Fun and delicious…read more Vietnamese food is at the top when it comes to bright and refreshing bites, and Bacogai embodies that with a modern atmosphere as well as some tasty dishes. The duck salad was a hit. Citrus, some fish sauce. A great way to open up your appetite. The wings also had a bit of fish sauce funkiness on their glaze, and were juicy and crispy. The shaking beef with the with the rice noodles and lettuce was also a crowd-pleaser. The beef was tender and flavorful. We tried two hot pot flavors: sweet and sour and the pork bone broth. I preferred the sweet and sour one with the fish, prawns, and lots of interesting veggies like okra and the bac-ha which was fanstastic at soaking up the broth. I found the pork one a bit gamey, and the pork being already in the hot-pot was not super tender. Service was friendly and generally attentive. Definitely worth checking out for a date or a group dinner.

Great spot, I've eaten here twice with my family and both times we thoroughly enjoyed our meal…read more The hotpot here is Vietnamese style, so it's a bit different than typical hotpot restaurants. I've tried both the Oxtail/beef and pork hotpot, both were really good, I like the pork a little better because I'm a huge tonkotsu ramen fan, and the broth reminded me of that a lot. The beef luc lac, which is sort of like shaking beef over vermicelli and lettuce is also excellent. They now charge extra for broth refills, which they did not the first time I dined here, around a year or so ago. Overall, this is a nice addition to Alameda's dining options and I hope they stick around!

Thick, loaded, absolutely delicious banh mis!!! Definitely one of the best banh mis I've had. Got…read morethe spicy chicken and added pate (+50 cents!) and ate the entire thing. They are so generous with each component of the sandwich. Am absolutely itching to go back for another! Great value for $12. Cold cuts also good and loaded. 9/10 banh mi for me. Want to try char siu next! And the bowls (': Quick & friendly service, great value, decent pricing, solid menu.

Was walking around Webster street and came across this eye-catching building. After walking around…read moremore, we came back. And we're glad we did! Staff and Service: - Order at the counter and they'll call out your number Food and Drinks: - Chicken banh mi: these sandwiches are huge! I've only had small banh mi before, and this was a burrito size. The flavors were good (wish I said light mayo) - Tofu banh mi: also flavorful and also huge - Thai iced tea: sweet, but not toooo sweet. Large cup, so this took me a while to drink Miscellaneous: - We came at noon on a Saturday, so we had to wait quite a bit. This place is popular! - Parking is available via metered street parking and side street parking (free after 6pm on weekdays and all day weekends) - 2-3 small tables inside and 2 small tables outside

Came here for dinner with the cousins this past Friday and we're all still thinking about the food…read more I plan to come back soon with my fiancé and bestie so they can both try the food here since I kept raving about it! There were 3 of us and we ordered: BMV platter (papaya salad, fried wings & lao sausage), khao soy, nam khao, chicken pad ka pow, thai tea, thai green tea and mango sticky rice. Food did take about 30 mins to come but they did warn us so we chatted and drank our teas. When we first came, there were a few groups but pretty soon it was packed & loud. We didn't mind since we were chatting & laughing just as loud. Service was quick and portion size was huge. We ate a lot but still took 3-4 boxes of food home. My fiancé and I had it the next day for lunch and it was just as good. We will definitely be back soon!!

Food - Decent food with HUGE portions. Can add and remove proteins and the menu has great variety…read more Service - Fast service and friendly waitstaff Ambiance - Standard restaurant vibes, good for small groups or even a casual date

The food is consistently great and the owner/workers are always friendly. The prices are very…read morereasonable.

I wish a took a photo of my bun Bo hue! It was so good and deliciously beautiful. Perfect amount of…read morespice, tang, noodles and meats. It's been years since I've been to the one that used to be in Oakland Chinatown and I'm so glad this place remained the same in their recipes and staff. It's at the end of Webster now but worth the drive. Still one of the best pho places around. Prices are very competitive and slightly cheaper than most places.

this was the best spot pho have ever tasted the broth taste so home-cooked the service was great…read moreand they're always kind. I would highly recommend this place. This is probably my favorite pho place. i've been going here since about a year now and never have I ever thought about going to another place

I had another fabulous meal! Highly recommend this small, great Vietnamese restaurant…read more Staff is very friendly and helpful. Food came out promptly. Curtains or blinds need to be installed because the persons sitting with their backs to the windows becomes just a shape on a sunny day! I prefer looking into someone's face when talking. I'll be back very soon.

SO DELICIOUS. Very flavorful and inexpensive bahn mi's. I am so happy I found this spot randomly…read morewhile in the area. It is attached to the boba shop Gong Cha which is a plus if you want some boba to go with your food. The bahn mi was packed with meat & veggies and it was seasoned to perfection. The popcorn chicken was delicious but it just needed some sauce to go with it. I ordered through doordash for pick up and I picked up less than 10 minutes tops so the service was really quick! Its quite big inside not much seating its more of a grab and go spot. There is street metered parking around the area or there is a parking lot next to the old bank of america you can walk from. All in all I would definitely recommend and will definitely come back.

Huge hair in my banh mi... didn't finish it...was good up until that point...the popcorn chicken…read morewasn't very crispy like other places I order from..maybe an off day

Mini Pancakes Bahn Khot -- super fresh, fragrant and flavorful. I love the basil and mint that came…read morewith the roll. Every mouthful had a nice hint of buttery flavor from the pancake and then a hint of freshness from the veggies. Spicy Shaken Beef Pho -- flavorful beef broth, perfect amount of saltiness, lots of fresh beef slices. Super filling and warm! The food was delicious and fresh! Would come back and try their other dishes, their standard pho was yummy and flavorful!

We were in the area figuring out where to eat when a lady eating Bánh Khọt in the her freakin' car…read morecame up on my feed. Eating anything with nước chấm in the car is diabolical. With my luck, my car would smell like hello kitty for weeks. Anyhow, I found Mẹ Và Con on yelp, a mother-daughter owned resto that opened in 2024. They serve bánh khọt and have outdoor seating so we headed over. Thankfully, we arrived before the Sunday dinner rush (~5:45 pm) and before the parking lot was filled. Rezzies are accepted (via phone). M E N U Viet Cuisine with some elevated, modern twists (no specific regional specialty). Smaller menu than your typical hole-in-the-wall with 25-30 items including AZN fusion items like shrimp ceviche, kimchi pasta and tom yum pasta. Beer, wine, and soju cocktails available. F O O D * Bò Tái Chanh: Beef Carpaccio w/ Thai basil, fried shallot, house tangerine sauce ($18): https://tinyurl.com/nhcn9kxw - Served at dinner only Fresh, tender slices of beef carpaccio with a sweetness from the tangerine sauce and white onions. I appreciate their twist (tangerine sauce instead of nước chấm) but it was too one note for me...IMO, it needed acid and herbs. Plus, I miss the texture of peanuts. * Bánh Khọt: Viet Mini Pancakes w/ shrimp, coconut milk batter, herbs, pickles ($24): https://tinyurl.com/34nx7sat - Served at dinner only Fav dish of the night, the savory bánh khọt was delicately crispy and slightly custardy in the center with a snappy shrimp drizzled with fragrant scallion oil. It came with romaine, mint, and perilla leaves neatly layered for easy wrapping. The lettuce was a bit soft and soggy tho, and I think they forgot the pickled veggies. Served with a tiny portion of tangy sweet nước chấm. * Bò Lúc Lắc: Shaking Beef w/ soy, garlic, onion, cherry tomato, arugula ($26): https://tinyurl.com/3rkpukct Meltingly tender cubes of filet mignon but light on the seasoning and aromatics so it was bland. Also, was hoping for more smoky wok hei flavor. * Thịt Kho Tàu: Braised Pork Belly w/ hard boiled eggs, rice ($21): https://tinyurl.com/mr2evryw - Includes bowl of rice A traditional dish served during Lunar New Year, it symbolizes prosperity, warmth, and stability. Chunks of pork belly are caramelized in sugar and braised in coconut soda and fish sauce - rich, savory with a good ratio of lean meat to fat (4 pieces). Wish they used more braising liquid when warming up, as some pieces were a bit dry. S E R V I C E Warm, friendly hospitality. Food does take awhile tho...our first dish took about 30 minutes to arrive. A M B I A N C E Casual, no-frills indoor area with about 10-12 tables. Cute covered patio in the parking lot with 5 tables and fairy lights. Overall, Mẹ Và Con is a great place to introduce people that are new to Viet cuisine and/or you're looking for Viet dishes with different twist.

The pho, the rice plate and the bun were delicious! It's been a while since I enjoyed these dishes…read moreso much that this will now be my go to place and my recommended place for these entree. The pho was right on. Piping hot soup that didn't cool down until after you're done even on a cold day. That's just perfect for the wintery weather. The soup was so good - the right amount of aromatics and the beef flavor. And it wasn't overly oily. The amount of meat to noodle ratio was perfect, and I would even dare say I felt there was a lot of meat for a regular bowl of pho that I didn't end the pho with just noodles but had meat to go to the last bite. The rice plate, where we had pork chop with fried spring rolls was yummy! The pork chop was well seasoned that my kids ate it without complaining anything about it. Some places use black pepper and even too much of it to potentially cover up for lack of flavor or perhaps low quality meat. The fried spring rolls were delicious and not too oily either. The bun though with good amount of fresh greens was still a very filling bowl with the amount of meat, spring roll and noodles. The taste of it with the fish sauce was reminiscent of bun in Vietnam. The only thing that ok instead of being amazing was the marinated fried chicken with sauce as it was on the spicier side with the fresh chili and the marinate didn't seem to penetrate into the chicken well enough. Service was reasonably fast, but then again we were there before the restaurant filled up starting at 7pm.

Affordable and delicious pho. Definitely recommend this humble and tasty location…read more I will be back soon!

Came here for a friend's birthday dinner celebration few weeks back. It was a first time for us. We…read morewere lucky to find nearby street parking. Upon walking in, it was very spacious. They even got a cute backdrop for photo ops. The celebrant had the private karaoke room. Nice roomy set up. Any available song to your choosing. Then by 9pm, there's a DJ setting up in the main room. Few of us got our groove on. Used the restroom once cause they had ran out of paper towels. Tried a few of their appetizers and they were good enough. Bartenders are attentive. Wasn't expecting all they had there. Pretty chill place for all that they provide.

I can't say the staff nor the environment were warm or inviting based on my pickup experience…read more(things were quite delayed, but to be fair it was dinner time midweek). I ordered the house special vermicelli noodle plate. The portion was fine but it was on the greasier side and lacked flavor. I took a bite of the shrimp and noticed it wasn't cleaned well. That kinda did it for me. I ordered dinner to go, so I can't speak to the late night vibes, but it's a shockingly large location. I get the feeling maybe people come for the food, and if they do it's likely out of late night convenience.

Veggie Pho was amazing. Super fresh, bright vegetables. Tasty broth. I would definitely come back…read morehere again. Vietnamese coffee was good too.

It warms my heart to see that Mintleaf is still a popular staple after all these years…read more As an Alameda native, I have good memories of eating here when I was younger, and whenever I visit, I love bringing my husband here too. I wouldn't call this an authentic Vietnamese restaurant per se, more so an Asian fusion place, but Mintleaf holds its own in terms of flavor, freshness, and variety. Service has always been attentive, and while small, the restaurant is clean, cozy, and modern. There is also outdoor seating if you are bringing a dog. I have dined with my well-behaved, well-trained Siberian in the past. Recently, we were in Alameda to do my dog's birthday photoshoot in honor of my previous dog, and I wanted to go to Mintleaf again. It was later in the evening, and I saw that they close at 8 pm. We arrived around 7:20 and while the staff were starting to clean up since the restaurant was empty, they still greeted us with a smile and seated us promptly. Not long after we arrived, a small group of people also came to sit down, and they were also seated. Another individual arrived to place a to-go order. My husband went with the scallops and prawns over garlic noodles, and I went with their version of bun rieu. We did not have to wait long for our food to be brought to the table. My husband's noodles arrived first, served with their classic plating of slices of tomato and cucumber on the corners of the plate (they have done this as long as I can remember). Soon, my bun rieu arrived, including a small side of herbs. My broth was piping hot and delicious. The noodles were perfectly cooked, and while they were thinner than the usual bun rieu noodles, they still absorbed the flavor of the broth well. The cha was thinly-sliced, and there was a good amount of tofu in the bowl as well. Even though the bowl might look small, it was a perfect dinner portion, and with plenty of broth. I was definitely full after savoring each last drop of broth. My husband loved his garlic noodle dish. There was a good helping of both scallops and prawns, and the noodles were deliciously garlicky. I had a sample of the noodles and they were so good. There are other dishes I've tried in the past, such as the pad Thai and sizzling spicy lemongrass chicken, and they have both been excellent as well (sorry I have no recent photos). Mintleaf is not your usual Vietnamese restaurant, especially with its classier touch, but personally I enjoy their dishes, and will definitely return when I want an Asian fusion wrinkle to my Vietnamese food.