Ba Bar
Crispy imperial rolls with Carlton Farms pork
Pho tai oxtail with Painted Hills Farm oxtail
Northwest grown rotisserie chicken
In spite of our better judgment, Ba Bar has become one of our regular eating joints. The concept of “elevated” Vietnamese food is hard to execute, I think. So much of what lovers of Vietnamese food love about the food is that it’s simple, comfort food. It doesn’t NEED to be made fancy! Even when done well, you most likely end up thinking, “I’d rather have the original ghetto version.”
Ba Bar’s concept is that it is simple Vietnamese street food, but more refined, and prepared with Pacific Northwest resources. And it IS good. Cleaner, lighter. But $11 for a bowl of pho? IS YOU CRAZY?
And yet, we eat here a couple times a month. It’s an easy 7 blocks away. The food, while pricey for “street food,” is consistent and tasty. But I think what draws me back is the atmosphere. It’s easy to eat here. Large open space, big windows, high ceilings, CLEAN. You get your Vietnamese food fix in a CLEAN, American restaurant. The floor isn’t sticky, you aren’t afraid to touch the table, and your coat and hair don’t smell afterwards. WIN WIN.
Added bonus – their pastry chef is AMAZING. The french pastries displayed in the front are REALLY good. Try any viennoiserie-type of pastry – croissants, tarts, danishes. That dough is really amazing. Last week we had cinnamon roll that was made with viennoiserie dough (as opposed to a more yeasty, bread dough) and Husband proclaimed that it was the best cinnamon roll of his life. ”BETTER THAN CINNABON?,” I asked incredulously. I don’t know if I’d go that far, but it was very, very good.
Oh yeah, plus a full bar and IMO, the best Moscow Mules in town.
Ba Bar
550 12th Ave
Seattle, WA 98122
(206) 328-2030
http://www.babarseattle.com
12 February 2013 by phi style | Categories: outfits | tags: Ba Bar, food, restaurant, seattle | 6 comments
On the contrary, I think Vietnamese food should be priced higher than it is. Non-Vietnamese are starting to take notice of the healthy, yet delicious food Vietnamese people eat. A 6 in banh mi of any filling beats all the other sandwiches out of a competition, but doesn’t cost nearly as much, which I think robs the banh mi all its glory for what it could do to your palate, tummy, and figure. A bowl of pho goodness is not only delicious and satisfying, but according to Anthony Bourdain, he’d “kill his best friend” for it. So I really think it’s awesome that younger business owners know how to market their “brand” and present their food in a way that’s more appealing to a wider range of diners.
we’re like three blocks from ba bar and hooked.. there at least once a week. so obsessed with how clean the food tastes and how the space looks that $11 pho is completely worth it.
$11 is not too much for pho if it’s made with quality ingredients. It’s not about “fancy” it’s about quality. The very reason Ba Bar feels different is because they care about the what goes into the bowl. That difference is worth something. About $3 to $4, actually. http://babarseattle.com/food/pho/
I love Ba Bar. I was amazed to learn it’s open til 4AM(!) on weekends. It makes for a healthier drunk food option. The quality ingredients and ambiance justifies the prices for me, though it’s not my regular pho joint. However, I think Walrus & the Carpenter does Moscow Mules better (probably the fresh sliced ginger).
I don’t get up to Capitol Hill very often, but this looks really delicious, I’ll have to try it sometime!
ooh exciting. totokaelo? the girls there are so sweet!