Buzz
San Fu Lou, a latecomer to the Chinese dining scene, has quickly garnered high praise from patrons for both its exceptional service quality and culinary delights.
I've heard of San Fu Lou for a while but only recently got to experience it firsthand, despite its close proximity. In Vietnamese, 'San Fu Lou' translates to 'Triple Blessings Tower.' This Chinese restaurant has been operational for less than two years but has already achieved fame surpassing established competitors like Shifu Dimsum House, Thao Li, and TAO.
Upon my evening visit, I was surprised to find the place fully booked. Fortunately, I had made a reservation in advance, which meant I was seated immediately, bypassing any wait. It's advisable to book in advance to avoid long waits.
Experiences at San Fu Lou Restaurant
The first thing was being given a menu and a pen by the staff to select dishes, which was quite convenient and avoided any mix-ups. Having never tried Chinese food before, I asked the server for recommendations, and they were very enthusiastic and detailed. Read on to see what I ended up trying.
Salt egg yolk custard buns - a trio of plump indulgence
The first dish was the salt egg yolk custard buns, priced at 60K per serving. Each serving contains three small buns, making it easy to enjoy more dishes without feeling too full. The bun's casing is of moderate thickness, not too thin, avoiding any heaviness. Splitting the bun reveals a golden, oozing custard center, with the salted egg yolk inside being soft, slightly salty, and creamy.
The rich and creamy golden filling inside
To gauge a restaurant's dimsum quality, try their shrimp dumplings - a simple dish priced at 50k. If they can't perfect this, other dimsum likely falls short. Its first plus is the thin yet resilient wrapper that doesn’t tear when picked up with chopsticks. The second is the sweet, fresh shrimp filling, chewy and seasoned to perfection. It was so good on its own that I skipped the dipping sauce.
Shrimp dumplings boast a translucent, chewy wrapper with a sweet, aromatic filling
Next, the most colorful dish under the sun, San Fu Lou's Shanghai steamed buns, priced at over 100K - the exact amount escapes me. This serving includes six small buns in a variety of colors like green, yellow, orange, white, light orange, and purple. Despite the wrapper being a bit too thin, leading to two breaking upon being picked up and leaking the filling, its thinness adds to the chewiness, ensuring it’s not too heavy.
The most vibrant buns I've ever seen
The filling tastes like braised duck, reminiscent of braised duck noodles. Though rich in flavor, the restaurant thoughtfully pairs it with ginger vinegar dipping sauce, which has a warm, spicy aroma.
Ginger vinegar dipping sauce for the buns
Fried tofu skin rolls with shrimp and pork filling are a must-try here, hailed by a friend as the best they've ever had. The filling is slightly less, with more skin, making it a bit of a splurge at 70K per serving, but well worth it. The outer skin is fried to a crispy, oil-free crunch, containing pork, shiitake mushrooms, and fresh shrimp, cubed instead of minced, offering a clear taste of shrimp's sweetness and freshness.
Fried tofu skin rolls with shrimp and pork are golden and crispy to perfection
My favorite dish is the San Fu Lou mixed roast platter, featuring roasted chicken, duck, and char siu pork. Priced at 245k, it's a hearty portion that's satisfyingly filling. What makes it unique is the charcoal grilling, not electric oven cooking. Each meat is meticulously marinated before grilling, resulting in a delightful aroma from both the sauce and the charcoal smoke clinging to the crispy skin.
The mixed roast platter is both delicious and visually stunning, instantly making you hungry
After discussing the food, let's talk about the ambiance. The restaurant might appear small from the outside, but it's surprisingly spacious inside, with the ground floor offering a better view than the upper floors. Predominantly glass walls on the ground level allow for street and traffic viewing. Numerous red lanterns hang throughout, truly embodying Chinese aesthetics.
Authentic red lanterns perfectly capture the essence of a traditional Chinese restaurant
The wooden furniture and chopstick holders are reminiscent of a scene from a Jin Yong martial arts novel, leading me to jokingly call a server 'young hero.' The whole restaurant burst into laughter, leaving me mortally embarrassed.
The kitchen is enveloped in smoke from 7 AM to 3 AM the next day
What's more unique is the open kitchen design, allowing guests to fully observe the chefs at work. Given the plethora of steamed dishes in Chinese cuisine, smoke constantly billows from the kitchen. Watching the chefs swiftly arrange buns on trays is like watching a well-oiled machine in action, nearly leaving me in awe.
Who can resist these deliciously roasted, plump ducks?
Summary of San Fu Lou Restaurant:
- Total meal cost for two was about 550K, averaging a little over 200K per person
- The dishes here are quite small, allowing the opportunity to try more variety. However, the downside is potentially spending more money
- The dishes are uniformly delicious and served quickly, thanks to a staff count that rivals the number of guests (just for fun)
- No dedicated parking, so vehicles must park at the AB building for 10k/motorbike. Finding the restaurant from the parking area can be tricky; asking a security guard for directions is advisable
- The restaurant rarely offers discounts but provides delicious fortune cookies as a gift to those reading this article
>>> Claim your limited offer and discount from San Fu Lou Restaurant now
Address: San Fu Lou Restaurant – 195-197 Phan Xich Long, Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City
Reviewer: Bao Tram
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