Third location of this Vietnamese restaurant: Ba Bar.
Have been wanting to try this location since it was announced in January that it would be opening this summer and finally got the chance to visit. It’s in the old space occupied by Liam’s at U Village. The space is similar to before but the alfresco dining area is now truly outdoors. This night it was too cold to be outside so that wasn’t a comfortable option.
The menu is the same as the Capitol Hill location and is described as Vietnamese street food. It isn’t as extensive as your typical Vietnamese menu but has the typical bún and phó choices. An interesting offering was bánh cuõn which is apparently not always available. It’s from northern Vietnam and is made from thin sheets of rice batter that is steamed and then filled with pork belly, fried shallots and pork sausage served with a side of núóc chãm. Sounds crêpe like. I almost went for it….but decided to go with a staple….bún. The combo bowl was one of the best I have had so I was happy but next time it will have to be the bánh cuõn.
They have an espresso bar (Caffe Vita coffee) with pastries! We decided on the waiter recommended coconut mango croissant…excellent…..with small pieces of mango within the crust and the crispy donut…as described with a vanilla custard filling. The double espresso was a bit of a disappointment…..very sour….suggests it was under extracted.
Service was very good.
