Bodega SF is the modern “rebirthed” version of the original Bodega Bistro, a Northern Vietnamese restaurant in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco open from 2003 to 2017. In 2022, Matthew Ho re-opened this restaurant in a new modern, “casual fine dining” format.
We came here as a party of 3, which allowed us to sample a nice variety of dishes. I was looking for something casual and centrally located. But, I also wanted interesting food that was not too expensive. Bodega fit the bill perfectly.
The Food
The Bo Tai Chang ($23), seared and thinly sliced filet mignon served cold with sweet onion, Thai basil, crispy shallots in a citrus nuoc mam dressing was fantastic, with vibrant flavors and tender beef.
Nem Cua ($17), a clay pot filled with Dungeness crab, shrimp, jicama, shiitake mushrooms, carrot, vermicelli, and nuoc mam was delicious, and a really good value for the price.
Chilean Sea Bass ($45) came with roasted tomatoes, crispy leeks, spinach, and a jalapeño dressing. The fish was nice and tender and paired nicely with the sides.
THIT KHO Mushrooms ($15) was a mix of maitake and Eringi mushrooms caramelized with nuoc mam.
The short ribs, one of the specials of the day, was fantastic.
Buzzing with Energy
The place was packed with happy diners and buzzy with energy. Everyone in our dining party really enjoyed the food. In this day and age (where everything feels crazy expensive), it was so refreshing to discover this place that served such delicious food at such reasonable prices.
Highly recommend this place!
One Thing to Note . . .
The Tenderloin district can be a bit more of a “challenging” neighborhood in that there are a lot of homeless people roaming the streets. Just be prepared. You’ll probably see them on the street where Bodega is located. Once you’re inside, it feels like any other normal restaurant.
Bodega SF
138 Mason St.
San Francisco
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