Ba Sa - Bainbridge Island

You must eat here if you're visiting Bainbridge!The food here is Vietnamese fusion. I've been here multiple times and never been disappointed. We arrived around 1:30pm on a Saturday in the fall and were able to get seated without waiting. I ordered chili oil prawn noodle and it was DELICIOUS! I was licking my plate. My friend ordered tofu buns and truffle jojo's and we enjoyed those as well. While the food was great, we had to wait an hour for our food after ordering which wasn't fun. I think they were backed up in the kitchen... but something to consider if you're looking for a quick meal.

This trip almost didn't happen for us. We visited Seattle from the Bay Area on a seafood excursion then decided to take the Bainbridge Ferry to try one of the local restaurants there. The forecast was heavy rains and reports of power outages but we still decided to go. The weather held up, we had a memorable ferry ride, and made it to Ba Sa Restaurant. It was about a 12 min walk.I knew the restaurant was small so it was hit or miss on how long the wait would be. But the infused menu really looked good. You can see a few of the photos we posted to get an idea. It was at the end of the outdoor strip of local restaurants and shops. Really cute town similar to the likes of Carmel and coastal communities. We chose to take the ferry on foot. The ferry holds passenger cars but the waits could be lengthy depending on the congestion--especially on the return trip. We saw the long lines of autos. The ferry ride is a must and added to the experience. Great memories and would love to visit again soon.

Unfortunately, I can neither say that this food is authentic or good. I have been here twice and I was hoping that the second time would be a redemption but it was probably worse than the first time. I have eaten a lot of Vietnamese food in my lifetime and there was only one dish that tasted vaguely Vietnamese? I understand that it was part of a fusion concept but many of the menu items just didn't make sense and the menu felt very incohesive. The ambience was nice though and we were seated on the outside patio on a chilly fall day. I feel like it could have been more heated, but that's just a minor complaint.I ordered the chicken buns, chicken pho, and the vermicelli noodles with grilled pork. The vermicelli noodles were the most Vietnamese and it was acceptable. Good char on the pork, although it felt like something was missing-maybe it was that they didn't give the proper herb bundle with mint and such. The chicken buns were not great as the chicken was chewy and stringy, instead of being juicy and moist. Finally, the most egregious menu item was probably the chicken pho with the onsen egg. To be honest, I don't even know what an onsen egg is doing in pho; it didn't work. The chicken, just like the karaage, was very much overcooked and not done as traditional pho ga chicken. It was tough and stringy, and the broth was overwhelmingly a massive salt bomb. The soup was so salty that I couldn't even even drink more than two sips.Finally, the service just wasn't great when I went. I had to flag down the waiter multiple times to even order and ask for water, and there weren't even that many other tables. I also felt frustrated at the end when I was trying to pay for the bill, the waiter took a credit card from my grandparents when I pleaded with him not to and he explained, he was very much first come first serve. I understand this is some specific cultural social norm and not something to drag a waiter into, but it did feel tone deaf. Unfortunately, I just can't see myself returning especially considering the price point is high. There is much better Vietnamese or Asian for a much better price point in Seattle.

The restaurant has a great atmosphere and friendly staff with their own flair on the traditional dishes. Menu selection was good though a bit pricey.I want to focus on my dish, the chicken noodle phở. Broth was nice and hot, good flavor albeit a bit on the salty side. Generous portion of chicken. The noodles weren't the traditional type used for phở, and it didn't seem to be boiled correctly. It fell apart but not from overcooking, so that was odd.

The food is absolutely amazing. I get goosebumps multiple times as I’m taking bites because the flavors are just that good! You must get the spicy truffle wontons and the prawn noodles. But you won’t find a bad thing on the menu. I’d eat here everyday if I could.