Bodard Bistro
Vietnamese restaurant · Bellaire West ·
Vietnamese eatery with life-changing canh chua cá trê soup
Vietnamese eatery with life-changing canh chua cá trê soup
"The canh chua cá trê here will change your life. The soup, a Mekong Delta staple, is bright and refreshing, with an otherworldly tropical tang from tamarind and pineapple. It’s like somebody planted a vegetable garden by the beach, and then made a soup out of it, with whole tender filets of fresh catfish, stewed tomato, okra, and sharp herbs. The restaurant itself is tiny with less than a dozen tables, and it has all the appeal of a hospital waiting room. But once the food arrives, it’s an oasis. What to order: canh chua cá trê, bánh khọt, nem nướng" - chelsea thomas, nicolai mccrary
"You won’t ever want a meal at Bodard Bistro to end. This small Vietnamese restaurant in Chinatown serves delicious, homestyle dishes that make your meal feel special. Like the canh chua cá trê, a Mekong Delta staple stew with a bright, tropical tang from tamarind and pineapple and green pops of okra and tomato sweetness. It’s like somebody planted a vegetable garden by the beach and then made a soup. There are also knockout, humble plates of bánh khọt—little shrimp-topped pancakes—and tangy nem nướng spring rolls floating out from the kitchen. This may be a simple, all-day restaurant with only a few tables, but if the lush plants in the window indicate anything, it’s that you’ll be well-cared, if not doted on, until the fish sauce runs dry." - chelsea thomas, gianni greene
"The canh chua cá trê at Bodard Bistro in Chinatown will change you, perhaps on a molecular level. It’s that good. This homestyle soup, with sweet pineapple and tangy tamarind mellowed by stewed catfish and fresh tomatoes, hails from South Vietnam. It tastes like the herbs were plucked moments before the soup appeared on the table. Ladle the broth and stewed vegetables over steaming white rice, and enjoy it any time of the year." - gianni greene, chelsea thomas, julie takahashi
"During one of those epic life-flashback moments, we expect the canh chua cá trê from Bodard Bistro to pop up. This Chinatown restaurant’s Mekong Delta staple tastes bright and refreshing, with a tropical pineapple tang. The soup is full of tender catfish filets, stewed tomato, okra, and sharp herbs. Split a bowl alongside a plate of springy nem nướng rolls." - chelsea thomas
"The canh chua cá trê at Bodard Bistro will change your life. The tropical, refreshing soup is a Mekong Delta staple with an otherworldly tang from tamarind and pineapple. It’s like summer itself got distilled into a single dish, along with tender filets of fresh catfish, okra, stewed tomato, and whole cloves of roasted garlic. After slurping down a bowl alongside nem nướng pork sausage spring rolls, and perhaps some fluffy bánh khọt savory pancakes with shrimp, you’ll start to feel as beautiful as the well-cared for tropical plants filling the tiny restaurant. What to order: canh chua cá trê, bánh khọt, nem nướng" - chelsea thomas, gianni greene
