663261 Thu Oct 29 08:57:15 -0700 2009 11 14 Washington DC & Baltimore Area 0 5140146 I'm looking for a place to host my husband's birthday dinner. Thinking about 20-30 guests. Priority is great, authentic Vietnamese food (in Bethesda, Rockville, Silver Spring areas). Curious about Ba Le in Rockville. I've read great reviews about the food. How's the ambiance? Any other ideas? Thu Oct 29 08:57:15 -0700 2009 1120105 Ruster 1 5140166 Yes, I realize that you don't want to hear about a restaurant in Virginia but you really should give Present serious consideration. I believe it is the best Vietnamese restaurant in the United States. Tom Sietsema gives it three stars which, next to Eve, is the highest rating of ANY restaurant in Northern VA. Other than the rush hour you can drive from I 495 & the Rockville Pike in less than 30 minutes. During the rush hour bring a book to read... There are numerous threads for it on here. This is Tom's review of it: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/15/AR2009051501700.html Thu Oct 29 09:03:20 -0700 2009 5140146 12689 Joe H 1 5140564 Ba Le is tiny with only a few tables. Zero ambiance--more of a luncheonette type of place. The food, however, is outstanding and reasonable. Thu Oct 29 11:02:51 -0700 2009 5140146 65656 kolomya 1 5141995 You'd take up all of Ba Le. They improved the decor in the last year or two, but as another poster mentioned, it is still a lunchonette sort of place. You may be able to get them to cater. Thu Oct 29 21:00:29 -0700 2009 5140146 10962 PollyG 1 5142253 The only "real" Vietnamese restaurants I know in MD (as opposed to a pho house) are Taste of Saigon and Green Papaya. They're ok but nothing particularly special. Dumb question, I know, could you do Burmese instead? Burma Road in Rockville/Gaithersburg is really good. Fri Oct 30 04:29:56 -0700 2009 5140146 132385 reiflame 2 5142522 I would second Burma Road. Really good, authentic Burmese food, but stick to the Burmese menu and don't order off the Chinese. The room is large and pretty. Fri Oct 30 07:04:25 -0700 2009 5142253 277598 comestibles 2 5142730 Green Papaya has nice room (I think the food is pretty good, but I wouldn't argue that it's anything particularly special). Fri Oct 30 08:13:24 -0700 2009 5142253 205227 Doh 1 5142754 how about big saigon a few stores away from Bale in Rockville. The ambiance is ok, big room with lots of tables that could fit the size of your party. not only pho but also a fairly extensive vienamese menu. food is good. love the hole crispy flounder. go up there and talk to them and see what they could do for you Fri Oct 30 08:20:21 -0700 2009 5140146 124764 dining with doc 1 5142761 BaLe is DELICIOUS but no ambience, Sorry. Fri Oct 30 08:22:10 -0700 2009 5140146 1120359 Jmethechef 1 5149165 Thanks everyone. Turns out Ba Le says they can hold up to 40 people which is perfect for our party. We'll have the entire room to ourselves and we like the authentic, delicious food part and are OK without the ambiance. It's much more convenient for our guests than Present, although I'm now eager to go there with my husband alone. Am hoping to go to Ba Le this weekend to see it for myself and then make a final decision. Very nice manager willing to work with me on this. (Eager to try Burma Road sometime too but my husband really loves Vietnamese food so I want to stick to that.) Thanks for all the thoughts! Mon Nov 02 09:39:10 -0800 2009 5140146 1120105 Ruster 2 5152840 Ba Le hasnt been that good lately...Big Saigon used to be good when it first opened but the quality has gone down too...i would just skip both at do Taste of Saigon in the Rockville Town Center....at least the ambiance is good...and they have some good fusion dishes like calamari...the Viet food in this area is depressing...and that includes VA!! Tue Nov 03 13:02:04 -0800 2009 5149165 105849 Meechi 3 5153343 Respectfully, but I could not disagree more. Over the past twenty years I've eaten at a number of what I believe are the best Vietnamese restaurants in both Northern and Southern CA. I honestly believe that Present is better than any of them. This is the link to a post of mine where I organized a group of people to see just how good Present can be. It was an extraordinary dinner. One that, for me, confirmed my belief in this restaurant's genuine excellence. I might also mention that the chef at Present once won award as one of "the two best chefs in Viet Nam." http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/612792 Tue Nov 03 15:33:05 -0800 2009 5152840 12689 Joe H