Little Henry’s
3600 Balboa St/at 37th Ave.
San Francisco , CA 94121
10:30am – 10pm daily
(Prices: $12 and up)
(415) 387-8761
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As a restaurant consultant, I visit over one hundred restaurants monthly. Often times, aspiring restaurateurs would ask me the key ingredient that contributes to the success of a restaurant. I answer,“the owner.”

This is evident as soon as one steps into Little Henry’s. Just located a few blocks away from Cliff House, owner Sally Tran has been serving Italian food and greeting patrons with her vibrant smile for over twenty years.

After immigrating from Vietnam in the 1979, Tran started out as a cleaner and seamstress. A few years later, a great opportunity came about. Her boss, who owned several building, needed someone to vacate a spot on Larkin Street .

Along with her husband Henry, she took out a loan of $60,000 and started the first of many Little Henry’s restaurants. Henry, who had been trained in Italian cooking, worked in the kitchen while Sally worked the front of the house.

With an open kitchen, the casual Italian diner is a great spot for families. Tran has added a few personal Asian touches including orchids sitting on the side window along with serving Thai Ice Tea ($2.50). The calamari rings coated with Italian seasoning is a great starter ($8.95). Served with soup or salad, the entrees are served with a good portion.

Two thin slices of breaded veal pairs and rigatoni ladled with their house made tomato sauce is a great entrée ($12.95). Known as the “fisherman’s stew”, the ciopino ($14.95) is my favorite dish and is a meal in itself. The soup displays sea sweet tones made from hours of brewing crab, clam, shrimp, and calamari. Infused wine and herbs melt with the bold tomato based dish.

A few dips of rustic garlic bread complete a great dish especially on a foggy day. The fettuccine della casa ($8.95) is all about texture. The fettuccine bathes in a creamy white sauce while bites of bacon add a great savory touch to the dish. A house favorite is the ox tail stew($12.95), with meats literally falling off the bone.

During the first few years of operations, she rarely saw her kids and this is a sacrifice she had to endure. As one of the first Asian Americans to open an Italian restaurant, customers often were hesitant to try her food. But Tran’s customers kept coming back for her food and to experience her warm hospitality.

Tran believes that customers dine at a restaurant not only for the food, but for the experience. She also added that Marco Polo came into China and learned about noodles.

Her innovative thinking includes not spending money on advertising. Instead, she compliments her regular diners with appetizers and wine. Tran said, “flyers do not work well. You don’t even know if they will throw them away. But word of mouth marketing is powerful.”

Sally Tran recalls the long days working from 7am to 11pm. She said, “I didn’t even have money for inventory. Each time I ran out of eggs, I went to the locate grocer and bought more.”

Aside from not having any restaurant experience, Sally Tran could not even write English. Once a customer told her “eggs over easy”, she dashed quickly to the chef and whispered the item.

As the restaurant began to flourish, she expanded the restaurant to locations in Daly City , Oakland , and a few more in San Francisco . After building up each restaurant’s customer base, she sold the operations.

She encourages entrepreneurs not to fear the unknown. From learning about city permits to working with landlords, Tran has believes that with perseverance, the American dream is possible.

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