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| - I've been to Bac two times, on both occasions with a mix of Asian and non-Asian friends, all of whom like to eat and talk food. The consensus seems to be that a few choice dishes (the Vietnamese Noodle Salad w/ pork & the Fried Spring Rolls Remix) were real standouts, while the Pho soup, the Pad Thai, the Tom Yum soup, and the Coconut Milk Crepe could benefit from a return to their gastronomical roots. Fusion food is not by definition an adulteration of the original, but something has to taste good in addition to being new. If not, give me the good-old tried-and-true. Here's a quick rundown of the dishes we sampled:
Vietnamese Noodle Salad ($10): Superb, especially with the barbeque pork and if the meat is freshly cooked (see if you can get the slightly fatty bits). A very generous portion that keeps well as leftovers.
Fried Spring Rolls Remix ($5): Excellent, gave us all a real sense of the chef's talent in reinventing an Asian classic.
Coconut Milk Crepe ($8): Very good. Had a nice delicate texture, but could have used more crisp and seasoning.
Pho Soup ($10): Just OK, everyone all around felt that you'd get better at Superior Pho. Seemed to have a lot of MSG in the broth.
Pad Thai ($11): Surprisingly bland, where's the tamarind sauce? You'll get a more invigorating Pad Thai at Ty Fun (Tremont).
Tom Yum Soup ($4): Too much salt killed that usual lovely interplay between spice, lime, and lemongrass. Hard to finish.
All this said, the waitstaff was attentive and hardworking, and Bac has some great Asian beers on draft. Moreover, I get the sense that the chef is ambitious enough to keep improving the menu. Give it a try and see what you think!
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