Bacogai

Bacogai always hits the spot when I’m looking for a cozy meal that I can enjoy while catching up with friends or family. They serve traditional Viet food but they’re known for their Viet Hotpot! I’ve been able to try all of their broths except the vegan broth. My go to is their Lau Oxtail because you get little bits of bone marrow in each oxtail piece! Each hotpot comes with a pre-set veggie & add-ins plate but the staff are always so nice and have let me substitute the ramen noodles for udon noodles before. I always appreciate how plentiful the mushrooms are and that they will replace the Sterno (heating mechanism) if it runs out. You can also get a broth refill! Usually the first one is complimentary but I’m not super clear on that policy. Make sure you use the sauces they provide for each table! It’s a fun way to mix up the flavor profile of your hotpot. I always mean to ask what each one is… but I forget every time. Maybe it’s better that way—keeps a little mystery and makes me appreciate them all the more. If you’re looking for something other than hotpot, you should try their variety of Banh Hoi (woven noodles served with mushrooms or meat and lettuce wraps) and Duck Goi-Slaw Salad! The salad is very refreshing and has that classic Nuoc Cham (Vietnamese fish sauce dipping sauce) flavor with the perfect balance of sweet and savory. When I first tried it, I was worried that the roasted duck would be too greasy for the delicate profile of the dish, but the fat was cooked out just enough to where the meat was still juicy and the skin was still light + crispy. On my most recent visit, we placed a takeout order too—we got the beef luc lac garlic noodles and summer rolls. They were out of pork for the rolls, so they doubled up the shrimp. I do hope to try it the original way next time. The peanut sauce was a bit too sweet for my taste, but a little sriracha toned it down. The beef luc lac noodles were fantastic: super tender beef, perfectly cooked noodles, and an even coating of garlicky sauce. I also have to say, the staff always make the experience memorable. They’re incredibly attentive and make sure everyone feels taken care of. The layout helps with that too—low barriers between tables mean they can see the whole dining area from the main counter. The space feels open but still cozy, kind of like being at a big family gathering. Looks like they recently added clay pot dishes to the menu—I’ll definitely be back to try one soon!

An absolute must-visit! From the presentation to the service and the serene atmosphere; everything about this place is exceptional. It’s not posh or pretentious, but quaint, calming, and full of charm. The food is outstanding, and the service is warm and genuine. I’m visiting from the East Coast and already wishing I could find a spot like Bacogai in Florida. This was hands down the best meal I’ve had in California. If I lived here, this would be my go-to place. Huge kudos to the owners, another very happy (and slightly envious) customer!

My friend loves this restaurant and said their hot pot was really good so I came here with her. Service was pretty good and the restaurant looks nice. I like the decor. For food, we ordered lau ox tail (beef hot pot) and lau canh chua (sweet and sour hot pot). My friend said the beef hot pot was good, personally, I thought it was okay because I usually don't eat this hot pot flavor so don't quote me on this. As for sweet and sour hot pot, it has good flavor but not exactly excellent so I'm not sure if I'd order it again. We also ordered fried banana and a Vietnamese coffee. Fried banana batter has good flavor but it was quite hard. The good thing about it is it's not too greasy. Vietnamese coffee is just okay. Overall, it's not bad but I think it's too expensive for an okay experience.

Overall I liked the food here. Actually I was surprised by how much I liked their 2 appetizers. The duck salad was super refreshing and the shrimp crackers added a nice contrast in texture. It didn't have that much duck, but that made it taste lighter since duck is quite heavy. The spring rolls were crispy and tasty with the sauce. The 2 hot pots we got were good too. If you like sour flavors like my friend you would enjoy the seafood one (I really really liked the catfish in this one, the sour flavor cut the fishyness really well, and it was super tender!!), but I liked the oxtail soup too. The beef I ordered on the side was good but it was quite expensive. Very melt in your mouth.

What a hidden gem of a Vietnamese restaurant! We had the duck salad (refreshing, flavorful and substantial), the crab rolls (crispy and packed with meat) and the seafood hotpot (clear, flavorful, broth- very unique. Tons of ingredients). And for dessert, we had both the coconut pandan waffles ala mode (delicious but wished the pandan flavor was stronger) and the fried bananas (omg best fried bananas ever). Reasonable prices, great service and tons of free parking. Will definitely come back!

I’ve had this place on my list and finally had a chance to give it a try… I went there for lunch with a couple colleagues and we all ordered the Chicken Noodle Soup with the fresh rice noodles. The presentation was beautiful, even though it’s not the typical portion you would get at other Vietnamese restaurants. Taste wise, it was delicious! The broth was fantastic and it was served with the wide rice noodles which was also excellent. Service was friendly and very efficient!

The flavors of the hot pot and the appetizers were good. They are individual pots, but for those of us who have smaller stomach so we can share, some people ate their own. The hot pots 🥘 come with their own set of vegetables to put in to the broth, but you can add on as much as you like. I shared a pork hot pot with Lamb add-on. We also had shaken beef that my friend really loves but she said it was different here as it was not cubed and with rice. Another friend really loved the wrapped beef logs. He said it should come with more herbs, but otherwise enjoyed it. Some people ordered wine and beer. Surprisingly, they also have sangria which one friend enjoyed two of. Had to ask for chilies and they brought a condiment set of three. Thai chilies 🌶️always enhances all my meals. We went with eight people. Made a reservation in advance. There was plenty of seating on a Thursday night. All the ingredients were fresh and everybody enjoy the flavors although the price was a little higher than we are used to paying for Asian type of food. So best for special occasions, or people who really love hot pot. Bathrooms are to the back on the right. Plenty of parking 🚗 as it’s a strip mall Kind of situation.

So this was a random find and was only craving some hot pot on a cold Monday sprinkly evening. This place popped up on Yelp while checking in the area I was in and I said let's check it out. We arrived around 6ish and there was not too many people but by the time we left, it was 3/4 full. A very modern ambiance for a Vietnamese restaurant. Nicely decorated and plenty of tables even for a big group. It's located in the old Blanding shopping area now where Nob Hills Market is where they modernized the place from my childhood days in Alameda. Alameda has been changing a lot over the decade and for the better with more places to eat. We ordered their sangria and it was pretty good. We also ordered their Beef Luc Lac. Very good portions of beef. The marinated beef was very good and we finished all of that. We also ordered their Lau Pork Bone Marrow soup, and added Wagyu beef and some enoki mushrooms! Not a disappoint. I actually thought the pot was small and that it was not enough for my husband and I to share but I was so wrong!! Very rich broth but once you add the veggies it makes the broth so much better. The broth was so good and creamy. Since it was only two of us, we couldn't order more or add a dessert to try because we were just too full from two things. Service was great! We will definitely be back to try other things. If you like hot pot style, come try this place.

First I would like to start off with the service! As soon as we walked in, we were immediately greeted by the staff. First impressions are huge! As soon as we get seated, the table is set to perfection. 10/10 We put in our order, I can't remember the names of our dishes but I will provide pictures for you. We had the salad with duck in it. I honestly would go back just for the salad alone. It had that a really nice bite to it. The shallots added so much flavor, and you know when you get a salad and sometimes they over dress it? Well that was not the case, it was dressed and definitely impressed. Had a squeeze of lime for that extra zing to it. Perfect! We also had the hotpot, and let me tell you! The soup base was flavorful. It didn't need anything. It had that sweet and sour taste to it, and the fact that you get to add extra little sides in it made it so good! Kayla our wonderful staff member told us to add bean curd, and that little bean curd soaked up all the flavor , and as soon as you put it in your mouth, the flavor bomb kicked in! So good The other item we ordered was a beef stir fry with rice noodle and lettuce, I am a big meat eater. The beef alone was epic, it was savory, and the rice noodles that comes with it was really good. It came with a dipping sauce, and just like the bean curd, the rice noodles packed all that flavor! This is definitely a restaurant you have to try. The whole setting of the restaurant was beautiful, from the cuttlery to the food it was amazing! Definitely a date night, a go to in alameda, a fun dinner with the family. I can't wait to come back to try other things on the menu. I'm sure they won't miss - (this means that they aren't going to fail for you people who don't know what that means).

There are so many pho spots in the east bay, but it's rare to see viet spots with less common dishes, esp outside of San Jose. I was def intrigued with when I first saw bocogai pop up, but was not too interested since I'm not super into canh chua or lau. That is until I saw they have BANH HOI. Andddd SHAKING BEEF. Probably two of my fave viet dishes. And it comes together. Say no more. I eyed the pics on Yelp for a week before dragging the bf here. First, the interior - the space is not that big but well decorated. I loved the dishes and bowls, which had a beautiful ceramic design. Next, drinks - the bf got a green thai tea and I got a fresh coconut. I love when I can order fresh coconut at viet places. Too bad the meat was super hard to scoop on this one, but the juice itself was nice and refreshing! I've only had green thai tea a few times and decided that it's a bit too herbal tasting for me - the one here tasted decent for what it was. Finally, food - we got the summer rolls, banh hoi with shaking beef, and oxtail lau. Everything tasted refined and well made. I liked that they used banh hoi noodles in the summer rolls and the mayo(?) cream sauce on top was a nice touch. The peanut sauce was great. The banh hoi and shaking beef was good - def rlly nicely presented with the two colors of noodles. I love the texture of banh hoi noodles. The beef was nice and tender, but the flavor was a bit too sweet for me. Still decent but I don't think I would crave it. The broth of the lau was rlly flavorful, also a bit sweet. It tasted clean and not super oily. We were super excited to try the oxtail but were disappointed that it was super tough and virtually impossible to even bite off the bone. For the price, I wish the hot pot came with some slices of beef. Overall decent spot for a date night! I'd go back if I'm feeling something different once in a while, but probs not a go to spot for me. I do love that they focus on less common viet dishes though and loved sharing that with the bf!

Bacogai has been on my radar for a while now! It's definitely not common to see Vietnamese hot pot, so I was excited to try it! My party of arrived at noon and was seated right away. However, it definitely gets busy! Would definitely recommend checking the waitlist and jumping in line via Yelp! We ordered two items: 1) Duck Goi-Slaw Salad - this is a must try! Between the two items, I liked this one a lot! The slaw was cut really nice and thin and was dressed with a nice tangy sauce. Most importantly, the duck added so much good flavor without making it feel greasy! It was such a nice salad! 2) Lau Canh Chua - of course, I also had to try the hot pot! The broth was had a nice depth of flavor (sour and sweet). The variety of toppings was nice as well. Overall, a great meal and the servers were attentive and really friendly. Definitely worth a visit!

Saturday afternoons are definitely busy for Bacogai, rain or shine. We were seated immediately and chose the window seat at the front, but it took a few minutes for us to get their attention to order. It took about 20 minutes for our first dish to come out, and then took a little longer to get the bill at the end of our meal. There were only 2 servers so expect a bit of a delay, esp. with a full house all afternoon! Green Thai Milk Tea (4/5): Light and refreshing, not super fragrant but was still yummy! Beef Luc Lac (4.5/5): Meat is tender and buttery, noodles are a good texture, and I like their nuoc mam. Good sharing dish to try. Duck Goi-Slaw Salad (4/5): Duck pieces in the dish are just okay. I like the taste of the salad overall, especially with the crisps they give you. Refreshing and tasty. Mama Rose's Crab Cha Gio (3/5): Not the favorite, but not bad. Just wasn't anything special. Felt like it was missing something.. Lau Canh Chua (4/5): A seafood hotpot, so no meat other than fish + fishballs + 2 shrimp. Platter came with noodles, assorted veggies, and enoki mushrooms. Personally I like a sour soup so this was up my alley, especially on a rainy day sitting by the window. I will have bowl after bowl of their broth alone!

The bone marrow broth with pork hit the spot super well! I loved the veggie tray, as it made me feel like I'm getting a good amount of veggies and variety of proteins. I ordered a side of toro, and I kinda wish I got the wagyu instead because there's too much fat for me to chew xD Service was extremely attentive, but flagging a staff member down did take a little extra time than our usual expectation. I do like how the guy waiter packed our leftover broths for us to take home. Ambiance wise, it is very lively and casual, there was a line at 7:30-8 but the line disappeared after 8:30 pm as it was nearing closing time. There was a large party (16 people) close to us so it was extremely energetic and wild

You know, Im glad I gave this place another try. I remember the first time I had it a year ago it was just okay, mainly because of the portion sizes. But ever since then I think this place has stepped it up and really out did themselves. To start off the duck goi salad. This was one of the biggest surprises this time around because I didn't get to try it the first time. You get a heaping pile of duck salad and it's super flavorful. My only advice to management is please put it on a plate or bowl thats bigger. It makes eating it much easier, but we appreciated the presentation. Next the bone marrow lau. The biggest complaint I had last time was the amount of veggies/toppings that were given with the meal, but this time it was adequate and filling. Inside the bone marrow broth laid secretly more brisket soaking it, waiting to be cooked. By the time it did it was super flavorful and soaked up the flavors beautiful. Highly recommend this if this is your first time. My only advice to staff once again would be perhaps a slightly bigger pot? It was hard to cook everything at once because of the small size. But A+ for presentation as always. Last but not least the shaking beef. If you're a first timer here you can't go wrong with shaking beef. The meat is cooked perfectly and plated beautifully. The only downside was the beef to vermicelli noodle ratio, I wish there was more of it but for what it was it was still delicious. Overall this second time around really changed my views on this place. Im glad I gave it another shot and Alameda has a huge hidden gem among them with fresh, modernized, vietnamese cuisine. Can't wait to come back. Thank you to the wonderful staff as well who were on top of our tea and fire under the hot pots.

Really unique experience! I've never had Vietnamese hot pot before so I was excited to try. All the food we ordered was fresh and light. Particularly the duck salad, it tasted refreshing. The hot pot was delicious too but I did feel like there was a lot of filler vegetable items. Not a lot of meat. In general, I feel like none of the dishes tasted special or mind blowing. The service was fast and attentive. Ambiance was nice as well. Overall 3/5-decent!

Nice casual Vietnamese restaurant located in Alameda. I came here with my family on a Sunday afternoon to check out their Vietnamese style hotpot. Customer service was very slow and we have to constantly try to get their attention to come to our table even though it was not busy. Duck Goi-slaw salad: very refreshing and flavorful. The shrimp chips on the side adds a good crunch to the dish. Lau Canh Chua (seafood hotpot): if you visit here, this is something that you must order. It is very warming to have on a chilly winter day. The soup base is sweet and sour which really opens up the palate. There are a generous amount of toppings to share between 2-3 people if you would like to try other items on their menu. However, they don't give you a lot of broth so I feel like it's not enough to cook all the sides especially if it's constantly boiling. Lau Pork bone marrow hotpot: the pork flavor is very rich but doesn't stand out too much. Shaking beef: delicious! I love wrapping the beef with rice noodle and lettuce creating the perfect bite. The beef chunks are cut into the bite size pieces that make it easy to eat. Lemongrass pork: the pork is a tad too sweet. This was not a crowd favorite. Overall, Bacogai is a pretty good restaurant of you want to bring your friend and family to an elevate Vietnamese restaurant. It is a little pricey for amount of food that you get compared to the South Bay.

Sunday night dinner party of 4. We were greeted by Chen who was our very attentive server throughout the evening constantly checking on us We started off with the appetizer of Dungeness crab cha Gio which was excellent. The star of the evening was the duck salad. This salad had the right mix of duck meat and a flavorful greens in generous amounts. We split it among the 4 of us, however when I come back next time, I will order it as my entree. Each person can share a hot pot of broth with as staple variety of proteins and add on more toppings to customize your pot of broth. I ordered the oxtail which came with nice flavorful pieces of oxtail. The dessert which we preordered when we ordered our entree was the friend banana. This dessert came with a scoop of Tuckers I vanilla ice cream. The dishes here are unusual for Vietnamese and I enjoyed trying out something different than pho.

This place is worth a try considering there are not many Vietnamese hot pot spots. It definitely is on the more pricey side considering the portions. It can get really busy here, but workers are friendly. There is plenty of parking as it is located in a plaza.

Have you tried Vietnamese Hot Pot yet? If you haven't, give this place a try! Each hot pot is good for one person, but if you want to try other menu items, it's perfect for sharing. They have more than just hot pot too and a great lunch menu (monday-friday, 11:30am-2:30pm) that's under $20! The name, Bacogai, was born from the founders being three best friends with a passion for food and wanting to introduce Vietnamese dishes to the Bay Area communities. You can really tell how much love they put into each dish from the quality and taste. I can't find any other word except "perfect" to describe everything we tried. * Fish Sauce Wings * Lau Pork Bone Marrow Hot Pot w/ Side of Beef Toro * House Chicken Noodle Soup w/ Fresh Rice Noodles (also on the lunch menu) * Vermicelli Bowl w/ Beef Luc Lac (shaking beef) (also on the lunch menu) * Drinks: Young Coconut & Peach Iced Tea

Celebrated a friend's birthday here with a party of 6 and had a solid experience. Service was attentive and friendly. We shared a duck salad which was delicious! I would highly recommend it. We all ordered our own dishes since the dishes were not as ideal for family style. My friends ordered hot pots. For the oxtail pots, they said it was a generous portion of oxtail pieces. The plate of ingredients to cook was also quite sizable. I tried the broth which was flavorful. I ordered the beef luc lac. I was impressed by the tenderness and deep flavor of the beef. The noodles were cooked perfectly. It's not too much food, but was just enough for me. With $75+ of spending, you can choose a complimentary item off of their list of options. We chose the ice cream/fried banana. Because we were a bigger party, they gave us enough to share for the table. Bacogai is a more "fancy" type of place for Vietnamese food but overall food quality is good.

I love that their hot pot is individual and they have so many options! I tried their mushroom hot pot and ordered meat on the side only because I wasn't going to eat alot of the other things that came with the other hot pots. Once our hot pots were served, we got three sauces which were all fire! I wish they provided some sauce dishes like shabu so that we can use more of the sauces for dipping. It is pricey but also it's pretty good quality ingredients. I wouldn't mind coming here again for a different type of hot pot craving, but shabu AYCE will always have my heart.

It stays on my mind! What a gem of a spot in alameda. The Lau Oxtail Hotpot is flavorful with a sweet hint, which is the main reason I keep coming back for it on a cold or rainy day. Make sure you try their homemade sauces - the chili pepper paste, as well as a cilantro based sauce and a sesame based one. Their Spicy Fish Sauce Wings are also pretty good. Every visit has been delightful--highly recommend!

Great service with friendly and attentive servers! My parents absolutely loved the Canh Cua soup -- it was definitely their favorite. However, I found the Oxtail soup to be a bit too sweet for my taste. That said, I really liked the overall concept of the place. The ambiance was modern but still captured that Vietnamese food vibe, making it a comfortable and enjoyable experience.

This place was so cute! We came in on a Friday for dinner and were able to make a reservation via Yelp. A personal size hot pot, I loved the appetizers! The duck salad was delicious as well as the tamarind fish sauce wings! The hot pot its self was also a good portion, I opted for the canh chua. The drinks were good as well the dua dua reminded me of a pina colada!! They serve cocktails, beer, and soju! The service was good considering how busy it was.

This place has so potential. I've been here four times already including the soft opening. I'm Vietnamese and from San Jose, so I've had a lot of good Vietnamese food. The food is pretty good, but there's a lot of downfalls with this restaurant. 1.) When I had their hotpot, the flame blew out twice. They should switch over to gas. This would allow me to control the temp of hot pot and not overcook my food. The shrimp and everything in pot was already overcooked since they put everything in the pot before they bring to your table. 2.) The people who work here are very nice, however the service is slow and they don't pay attention to the front of the restaurant. Every time I've been here I had to wait or watch other customers wait since there's no one in front or paying attention. Even when they take my order or other customers order, they just go to the back of the kitchen and never come back out. I believe they are short staffed because it seems like the owner or the staff will come out and take people's order but go in the back of the kitchen to help cook. So I've noticed every single time all the customers are waiting for someone to come out from the back of the kitchen to either ask for the check or water or pick up DoorDash orders. They really need to hire someone to maintain front of the house or have a bell at the door so they know when customers come in. 3.) The restaurant is always slow during lunch because not everyone has time to have hot pot and the menu is very limited. So they decide to come out with a lunch menu to drive traffic. They advertised on Instagram, which made me want to stop by to try. The lunch menu included vermicelli bowls and chicken pho. The day I stopped by they were out of chicken pho, and the vermicelli bowl, they were out of shaking beef. So they had to make me grilled pork instead. The dish was delicious. However, why advertise on Instagram and be out of everything? I watched other customers walk in asking about the lunch menu and just leaving since they were out of everything. That's literally just two dishes. Honestly, they just need a larger menu during lunch and evening and not focus on the restaurant as a hot pot restaurant. At this point they just need customers to survive.

Had dinner with a friend here on a Friday night and it wasn't too busy, we were seated right away and I was able to easily find parking in the lot in front. We ordered the shaking beef and I got the seafood hotpot, and everything was great! The beef has lots of flavor and was tender, and the hotpot broth was a bit sweet and sour. They give you plenty of food to cook in the hotpot, you could even share one between two people if you get one or two appetizers as well. We also tried one of their low-abv spritzers, which was light and refreshing. The service was good as well, they were friendly and came by a few times to relight our hotpots and check on us. A great place for Vietnamese food that's a bit different from other places in the area!

LOVEEEEE this place so much. When I am in the area, I always try to make a visit. I usually am skeptical of slightly upscale Vietnamese places, but this place is worth every penny. It is a pricier meal but it also isn't THAT upscale, but it is definitely on the trendy side. The food here is just simply amazing! Everything is fresh, the broths are SO flavorful. You can't really go wrong. The lau canh cua has good flavor, and the lau oxtail is so rich, it's like an oxtail pho broth that's been simmering for ages. All the add ins that come with are fresh and delicious. Initially I thought maybe the portions could be lacking but the more I visited, I realized it's honestly a perfect hearty portion with a good balance between all of the protein + veggies. There was a decent amount of oxtail in the lau oxtail! Some appetizers I've tried - the duck salad is refreshing. Would recommend this one to share. The spring rolls were decent, they cut these into bite size pieces, it's a small portion. I'd say this one is my least favorite so far, it just isn't anything special. The staff here is friendly, the food comes out quickly, the times I've come it hasn't been busy. In a plaza with lots of parking. Ambiance is casual yet very cute, perfect for casual days or nicer dinners. Overall, run don't walk if you want something to warm your soul! Especially in alameda, I'm glad there's a Vietnamese hot pot place around , let alone a hot pot place period. I hope this place continues to thrive!

My friend loves this restaurant and said their hot pot was really good so I came here with her. Service was pretty good and the restaurant looks nice. I like the decor. For food, we ordered lau ox tail (beef hot pot) and lau canh chua (sweet and sour hot pot). My friend said the beef hot pot was good, personally, I thought it was okay because I usually don't eat this hot pot flavor so don't quote me on this. As for sweet and sour hot pot, it has good flavor but not exactly excellent so I'm not sure if I'd order it again. We also ordered fried banana and a Vietnamese coffee. Fried banana batter has good flavor but it was quite hard. The good thing about it is it's not too greasy. Vietnamese coffee is just okay. Overall, it's not bad but I think it's too expensive for an okay experience.

Fusion individual hotpot cuisine. I ordered the oxtail hotpot and others ordered seafood or bone marrow combos. My oxtail pot comes with oxtail and some vegetables and had an add-on for lamb shoulder. 4 Fried spring roll was nice with seafood inside ... quite good. 4 The chicken wing special of the day appetizer was excellent. Light battered crunchy on the outside & moist tender meat inside. 5 Service was mostly attentive & water was flowing endlessly altho at the end I had to search for wait staff to order dessert. 4 The fried banana dessert was disappointing: 1.5 Ice cream is tasty tho 4 You will feel comfortable in a simple set up in the restaurant An interesting place to explore.

Bacogai is not your average mid-week Vietmanese dinner option. Bacogai is definitely a spot you stop by for date-night or to celebrate a special occasion. The food here is spectacular, but that definitely comes at at price. My wife and I stopped by here on a Friday evening around 6:00 p.m. without a reservation and there was plenty of seating available in the restaurant. We were able to sit anywhere we wanted and not long after we sat down, we were able to place our drink order. My wife ordered one of their low-proof wine-cocktails while I got their milk stout. It doesn't say on the menu, but most of their beers are from Dokkaebier, which is a brewery that predominately makes Asian-flavor inspired beers. Although the menu says that a hot-pot is suitable for one person, it is more than enough for two to share, especially if you do add-ons. My wife and I got their Lau Canh Chua hot pot and added on a bowl of rice on the side as well as an extra platter of raw beef. I've had plenty of Chinese hot pot at the typical spots - Happy Lamb, Haidilao, etc., but none of them have had a broth like the one at Bacogai. The broth had a wonderfully complex sweetness and sourness to it that reminded me of Tom Yum soup from Thai cuisine. Easily one of the best broths I've had from recent memory. There's plenty of veggies and proteins included with the hot pot, such as fish balls and fish filets. The filets are firm, but flake apart nicely when you bite into it. In addition to the hot-pot, we also got their duck salad and the banh hoi with beef la lot for appetizers. The appetizers here are so good, I would gladly order these two items again as my main. The duck salad is very similar to a lightly dressed coleslaw with shredded duck pieces. The dish is very refreshing and the fried shallots are incredibly fragrant in the dish. The rice crackers that come on the side are yet another crispy element to this well-composed dish. The banh hoi comes with vermicelli noodle, fresh herbs, and a side of nuoc cham, a fish-sauce based dipping sauce. The meat is not seasoned that much and the vermicelli is not seasoned at all, but once you combine everything into a single bite with the nuoc cham, the entire dish makes sense and you get a perfectly balanced bite. If you're curious about what Vietmanese hot pot is like, I cannot recommend Bacogai enough.

I thought about giving this place a 4 star and would probably land on a 3.5 if I could...but the reality is I wouldn't come back so 3 stars it is. Food is solid, but for the price I'd rather eat elsewhere. We got the summer rolls and off-menu chicken wings (5) for appetizers and the Beef Luc Lac and the Lau Canh Chua hot pot. Both appetizers were fine but not amazing. You get 5 wings for $12 which is okay, but the portion size for the summer rolls is laughable - 6 slivers of spring roll for $12...yikes! I also can't recommend the beef plate despite the flavor being solid because it is just not good value ($27 for barely any meat...literally could be an appetizer elsewhere). The hot pot was enjoyable and filling enough for one person with a normal appetite, but I've had better hot pot elsewhere so its just not worth coming back imo. On the plus side, service was good and attentive (possibly because we were 1 of 3 tables seated), but our waitress was just friendly enough to have a positive experience in our dinner without being overwhelming.

Bacogai is a Vietnamese food establishment that has more special dishes-banh hoi and soups. Aesthetic is pleasing with the green walls and nicely presented tableware. Service was not the best. We asked for a few more minutes to review the menu and the server probably came back 20-25 minutes later after we flagged his coworker down. The food took a good while to come out. It really felt like 20 minutes. One of our friends' dishes did not come out at all and we had to ask about it after waiting for another 5 minutes. The server said the chef was busy and working on it but I have a feeling it was completely forgotten. They gave us an oxtail soup without the extra noodles and veggies that usually come out with the full entree, so we could snack on it while the actual dish was being made, which was kind of nice. My canh chua had a variety of toppings, shrimp, okra, fish balls, fish, vermicelli, etc. I enjoyed it! The soup could probably fill up one big appetite or be something to share if everyone else had their own food. The beef luc lac tasted good but wasn't as wow as I would've expected. My server came by to replace my fire for the soup, and said he could bring more soup base to refill, but he didn't come back at all. Overall bacogai is highly priced with smaller than expected portions and not anything too special than the average Vietnamese dish. The main entrees (banh hoi and lau soups) on the menu were average $26-28. Service could be better.

I've had this place on my list and finally had a chance to give it a try... I went there for lunch with a couple colleagues and we all ordered the Chicken Noodle Soup with the fresh rice noodles. The presentation was beautiful, even though it's not the typical portion you would get at other Vietnamese restaurants. Taste wise, it was delicious! The broth was fantastic and it was served with the wide rice noodles which was also excellent. Service was friendly and very efficient!

First time visiting Bacogai. Heard about this place through a friend. I went on a Saturday night. The main room was fairly crowded but there was plenty of space. The bill came out to $30/person on average. We were seated immediately and were able to order asap. We got the Beef Luc Lac Banh Hoi, Lau Canh Chua, Lau Pork Bone, Lau Ox Tail, and the Beef Toro. The beef toro was free after spending $75+. I was very happy with my order! Plenty of parking. Clean restrooms and interior.

This place is amazing! All of the ingredients are super fresh, and the homemade peanut sauce is to die for. The service is excellent and the team really makes sure everything is taken care of. I've been multiple times with big groups and it's been perfect. Worth the trek into Alameda.

Love how they have single serve Vietnamese hot pot here! We went at opening on a weekday and there was no wait. The ox tail broth was chefs kiss! I also loved the shaking beef and duck salad! This place is perfect for those cold winter nights; we went when it was warm and we were sweating eating the hot pot haha! Parking is easy, the restaurant is located in shopping center.

I've been to Bacogai and I thought I reviewed it before, but I guess not! Third time here and we still enjoyed it. Last time we wanted to eat here, there was a line with an estimated wait time of 30+ mins (on a Friday), so we ended up going for sushi instead. This Friday, I made sure to reserve ahead of time (same day reservation) through Yelp to make sure we didn't have to wait. Lo and behold, when we got there around 5:30 it was practically empty. However, it did fill up quickly during peak dinner hour, so I would highly recommend either coming early, or making a reservation beforehand. I didn't know this was going on, but apparently, Bacogai was celebrating 2 years since opening, so they had a little special for people with $75 purchase (a small, but sizable list of add-ons or dessert to choose from)! My favorite from Bacogai has to be their Duck Goi-Slaw Salad, which we of course had to get. Aside the that, my partner and I also shared an order of Beef Luc Lac and a Lau Canh Chua. The Duck Goi-Slaw Salad came pretty quickly. This is simple, delicious, and plentiful. There's quite a bit of duck pieces here and there mixed into the salad. The cabbage is shredded finely, and the amount of fried shallots they add on top makes for a nice layer of crunch. Next came the toppings for the hotpot, the Lau Canh Chua. The variety of toppings was great, but I wasn't particularly impressed with this hotpot. It was still good especially for a chilly day like today, but some of the ingredients just weren't really fresh - for us in particular, the okra and enoki were a little yellowish / brown. My partner really likes the sweet and sour tamarind broth, which is unique aspect of this hotpot. While I enjoyed the flavor too, it's not the flavor combo I'd usually opt for. We also added a side of King Trumpet Mushroom to make the $75 special and got a free side of Pork Collar. The Pork Collar looked pretty fresh, and it turned out great. Last note on the hotpot - each of these hotpot is recommended for one person and I think the price is definitely on the higher side for the ingredients included in here. Finally, as for the Beef Luc Lac, I thought this was not bad. But again, the price point is on the high side. The shaken beef itself was a tad overcooked, still kind of tender though. I don't have much experience with shaken beef, but I find the beef to have too strong of a flavor. My favorite part of this dish might just be the purple woven noodles. Maybe because it just looks so pretty, haha. I enjoyed wrapping the ingredients in the lettuce wraps, even if it does get a bit messy to eat. Bacogai is definitely more of a unique experience since I don't see many Vietnamese hotpot around the Bay Area. The customer service here is great and attentative. While I don't see myself becoming a regular, I do like the occasional treat and uniqueness it brings. If you haven't tried Vietnamese hotpot, give Bacogai a try.

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!

Cute spot for Vietnamese food in Alameda! It was on the pricy end for the portion size but everything was delicious. Service was a bit slow since there was only one person working but she was very friendly. We tried the ox tail hot pot and the shaken beef and loved both. The ox tail broth was so rich and flavorful with a hint of sweetness. The shaken beef was so tender and seasoned perfectly. If you order $75+ you can choose an extra meat/veggie/dessert. We chose the fried banana with ice cream which was the best way to end the meal. :)

Came here for lunch with my friend today. Of note, I arrived right at 11:30 am, the opening time, but the restaurant wasn't open, so I wasn't sure if they were actually open for the day. But they opened their doors around 11:38 am or so. We ordered the beef luc lac (shaking beef with vermicelli and lettuce) and lau mushroom (vegan hot pot) to share. I felt like the food took a while to come out--didn't keep track of the time but seemed later than expected, especially since I'm used to Vietnamese/hot pot places being super fast. However, overall service was friendly and the servers checked on us a few times. The beef luc lac was really good--I liked the flavor of the shaking beef and how it was in bite-sized pieces, so easy to roll it up in a wrap, and the different colored vermicellis were good too. I would say the lau mushroom was just average and the hot pot looked smaller than I expected from pictures, but it does seem to be an appropriate portion for one person. If I had only ordered the lau mushroom for myself, I don't think I'd be very full since there wasn't much protein, maybe 2-3 pieces of tofu. Overall the food was decent, but I expected the hot pot to be better. I would still come back, but try a different hot pot item next time.

We had reservations and were promptly seated. I was very interested in trying out VN hotpot. We ordered: Eggrolls: kids like these Lau ox tail: the meat was good but the broth was so salty. Lau pork bone: this broth was really tasty. Bo luc lac: not what I am used to but kids ate it. Wagyu beef: good Roe fish balls: good Overall food I would give 4 stars. Service: docking stars because we had a lot of trouble flagging down waitress for food, to relight the fire, etc. Would have been nice to know that we could get 1 comp broth refill. They were pretty understaffed. I recommend cutting/serving the Napa cabbage into smaller more manageable pieces since the pots are so small. It was hard to add the toppings and have it cook before our fire went out.

I loved the concept and enjoyed the food. I would definitely come back just for the canh chua. It's a small restaurant so definitely make reservations ahead of time. Food We tried a variety of items. Definitely stick to one dish at a time since the tables are a little small. Ordering more than a hot pot is a little tricky space wise. Bo Luc Lac -- 7/10 Vegetarian Eggrolls -- 7/10 Decent, nothing wrong but nothing I would crave again. Duck Goi -- 7/10 Good flavor but very little duck. Not sure if it's worth the cost. Canh Chua -- 9/10 Probably my favorite item. Worth it to order extra fish on the side. Be sure to use the provided condiments. Their fish sauce was really good. I would definitely come back for this! Pandan Waffle -- 7/10 Not as crispy as I would like. Light on flavor. I've had better pandan waffles. Fried Banana -- 9/10 Can't go wrong with this. Service -- 10/10 Service was attentive and very helpful. Environment -- 8/10 Plenty of parking. They have indoor and outdoor seating. Tables are on the smaller side so keep that in mind when ordering. Cleanliness -- 10/10 Value -- 9/10 For hot pot, it's a little pricey, but definitely worth the try.

Went on a weekday for dinner and surprised their was no wait! Was seated immediately and was greeted by a nice gentleman who was vey helpful and patient! It was our first time and was really excited to try to food since we've heard nothing but great recommendations. Being Vietnamese, most Vietnamese places don't impressed me much. However this place changed my mind. Ordered: Fish sauce wings $15 10/10 Lau pork bone $25 10/10 Shaken been banh hoi (woven noodles) $27 Free extra broth refill I can't wait to go back and try other items on the menu. I want to try to canh chua. I really enjoyed the fish sauce wings! Not many places can get this flavor right but this! It's a must here. We were really indecisive so the host was really nice to explain everything on the menu and recommend their poplar dishes. Place is a decent size and clean. Plenty of parking as it shares a parking within a shopping plaza. Despite all the things I've heard around poor customer service, I didn't experience that day.

Got here by accident for restaurant week but did not participate as we wanted different entrees. 3 course dinner for $65. See picture. Quality/Quantity - Simple menu done well. Banh Hoi (see picture of menu for definition) and hot pots. We got the following today: Duck Goi-Slaw Salad - This was a disappointment. We have had much better. If they did duck slices rather than pieces of meat, it would have taken this dish to the next level. My daughter still liked it though. Lau Canh Chua - My wife really liked this but my daughter and I liked the other hot pot. Lau Pork Bone Marrow - My daughter and I liked this hot pot better. Good broth flavors. Beef Luc Lac - This was my choice and the hit of the meal. The meat was cooked perfectly. Good flavors. Got both hot & cold water today, see cool water "pots." Also available - Full bar, cocktails, beer, wine, tea, coffee, etc. Atmosphere - Semi open kitchen. Clean bathrooms. Cool decor, CNY themed. $$ red envelopes everywhere. Plenty of mall parking. Open 6 days a week from 11:30am to 9:30pm, closed Wednesday. Heat lamps for future outdoor dining. Service - Self service waitlist kiosk; we got here right when a table opened up. Got lucky. The owner, I believe Emily, was the only waitress. And it was busy so we were understanding, but she struggled handling the business. Her mother and another guy helped clear and set up tables. They greeted customers and got them seated. But many of the customers after us had to wait a while to get served. Plus they had to flag Emily down for service. Emily is a very hard worker but should probably hire another wait staff. Price - $106 + tip. Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since November of 2022.

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.

So this was a random find and was only craving some hot pot on a cold Monday sprinkly evening. This place popped up on Yelp while checking in the area I was in and I said let's check it out. We arrived around 6ish and there was not too many people but by the time we left, it was 3/4 full. A very modern ambiance for a Vietnamese restaurant. Nicely decorated and plenty of tables even for a big group. It's located in the old Blanding shopping area now where Nob Hills Market is where they modernized the place from my childhood days in Alameda. Alameda has been changing a lot over the decade and for the better with more places to eat. We ordered their sangria and it was pretty good. We also ordered their Beef Luc Lac. Very good portions of beef. The marinated beef was very good and we finished all of that. We also ordered their Lau Pork Bone Marrow soup, and added Wagyu beef and some enoki mushrooms! Not a disappoint. I actually thought the pot was small and that it was not enough for my husband and I to share but I was so wrong!! Very rich broth but once you add the veggies it makes the broth so much better. The broth was so good and creamy. Since it was only two of us, we couldn't order more or add a dessert to try because we were just too full from two things. Service was great! We will definitely be back to try other things. If you like hot pot style, come try this place. [20R,2024]

This was my first hot pot experience. Hot pot has been on my radar for a while and I was excited to try. The restaurant is very clean and nicely decorated. The wait staff is friendly and attentive. I didn't quite understand the menu and when the tables didn't have a cooktop, I was confused like....maybe I won't have the hot pot experience but after ordering the vegan hot pot and some Summer Rolls, I was pleasantly surprised when an individual burner was brought out with a pot of broth bubbling on top. And, with the plate of veggies and side of sauce condiments...I was so happy. The broth was good and I enjoyed all the various mushrooms that came with it as well as the cabbage and spinach. Worth every penny!

Food is very authentic and the broth is heaven, milky and very tasty - no MSG Service is nice and the decor is pleasant, spacious and warm. If you ever need to have some comfort food, that's the place to be. Very good concept with Vietnamese soup base and hot pot and with a nice spread of sides. Especially need to support small businesses. They are owned by pretty young hard working women.

Food was good, but expensive for what you're getting. Vietnamese hot pot is a new concept for me and it's silly that I haven't thought of it sooner! Such a simple concept and nicely executed. I ordered the pork bone marrow hot pot which was $24. The soup was very flavorful. There wasn't a lot of meat available and the plate was mostly vegetables, 2 fish balls, 2 lobster balls, noodles and tofu, so I wouldn't say it's that worth it. The oxtail hotpot definitely had more flavor and it felt like there was more meat. The oxtail was cooked down nicely and was very tender. In addition to the two hot pots, we also ordered the banh hoi beef luc lac. Portion was kind of small for $25. The beef was alright, but this was the least worth it to me. Overall, nice execution but I feel like you could get a little more bang for your buck at places like Tastee Steam or something, if we are comparing similar concepts. Glad I got to try it once, but it's definitely not a regular dining spot for me.

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!

Bacogai has been on the top of my bookmark list ever since I saw them on social media. Hot pot is my favorite type of meal so I knew I had to make the drive out to Alameda to give it a try! I was able to easily make a same-day reservation via Yelp, but because the restaurant was full when we arrived, we still waited about 15 minutes. We didn't try any of their drinks but they have a nice list of cocktails, wine, and beer. Now onto the food - We ordered the Beef La Lot ($25) as our appetizer and it was delicious. It was my first time having this dish and Bacogai has set my expectations high! However, my boyfriend mentioned that $25 is on the pricier end for this compared to other places he's tried. Perhaps because this is categorized as an entree on the menu, but I think if I were to order it as an entree, I would only get it if I wasn't that hungry since the portion is on the smaller side. For our individual hot pots, I got the Lau Oxtail ($26) and my boyfriend got the Lau Canh Chua ($27) which is mainly seafood with a sweet and sour tamarind broth. I really enjoyed my Lau Oxtail broth and there was decent amounts of oxtail, tripe, and beef balls. My boyfriend is a big fan of tamarind and his broth was very flavorful and "exactly what he wanted". Because the portions are on the smaller side and there really isn't much meat, we ordered the beef tongue and Australian wagyu beef as an add on to share. The quality of the meat was good but also on the pricier end. Service was great, they were very attentive, checked in on us multiple times, and re-lit our fires quickly when it went out (2-3x). Overall, Bacogai was a delicious and high-quality meal, but it was expensive for the amount of food we got. I don't think I'll be visiting regularly since the drive is a little far from me, but if you're in the area its definitely worth a try.

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.

I've wanted to try this place for awhile since I've never had Vietnamese style hot pot before. It's in a shopping complex area of Alameda, so super easy to find and park at. As an appetizer, we got the Mama Rose's Crab Cha Gio ($3), which were very unique tasting and a great texture. However, the crab flavor could've been more prominent. For the hot pots, we got the Lau Pork Bone Marrow ($25) and Lau Canh Chua ($27). I loved the amount of veggies and noodles that each of these came with, as well as the flavors of the broth. I could not stop drinking the soups of each of them. I especially loved the Lau Canh Chua because of its distinct sour flavor. Overall, really fresh and unique addition to Alameda. I do think it's pretty pricey for what it's worth, so I'd only come back for a special occasion!

Review for 2/25/24 Bacogai is so good! I drove all the way from San Jose to here just to try their dishes and I can confidently say it was worth the drive. This restaurant is now placed on my top 3 hot pot sports in the Bay. We came here on a weekend during opening time and I already see half the restaurant full. The ambiance looks simple, but their silverware and dish plates look fancy. The presentation of the food is perfect and just like how I saw it on these popular instagram foodie accounts. We got the Beef Luc Lac, Lau Oxtail, and for dessert, their Friend Banana with Ice cream in which they all were a 5/5. For drinks, we got Sangria and Spritz which were really good as well! Definitely get the Beef Luc Lac when you get the chance to come here and come prepared with an empty stomach.

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.

Our friend who's originally from Alameda, recommended we eat here for dinner. Man I gotta say, this is hands down my favorite hot pot place I've been to, in the Bay Area! The broth of the soup was so flavorful and aromatic, that right when it comes to the table, the smell slaps you in the face! The ingredients are your typical hot pot variety, but the vegetables were the true essence to this tasty meal! They really provide with a unique flavor combined with their rich flavored broth. It was a cold rainy night, and this really hit the spot and warmed us all up! 10/10 on taste 10/10 on service 10/10 on value I just wish they had one closer to me in Solano County,which really needs more great Asian food spots.

Individual Vietnamese hot pot place that offers a few choices to choose from. The appetizers were okay. Eggroll was greasy and bo luc lac was chewy from being marbled and undercooked. Bo la lot was good though but very fatty. About 3 oxtails in the broth, and for the seafood one a few slices of fish. Canh chua tastes like canh chua, and oxtail broth was savory. Flavor is good but definitely too overpriced for the amount of food you get. The hot pots do not come with slices of meat, those are additional. Whatever you read in the item description is what you get. adding one order of meat turns it into a 45-50$ meal. Desserts were good but the fried banana batter on the outside was a little tough to bite. Service was a little slow, we waited about 30 for our appetizers and 45 minutes for everyone at our table to get their pots. Our apps were coming out one by one instead of all together. I give this place 3 stars mainly cause I think it's not worth the price but dont be afraid to come try it out as the food is overall good.