Bong Su Restaurant & Lounge

I first read about Bong Su in one of those airplane magazines. It sounded good, and since i was in the area for work, i decided it might be a good place to try. Walking in, the restaurant was nicely decorated, a good mix of business sophisticated and ethnically cool. It was just a couple of blocks down from the Metreon/Moscone center area, and definitely walkable from union square, so it’s in a completely accessible location.

However, when we got there, there was NOBODY there. Seriously. We got to pick out our table, b/c there weren’t even other reservations holding them. This made me nervous. However, the food was fantastic. I started with the Bong Su Apertif cocktail, which was infused with all sorts of pear flavored things, and i love pears! the drink was light and sweet, but definitely still alcoholic. i was a little sad that i had to drive home and therefore could only consume half of my drink. :( we had the kanpachi appetizer, and for as much sashimi that i’ve had, i’ve never had it with fish sauce. it had a rather foul odor with the fish sauce… but it tasted good. I ordered the scallops in green curry, and the sauce was soooo good! it just had a hint of spiciness, but it was full of flavor. The scallops were a little overdone… but this was really all about the sauce, so i really didn’t care. And I really liked that it came with taro chunks. yum. Dessert was banana and chocolate samosas, which I thought were ok. Some of the other menu options looked really intriguing though… you don’t typically see Vietnamese flavors done in a classy restaurant, but they had options like Kobe Beef Pho. I was very curious about that one!

Overall, i really enjoyed this place. It’s a little on the pricey side, but the entrees are reasonably priced. I liked how accessible it was, and feel like it’s one of those places where everything is probably pretty good. I’d come back.

Glad to learn about this Vietnamese Pan-Asian fusion restaurant and Bong Su does not disappoint me at all! For those curious eaters, each dish marked accordingly (North, Central, South) based on regions. From drinks to desserts, I have a very positive experience. Start your meal with a Bong Su Aperitif. The duck appetizer with mustard seed leaf wrap is amazing with the dipping sauce (yummier than lettuce wrap). Another special dish to try: Empress Rice—small pillows of soft grains topped with ginger and raw quail egg. For desserts, hmm… try the blueberry lime soda (yes, it serves in a tall short glass), it’ll be an amazing experience for your taste-buds.