Bodega SF
San Francisco
At a glance
Reviews
A good modern Vietnamese restaurant. I had high expectations as the restaurant seems quite busy and I could only make it there after trying to get reservations thrice. However, i was disappointed as some of their food items were quite bland and lacked flavours like the Pho (both chicken ans vegan). The tofu eggplant was pretty average too. The only saviors were the garlic noodles and the pirk rice rolls. The dinner menu is pretty limited and out of our order-3 items were off menu. The lunch menu seems better so if i ever go back-it’ll be for lunch. P.S. For birthday celebrations they offer a candle (on the dessert that you buy) :)
Came on a weekday and tried out the chef's tasting menu. It was surprisingly filling. I hardly could finish the last of the entree, completely stuffed. We enjoyed the varieties of Vietnamese cuisine within the selection. A tad too similar in taste with the overuse of fish sauce in all their dressing and sauces. Vietnamese cuisine has other sauces, but they might be too pungent for the western palate.
Bodega SF had been on our list for a while, especially after seeing it ranked in The Infatuation’s top 20 restaurants in San Francisco, so we were excited to finally try it. We made a reservation for a Wednesday night and were seated quickly upon arrival, while there was a noticeable line for walk ins. The space has a trendy, lively atmosphere that sets the tone for a fun dining experience. We ordered a variety of dishes: steamed rice rolls, tiger prawns, stir fried pho noodles, mushrooms with quail eggs, and crab fat fried rice. There were definitely some highlights. The tiger prawns and mushrooms with quail eggs were standouts, and I especially loved the stir fried pho noodles since they felt unique and creative compared to typical noodle dishes. However, not everything landed. My sister and mom found the filling in the steamed rice rolls to be a bit dry, and the crab fat fried rice did not quite work for us as a combination of flavors. Service was the main downside of the evening. Although the restaurant was busy, our waiter passed by our table multiple times without stopping to take our order, and our food took over 20 minutes to arrive. Overall, Bodega SF offers a stylish setting and some memorable dishes, but the experience was mixed due to inconsistent execution and service.
This restaurant has a different interpretation on Vietnamese food. Some people raves about it and others complain. There’s different menus for lunch and dinner. Lunch has Pho, chicken wings, spring rolls etc. Dinner menu omits all that’s offered at lunch, and offers more sophisticated dishes. Tried the special of the day and it was not great. Angel hair pasta fried with seafood and topped with crab meat. It was too dry to eat!! Service was ok. Atmosphere is ok… nothing outstanding. Food was lukewarm.
I haven't been able to find any Vietnamese food that i like in the city and have had my eye on this spot for a while so i booked a reservation on a weeknight for dinner to treat my sister! It really scratched the itch for the homesickness of my mom or grandma's homecooked viet food but make it a little upscale but still approachable and comforting. I really appreciated the family style menu. Jeremy was our server and was very knowledgeable, kind, and attentive. They really hit all the marks. I could eat like forty of the banh khots. The Bo luc lac was the star of the show for my sister and is definitely a must try but the off-menu razor clams were my personal favorite! We also loved the crab fat fried rice, matcha crepe cake and hochija pannacotta! We will definitely be back.
