478972 Sun Jan 13 15:06:21 -0800 2008 19 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 3291458 I usually get the filet mignon and papaya salad or garlic tiger prawns.. Any other dishes that are a must? Heading over later. Thanks. Sun Jan 13 15:06:21 -0800 2008 52212 Lori SF 1 3291465 Banh Xeo Sun Jan 13 15:08:24 -0800 2008 3291458 11940 DezzerSF 2 3291485 a pancake with shrimp? yum Sun Jan 13 15:17:41 -0800 2008 3291465 52212 Lori SF 3 3291499 Yes, it comes with lettuce leaves to wrap with as well as several herbs to toss in. I like their version because they don't skimp on the filling. Also, I think it comes with pork and shrimp, definitely not your average pancake! Sun Jan 13 15:22:37 -0800 2008 3291485 11940 DezzerSF 4 3291515 ok I will order that! Thanks Sun Jan 13 15:28:26 -0800 2008 3291499 52212 Lori SF 5 3306077 they've got a really great version with fish as well. not sure what type- maybe tilapia? I'll second the squab recommendation, too- fantastic Thu Jan 17 14:28:25 -0800 2008 3291515 28485 mchan02 1 3293961 link Mon Jan 14 11:24:56 -0800 2008 3291458 10264 rworange 1 3297741 I searched out this N.Vietnamese restaurant for their cha ca (pan fried fish with tumeric, green onions and dill). It's served with cold noodles, a massive plate of herbs (yay, just like Vietnam) , shrimp paste, peanuts, and onions. I didn't know about this dish until visiting Hanoi where there's even a street in the Old Quarter named after this regional dish--the oldest continuously running restaurant in Hanoi serves this (and only this). I'm trying to find my way back to Bodega Bistro to try their bun cha Hanoi. In Hanoi, this is also a very northern preparation--the grilled pork served in a brothy/fish saucy bowl with the bun and herbs served to the side. I hope it's the same here at Bodega as we got to experience on our vacation. Tue Jan 15 11:04:40 -0800 2008 3291458 84820 nerdigrrl 2 3297767 Thanks for that information. I did not make it there the other night my dog was not well...hope to get there this weekend and try some of the new recommendations.. Tue Jan 15 11:10:47 -0800 2008 3297741 52212 Lori SF 3 3305850 A must is their roasted squab served on a bed of caramelized onions and raisins. They have a simple dipping sauce of lemon and peppers that you should insist remain on the table for other dishes. (Sometimes they clear it off when your squab is devoured) I also hear their tomato based pho is pretty stellar too. Thu Jan 17 12:55:42 -0800 2008 3297767 112235 Keesey 2 3297777 That is how it is served at Bodega Bistro. Tue Jan 15 11:13:27 -0800 2008 3297741 17723 lexdevil 2 3298044 Just had the cha ca recently with some friends, and without knowing what I was eating I'd say their rendition is tasty enough but I wouldn't search it out. I thought there was an excess of dill, but then again I didn't really mix and match with the noodles and fresh herbs correctly because we had so many dishes on the table the 3 for this menu item got separated. The whole squab was absolutely delicious, and for some odd reason the feet and head scared away most of my friends, leaving me to gnaw on the lion's share of the squab. One note for people who have been here before, I think the wine list may have gone down hill because some of the small producer wines at good prices I tried to order weren't available, and the substitution which we had by the glass wasn't nearly as good as the wine listed on the menu would have been. Tue Jan 15 12:18:22 -0800 2008 3297741 17221 SteveG 3 3352302 I had the cha ca at Bodega Bistro last night, and I was underwhelmed -- it's definitely not as good as my all-time favorite version at Pho Thien Long in San Jose. I also think I preferred the version I had at Turtle Tower, although part of my enchantment with that dish may be been its delightful unfamiliarity as my first encounter with this dish. We also had the banh xeo, which was very good, but I didn't like it as well as the version at Binh Minh Quan, where I like the coconut milk flavor in the pancake -- this is just a personal preference, though. Finally, we had the pho ga, which they offered to split into two bowls for ease of sharing, which I thought was very nice. The pho ga was excellent, with the wider rice noodles (fresh, I think) that I prefer to the vermicelli and moist, toothsome free-range chicken. The rich chicken aroma wafting from the steaming bowl was indicative of broth that required none of the provided condiments (although I did slip in a couple of slices of jalapeno). My dining companion was once again impressed by my choice of restaurant, and it made a perfect choice for dinner before attending an event at Herbst Hall ("nice" enough to feel like an occasion but still informal enough for a quickish dinner squeezed in between work and a performance). Thu Jan 31 10:45:00 -0800 2008 3298044 10159 Ruth Lafler 4 3352824 The best banh xeo I've had were at Binh Minh Quan, but on my last visit it was not as good as on previous visits. Thu Jan 31 12:31:26 -0800 2008 3352302 11369 Robert Lauriston 5 3353291 On our recent visit we loved the green papaya salad it was as good as I remembered and the Banh Xeo was quit good. To experiment the Pad Thai was not great. Binh Minh Quan has that lotus root shrimp salad that is good. Thu Jan 31 14:27:24 -0800 2008 3352824 52212 Lori SF 2 3303185 I like the cha ca Hanoi at Bodega better than I did at Cha Ca Va Long in Hanoi. Just my .02. I BB's bun cha as well. Wed Jan 16 18:24:50 -0800 2008 3297741 10922 Fig Newton 3 3303221 What makes BB's more appealing to you? Wed Jan 16 18:41:03 -0800 2008 3303185 10039 Melanie Wong 4 3303239 Honestly, the main part of it is that it's less oily. The one in Hanoi was absolutely swimming in oil. Jimmy at BB knows that this didn't appeal quite as well to Californian palates and pulled back on the oil, from what he said. That makes for a better dish to my taste. I know that's not the most *authentic* answer. :) Wed Jan 16 18:45:34 -0800 2008 3303221 10922 Fig Newton 5 3305578 If Jimmy's the chef, then kudos to him. I was there most recently on a Sunday evening with a big group of friends, so it was too busy to chat him up, but I really appreciated that the restaurant was serving up great food at an odd time by San Francisco standards, and that after everyone was sated he came out of the kitchen to talk to the customers in a genuine and sincere fashion. They also stuck to their guns on the availability of pho that night, since apparently they'd run out of broth and the big pot of broth on the stove wasn't ready yet. Thu Jan 17 11:59:50 -0800 2008 3303239 17221 SteveG 1 3352936 My favorites are papaya salad (with the beef jerky; if you ordered it vegetarian it wouldn't be very special), banh xeo, nem cua (crab and mushroom fried rolls), and roast squab. I keep meaning to try his bouillabaisse (have to order a day in advance). Thu Jan 31 12:58:14 -0800 2008 3291458 11369 Robert Lauriston