Bodega Bistro

(Tenderloin)
607 Larkin St.  
415-921-1218 Map it

$$
Vietnamese
business lunch, byob, cheap eats, family style, good for groups, kid-friendly, lunch, open 7 days, take-out

SCENE: This sweet little Vietnamese restaurant is a step up from the usual Tenderloin pho joint. A mix of people—from foodies to neighborhood folk—come here to enjoy chef-owner Jimmy Kwok’s affordable French-Vietnamese food, presented with a bit of panache and served on white tablecloths.

EATS: There’s not a patron here without a plate of Bodega’s unusually delicate green papaya salad, made with a tangle of crunchy, spaghetti-thin threads. The pho (beef noodle soup served with Thai basil and bean sprouts) is excellent, but the pho ga (chicken noodle soup) might be even better.