Bodega Bistro - Authentic Vietnamese Cuisine

Ok, it's time to splurge and eat like a queen. Ordered 2 dishes, squab and fried rice with prawns. Next time, skip the salted egg prawns fried rice. Those are the tiniest prawns. Nothing special with the rice. Expected the rice would have some salted eggs taste, very disappointed. The squab was the best for taste and presentation. This place opens late. Very young college kids as waiters, very helpful. Bring your wallet if you irder their specialties. They have pho too.

I didn't quite know what to expect from Bodega Bistro, as most of my ventures into Vietnamese cuisine consist mainly of pho and a few spring rolls. We were making good on an old promise to have dinner with a friend and she insisted that we would love the harmony of French & Vietnamese classics. She barked a few words to the waiter in her native tongue and the waiter promptly smiled and took the menus from us. There were five of us dining that night; the servings (albeit double orders of everything) could have easily fed 10. I didn't quite know what to expect from Bodega Bistro, as most of my ventures into Vietnamese cuisine consist mainly of pho and a few spring rolls. We were making good on an old promise to have dinner with a friend and she insisted that we would love the harmony of French & Vietnamese classics. She barked a few words to the waiter in her native tongue and the waiter promptly smiled and took the menus from us. There were five of us dining that night; the servings (albeit double orders of everything) could have easily fed 10. First the Papaya Salad: bright and crisp, crunchy and not too sour. Next fried calamari, which I tend to find over-salted but was instead buttery and paired fantastically with a sweet and spicy chili sauce. Carpaccio: thin slivers of raw filet mignon. I'd typically enjoy this in a warm bowl of pho (which I was informed that it was an after dinner dish, a wise suggestion after seeing the barrage of courses which didn't seem to end), But I love carpaccio and the Asian twist was a treat! Squab: a dish I didn't expect to like, served in whole form, head, feet, and all. Sectioned into 8 pieces, the flesh was moist, the skin crunchy and the flavor a bit like duck and turkey combined. Lastly, Steak au Poivre. Served straight up French style, sliced on a bias and smothered in rich and creamy pepper sauce. Of course, I was full and had no room for pho after our culinary version of a San Francisco Death March, but I managed to squeeze in a Vietnamese iced coffee. Though the bill was paid for by our friend, I looked at the prices briefly, and they were extremely reasonable given the generous portions. This is the place for friends, for family, and for the hungry.