Ba Bay

Loved this restaurant! The menus were done beautifully. Since we moved into the neighborhood we had been enjoying BaBay for the past few months and had even sent a few of our friends in their direction.
Overall, I am sorry to see you go.

I spent a few months in DC this summer and discovered this new place on Pennsylvania. I love it but fear it’s not getting enough business to stay open. I hope it’s there when I return next year!
Living Social had «Instant Deals» for Ba Bay almost weekly during my time there, and I took advantage of it at least once a month. The soups are divine. Phở, of course, but there was one with pork and special noodles that appeared sometimes on the menu… I could never remember the name and still don’t (!), but the servers always knew what I was talking about! Appetizers are delicious — try the cabbage salad. Wine was always good, too.
Also nice for dining alone, as I did a few times. I always made reservations but never needed them — again, I hope it can make it in this location that seems to have been challenging for other businesses in the past!

red cabbage salad
big enough for two to share
tasty vinaigrette
cold noodles with pork
finished it all — a surprise!
next time: banh mi

This is modern Vietnamese at its best — Ba Bay takes Vietnamese dishes and adds a tasty twist, yielding inventive, really creative entrees. The purple cabbage salad is heavenly (I could eat this as an entrée) — shredded cabbage topped with peanuts, herbs, and a salty fish sauce vinaigrette ($ 7); the calamari ($ 9) was topped with shredded jicama and carrots and tons of cilantro. The delicious caramel fish — $ 17 – (served on cucumbers) manages to be both sweet *and* savory (definitely order it with a bowl of rice to cut some of the caramel sweetness), and the phở has the amazing comfort food taste of the best phở, but with really fresh, quality ingredients. If you’re eating on a budget, go with the phở — it’s reasonably priced ($ 12) and the portion is generous.
I wouldn’t necessarily describe the environment as romantic or trendy (despite what Unilocal says) — it’s a bit minimalist (maybe a bit too minimalist) with candles to create intimacy — and our waiter had the tendency to be absent for long stretches of time — but the food was good enough to make up for it.
Two quick tips:
1) They don’t take reservations.
2) The menu on their website isn’t the current one.

Ba Bay is another new winner on Pennsylvania Ave — of course arriving after I had moved from the neighborhood — but at least now I have (another) good reason to come back around to the Hill.
Dim lights, minimalistic décor and smiling servers greet you when you walk in. Serving up «modern Vietnamese» fare, Ba Bay strives to impress, and even change people’s preconceptions about this type of cuisine. Like many others, the hubs and I came here after being tempted by a Living Social instant deal. We had driven past it many times before and noted that it looked like a neat little place. Well, neat would be an understatement. Ba Bay surpassed our expectations.
Menus are seasonal, presented on no-​frills paper but the list of ingredients alone is enough to make you drool. There are appetizers, medium plates, mains, sides, and desserts. My husband and I both ordered medium plate dishes and were more than satisfied. I had the crispy tofu with egg noodle, celery and corn, while he devoured his spicy pork broth. While we both are fans of phở, especially in more hole-​in-​the-​wall places, their $ 12 variety was well worth it. Amazing flavor, really tender pork, and a perfect mix of sour and spiciness. Definitely one of the best Vietnamese soups either of us have ever tasted.
Reasonably priced with friendly service and a very chic atmosphere, Ba Bay is a winner in our books.

This was a welcome surprise. For all I know there isn’t much Vietnamese in the area, so this place was an anomaly in Eastern Market to begin with. The plan is to return in anticipation of another solid experience and bump it up to a 5.
We made it for the summer menu on an unusually comfortable July evening and sat at one of the two small two-​tops directly outside the open front side of the restaurant. Immediately the server approached us with water; his attentiveness continued throughout the night. He was fabulous about offering his opinion — I always love when a server is willing to tell you what they think … at least when you ask for more details.
Started with cocktails (and the list looks to be larger than what’s currently posted on their website menu), a spicy tequila drink and a whiskey cocktail. The tequila cocktail was so good (and not to mention that a cocktail in the spicy tequila vein is always one of our favorites) that we ordered a second one later in the meal. The rye drink with grapefruit juice and some kind of cherry liquor was refreshing, not too sweet and not too strong. And even though it was all those wonderful things, it didn’t knock my socks off, so I switched to the basil mojito or some such — whatever it was, it had tons of little basil seeds and was super delicious.
We ordered the house pâté, squid and lamb sausage dish and lump crab noodle stir fry. All good, all safe bets, all recommended, though the one that stood out most for both of us was the lump crab. We’d just made tons of phở at home so we steered clear of anything with broth this time but would expect these dishes to be delicious as well.
Oh, and DESSERT. This Vietnamese Milkshake ranks right up there with the best of milkshakes in town. I’m a sucker for ice cream drinks. It’s a coffee drink of sorts with added spices. The portion is probably adequate for most but small for a milkshake lover like me who is sharing it with her husband. It was probably gone in 8 sips.

We were happy beyond belief to have returned to a stunning experience! It is easy to write a 5 star review. After several return visits to verify consistency Ba Bay had provided food and service… All ‘as good as it gets!’
Service — Gavin was wonderful. In the few times we’ve been back we’ve gotten to know a few of the servers and they are all lovely, but Gavin, he’s great. Knowledgeable, gracious (even to the in-​laws and ‘the guest who couldn’t decide) and flexible. He is professional and charming.
Lunch — Hard pressed to find a bahn-​mi this good. The ‘classic’ is by far the best, though they are all good. The house butchered and prepared meats are delicious and easy to eat (no struggling to bite though fibrous flesh), it is loaded with crisp, flavorful veggies including sliver width slices of jalapeño. The cilantro gives it a brightness that compliments the flavored mayo and the French bread is the best we’ve had in a very long time (better than anywhere else in DC that we’ve found). Of course it’s amazing bread, Vietnam has a rich French history and influence in their food.
Dinner — The menu has been revamped for summer. Though we were sorry to see the short-​ribs go, the trout and the black bass are welcome summer dishes. Also, the addition to the appetizer menu of the Autumn Rolls is a hit. Crispy julienned veg, light crispy exterior that does nor arrive oily, we highly recommend this plate. The only change we would suggest is to rename the Amish chicken dish as it is not prepared «crispy» any longer, though it is delicious.
Dessert — The pot au crème with coconut and pineapple is worthy of a trip in by itself. Unlike most pineapple dishes, it is not cloyingly sweet. Rather it is small chunks of seemingly fresh fruit along side a light custard. Paired with the Vietnamese coffee, it is a destination plate if you are searching for that sweet something to end your evening.
As always, the owner is attentive and gracious and is frequently on the premises to chat with the guests. He neither hovers nor does he view the experience from afar, he stops by and genuinely cares about the food and the experience his restaurant is creating.
Thank you Ba Bay! You are a treat and now a staple in an area that needs more diverse cuisine. Well done! 5 stars

I stopped in here around 6:30 PM on a Saturday night on my way back from the Eastern Market. There was no one else eating which made me a little worried but I figured I’d at least get good service
And in general, I thought all the service I «personally» received was very good — the host, the waitstaff, etc. More on this later though…
The appetizer the waiter recommended was very good and reasonably priced at $ 7 — 2 flattish steamed buns sort of wrapped around some very fresh grilled sardines with some pickled vegetables, greens and a «srichacha aioli» — like little sandwiches. They went well with the rose recommended by the waiter, though I did think my pour was on the small side (especially at $ 9 or so a pop).
One of my favorite Vietnamese dishes is grilled thin-​sliced pork (the more bbq char the better) over a cold «salad» of rice noodles and vegetables (shredded carrots, cilantro, english cucumber, cilantro, peanuts) with a tangy sour sauce (called bun thit nuong)
. It’s particularly good on a hot day, which this was.
There was something similar on the menu, pork shoulder with a similar sounding salad. Unfortunately this dish was not very good. The pork shoulder was dry thick chunks stuffed originally into a lasagne pan and then cut out into smallish square lasagne looking pieces, topped with what seemed to be a very thin flavorless (well, sort of rancidy burnt pork flavored) flat piece of fried pork skin on top (or something like that). There was a small amount of a fairly good sauce, with it, but not enough to make up for the dry, not very tasty pork chunks kind of all crammed together into a square patty.
Even worse the cold salad and tangy vinegary sauce I was expecting was in fact basically a really hot messy rice noodle salad that had the crap wokked out of it. If you like a hot well cooked salad then you’d be happy. Me, not so much. The contrast between the hot and cold ingredients was gone, as was any texture.
The pork was so dry I ended up drinking my 2^nd glass of rose pretty quick to wash it all down and really just wanted a splash to tide me over to the end of my dry pork but didn’t think a third glass would be a great idea as I had to eventually work later that night. I asked if they’d possibly pour me a half glass. The waiter asked the bartender/​management and they refused my request. That was a bummer and put a damper on the rest of the meal.
I probably would have ended up staying longer and sampling some desserts but didn’t really feel like it after that — I was still practically the only person in the restaurant and to me it’s the little things a restaurant will do that make me want to support them or return. So based on that I probably won’t be back.

I live in the neighborhood and was intrigued by the menu and the warm, inviting ambiance through the windows. One night my fiancé and I gave it a shot, without any expectations. We consulted the waiter and put together several dishes to share:
Purple cabbage salad (we asked for the soy vinaigrette instead of the fish sauce vinaigrette) — tasty and fresh, a little too much dressing.
Spicy pork shrimp broth with rice noodles — sorry, but those noodles looked and tasted EXACTLY like spaghetti from the box, and the broth was thick in an unpleasant way.
Short ribs with hoisin sauce — as my fiancé cut into the ribs, he hit a fatty spot. Then another one. Then another one, and the whole piece was jiggling like it was all fat. At that point we realized we weren’t going to eat it and mushed it all up to find out how exactly how much of the piece was pure lard… about 90%. We called the waiter and explained the situation. He told us that once in a while a piece like that shows up and he’d get us the shaky beef instead. I did taste the hoisin sauce and it was very good.
Shaky beef — a lean and delicious cut of meet, prepared well. The watercress purée was a little too bitter for my taste.
Vietnamese coffee milkshake — deep coffee flavor, good to the last drop sucked up through an extra wide straw. It had cinnamon chantilly in it, which from what I can tell is cinnamon flavored butter… don’t really need butter added to a rich milkshake, though I liked the taste.
On our way out the owner or manager tried to explain to us that short ribs are an inherently fatty cut of meat — he obviously didn’t understand that our piece would have been a reject by the standards of any decent restaurant. I got the feeling he thought we didn’t understand what short ribs are and were unfairly complaining. Actually what he should have done was comp us our dessert.
With so many restaurants to try in this city, I won’t be a repeat customer at Ba Bay.

I came here after purchasing a LivingSocial $ 1 deal. Apparently other people did the same because the restaurant got slammed. Not only could I not get a table, it took them about 45 – 60 minutes to get me my food for take out. Luckily, I had already committed to an extended lunch break so I did not really mind.
Anyway, onto the food! I got the pork belly banh mi and an order of the crispy rice sticks with sriracha aioli. The banh mi was pretty fantastic. As this is a nice restaurant, obviously it wasn’t 100% authentic but it was so incredibly flavorful that I bsaically inhaled it. I think the pork belly was kind of overshadowed by the other ingredients but I would still absolutely recommend this dish. Skip the crispy rice sticks though. If it weren’t for these, this would definitely have been a five star review. They weren’t very crispy, very chewy, very salty. The sriracha aioli was definitely key but you’re not missing out if you don’t order this side.

Hyped up food that will probably leave you hungry and your wallet pretty empty. And as a vegetarian, there was pretty much nothing available. I had a side of fried veggie rice and a side of bok choy. I was told the noodles could be made vegetarian by taking out the shrimp. Um, then it’s just noodles and green onions.. .
I think everyone else liked their food, but honestly it’s way over priced snooty-​fied food.

Three and a half stars.
We (a party of three) came to Ba Bay on a Friday night around 7pm. It was moderately packed and we were taken to a four-​top table in the back by the bar.
The setting is rather simplistic– there is absolutely no artwork on the walls. Nothing special about the tables or chairs.
++++++
I am visiting DC for the first time and my friends (who live in this neighborhood) thought of this place as the most pesca/​veggie friendly in the ‘hood. Unfortunately, I couldn’t quite find too too many menu options for myself.
We shared the:
+ Purple cabbage salad with peanuts, herbs and fish sauce vinaigrette: I recommend it. The right amount of vinaigrette and the right amount of crunch to a purple cabbage salad.
+ Brussel sprouts with sweet chili butter: I am not quite sure what I was expecting from this dish but it wasn’t very special. Good.
+ A bottle of red wine. I wish I could tell you which one. Overall, pretty good selection of wines. Six bottles of red wines to choose from. (Also available per glass.)
I ordered (it was between the trout and the caramel glazed fish):
+ Tamarind trout with a tumeric crêpe on top, vietnamese herbs, and ginger dipping sauce: Please do not forget to include the dipping sauce with every bite. Worth the sauce.
Cool:
+ Attentive staff: Always filling our water and wine glasses. Also, paid attention to clearing the tables of finished dishes.
Recommend for future menus:
+ Vegetarian entrees
+ Vegan options

As far as Vietnamese cuisine goes, there are very few restaurants that are willing to take a risk and create a modern, trendy, updated dining experience as opposed to traditional restaurants. From creating modern variations or re-​inventions of traditional dishes to creating a modern décor and ambiance fitting of the new foodie revolution, most Vietnamese restaurants go the safe route and cook traditional dishes in modest «mom and pop» type shops.
While these restaurants can no doubt create some amazing food, they typically cater to a traditional Vietnamese crowd without exploring the opportunities of creating an experience that everyone will love.
Long story short, Ba Bay is definitely the exception to the rule. This relatively new restaurant is amazing in every aspect described above. The décor is beautiful and trendy. The menu consists of some items such as the traditional banh mi sandwich which mirrors traditional recipe and taste. But the menu also contains various other familiar dishes with a modern twist such as lemongrass infused squid with mung beans and sausage or the delightful bowl of phở.
All in all, if you’re a fan of Vietnamese cuisine (and I most definitely love it), you MUST check out Ba Bay in the close to even nearer future.

I’m a long time Hill resident, so am happy to see a great new addition to the neighborhood! And all of the staff at Ba Bay tonight, looking hip, were among the most friendly, fun and competent I’ve experienced anywhere (NYC, DC, various places in Europe) in a long time anywhere! I will definitely go back for this tasty and chic Vietnamese dining experience. 4.5 overall.
On a Saturday night, we had 5 dishes, 2 desserts, beers and Vietnamese coffee. We were 3 adults and a toddler.
The food on the menu sounded immediately creative and interesting, but some of the food combinations might appeal more to those with a more adventurous palate. Our crowd likes interesting food! We had the autumn rolls (good, just a tad too oily), the squid (very incentive dish, great), the phở (refined and yummy), caramelized fish (excellent with a delicate fragrance) and the squash in coconut milk sauce (simple and a nice contrast of textures). Everything was presented nicely and was inventive and tasty.
The dessert was black sesame cake and the banana clofutis. Both were appealing, attractive and tasty. At the end of our dessert, someone at the table remarked, «And remember, the cake wasn’t chocolate,» meaning that it hinted at chocolate, easy to devour, but yet was a sesame cake, not the usual crowd favorite.
Overally, I recommend for all types of dining — couples, small groups, with families — for people who appreciate interesting ingredient combinations.

They don’t hand out five stars to just any brass [knuckle] Chef… but RJ Cooper earned his metal the hard way; serving up a creative and irreverent five course tasting menu at Ba Bay this Sunday.
Each dish was only outdone by the next one.
Ba Bay is strutting it’s stuff — and it’s connections to major league chefs like Cooper — by inviting them to come in, take over, and throw down.
And let me tell you something… Cooper THREW-​IT-​DOWN with a string of stop, stare, and moan entrees that were brought to an apex by a Mango Tart Tatin desert that SHUT-​IT-​DOWN.
If this is a preview of the ingenuity RJ’s planning for Rogue 24, there are some ingenious concoctions coming our way.
I am gonna drop five heavy stars here. RJ Killed it. Ba Bay rocked it. I’m coming back… and fast.

These guys make some great dishes.
Service is gracious and knowledgeable.
The wings rock. The phở is worth having. Next time, Bahn Mi!

Whether eating at home or in a restaruant, my fondest memories always evolve around good friends sharing good food. The key is the sharing — it is fun to order together and share the food and that is what makes ba bay so cool — they are all about the sharing. What makes ba bay’s food so good are the sauces. Here was our sampling:
house pâté — with a tamarind mustard, yum
pancakes — made with shrimp and scallions and some killer dipping sauce
chili glazed wings — the wings had a nice crispy exterior and a moist, perfectly cooked interior with a crazy good sauce
phở — when we got the phở, our waiter gave us the accompanying sauces but said we probably would not need them, the phở was good as served
short ribs — get the short ribs, if they are out just ask for a bowl of the sauce
bok choy
lemongrass pot de crème — delicious and refreshing
black sesame cake
vietnamese coffee milkshake
Everything was very good, but that milkshake was ridiculous. I left in pain from eating too much — but had we ordered another milkshake I would have probably ate it and burst on the spot.
Thanks for a fantastic dining experience, I look forward to my next trip to DC and a visit to ba bay.

I was torn between 2 and 3 stars for this new Cap-​Hill restaurant. But I’m thinking 5 stars for service and 2 for food, so I’ll average it out to a 3 (I know that mathematically, this is incorrect but this is my Unilocal review and I’ll skew math if I want to).
Service:
Extremely friendly and attentive. The owner was on site to discuss his inspiration with us and share his excitement over opening his new restaurant.
Food:
Eh. We had the wings to start– which were bone licking good. But the phở was such a disappointment, bland at best. And for $ 15? My bf was (not surprisingly) left saying his go-​to phrase: this is the kind of s*** that pisses me off. We don’t mind paying a lot for good food. But $ 15 for mediocre phở WAS upsetting. We also split the seafood noodles. The waiter warned us that they were a bit fishy but woah! That’s all you could taste.
We probably won’t go back, though the restaurant (and owner) have a lot of heart so I can’t help but to wish them well. In the meantime, we’ll make our own phở at home and call it a day.

Good Vietnamese in DC *hooray*!!!
Kinda got that hipster feel to the place kinda like Rice but Vietnamese and a very well thought out and innovative menu. Long lean space and nicely minimally decorated.
Met by Jillian the server very nice and truly thoughtful.
I tried the meatballs in a pork broth with the shrimp crackers $ 8…nice sized bowl yummy broth 4, 5 meatballs well seasoned.
My entrée was the shaky beef marinaded onions black pepper and green pureed watercress went well together about 8 slices of tender beef $ 20.
The most expensive item on the menu… can’t wait to go back and try others like the chicken oysters red perilla and carmel sauce looked tempting too!!! Their Phở looks great too!!!
For dessert I got the banana cake with curried choco and peanut brittle $ 7…very tasty and the choco mouth watering. Jillian recommended it and well done… Jillian!!!
Could be DC’s new hip Vietnamese place with substance as others are not getting it done!!!

I think for just opening and it being a Friday night, the place is doing really really good! The staff is very well schooled on the menu and were super helpful in assisting me in picking over the menu.
I ended up getting the Autumn Roll, the Squid Stuffed with Lemongrass Sausage, the Trotter Terrine, and the Vegetable Fried Rice. Everything was excellent, but my absolute favorite was the Trotter Terrine; it’s thin slices of trotter headcheese. The texture is absolutely amazing! For four small plates I’m pretty satisfied and I think it was a fair amount for the price (about 25 bucks). I’ll definitely return. It’s a very nice space, well designed, upscale, and the food is great! I also must add that for the size and layout the noise level is reasonable.