Bò Cà Phê

ordered Shrimp Bo Buns.
It is marinated shrimp n a type of Vietnamese thin noodle mixed with sweet sauce, fresh lettuce, sprouts, crushed peanut.
I was impressed by the noodle.
It was long, a little thickier than u usually had in other phở restaurant, springy.
It was also cooked perfectly.
Although the sauce is not my favorite, (it is over sweet for me) I enjoyed the spring roll n shrimp very much.
Come try the veggie bowl n add Spring roll, u will love it in the summer.

Went there to celebrate my birthday with few friends and it was very pleasant. The food is very good, the french-​vientamese twist is exciting, and the staff took care of us incredibly well. The owners came by a couple of time to check everything was in order.
I will definitely go back!

My sister had the classic beef noodle salad and I had the shrimp noodle salad, and they both were amazing! Fish sauce tasted very authentic. Overall, both meal is very similar to what our mom would make!

Born and raised in Vietnam and now living in New York, I am deeply saddened by the lack of good Vietnamese restaurants in New York. However, I am always willing to try whenever one appears on my Unilocal search. The name of Bò Cà Phê was interesting enough it made me almost excited to try it out.
However, all the excitement vanished the moment I saw the menu. The Vietnamese language is simply murdered here. What the hell is Bò Bùn?! Loosely translated it means Muddy Beef which I am sure no one in their right mind would eat. Phô is another example for the brutal torture of the language. It can’t be a mistake because only 5% of Vietnamese-​look-​alike words in there are legitimate. This is beyond pretentious. It’s almost a cultural crime.
Our dissatisfaction of course does not end at the menu. We tried two dishes here: the chicken noodle salad and the beef banh mi. The chicken noodle was okay albeit a little under seasoned. The bread (banh mi), on the other hand, was simply dreadful. The bread itself was dry and as hard as a rock. The beef was chewy and inedible.
As the meal finished, the waiter asked if the food was okay so I politely commented that the bread was a little too hard and it would be better if they try to make it softer next time, of course for the benefit of all future customers. However, he refused to listen to constructive criticism, saying that it was on purpose that the bread was deadly hard. It was indeed not the mainstream vietnamese banh mi, but rather their intelligent fusion between the french baguette and the vietnamese counterpart. IT MUST BE HARD TO TASTE GOOD he said.
So there goes the three stars in my review. Service was bad. Food was far subpar. Price was ridiculous for the quality.
Is there anything good about this restaurant? Perhaps it’s the decoration which was nice enough it could fool you into thinking this is a good restaurant.

Born and raised in Vietnam and now living in New York, I am deeply saddened by the lack of good Vietnamese restaurant in New York. However, I am always willing to try whenever one appears on my Unilocal search. The name of Bò Cà Phê was interesting enough it made me almost excited to try it out.
However, all the excitement vanished the moment I saw the menu. The Vietnamese language is simply murdered here. What the hell is Bò Bùn?! Loosely translated it means Muddy Beef which I am sure no one in their right mind would eat. Phô is another example for the brutal torture of the language. It can’t be a mistake because only 5% of Vietnamese-​look-​alike words in there are legitimate. This is beyond pretentious. It’s almost a cultural crime.
Our dissatisfaction of course does not end at the menu. We tried two dishes here: the chicken noodle salad and the beef banh mi. The chicken noodle was okay albeit a little under seasoned. The bread (banh mi), on the other hand, was simply dreadful. The bread itself was dry and as hard as a rock. The beef was chewy and inedible.
As the meal finished, the waiter asked if the food was okay so I politely commented that the bread was a little too hard and it would be better if they try to make it softer next time, of course for the benefit of all future customers. However, he refused to listen to constructive criticism, saying that it was on purpose that the bread was deadly hard. It was indeed not the mainstream vietnamese banh mi, but rather their intelligent fusion between the french baguette and the vietnamese counterpart. IT MUST BE HARD TO TASTE GOOD he said.
So there goes the three stars in my review. Service was bad. Food was far subpar. Price was ridiculous for the quality.
Is there anything good about this restaurant? Perhaps it’s the decoration which was nice enough it could fool you into thinking this is a good restaurant.

I was trying to look for something positive to post on here because no matter how bad Bo Ca Phe is it added variation to the Vietnamese food culture in New York. However, I failed.
Food: 2 stars
Service: 1 star
Price (for the quality): 1 star
Ambiance: 3 stars
Average: 2 stars
Banh Mi was tasteless. Phở tasted weird. Bun bo was below chinatown level. Service was rude. Tables are placed too closely together showing a clear attempt of maximizing profit while forgoing customers’ benefits by making them wait a ridiculous amount of time even though the menu isn’t even that diverse.
I usually try to come several times before rating a restaurant as I am a firm believer in the Law of average. However, no coming back here for me. Sometimes one is just enough to tell.
Don’t make the same mistake that I made. Don’t trust that fancy look and homey décor. Nothing good can be found here.

I’ve been to Bo Ca Phe twice so far and both times I’ve ordered the cod fish Bo Bun which was fish over rice noodles, carrots, cilantro, cucumbers, bean sprouts, 1 spring roll and fish sauce. The flavors were strong but light at the same time because I could still taste the fish. The cod fish was cooked perfectly with a hint of mango sauce; it was sweet, tangy and a bit spicy! Adding the fish sauce made the entire meal citrusy and flavorful. If you’re craving for something light and fresh then this would be your perfect meal!
Another item I would highly recommend is the chick’ginger spring roll. It’s not your typical Vietnamese spring roll as it was thick, meaty, and the hint of ginger made it pretty interesting. It was something new! Like a Vietnamese fusion dish!
The reason why I’m giving this restaurant a 4 star review is because of their noodle soup phở. If you’re looking for authentic phở, I would go to Cong Ly near Grand street or another Vietnamese restaurant in Chinatown. The soup and noodles at Bo Ca Phe was ok. It was good, but not the best.

Bò Cà Phê is a Vietnamese restaurant with a French twist. It feels like a streetcar diner from inside. My friend and I ordered a bunch of stuff and shared everything. We started with the Crispy Spring Roll. I’m usually not a fan of spring rolls or fried stuff in general, but these spring rolls were out of this world — it was like nothing I’ve ever tasted. The spring rolls are stuffed with quinoa and shiitake mushroom. They are extremely crispy on the outside, but chewy on the inside — I think it’s because of the noodles or quinoa? No idea, but loved it! The fish sauce on the side also makes a great dipping sauce.
I would have given the place 5 stars for the spring rolls alone, but sadly the other dishes were a bit disappointing so taking 2 stars away for each of the other dishes that didn’t taste very good.
The SALMON Bao Buns is soup-​less rice noodles topped with raw wild sockeye salmon, avocado, peanuts, scallions, and cilantro. This dish was okay — the salmon was really fresh, but honestly not sure if it was the right protein… the raw fish didn’t really go too well with the rice noodles. The noodles themselves were a bit bland.
The Chicken Burgers were also unimpressive… It’s basically pork belly buns with chicken that was a little bland, pickled red onion, and herb yogurt. The buns were really dry and nothing memorable about the dish.

Wow!!! What a great place. I ordered the rice noodle salad with chicken and my friend ordered the bao Benedict. I say go with the rice noodle salad. It is their specialty! They give you so much cilantro (which I love), plenty of noodles, as well as other fresh vegetables that add a lot of flavor. It was the perfect size, too.
The Vietnamese iced coffee was a disappointment. The coffee did not come out strong enough to go well with the condensed milk. Skip it. The bao benedict had a tragic flaw… the yolk was way over cooked! Not good!
But overall, I will certainly return :)

Vietnamese brunch?! Clearly that means phở right?
Well, if we were in Vietnam, then yes (hey, it’s so affordable there). However, here in the heart of trendy SoHo, you’ve got to hand it to these folks for bringing about some nice Viet flavors and blending it to for the American palette.
My friends and I were intrigued by the so-​called Vietnamese/​French fusion that they had going on. When you come in, make note that it is very hipster. Restaurant was very cozy, albeit chilly in the Winter time due to lack of heat. Bò Cà Phê doesn’t try to pretend it’s authentic Vietnamese, despite its name. The real gem here is their modern take on some classic dishes.
I ordered a Beef Bowl with vermicelli noodles and topped with fluffly scrambled eggs. The meat was good as expected from any Vietnamese joint. The eggs added a very nice touch to the overall meal. They also include en egg roll with your meal.
For $ 15, the bowl did come at a price. However, the experience and meal was very good overall, and we had a great time catching up over some fusion Vietnamese. Next time I’ll be sure to try some of their café drinks!

Awesome little place!
GREAT food!!!
We will def come back!
We had the shared platter for 35 $.
Everything tasted delicious!

I was so excited to come here for Sunday brunch after reading that the restaurant offers Vietnamese cuisine with a French twist, but I left feeling that my food wasn’t particularly memorable. My salmon eggs Benedict tasted pretty generic. The side of salad made with Vietnamese sauces and some slightly roasted potatoes were not particularly impressive either.
The restaurant is super cute and cozy, like most spots in Soho. It’s also a very opened space so perfect for enjoying the sunshine while still eating indoors. My biggest complaint is that the chairs weren’t very comfortable as they offered no back support. The biggest redeeming quality is that compared to the nearby Jack’s Wife Freda, there was no line for Sunday brunch.
I’d be down to come again maybe, but perhaps not to try the brunch menu.

Vietnamese restaurant with a French twist. It sounded interesting and I expected something different… not so much. They definitely need more «French» components to call their dishes Vietnamese-​French. Portions are also small. I wouldn’t want to pay $ 14 for just an ordinary bowl of phở.
Interior:
Cute Asian themed restaurant. Tiny tables and chairs could be a bit uncomfortable.
Food:
Salmon Crispy Spring Roll — Okay. This one was a bit different. Salmon mixed with goat cheese, wrapped in rice paper and deep fried. Very good! Delightfully rich and crispy.
Chicken rice noodle salad — just your ordinary rice noodle salad. Small portion.
Classic phở — again. Just your ordinary bowl of phở. Really small portion. Not a lot of beef slices and not a lot of bean sprouts! Oh, the broth tastes healthy, if you know what I mean.

3.5 to be exact. Round up for the nice ambiance
Bô Cà Phé is an interesting place. A French and Vietnamese fusion restaurant, which does serve delicious food! I really like the interior and ambiance inside. I feel the layout with all the lights is cute and definitely has that «fusion» feel of the French and Vietnamese influence.
What they start you off here is the water what they do here is put some mint and cucumber inside. It is definitely something different, but I can see some people not particularly liking it. However, it was good and refreshing for my taste buds (and it probably was good to mask that taste of tap water with it).
For my main course I had the Shrimp Bò Bùn, which is a rice noodle salad platter. The shrimp had a sweet and sour taste to it which was a nice flavor to have and accompany the entire dish. There is also a variety of vegetables in the dish along with some onion and peanuts. The noodles themselves tasted okay, though I felt it needed a flavor kick to it, so I added some hot sauce that was on the table and it made everything taste better :).
Anyways, this is a place I would definitely come back to and try their other offerings!

Subpar.
The bo bun noodle bowls are inconsistent. Mine barely had any noodles and my friends had a ton. They also really need to stem their cilantro properly. I felt like a cow grazing.
And I’m pretty sure they use the same marinade for the shrimp as the beef in the bo bun noodle bowls. Why?
The seats/​tables are way too tight. One guy fell over and banged his head trying to squeeze into his bench seat.
Last gripe: can you pls serve me plain water without herbs in the water bottle?
Decent service and egg rolls.
Bottom line: skip the trendy location and go to Baxter street for better Vietnamese food

This place is a complete American version of Vietnamese place, nothing in the store would remind you of a Vietnamese place.
We got the Salmon Bo Bun, (comes with Avocado, $ 17), Black Pepper Beef Bo Bun ($ 16), and Lollipop ($ 7 for 3).
The salmon were fresh and they gave a lot of salmon and avocado, but the noodles completely lack flavor. I would definitely recommend adding the hot sauce they provide on the table to make your noodle more flavorful. The black pepper beef was overfill with black pepper and there was a lot of beef. Overall the bo buns had a lot of ingredients, we were really full when we finished. The spring rolls that came with the noodles were pretty good, but it was more overwhelming than the sauce.
The lollipops had a lot of coconut flavor to it and was soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. We didn’t really like the sauce that it came with because it was really strong.

Bo Ca Phe is a French Vietnamese Restaurant, and is definitely definitely one of my favorite restaurants in NYC!
Not only this place offers delicious food, but this place also offers healthy food. (AND the foods are fulfilling and affordable!!!) Delicious healthy affordable fulfilling FOOD!!! I cannot think about a single person who does not like the harmony that I mentioned.
When I meant by yummy, their foods made me smile. When I meant by healthy, their foods made my body smile. (meaning I didn’t feel guilty about eating foods).
What makes their food so healthy? You can substitute your Noodle to zucchini Noodle which will not only cut off bunch of calories but also place the dish in a next upper level in terms of texture and it’s freshness.
I’ve only been to this restaurant once but I’m already in love and I can’t wait to try other great foods that they offer!

A fusion Vietnamese and French restaurant.
If you are looking for phở options, and legit Vietnamese food, do not come here.
But if you are looking for something more westernized, this place has creative options that would be able to satisfy you
Menu–
there are only two phở soup noodle options: vegan and beef phở
they do not provide options such as rare steak or beef balls etc. it was just two options
1. we all ordered the beef phở ($ 14), it was good — average, portion is relatively small
For spring roll, they have different styles of rolls, including mac and cheese, chicken and ginger and stuff, but we stick with the vege spring roll ($ 6)
I like the service and the ambiance, doubt i will come back since i would prefer legit vietnamese food, but would recommend to people who are into fusion dishes!

I’m not a fan of Vietnamese food but fusion Vietnamese food.
Chick’ginger Spring Roll: it’s good but it did not amaze me.
Black Pepper Steak Bo Bun: the whole dish is so flavorful yet refreshing, the black pepper steak was tender and so good!
I don’t think their spring roll is THAT amazing though…

I planned to go to Jack’s Wife Freda with my friend for brunch. Yet the line was extremely long, so we decided to go next door to this place. I was definitely intrigued by the French/​Vietnamese fusion, and really expected a mind-​blowing meal. My friend and I got seated right away and our waitress was very friendly.
The menu was not what I had expected – maybe because I always have Viet food, the phở and Banh Mi options were not appealing to me. I settled for the Bao Benedict (eggs, smoked salmon, salad, home fries). I love love love smoked salmon; that was probably the main reason why I ordered this. My friend ordered the La Belle Omelette, which was a basic omelette with salad and home fries on the side as well.
What probably turned me off was the water that they served – it was mixed with some mint leaves (?) and cucumber, I believe; though I may be wrong. I took a sip and was okay with it until my friend pointed out that there were some black pieces floating in my water (I assumed that they were from the leaves), but I didn’t care much, for I had water with me. The next few sips were strange – I guess this was on our part since we aren’t used to drinking flavored water.
The meals came within 15 minutes and were actually pretty good. I enjoyed my eggs benedict, especially the smoked salmon, for it was very fresh. The eggs were also very good, and the bread was very soft. The bread seemed really burnt for some reason, but that didn’t really bother me. I still can’t figure out what was in the salad; it had carrots and pickled something (?), but it was definitely a new kind of taste for me. The home fries were ordinary, like those that I’ve had at other brunch places.
My friend thought her meal was average, but after an hour or so we both felt a little queasy. It was a good brunch, but not fantastic. I would recommend this place to anyone interested in trying Vietnamese food for the first time – maybe it would be better for first-​timers.

Décor on point. Food on point. Service on point.
I have nothing but wonderful things to say about my dining experience here. The restaurant gives off a casual, romantic, and cozy feeling as you walk in. It was also a cold day and even though our seat was somewhat close to the door, we never felt a draft come in as the doors opened.
I got the chicken bobun and my friend got the shrimp bobun. Both were perfectly seasoned and extremely flavorful. The salad underneath makes you feel a little bit healthier too.
We were served by Stelios and, even though we thought we annoyed him by asking for a dessert menu and not ordering anything, he was very pleasant and was generous enough to give us a dessert (coco chia – his favorite) on the house. Not quite sure if it was because he dropped an empty fish sauce container into my friend’s bag by accident… but either way the gesture was greatly appreciated. The coco chia tasted different at first, but it starts growing on you quickly.

Their water is tasty. Really. They put a bunch of basil leaves in their water! Probably to cover the taste of tap water but still.
Black pepper beef is just ok. The salmon bun (noodles) is where it’s at. Kinda like a pseudo-​poke bowl. We upgraded both our veggie spring rolls (because who wouldn’t upgrade?) to the salmon and cheese spring roll (GOOD! with goat cheese!) and Vàch kî rî spring roll (quinoa and shiitake, soooooo good). The noodles with the fish sauce were actually really good, although my breath smelled like fish sauce afterwards for hours.
We actually ordered the shrimp tempura appetizer but they gave us crazy mushrooms instead — we didn’t complain because these shrooms were amazingly tasty.
In the end, we spent about $ 25/​pp for dinner. A bit pricier than your usual Chinatown Vietnamese food, but I really liked their unique spring rolls and tasty mushrooms…

Large bowl of hot noodle soup to battle bone chilling cold. Unfortunately «large» or even «regular» size won’t be found Bo Cà Phe. Expect to pay double the price for half the portion in comparison to any phở places just a few blocks down the streets.
Although the portions were tiny and prices were a bit steep, the foods were actually very yummy! My husband ordered their beef phở which came in flat white noodle. The flavour was spot on. I ordered their chicken bo bun (noodle salad) and appreciated that the sauce was automatically served on the side. The chicken was juicy, tender, and packed with flavour. The fish sauce, sweet chilli dressing was light and refreshing. Loaded with fresh cut veggies. This dish would be the dish to crave in hot summer days!
Overall — to ensure that my husband is well fed and does not go hungry, we probably won’t be back any time soon.

Came here instead of waiting for a table at Jack’s Wife Freda, and it was a great decision! I ordered the mango avocado toast, which was perfectly flavored with jalepeno to add an extra kick. The service was quick and friendly as well! Would definitely love to try some of the other things on their menu!

New to the trendy restaurant row, Bo Ca Phe makes up for a very narrow entryway that only those the neighborhood seems designed for can fit through comfortably. Really friendly staffers accepted my takeout order for the very good (poached) egg bo bun for $ 11.98 (rather than $ 13+ as the menu indicated). Dish had nicely cooked noodles and vegetables, with a tasty spring roll, but a bit too much liquid, even pre-​sauce. Will definitely return for the interesting desserts; curious how they’re sustaining (weekday) breakfast service.

I can’t. Its just delicious. I stumbled across this place, and I’m so happy that I chose to eat here.
Do it.

I feel like Bo Ca Phe must be relatively new, as I have walked down this stretch of Lafayette many a time and yet never seen it before. Granted, it is not as well-​known as a few of the other restaurants that sandwich it, but step inside the narrow entrance and you step into your prototypical cozy NYC joint. Don’t expect a lot of personal space; you probably have a few inches of space at most between tables, and you’ll need to get on your toes /​suck your belly in to make your way to the seats closer to the wall.
That said, once you are seated and perusing the menu, your concerns about being overheard or bumping into someone will melt away. The menu, naturally, is oriented more towards the Asian palate, but it is definitely infused with some American ideas for brunch. A perfect example would be the bao burger I got. While the patty itself was quite delicious — very juicy, albeit a tad plain — it was put in the kind of bun you’d ordinarily see for a duck or pork belly bun, keeping each bite nice and soft. Dab it with some herbed mayonnaise, and you have a helluva hamburger that is very Asian yet still absolutely delicious. The toasted taro chips are also really good; they aren’t overly salty, but they have enough flavor to act as a nice, earthy complement to the burger. My wife went a bit more Asian than I did and went with the chicken bo bun. It’s a very nice light noodle salad that has very intensely flavored chicken to give everything else (primarily the noodles) a dash of flavor with each bite. With cilantro, basil, and some bean sprouts, it’s a really nice dish that is a bit easier to put away than a bowl of phở (as that usually comes with plenty of liquid).
Overall, this is a nice, quirky Vietnamese-​inspired spot that really does a delicious brunch. I’ll definitely be coming back, if only to try the burger, but the rest of the brunch menu looked delicious, and I’m looking forward to seeing what else is offered!

Excellente decouverte. Les plats sont delicieux et franchement tres abordables pour le quartier. Super restaurant au design de bon gout. J’y retourne des mon retour a NYC.

Ehh the food took awhile and We thought it was very overpriced for what we got. The Phở was so-​so and it was just alright. I wouldn’t go back, honestly. The mushroom balls were alright but nothing to write home about.
Cute wallpaper but that is about it. The seats are also pretty uncomfortable.

The service here was wonderful! Our server was very friendly in making conversation and giving us recommendations. Unfortunately, the food here was not as great as I hoped it would be from the Unilocal reviews. We came here yesterday at 6 pm and the place was not crowded. The atmosphere was a mix of a lot of different influences — we saw Vietnamese scooter pictures, old Chinese royalty wallpaper, and we could see the French influence as well. Overall, would be a great date spot.
We ordered both milkshakes ($ 7 each) to start — I actually preferred the chocolate and cashew milk one as it had more flavor while my friend preferred the black sesame one (I had thought it would taste more like black sesame ice cream from Chinatown ice cream factory but it was much more subtle than that). Then we ordered our main dishes — the salmon bo bun ($ 17), shrimp bo bun ($ 16), and pot of phở ($ 15). I didn’t get a chance to try the salmon bo bun but it looked really yummy with the avocado. I had the shrimp bo bun and I enjoyed how well seasoned the shrimp was. The rest of the ingredients made me underwhelmed mostly because I like a lot of flavor in my dish, and this was more of a light healthy option with lots of vegetables. I snuck a taste of the broth in the pot of phở and thought it was a cool twist, it kind of tasted like an oxtail stew.
Would I come back again? Most likely not just because it’s not my cup of tea but the service was awesome!

I really wanted to give this place a 5 star review (I’ve been eyeing this place since it opened) but I had to deduct one star for the underwhelming food. I’ll explain…
An old friend and I met up here for a rendezvous dinner after a long period of absence. And indeed, «absence makes the heart grow fonder.»
At 7:45pm on a weekday, this place was 80% full (that is a good sign). I showed up first, but waitstaff were extremely nice and let me sit down prior to my company showing up. Seating is pretty tight and I opted to sit in the middle section of a picnic table with benches. Getting into and out of this spot was a bit awkward, and definitely you need to hang your coat up (many coat racks available and plenty of places along the wall to hang your coat). The décor was well thought out with hanging upside down plants, and interesting colored light bulbs. There is also a bar in the back which looked quite inviting. There is also «Charles Baudelaire» written on wall in cursive…
All of the waitstaff were really friendly, timely and helpful. One of waiters helping us definitely had a French accent, and he was kind enough to bring me an Export (Vietnam) beer while I waited for my company.
At 7:50pm, my companion shows up. Wow, it has been over two years since we last saw each other, so of course, an avalanche of a conversation begins as we neglect to look at the menu. Our waitress came by a few times asking if we were ready to order and we had to ask her to come back. But finally, we settled on sharing a few plates:
Lollilop (crispy rice balls) — Crusty coco flavor which is crispy rice, coconut, mushroom — this was tasty, think like arancini, but $ 7 for three small morsels, a bit pricey.
Crispy spring rolls ($ 7) — Chick’Cariga (chicken, kale, leek, and Hanoi curry) — my friend ate this with no complaints, but no compliments either.
Salmon Tartine ($ 9) — salmon, avocado, mango on tartine — similar to avocado toast.
Salmon burger served w/​taro chips — salmon, avocado, cilantro — this by far was the best dish and taro chips were a nice touch. But $ 16 for a very small burger isn’t worth it.
And for dessert, we tried the molten chocolate yuzu cake w/​coconut espuma ($ 8). The both of us were not sure what espuma was, but in the end, it was delicious and very much like whipped cream, only better and coconut flavored. This dish gets two thumbs up.
For two people, food, dessert (shared) and 4 beers, the grand total with 20% tip came to $ 100.
A decent place to have dinner with friendly staff and beautiful ambiance, but the flavors were a bit of a letdown and portions are small (the both of us are quite active and we need a lot of food to sustain us). Neither French or Vietnamese flavors came through. But we also didn’t order any of the more traditional dishes like rice noodle salad or phở soup. I’ll come back to give those a try. However, this place is sexy and trendy, so it will impress your date. Come for dessert and a beer!

New York, and especially downtown Manhattan, has very few ambitious Vietnamese restaurants. Choices are limited primarily to take-​out driven places concentrated in Chinatown. While some of these are quite tasty, I welcome the chance to see what a more ambitious chef can do on a higher budget.
While billed at French-​Vietnamese fusion, I’d say New American trends are the biggest influence in updating Vietnamese classics. The tastes of Vietnam are here, but sometimes in new formats. There are ca ri ga spring rolls and green papaya salads, and a variety of different proteins to serve on the bun.
There’s a playfulness to the fusion, which reaches its apotheosis with the wonderful «Vàch Kî rî spring roll. Those who have been to Vietnam will recognize just how almost-​right this twist on words sounds.
All of this is in a bright but narrow space, with hanging upside down from the ceiling. It’s a great option in the neighborhood, and if the food isn’t quite earth-​shattering, it is solid and better than another lame twist on an Italian bistro.

An solid change of pace on a block that is clustered with New American or European-​influenced cuisine. French-​influenced Vietnamese cuisine is smart idea, but somehow the execution isn’t too impressive. The highlight is definitely the flavorful broth in the Pot o’ Phở, but the ingredients are a bit lacking in terms of condiments. The biggest disappointment is beef which still manages to be too dry even when soaked in broth. Maybe that’s how it is supposed to be, but given the selection of excellent Vietnamese restaurants only a neighborhood away it is hard not to compare and contrast.
The novelty of the menu (spring roll selections and Bao Burger) are worthy of entertaining, though given the price point, portion, and flavors, I find it rather hard for a traditional Vietnamese food lover to really get into Bo Ca Phe’s offerings after the initial curiosity wears off. With that said, I am glad to have it as late dinner option in the area after 10pm.

So happy me and my friend just so happened to stumble into this place for a quick dinner!
We got the platter that’s made for two people and initially, I thought we would have to order more! But in the end, I was stuffed. Their spring rolls are so delicious (especially the one with cream cheese!!) but the Veggie one was a bit too salty for my taste buds. As for the buns, they give you 4 different things to fill it with: chicken, beef, eggplant, and veggies and everything tastes AMAZING. I think I’m in love LOL
The interior of this place is dope too; it’s like French, Vietnamese, Chinese fusion! Such an interesting dining experience :-)

The spring rolls and soups were good.
One star off because the service was slow. Also, it’s uncomfortable if you sit near the door in the winter because you’ll feel the draft of people coming in and out.
It’s a small casual place, I’d come back!

If Jack’s Wife Frieda next door tells you it’s an hour wait, then hop on over to Bo Ca Phe. It’s a completely different cuisine, but ohhhh myyyy goodnnessss… their raw salmon and avocado vermicelli dish is heavenly and refreshing. I crave this almost everyday since I have been there, but for $ 17, the dish price is pretty steep. In this dish, a large amount of salmon and avocado sits atop a bowl of vermicelli which is then on top of a layer of greens and carrots. The sauce they make is simply citrusy and the whole thing tastes like a delicious healthy dish. Ordered with a Vietnamese coffee, you can’t go wrong.
My friends had ordered a phở noodle dish (do not recommend this though if you like the traditional Viet phở noodles.) This one has quite a distinct taste that most of us did not like. It was either the leeks or the broth itself that made it strange. My husband ordered the beef vermicelli, which is a generous amount of beef atop a bed of vermicelli and greens. He liked his and the beef was grilled consistently.
The seating area for the restaurant is family style on benches. As other reviewers mentioned, it can get crowded I’m sure but as we went around 1:-00 for brunch, it was quite empty on its second week of grand opening.
Overall, if I feel like eating a higher class version of Vietnamese food, I would come back just for that salmon and avocado dish!

I am Viet, and this restaurant is French so of course I don’t expect an authentic experience here. I wanted to see a French-​Viet fusion in the beginning and I got what I wanted in the end.
I ordered a Bo Bun, which is their version of the Viet’s Bun Thit Nuong. Bun Thit Nuong basically means rice noodle with grilled pork, served with herbs. After seeing a few photos from Unilocal,I think Bo Ca Phe replace grilled pork with chicken, beef, or salmon. I looked forward to the salmon version but the day I went they only served chicken.
The fish sauce was a lot sweeter than I expected. You see in most Asian cuisines, people use sugar only when they need, but in Europe and US, they put sugar in everything!
Compared to the Asian ingredients, American bean sprouts and carrots are harder and sharper. So if you are reading this review, Chef, please either cut bean sprouts and carrots into shorter and thinner strips, or dip them in hot water for a second to make them softer.
Overall, I’ll stop by again if I want to eat in Soho. My standard for Asian food in Manhattan is already very low, so what I had at Bo Ca Phe was better than I expected.

We originally meant to go to Jack’s Wife Freda for brunch but the wait was ridiculously long (90 minutes) so I pulled up my handy Unilocaling skills and found this just next door!
I was really struck by the freshness of the ingredients in my Chicken Bo Bun (rice noodle bowl). The bean sprouts, carrots, and cucumbers were in perfect shape and julienned beautifully. Even the cilantro wasn’t wilted in any way. It was as if all the ingredients came straight from the garden! The chicken had less of the char than I am used to, but was so juicy and flavorful.
The prices are higher than your typical Vietnamese restaurant, but the location is conveniently located in SoHo (assuming your compass points out from the major shopping stores). The staff is very friendly and attentive and the ambiance chic street-​style.
I’ll return next time I have a Vietnamese cuisine craving in New York!

I loved this place! We had a few glasses of wine, tried the vermicelli with shrimp and one with tofu (smaller portion that most Vietnamese spots) but the appetizers were super creative and delicious. The spring rolls (one with mushroom) and the balls with coconut and rice were on point.
This place is a great addition to the neighborhood and a nice change from the typical spots that are pricey in Soho.

The customer service is superb. Usually when your party isn’t all present they refuse to seat you but bless these people’s souls! They let me sit at a table and wait for my friend to arrive. The place is cramped so prepare yourselves for that. We sat a long table with six other people so space was very limited especially with all the winter jackets everyone was wearing. The menu had a lot of unique options but i stayed safe and got the chicken bo bun. The food came out in a timely manner and tasted delicious. Pretty standard dish and they did it well. The spring roll was on point and the chicken cooked well.
I will definitely return to try out some of the other foods and probably try to be more adventurous. I can see this place getting more popular. the prices are reasonable and the food is different from what you will normally get at a viet restaurant. i definitely understand that it’s not traditional like some reviewers have commented but it’s nice to try something new!

Solid restaurant with amazing vibes and great customer service. The presentation is very interesting and I enjoyed my lunch there with my friends. It serves Vietnamese/​French food, and that’s the first I’ve ever heard of. I would recommend this restaurant to everyone. I’ll definitely be coming back to try other dishes out.

This is not your typical phở joint (in food or price)… but these folks do make a surprisingly delicious bowl of it. Also, for health food fanatics: zucchini noodle bowl with raw salmon and avocado ftw! Overall, a nice casual addition to the SoHo food scene.
There are a couple operational issues — tables are a bit cramped, and I had to stand up a couple times through the meal to let the good people at the tables next to me get out. Also, we had an overly attentive waiter who asked if we were ready to order 5 seconds after we walked in and 5 seconds after we said we needed a minute, but this can be easily remedied.

I saw this new place on Unilocal and on a cold day, I wanted to have a hearty bowl of phở. I’m glad that I chose to come here. I saw many people waiting outside at the restaurant next door. Here, I got a table with a nice view on the street and great sunlight.
I had the So Co shake: a frothy drink made with cashew milk and chocolate. I like that the shake is made with cashew milk.
Veggie crispy spring roll: filled with carrot, cabbage, mushrooms with a sweet dipping sauce. The rolls were tasty and crispy on it own, I didn’t need the sauce.
Vegan phở: rice noodles, fresh vegetables (carrots, celery, leek, turnip), vegan broth with basil, bean sprouts, jalapeño slices, lime, mint on the side. The broth has very light flavors of the vegetables. The soup wasn’t too hot, so I ate it with ease without burning my mouth.
I think that the spring rolls are the star of the menu. The staffs are nice. I would like to try the lunch menu.

First, let me start off by saying I am not a fan of fusion… BUT this place does the Vietnamese/​French combination right. 5 stars for the most adorable ambiance and oldies music with great service and even more amazing food.
I got the raw salmon and avocado noodle bowl with a sweet dressing, it was so light and had such flavor that I was genuinely surprised by it. Portions were large here with decent prices, especially for New York. I also got the hydromiel which is a warm tea like drink with lemon, honey, mint, and ginger, and it was wonderful. My friend got the phở with beef and finished it entirely. Though I didn’t try it, it smelled and looked fantastic. For dessert I got the chia pudding and black sesame ice cream which were both incredible and like nothing I’ve ever tasted.
NYC definitely needed a place like this to grab a bite. YUM.