This place was soo good! We ordered the banh hoi, lau ox tail, and I had a lager drink as well. When the food first came out, to be quite honest it didn't look like there was much. But between two people we were soo full after. We shared the banh hoi and soup and ordered 2 Lagers. Our meal was around 90 bucks including tip. Banh hoi Luc Lac: the meat was sooo good! I've had this specific meat wrapped in leaf before but this was the juiciest one I've tried. The egg roll was very crunchy and the filling was unique. I've never tried purple banh hoi but I didn't taste much of a difference between the two. I do wish there was more mint and bigger lettuce sized wraps for texture and freshness. It also felt like the dish was missing pickled carrots and daikons. The meat was the best part of this dish. Lau ox tail: this broth was very flavorful. The ox tail was soft as well. I felt like there was a good amount of oxtail and meatballs. I don't really like tripe but the tripe in this soup might have made me reconsider... there was something about the tripe that was so good! I do wish there were a bit more noodles though. Even though we were sharing between two people, I'm not sure there would of been enough noodles for one person to be full on their own. I believe the meat from the luc lac was what really filled us up! Lager drink: this was a very interesting beer. I have never tried anything like this. It has like a floral, jasmine tea flavor to it. I really enjoyed it :) Overall amazing restaurant, great service, and delicious food. I will be returning! read more

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Vietnamese hotpot? Say less. I have been wanting to try this place for a long time and glad I finally tried the hot pot and some of the appetizers. We started out with their fried spring rolls and then the seafood hot pot and it hit the spot. The drinks were low abv but still good. I would highly recommend going here! read more

Bacogai - Hot Pot Near Me - Alameda, California

TLDR: should definitely come!! There's plenty of parking at the plaza, so nothing to worry about. The restaurant is chic with the forest green and terra cotta accent, and the service was quick and servers are very nice and accommodating. Food wise: My friends and I ordered their egg rolls, duck salad, beef luc lac, all four of their hot pots, pandan waffle, and a bottle of sake. Everything was PHENOMENAL. ~ P H E N O M E N A L ~ The duck salad arrived first and it was such a great starter that got us so excited for the rest of the food we ordered. The egg rolls were juicy and the fish sauce really complimented it. My favorite is definitely the beef luc lac and the lemongrass pork with vermicelli. You really need to wrap the meat in the noodles and dip in the sauce and get that full experience. *yum* My favorite out of all four hot pots would be the lau canh chua and the bone broth, but honestly, you CANNOT go wrong with any of the four. I love that you can order extra ingredients for the hot pots if you're still hungry. There were five of us, and we didn't need to order more food and we're stuffed by the end of it. Lastly, we cannot forget to order the pandan waffles and I love how creamy the ice cream was and the pandan flavor was actually strong enough, but not overpowering. ALL IN ALL. COME. YOU MUST. read more

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Delicious spot for a personal serving of hot pot! Great helping of veggies, noodles, mushroom, and meat. The broth is delicious too. At the end of the meal, I love taking that extra bit of broth and slow sipping it as soup. Very kind and attentive service too. A great spot to take your friends or family to! What we ordered: - Lau Oxtail - Lau Pork Bone Marrow read more

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I was here a week ago and it's located in the same plaza as Nob Hill in Alameda, great and safe location. When we entered the ambiance is really nice , very clean and modern, friendly workers. We ordered oxtail Lau and shaking beef . The portion is very small for once person but my friend and I shared due to it's our first time trying it.. they are in the pricey side. I wasn't quite satisfied with any of the food we ordered.. the broth is lacking that oxtail flavor and the shaking beef wasn't marinated . It would be unfair to compare the food from restaurants in San Jose but The food did not hit the spot. I'm not sure if it's the hype but I feel like I had better. I prefer authentic flavors that's all. read more

Bacogai - Shaking beef - Hot Pot Near Me - Alameda, California

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I can't decide if I like the Oxtail or the Bone Marrow hotpot more. I personally feel the Bone Marrow soup is good with rice and Oxtail soup is better with noodles. It comes as an individual pot, so it is recommended for one person. You can definitely share as a couple and order some extra dishes like Banh Hoi (rice vermicelli woven) with beef. read more

Bacogai - Banh Hoi - Hot Pot Near Me - Alameda, California

New spot for Vietnamese hotpot, something I haven't really seen done. For two people we shared an oxtail broth hotpot, duck slaw salad, and the lemongrass chicken platter. They do have a nice selection of sauces that they provide with the meal so definitely add those. The oxtail hotpot broth ($26) was rich and flavorful, maybe a bit oily, but fat is flavor... it's a single serving, and the pot is definitely on the smaller side but you can share between 2 people if you order another entree. Comes with 3 small pieces of oxtail bone with meat, and a small tray of veggies. The lemongrass pork ($23) was good as well, came with 3 skewers of grilled pork and one of their real crab eggrolls (cut in half), as well as veggies and woven rice noodles. The pork was pretty flavorful, some pieces were charred a bit on the edges but generally fine. Taste was as you'd expect from this dish, fish sauce is on the sweeter side. The crab egg roll was good, different than the typical cha gio. Wish they provided more than 2 lettuce leaves as we needed a lot more to make the wraps that this dish is meant for. Some pickled daikon and carrots on the side would have been nice too. $23 seems pricy but you get a decent amount of protein and we packed up about 2 skewers for leftovers. Duck slaw salad ($17) was a nice appetizer, no complaints. Also ordered a beer off the drink menu which was $9, a bit steep imo. I'm from LA so I got a bit of sticker shock looking at the menu here. The single portion hotpot is already $26-27 and adding a la carte meat can be +$10-15. If you have a big appetite this may not be the best place for you as you would need to spend a lot to feel full. But for two women with moderate appetites, it was just fine and we even had leftovers. It's definitely not a mom and pop type Vietnamese restaurant like you'd see in Little Saigon, but I understand cost of living and fair wages are higher here, and this is in Alameda. Total bill was $95 after tax and tip. Overall it was a good quality meal, but I was a bit surprised that for two people it's nearly $100. I'd consider this a bit of a splurge. I'd come back, but maybe just not order drinks to keep within the budget. read more

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This place is delicious! Unassuming little spot sitting right in the middle of this little strip mall. My lunch with spring rolls and iced tea and the lemongrass pork was about $40. It was served with a tasty hot sauce that I loved. Service was great! I had to take a call and came back about 20 min later and our server asked if she could warm up my food. 10 out of 10! A little different than a usual Vietnamese spot, and I kinda liked it. I will definitely be back. I have been talking about it ever since. Support this place so it stays open!!! read more

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This place is so yummy. I have taken many friends to this restaurant. It's a nice modern feel of lau (viet hot pot). It creates a cute way to share food with your friends. One pot usually serves about 2-3 people. lau oxtail: 5/5 the broth is really rich and has a lot of flavor without being overly salty. This broth is a yummy beef broth. I really like the thinly sliced mushrooms, it absorbs the broth flavor very well. lau pork bone marrow: 5/5 also a flavorful hot pot. All the sides that come with it balance it very well. cha gio: 5/5 i thought it was very tasty. good appetizer to start with. bo luc lac banh hoi: 5/5 the bo luc lac is flavorful and is very good finger food. Definitely a nice thing to have on the side with the lau if you want more things to taste. if you didn't get the lau i would only say this serves 1 person. I wish the portion was a little bigger but other than that, this dish is also a winner. summer rolls : 5/5 these were really good too. you honestly can't go wrong in terms of taste. just some things are more worth than others. pandan waffle with ice cream: 5/5 i think this tastes good, a bit overpriced for what you're getting. read more

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2nd time here. Don't get me wrong, the food is delicious and unique to the regular Vietnamese pho. It gives you a different view of other flavors Vietnamese food offers. However, for a Saturday - and not too particularly busy when we arrived, the service was extremely slow and inattentive. They didn't seem equipped for staff in the kitchen or to wait. They apologized that the crab rolls were going to be delayed, but we didn't expect everything else to be delayed. The soup ended up losing the flame as we waited for our other additional meats to arrive and the noodles had already soaked up all the broth. The corn that was also delayed was brought to us frozen so I don't understand why they just didn't serve it earlier. For napkins, utensils, etc. I had to get up and either get it myself or walk over to them to ask for help because they rarely made it to our table to check in. For the price, it isn't worth the novelty of having a hot pot from here. Went down from the last time I came here. read more

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[IN A NUTSHELL] flavorful hot pot, small hot pot, overpriced food [VERDICT] - APPROVED (but expensive) [RUN-DOWN] Came to this restaurant for my aunt's birthday. The place was an average size place and the food was overall good, but I think that the experience itself was not ideal. This was more of a bougie version of hot pot. The pot was super small (and if you wanted more broth, it would be an additional cost). The flavor was in the broth, don't get me wrong but for the price and the amount of food, I don't think it was worth it. They do say that one pot is ideal per person but we shared and it was good. I think it would be worth it if you shared one pot and added meat? I'm not sure, I was just not satisfied with the pricing, but my reviews are based on flavor and taste, and that was there. Much like other hot pot places, you do cook your own ingredients and put it in the hot pot whenever you want. I also appreciated that we could get another candle to reheat the soup to keep it warm while we cooked the food. I would also recommend adding some sort of starch, we had the udon and ramen and out of those I would pick the udon. [SCORE & ORDER] OVERALL: 3.9/5 Beef Luc Luc Banh Hoi (Shaking Beef) $27 (4/5) -Vietnamese woven vermicelli noodle served with choice of protein, vegetarian cha gio, lettuce, fresh herbs, fried shallots, scallion, and nuoc cham sauce -The beef was really tender and more on the medium rare side which was super juicy and delicious. I would highly recommend getting this. The purple noodles also tasted like taro noodles but that could just be my mind thinking because it's purple it would taste like taro haha. The meat had so much flavor that it went well with the lettuce and the nuoc cham sauce. Lau Canh Chua $27 (3.5/5) -Head-on shrimps, fish fillet, fish balls, lobster balls, tomato, bean sprouts, okra, bac ha, enoki mushroom, Vietnamese herbs, pineapple, rice vermicelli, sweet and sour tamarind-flavored broth -If you like sweet and sour and tomato flavored hot pot, this is the one to get. There was a lot of fish in the one we had which I appreciated. This has more of the sour taste which wasn't overpowering but it does have more of the sour taste, and so I don't think I would get this flavor of soup again. Much like hot pot, you add your own ingredients at the time you want. Lau Oxtail $27 (4/5) -Slow cooked oxtail, beef balls, tripe, fried taro, greens, king trumpet mushroom, soft tofu, ramen, creamy and nutty bean curd broth -Flavor of soup was really rich and honestly my favorite of them all. The flavor was there and it was so rich. I really appreciated this one. There was also oxtail in it which I think was super juicy. There were a few pieces that felt as if it was overcooked, but other than that, it was super delicious. Lau Pork Bone Marrow $25 (4/5) -Sliced pork, beech-seafood mushroom, soft tofu, fish balls, lobster balls, greens, udon, rich pork marrow broth -Bone marrow soup was also super rich. If you like pork, this is the soup to get. It was really creamy and the pork broth was super juicy and flavorful. I finished all the soup at the end for this one haha. I wish they added the bone of the bone marrow for the aesthetic, but it was just the broth. I would highly recommend getting this one. Lemongrass Pork Banh Hoi $23 (4/5) -Vietnamese woven vermicelli noodle served with choice of protein, vegetarian cha gio, lettuce, fresh herbs, fried shallots, scallion, and nuoc cham sauce -WOW. This one was very flavorful and super good. I love making a wrap with the noodles and the lettuce. The lemongrass flavor was definitely there. **random, but the do charge for cake cutting/storing (I think it's $1 each person) [SERVICE & ATMOSPHERE] (not reflected upon review score): Service was really great. The waitress was super nice and made sure everything was good for our big party. The atmosphere was also nice. It was pretty quiet in there but also the fact that there wasn't that many people when we went was also nice to have. [TIME STAMP] FEBRUARY 2024 read more

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Took my mom here for a late Mother's Day lunch . Place wasn't too busy . Customer service is great . Clean open space . The Lau Pots are so small I was afraid it wouldn't be enough but it was plentiful . They weren't skimpy on the portions which is great considering it isn't cheap it's on the steep side . However there aren't a lot of Lau places I know around Alameda or Oakland . The shaking beef was so good! The oxtail needed more time to cook though it hard tough to chew . The total for the three Laus and shaking beef was around $160ish which as I mentioned is quite steep but it was good for a first time experience read more

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I've had this place bookmarked for awhile after seeing it all over social media. It is flavorful but it is on the pricier side considering the portions. I came with my boyfriend and we ordered the crab cha gio, beef luc lac and lau canh chua. The cha gio were crispy, light and flavorful; I could've eaten 10 of these alone lol. The beef luc lac was also very flavorful. The lau canh chua looks small but it was pretty filling but we also ordered a side of beef. Overall, it is pricey but I will be back. :) read more

Bacogai - Mamac Rose's Dungeness Crab Cha Gio - Hot Pot Near Me - Alameda, California

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Food is top notch and 100% Devine! Our server is top notched! And service great! Ambiance is nice and for a Monday night was hopping but chilled! Get the chicken wings appetizer a hit! The whole menu on point! Excellent overall! read more

I've been here three times now and it has been consistent each time. It's a personal size hot pot but if you aren't big eaters, you definitely can share and order additional broth and vegetables. My favorites are the lau canh chua and beef luc lac. Give it a try if you have not been there before. It's perfect for the winter/cold weather. read more

We came here on a Friday night around 6:30 pm. It didn't have a wait, but by 7:30-8 pm, all of the tables were taken. My friend has been wanting to try this play so since this didn't have a wait, we decided that it was time to give it a try. Just by looking at the menu, this is more a upscale Vietnamese food compared to your typical pho and banh mi places. We got the pork bone marrow hot pot, the duck salad and the beef Luc Lac. The broth of the hot pot was so rich and flavorful! It was extra to get more broth so you know it's just not random broth. I would highly recommend people to try that. It's very different from any hot pot I've had. However, everything else in the hot pot was pretty standard, good but nothing out of the ordinary. I also very like the duck salad, the dressing and the flavor was amazing. On the contrary, the beef luc lac was just okay to me. If I were to come back next time, I would definitely get the Pork Hot Pot and the duck salad again. read more

So much hype surrounding this place. I saw it all over social media. The food itself in terms of flavor is great. I would say the portions are kind of small given the price. It does satisfy that Vietnamese flavor profile if you long for it or need a quick fix. Service was very friendly. I felt like staff checked in pretty frequently and it felt warm and welcoming. The restaurant itself felt spacious. Not bad for a date spot. I would say this place is worth a try if you're curious. I prefer AYCE hotpot elsewhere in general. I wouldn't come here often, but I'm glad this place is an option if I can't get a home cooked meal from time to time. read more

Bacogai - Lau Oxtail - Hot Pot Near Me - Alameda, California

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The hotpot was very delicious and flavorful. It's more of a personal size but we ordered 2 to share along with other side dishes and it was filling! Love the variety of sauces to go along with this as well. It's a small intimate restaurant in a hidden plaza. Service can be a bit slow. Overall a good experience. Would like to come back to try other dishes and cocktails read more

The food here is amazing. I ordered the Lau Oxtail. I was impressed with the amount of meat and the abundance of veggies. I also tried their chicken wings (not on the menu, but the server verbally let us know about them), and they were sooo good. I'm not sure if they're a limited time special, but I highly recommend you try those. The flavor was on-point, and they were perfectly cooked (crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside). I should also mention that the service here is also great. They were always checking in on us, and when I packed my togo they offered to separate my ramen from the broth to keep it from getting soggy. Super considerate and sweet. read more

Bacogai - Lau Oxtail - Hot Pot Near Me - Alameda, California

Food was excellent, tasty, and service was efficient, well attended, ambiance was simple and tasteful.

Tried this viet hot pot place after seeing it on instagram a few times. Place decor is nice and the staff are friendly. We ordered the hot pot, it was cool and novel to have ur own little hot pot to make ur own dinner. The broth was super salty to me, I'm literally still thirsty now and I had it like 3 hrs ago. The ingredients were good. I could have used more veggies. I wouldn't return but it was worth a try and a nice night out. I have to give props to the servers cuz when ur fire dies they just pick up the hot pots and stick another coal thing under ur pot like it's nothing read more

Bacogai - Hot Pot Near Me - Alameda, California

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My partner and I visited Bacogai a few months ago. I was particulated excited to try their canh chua--a traditional Vietnamese soup that I grew up eating--in the form of a hot pot. Ultimately, while there's a lot to like about Bacogai, I felt it missed the mark, especially with the canh chua. What disappointed me the most was the lack of flavor. Perhaps the deconstruction--separating the broth and cold ingredients--affected the flavors in a negative way. Some of the ingredients also didn't quite work together. For instance, I felt the canh chua broth didn't work well with the pork. I also wasn't a fan of heating apparatus they served it on, as it only had one heat setting. It looked interesting, but I disliked that my soup stayed on high heat the whole dinner. I found myself preferring a simple, traditional bowl of canh chua for ~$15 (or my mom's for a lot less). This deconstructed hot pot version costs almost twice as much. There also seemed to be a general lack of direction in their menu and cuisine. An example is they provided three dipping options, including, randomly, Thai chili. It felt out of place, and I wasn't quite sure how to use the dips. The server told us we could use them however we wanted. The dips seemed like an afterthought. There was also sake on the menu, which seemed out of place. This added to the incohesion I felt during my dining experience. On their IG, they seem to emphasized the Vietnamese aspect, but it seemed much more like Asian fusion. There were definitely parts we liked though: - The ingredients seemed to be good quality. Including the pork, shrimp, and veggies. - My partner's bone marrow broth was delicious (more than my canh chua), and the meats tasted better cooked in it. The pork shoulder tasted amazing in this broth. - The crab chua gio was tasty (although not spectacular, as I couldn't find much crab in it). - The atmosphere and aesthetics felt modern and nice, if not a little bare. - The staff is friendly. Ultimately, I think they could use a bit more focus and clarity in the direction of their food and dining experience. I would return to give them another shot. read more

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Visited during their soft opening, and the food was delicious. Service was a bit slow but that's understood with a soft opening. We ordered the egg rolls for an appetizer which were really good. I ordered canh chua soup which is sour and spicy, similar to Thai Tom yum. I wasn't a huge fan of the pre-selected seafood items as much, even though I know the selection is authentic to that broth. I would prefer more a la cart options without any pre-selection. I do wish we were able to get the gas powered grill that's adjustable versus the candles we got. Ours kept burning out or overboiling the broth, so was a bit inconsistent. read more

Bacogai - Hot Pot Near Me - Alameda, California

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Service - 5/5 Attentive and efficient. Can't ask for anything more. Ambiance - 4/5 Clean and decor is nice! Good space between each table. Was a bit loud, but not the restaurants issue. Food - 4/5 The individual hot pots were a hit! We got three of them. Flavorful and delicate. Only thing that I didn't like was the vermicelli noodles that came with the hot pot. It made the soup a bit thick for me. The duck salad was great but a bit basic, but I probably wouldn't order it again. The other appetizer we got was good too, but not amazing. Overall- 4/5 Would definitely come back for the hot pot! Great portion and the price was reasonable. read more

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This was our first time trying Vietnamese hot pot. Tldr, it is amazing! The seafood broth is slightly on the sweet side but if you like that its really good. We had the seafood hot pot and the pork bone hot pot. You get Thai chilli, bean sauce and fish sauce on the side for dipping. We also had the green Thai tea, which tastes like jasmine matcha. Service is great! The servers are very attentive. The decor is also very inviting and clean. The only downside is because it's a hot pot restaurant, the wait times are pretty long. But that's just indicative of a popular restaurant serving good food. read more

Bacogai - We added more vegetables to put hot pot - Hot Pot Near Me - Alameda, California

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TLDR, I would come here again, but some things definitely missed the mark. I would not come with a group. The plates aren good, but aren't meant for sharing (which is mentioned on the menu) which is annoying if you want to try a little bit of everything. It's also pretty expensive for the amount of food you get. Service was good for what they were dealing with (pretty busy night), but maybe they could use more servers. We called on a Thursday night to make a reservation for our group on a Friday - 6 adults and 2 babies and specified that they would need highchairs. When we arrived, there was the option to sit outside and or inside, but there was only one highchair available! I guess they had been kind of busy and lots of kids in the restaurant, but still annoying as we made sure to call ahead. The menu is limited, but the food is good. We tried all the apps, all of the hot pots except for the lamb, and shaking beef, and beetle wrapped beef. The seafood hot pot was my fav broth. You can also order additional toppings, but it sucks that broth is extra $$. Everything was plated nicely and they even have cocktails. read more

Modern colors and table ware. Pros modern presentation of traditional Vietnamese foods. Come for the ambiance. Eat a hamburger afterwards. . Nice staff. Extensive cocktail menu. I think this is really more of a cocktail bar place???? If it was a bar on piedmont or montclair then everything makes sense... Cons honestly the price. The bill for 4 adults was over $200. We left hungry. New place so i give them a few weeks to decide who their target customers are and who their paying customers are. read more

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The food was great and the servers were amazing. We got the Canh Chua catfish hotpot. The flavors were sweet and savory, very tasty~ They have a good amount of alcohol selections including speciality flavored beers. We also got the Bo Luc Lac and they had purple thin vermicelli noodles. The only issue in my steak was that the meat was chewy and hard to tear. My personaly preference would be to have it more cooked. Overall, I would definitely recommend trying this place. read more

Bacogai - Canh Chua Catfish Hotpot & Bo Luc Lac Filet Mignon - Hot Pot Near Me - Alameda, California

Cost: $$$ (for Vietnamese food) Food: 5/5 Customer service: 5/5 Ambiance: 4/5 Parking: parking lot Very few places in Alameda make it to the list however Bacogai leaves me craving for more! Finally a Vietnamese spot on the island that's worth the drive. They serve upscale-y Vietnamese dishes as well as individual hotpot. My partner got the oxtail hotpot which was the winner of the night- super flavorful and aromatic soup base with oxtail and a side of noodles and veggies. I tried the canh chua (Vietnamese sweet and sour soup) for the first time and I was definitely amazed by the amount of bursting flavors. The tamarind flavored soup base came with fish filet, shrimp, fishball, lobster, pineapples, and a side of vermicelli, tomatoes, and okra. Lastly, we finished off with some pandan waffles and a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream. Yummmm... Customer service was warm and attentive. Shout out to our server Rijeana! She was incredibly sweet and patient with us. The restaurant is located in the middle of the plaza with ample of parking spaces. I would definitely recommend this place! read more

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Came here around 6pm on a Friday evening with a party of 3. There wasn't a wait, but it started getting busy by the time we were in the middle of our meal. We split a lau oxtail (not pictured), lau canh chua, and beef luc lac. I also ordered the matcha thai tea. All were delicious. The interior is slick and modern, with cozy touches of plants and wood tables. My friend said it reminded her of Vietnam, especially since hot pot is eaten everywhere there in the evenings. My only concern was the fact they kept the door open and that we were seated directly in front of the door, leaving a cold breeze that we eventually forgot about as we ate our food. It is a little pricy for the smallish portions, but was a wonderful experience. My favorite was the soup in the canh chua and flavor of the beef in the luc lac. We paid $40 per person after tax and tip. read more

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We dined at Bacogai as a party of 4 on a Saturday evening. We were able to get seated right away when we arrived at around 5PM, but the restaurant definitely got crowded halfway into our meal. I would recommend coming in earlier. My favorite dish of the evening was the shaking beef. This was probably the most tender shaking beef that I have ever had at a Vietnamese restaurant. The sauce that came with it was not over-powering like some restaurants make it. I also really enjoyed the Lau Canh Chla. There was a well balanced tamarind flavor in the soup. I would definitely order this again. We also ordered the duck salad and the spring rolls (Mama Rose's Crab Cha Gio). They were decent, but I had expected something more interesting after reading the ingredients. read more

I went with my husband and two young children for dinner a few days ago, we ordered three hotpots - the pork bone marrow, the sweet and sour fish, and the oxtail; added a wagyu beef as a side, and the shaking beef. The portions of all orders were very small. The shaking beef was $28, and the amount of beef that they gave us was about the size of my palm. Due to the small portions, we added an extra wagyu beef. The broths were good. The check was $165 excluding tips where I didn't feel satiated :(. read more

This is not an AYCE hotpot place and can be a little pricey but it is definitely worth to try. All their broth were so flavorful with its own distinct flavor, and different broth comes with different toppings. Lau canh chua - this broth tasted sweet and sour with seafood toppings. Lau oxtail - tasted like pho broth, not overly seasoned. Lau pork bone marrow - the broth was so creamy and rich. My favorite! Beef la lot - ground beef wrapped in bethel leaf. The beef was seasoned well with spices and onions. It was really fragrant, but not too strong of a taste. The leaf gave a peppery taste that was not overwhelming too. Shaken beef - the beef was not the most tender but it was not as chewy or hard either. The flavor was on a sweeter side and not as fragrant as the wrapped beef. Taking one star off since it took almost 1 hour for the hotpots to came out. We came on Saturday for lunch and it was packed. So expect to wait if you come on weekends. The restaurant is in a plaza so there is plenty of parking. read more

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Bacogai specializes in a small menu of Vietnamese food with dishes that are not so easy to find. To start, the Duck Goi-Slaw Salad was a mixture of shredded roasted duck, cabbage, banana blossom, herbs, and fried shallots, all mixed with a ginger anchovy vinaigrette and served with shrimp chips. The salad had just the right balance of crunch from the cabbage, banana blossom, fried shallots, and shrimp chips; meatiness from the roasted duck; freshness from the herbs; and umami flavor from the fishy dressing. Another feature of the menu was the Vietnamese hot pot, and we got the Lau Canh Chua, which came with catfish, head-on shrimp, fish balls, lobster balls, tomato, bean sprouts, okra, bac ha, herbs, pineapple, and vermicelli, along with a sweet and sour tamarind broth, all boiled in a small pot at the table. The broth had plenty of flavor, but there were condiments offered on the side as well including fish sauce, chopped red chilies, and a fermented bean paste, which added even more variety. But my favorite dish was probably the Banh Hoi (woven rice noodles) with Beef La Lot, or minced beef wrapped and grilled in la lot leaves, which had a distinct herbaceous, earthy flavor. The rice noodles (which came in both white and purple) and grilled meat were served with fried shallots, scallions, lettuce leaves, a vegetarian cha gio (fried spring roll), and nuoc cham (sweet fish sauce), and combining all the ingredients into a wrap made for a perfectly balanced orchestra of flavors and textures. Overall, the food here was delicious, balanced, and beautifully presented, and the service, atmosphere, and value were top-notch too. This restaurant definitely beats expectations for its casual strip mall location. read more

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Really really good food and awesome service! My wife and I went here based on a friends recommendation. Everything we tried was fresh and delicious. The duck slaw is a must! read more

Bacogai - Duck Goi-Slaw Salad was amazing! - Hot Pot Near Me - Alameda, California

This place!!!!! Best hotpot ever! I tried them all at this point but the bone marrow is my absolute fave, so flavorful, I added tripe and wagyu beef to it for extra yumyuminess! Been here so many times and every time best service, best food, best time! Oh btw great selection of sake! Say hi to Rijeana best server in Bay Area! Thanks girl! read more

Bacogai - Yummmmmmmyyyyyy - Hot Pot Near Me - Alameda, California

Came here on a Friday with a party of 3 at 7:30pm and we had to wait about an hour to be seated. I liked how quick they were with cleaning up tables. It seems like if you come around or after 8:30pm, you won't have to wait. We waited an hour but a couple that came in about 8:30pm were seated right after us and didn't have to wait! You write your phone number down, which is nice, and they give you a call when your table is ready! We ordered the crab cha gio and that was our favorite of the night! My husband and I ordered the oxtail and my best friend ordered the seafood hotpot. We read a lot of reviews that said it might not be enough food for one person / price point is on the expensive side for what you get. We were all full after having our own hotpot but I do agree that with the hotpot being so expensive, I wish it came with more. We can probably find an AYCE hotpot place for just $5 more. Customer service was great and they were very attentive! I still prefer doing hot pot at home but it's a nice place to go to if we're out and about and craving hotpot! read more

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Love the Tom yum soup and shaking beef. Solid place with delicious food and great service. Definitely a local favorite.

Customer service was excellent. The food was very good. We ordered the chicken wings, the duck salad, bone marrow hot pot, and the pork wrapped in a besel leaf. read more

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Have you ever had Vietnamese hot pot, cause I never have until I came to Bacogai. O R D E R E D - Lau Pork Bone Marrow Broth A la carte included: premium beef tongue, lamb shoulder, wagyu beed, crab sticks, enoji mushroom, sweet corn, napa cabbage, tiger prawn, watercress - Beef Wrap in Leaf - Mama Rose's Crab Cha Gio - Affogato V E R D I C T it's not AYCE so don't get confused thinking it is. Everything is a la carte here, along with some traditional Vietnamese dishes with a bit of the Bacogai twist to it. For hot pot, you can share 1 pot between 2 people but it's not huge because the depth of the pot isn't much, but does do the job of cooking your food. Every dish that we had here was slightly different than other Vietnamese restaurants we've been to and by different, it gave more of a home vibe and feeling to it. As the owners are 3 friends that are like sisters and wanted to incorporate the dishes they had at home to their customers, they certainly accomplished this. I would recommend this if you're looking for something that's not your "ordinary" Vietnamese spot, you'll enjoy the delicious flavors of Bacogai. read more

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