Turtle Tower - 501 6th St. at Bryant, SFCA

    Onward in our pursuit of good Vietnamese food, I was advised to try this place by Mr. Dossey, who works in the 'hood. Unfortunately, he got my email a little late and was unable to join me, but my bud Ryan had time for lunch and there you are.
   This is a Northern style resto, so no basil and bean sprouts with your pho. Spring Rolls (5.15) were in order and on a par with most of the rolls you get here in SF - good crunch and the requisite peanut dipping sauce.
   I ordered the large Beef Pho (8.20) with rare beef, tripe, well-done flank and brisket and thin flat rice noodles. Plenty of meat in this puppy and a decent broth. You don't get all the condiments like some places - there's not even Sriracha sauce, only some hot pepper sauce, vinegar and fish sauce. I managed to eat half, reminding myself once again to order the small bowl next time. Ah well, leftovers are appreciated late in the evening.
   Ryan chose the Chicken Pho (lg. 7.20) and was also lamenting the lack of sprouts, but he said the meat was tender and the broth pretty tasty on its own.
   Our exotic beverage choice was Pennywort Drink (1.85) made from a plant that belongs to the carrot family. You have to remember to shake these up before opening. The Asians have proved that you can take just about anything, add water and 28gr of sugar and make it palatable. This would be excellent on a hot, humid day.
   While not a destination spot, I'd still give this a 4 on the Meter (1 to 5) because it's a decent inexpensive lunch (now also open for dinner) site.
   To see the menu, go to:www.turtletowersf.com