Bao 111

04/13/2008 Posted by ahndh

I went when they first opened since my best friend knows the owner. My best friend's Dad is the sake distributor of this restaurant. It was excellent first. But when we went again months later, i made reservations weeks before. They still made us wait nearly an hour for our table! Unacceptable! Also, the food second time around was not as good. I guess the quality lowers down a little over time like most restaurants. Also, the service was totally slow & the food tool a long time to come. I wouldn't go back there again after they made us wait forever for our table after making reservations!

Pros: trendy place

Cons: doesn't matter if you have reservations, they'll make you wait forever!

10/12/2007 Posted by robomanic23

My night at Bao overall was average. The wine list was excellent. The bartender and waitor were very professional but the hostess was sort of goofy and not professional. Everyone was terribly nice though and the restaurant, although beautiful, is very relaxing and has a casual atmosphere. The patrons also seemed very relaxed and non-pretentious and on a Friday night at 9pm, there really weren't that many. I wasn't terribly impressed with the food though I think if I had what was recommended, I would have been. I did have the duck entree (rec. by our waitor) which was excellent-- and I know, because I don't usually like duck. I shared the summer roll and crab noodle soup appetizer which was very lacking in taste and texture. I think Saigon Grill on the Upper West Side is a much better bet for Vietnamese. Overall the service and atmosphere was very good and the proximity of bars and lounges is very convenient. I liked that there was the option of dining at a table outside in front of the restaurant.

Pros: Nice staff, great wine list, good recommended dishes

Cons: Not every dish is worth tasting, unprofessional hostess

05/13/2007 Posted by raajkumari

I went to Bao111 on a saturday night with 7 people. We had the prixe fixe menue of 6 appetizers, 4 entress, and 3 desserts - enough for the whole table to share. The cost was $45 per person. The food was excellent! They brought out the appetizers almost immediately, and there was plenty for the whole table. The food was delicious. The duck was incredible. I loved everything about this place, except for the fact that they only had one bathroom and on a Saturday night you can imagine how annoying that can be. I also think that because it was a Saturday night, the service with the drinks were a little slow.

Pros: the food!!!

Cons: only one bathroom

11/16/2006 Posted by maureenuw

This is a great little spot. It's somewhat tight, but that's New York. The food is really tasty. The only complaint would be the noise level when the restaurant is crowded. Try the frog legs!

Pros: Tasty food

Cons: Small space

09/06/2006 Posted by imakay

I went to Bao on a Sunday night last month, with reservations for two. The hostess was highly apologetic for not being able to seat us immediately (the place was slammed). After about a 15-20 minuet wait and two drinks on the house we were sat. While the tables are close, the intimate setting and live jazz are charming. The server was extremely accommodating and his wine recommendation (dry Rose) was spot on for the truffle salmon app. Entrees were worth the wait, Rib-eye steak and whole snapper (another recommendation from our server). This place deserves the hype regarding its food, the rib-eye portion was large for the price and cooked to perfection, while the snapper's sweet/spicy sauce was perfectly blended and the presentation was exquisite. Service was prompt, friendly, and very helpful with recommendations. All in all, this restaurant was one of the most satisfying dining experience in long time and signals the resurgence of Alphabet City.

Pros: Food, Service, Wine and Sake

Cons: Entree timing was slightly slow

08/07/2006 Posted by garagegourmet

Spring rolls, short ribs, curries and noodle dishes are decent. But for the prices, the service is so poor that it's really not worth coming here. Even though the restaurant was not at capacity, service was awfully slow and unattentive - we had to ask several times for basic things throughout the meal. It was very hot in the restaurant, but water was not served for half an hour after arrival and then never refilled. After the main courses arrived, we had to flag scurrying waitstaff several times to ask for utensils and rice to go with the curries. Drinks took 20 minutes to come to the table, and when they arrived they were warm. One person in our group remarked that service was so disorganized that it was almost as if we were eating at a restaurant that was experiencing opening night jitters. Finally, the music was so loud that we had to shout to converse with one another. The experience was unpleasant and the tab completely overpriced. Needless to say, we won't be going back.

08/02/2006 Posted by ngalandou

wednesday night , august 2nd .i work in to bao quarter to 8 , there were two tables @ the restaurant , no one at the bar . i like to seat at the bar . for 15 mn , she did not look at me . she was putting bottle in the refrigerator .And there were another waitress next to her . when i ask if there were someone working , she ask me to wait . i have been waiting for 15 mn ( no food menu , no cocktail menu , no one even say hi to me ). i own a restaurant but , i will not have that girl work for me . second time at bao but will never go back .when i'm spending my money , i deserve some respect and good hospitality at least . thanks to the bartender

06/07/2006 Posted by hotdocnjc

I had dinner at Bao 111 last evening. I had not been in almost a year, and did not know quite what to expect. While it is true that my past dining experiences at Bao 111 had always been favorable, sometimes a restaurant starts to believe its' own hype and goes downhill. However, that was not the case at Bao 111. The food was delicious! The spare ribs are to die for, and the sea bass was perfect. The surroundings make for a funky, intimate, sexy evening.

Pros: Seductive atmosphere, Extensive sake list, Food

Cons: Service a tad slow

05/29/2006 Posted by jwc209

We (2 couples) tried almost all of the appetizers on the menu and I found the appetizers amazing! I didnt have very high expectations before to Bao as I thought it was another trendy fusion places in the LES. However, the restaurant kept the Vietnamese flavors true but enhanced the presentation and cooking styles. Some items that stood out were grilled short rib, which was really really tender with a nice lemongrass flavor, the calamari stuffed with prawn had a good texture and the frog leg, which was very crispy. However, I found the main to be too American. But maybe thats because we ordered the mignonette, duck breast and steak and not the traditional style mains. The fish our friend ordered had a beautiful presentation. The meat was filleted and the bone was served standing up and curved around the fish. I also love the sake selections

Pros: Appetizers, Sake list, decor

Cons: noise level

01/20/2006 Posted by cmvmls

Went in December '05 on a date. Pros: Food was undoubtedly excellent - all of it - 2 cocktails, 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, and 1 desert. Service was quick and pleasant. Cons: Price far too expensive for the cuisine and location - bill came to $110. Decor is plain and unimaginative. Ambience nothing special and a bit crammed. Overall: Recommend trying "Bao 111" at least once, because the food is quite tasty. However, we are unlikely to schlep over there again. At this price-point, there are MANY other excellent dining options in locations that are MUCH easier to reach. The schlep to Avenue C and 7th isn't worth the effort.

Pros: Food excellent, Cocktails good

Cons: Overpriced, Location