Bong Su

Since we lived round the corner, we took my m-i-l there for dinner. The food is as expensive as Slanted Door - in fact the Shaking Beef is $23 which is exactly the same as Slanted Door. The atmosphere was quite affected with the service almost "too nice" and a little fake. We tried the Mustard Duck rolls, alt and Pepper Calamari, Wanton Soup for appetizers, Shaking Beef, Black Cod, Asparagus with Gingko, Coconut rice, and Jasmine rice for mains. We also had the taipioca pudding and the lemon grass creme brulee. The duck rolls were a nice twist of the Chinese crispy duck wraps but came wrapped in little "cigarettes" of green leaves. Tasty. The calamari was just a little bit on the chewy side but came with a nice minty dip. The cod was delish! Soft, falling apart and rich in flavor. I was not impressed with the Shaking beef. The flavor was two-dimensional and had too much of the soy sauce taste. Slanted Door's shaking beef was much better. All in all, the food was good, but for the price you pay, I think Slanted Door has better food... but hey, if you can't get a table at Slanted Door, Bong Su is huge and was not packed. If you have a business expense account or want Vietnamese food with the posh bar, and loungey atmosphere, this might be an option. Pros: Good cocktail list, and is a good addition to Third Street Cons: Over-priced - tries to be like Slanted Door but not quite there yet. more

I went to Bong Su on a Saturday night with three friends and overall, the dining experience was very pleasant. The drinks are great, but as mentioned by a reader, somewhat expensive. The wait staff was very attentive and helpful. We ordered five dishes for four people and were still a bit hungry. My advice is to skip the appetizers (overpriced) and concentrate on main family-style dishes such as the duck. Desserts were pretty good. The restaurant is hopping but not too loud - a good place to catch up w/friends over dinner. more

New slick hip looking place with a wonderful front of the house staff... but the food, was not worth the price. Nothing special about it at all. It wasnt bad, just unmemorable. There are too many great cheep viet. restaurents in the city doing the same food better at 1/2 the price. more

The place is very hip. Good wine bar, but do not go there for the food. It is not that great. I have Vietnamese friends that would not approve of this place. If you are looking to get a quick drink in a place with good music, then check it out. Pros: Good Wine Cons: Food not representative of Vietnam more

the food here is very refined... a lot of detail and thought was put into each dish. quite simple but, you can tell it was not easy to acheive what it delivers...they all have it's own character such as taste, texure and aroma. I found having the rice sort of tied them all together. I was really impressed with a flower tea they served at the end of our meal. rich aromas and soothing... and the desserts were excellent. Chocolate souffle was spot on... tapioca w/fresh berrys and the panna cotta couldnt have been better... I recommend eating slowly so your senses can capture the chefs outstanding vision.... Pros: attention in the food, aromas of fresh berrys, taste of variety of sauces more

I live right above the place and decided to drop downstair for a pint before going for some sushi elsewhere. The decor is very lovely and the bartender was helpful and friendly. As for the food, we just had some quail, egg roll, etc. and it was fine. I wouldn't say it is excellent, but it is good for San Francisco. My review is a little unfair because I am Vietnamese and lived in both Hanoi and HoChi Minh for a number of years. I will have to go back again and try a few more of their dishes to give a full review. As for now, here are the + & -s. + Nice atmosphere Friend staff - Not very Vietnamese Uncomfortable bar stools No Tiger beer (33 - tastes like sewer water). The Editorial Profile should be changed because Hanoi, Hue and Saigon are cities and not regions. Furthermore, it is officially HCMC and not Saigon. My 1st experience here was positive and I will give it a go a couple of more tries. Pros: Nice atmosphere, friendly service Cons: Not very Vietnamese, uncomfortable bar stools, food was good but not excellent more

We tried Bong Su for the first time and will definitly be going back. We had the stuffed quail, kampachi, caramelised cod and the duck. All were delicious. Our waiter was very friendly and knowledgeable. The atmosphere was very pleasant. Overall a wonderful experience. Pros: Great food and service Cons: a bit noisy more

There were six of us eating here, so we had the chance to sample from a variety of dishes including soup and appetizers. Everything tasted great. The bong su tastes appetizer was excellent and they even made it vegetarian for us. The tofu with basil was awesome, as was the grilled eggplant. The only thing that wasn't quite as good as it could have been was the garlic noodles, which were a little short on salt. The non-vegetarians in our group were all quite satisfied as well. We will definitely be going back. Pros: good food, veg. options Cons: ? more

This place does a good job. The food is delicious, the ambience is mellow, and the service is unassuming. My only complaint is the cocktails are a little expensive. more

Bong Su is comprised of all the elements necessary for a 'Good Dining Experience'. The service is polite and helpful; they are ever-present but never intrusive. They are what servers should be - there to enhance your dining experience, not command it. The presentation of our dishes was tasteful yet simple, almost an illusory device when you consider just how robust and unusual the flavor of our food actually was! With 2 visits under my belt (literally), I've worked through about 1/3 the menu, and everything has been at least good. I highly recommend the Cod, the appetizer sampler (shrimp cupcakes were dangerously good), the Kampachi, the scallops and tamarind prawns. Bong Su is like the perfect glass of wine: it is smooth, effortless, yet satisfyingly complex. I'll be back. Pros: Ambience, food, service Cons: The "Guide to Vietnamese Pickup Lines" in the Men's Bathroom. more

Immeasurable wine selection, amazing food and beautiful bar! The wait staff was very helpful and they were dressed to the 9 more

I have always been a fan of contemporary Vietnamese done well without a pretentious atmosphere. Bong Su delivers on that. I walked in alone on a MOnday and sat at the bar. Bar staff was extremely helpful and steered me through the menu. I had made up my mind what I wanted immediately, but they guided me through some of their favorites and absolutely hit the mark. The shrimp spring rolls ( a classic favorite, call it a litmus test) was excellent; fresh, cool flavors accented by a delicious dipping sauce. Next, I dove into Pho (with Kobe beef) and the flavors were exquisite. The fennel and cinammon were crisp but not overpowering. I saved just enough room for the 5 spice duck with passion fruit and BAR NONE MAY BE THE BEST DUCK I HAVE HAD. My only regret was that I dined alone and could not order more! more

It's too bad that one Vegetarian had a bad experience with an order to taint the review of this restaurant. (That's what menus are for...to allow diners to read what the dish contains.) The food and presentation at Bong Su was EXCELLENT. We ordered the Shaking Beef and the black cod dishes, which were absolutely delicious. The beef was tender and perfectly cooked, while the black cod was buttery and infused with a sweet and tasty flavor. The table next to us ordered an enormous prawn dish that I will have to try the next time. The Slanted Door is far too overrated. The service was attentive and professional. I cannot wait to try everything on the menu. more

The food was great and service was exceptional. We wanted to try it before we moved to a different neighborhood and definately will venture back once we are gone. more

Finally a restaurant you can actually talk in that is still hip and sophisticated with great food. Everything was super flavorful and artfully presented without pretense. The Empress Rice is unforgettable. Also, Scallop Curry and the soups were wonderful. Many nice touches as well and friendly service. The bar is great spot for cocktails and light bites as well. Perfect for a date, with friends or with your parents. Pros: Parking, Food, Service more

I was there at the 2nd day of it's official opening and was very disappointed. I had specifically asked for veggi appetiser but turned out to be with shrimp. I discovered that after eating it! Though the staff was very apologetic and ready to give me dinner on the house I had lost my appetite. more