Bacogai — Restaurant in Alameda

Bacogai always hits the spot when I’m looking for a cozy meal that I can enjoy while catching up with friends or family. They serve traditional Viet food but they’re known for their Viet Hotpot!

I’ve been able to try all of their broths except the vegan broth. My go to is their Lau Oxtail because you get little bits of bone marrow in each oxtail piece! Each hotpot comes with a pre-set veggie & add-ins plate but the staff are always so nice and have let me substitute the ramen noodles for udon noodles before. I always appreciate how plentiful the mushrooms are and that they will replace the Sterno (heating mechanism) if it runs out. You can also get a broth refill! Usually the first one is complimentary but I’m not super clear on that policy.

Make sure you use the sauces they provide for each table! It’s a fun way to mix up the flavor profile of your hotpot. I always mean to ask what each one is… but I forget every time. Maybe it’s better that way—keeps a little mystery and makes me appreciate them all the more.

If you’re looking for something other than hotpot, you should try their variety of Banh Hoi (woven noodles served with mushrooms or meat and lettuce wraps) and Duck Goi-Slaw Salad! The salad is very refreshing and has that classic Nuoc Cham (Vietnamese fish sauce dipping sauce) flavor with the perfect balance of sweet and savory. When I first tried it, I was worried that the roasted duck would be too greasy for the delicate profile of the dish, but the fat was cooked out just enough to where the meat was still juicy and the skin was still light + crispy.

On my most recent visit, we placed a takeout order too—we got the beef luc lac garlic noodles and summer rolls. They were out of pork for the rolls, so they doubled up the shrimp. I do hope to try it the original way next time. The peanut sauce was a bit too sweet for my taste, but a little sriracha toned it down. The beef luc lac noodles were fantastic: super tender beef, perfectly cooked noodles, and an even coating of garlicky sauce.

I also have to say, the staff always make the experience memorable. They’re incredibly attentive and make sure everyone feels taken care of. The layout helps with that too—low barriers between tables mean they can see the whole dining area from the main counter. The space feels open but still cozy, kind of like being at a big family gathering.

Looks like they recently added clay pot dishes to the menu—I’ll definitely be back to...

I give this place a 3.5 stars rating. This place is relatively new and to me it's a Vietnamese fusion restaurant with hotpot. The place looks pretty nice and is roomy that everyone can sit comfortably. The food options on the menu are quite simple and we didn't need to spend so much time to look for what we wanted order. They also have add-ons for you to order if you feel like the portion of the hotpot itself is not enough for you. Alright let me start with pros:

1. I really liked their pork bone marrow hotpot which also came with a small variety of veggies and noodle. The broth was rich and tasted good and yet it was not salty.
2. I also ordered short ribs, wagyu beef, lobster balls, and crab sticks. The beef was quite tasty and fresh. So were the lobster balls and crab.
3. I also ordered the blueberry lemonade soda... it's just a soda flavor without the taste of lemonade. the drink wasn't bad.
4. the customer services were excellent. I enjoyed my time eating there with my friend. The only two cons I could think of are:
5. the prices of add-ons are quite expensive for a small portions, especially for the short ribs and wagyu beef.
6. To me the portion of the hotpot was relatively small, comparing with other places that serve individual hotpot. I wasn't paid attention to their auto calculated tips as I always did in every restaurant I went to to see if they intentionally put tips after the tax. So no comment on this part. Would I come back? I might to try another broth of hotpot and that's it without having any add-ons. I can go other places for short ribs and wagyu beef with good quality and all you can eat style just for 40 bucks. Oh? how much I spent in here? I spent about 140 dollars just for two people (two drinks, one appetizer, two hotpots, and 4 add-ons) in a Vietnamese...

So this was a random find and was only craving some hot pot on a cold Monday sprinkly evening. This place popped up on Yelp while checking in the area I was in and I said let's check it out. We arrived around 6ish and there was not too many people but by the time we left, it was 3/4 full.

A very modern ambiance for a Vietnamese restaurant. Nicely decorated and plenty of tables even for a big group. It's located in the old Blanding shopping area now where Nob Hills Market is where they modernized the place from my childhood days in Alameda. Alameda has been changing a lot over the decade and for the better with more places to eat.

We ordered their sangria and it was pretty good. We also ordered their Beef Luc Lac. Very good portions of beef. The marinated beef was very good and we finished all of that. We also ordered their Lau Pork Bone Marrow soup, and added Wagyu beef and some enoki mushrooms! Not a disappoint. I actually thought the pot was small and that it was not enough for my husband and I to share but I was so wrong!! Very rich broth but once you add the veggies it makes the broth so much better. The broth was so good and creamy.

Since it was only two of us, we couldn't order more or add a dessert to try because we were just too full from two things. Service was great! We will definitely be back to try other things. If you like hot pot style, come...