another customer that they have a different chef now, and have removed many items from their menu. . Don't get me wrong, the food was good, but not Vietnamese. I'm very sad. Please bring back the hot and sour soup and the other dishes that your loyal customers love.

I decided to return to this location after they have been closed for some time. As I was looking at the menu, the waitress took my menu away. She even looked back at me after the fact. Very rude. I wanted to order my usual Vietnamese Hot n Sour soup that is still listed on the menu, but was informed they no longer make it and had me try a Chinese Style hot n sour soup. Authentic Vietnamese Restaurant is false advertisement. I was willing to order the 5 spice chicken and had my Visa out, but due such inconsiderate service, I lost my appetite and walked out. This location was my go to before they closed for that temporary period of time.