| Good Morning Saigon! Tucked into the same strip mall on 61 Avenue S.W. that houses Skaters and Community Natural Foods, Bagolac Saigon, a fantastic Vietnamese eatery, has been one of my favourites for years. I was astounded when I discovered Fast Forward had not yet reviewed it.
(Disclaimer – now that you know about Bagolac, it may be hard for you to go elsewhere for Vietnamese food. You have been schooled – now read on.)
My colleague and I decided to stop in for lunch while out running errands on an overcast Wednesday afternoon. We made sure to get there before the lunch rush began and were seated immediately upon our 11:40 a.m. arrival. By noon, exactly, the entire place was full.
Tucking into one of the comfortable black vinyl booths, we dove into Bagolac’s massive menu of Vietnamese and Thai food. After ordering appetizers from our mandarin-silk-collared server, we took in the vibrant photographs of Vietnam that adorn the space.
In a matter of moments, our salad rolls ($4.95) arrived. Also called summer rolls, these fresh delights combine rice vermicelli noodles, prawns, lettuce and an aromatic basil, all stuffed in a rice wrapper and served with hoisin sauce for dipping. They were a delicious start.
With a name that resembles the title of a Wilco song, the sea ghost finger ($3.50) combines shrimp, crabmeat and ground pork. Sausage-like in texture, the interesting part of this starter is that it is wrapped around a crab claw and deep-fried. Not my favourite, but a nice change. We also sampled the grilled-beef sate-wrapped sweet onion brochette ($3.50). It was a meat lover’s delight, sweet with a tangy twist.
We quickly received our entrées. You can expect the service at Bagolac to be rushed but efficient during the lunch hour. Really, isn’t that what you want during those precious moments away from the office?
I had dish #84 out of the 161 menu items listed, the charbroiled lemongrass chicken ($9.95). I confess, this dish has always been my favourite. I didn’t try anything new that day, but what a dish it is! It features fresh and flavourful lemongrass chicken with crispy spring rolls atop a bed of rice vermicelli and is served with fish sauce. The portion sizes are impressive – so big that I was able to feed another co-worker with my leftovers upon returning to the office.
My friend had #56, the seafood sate rice noodle soup with scallops, prawns, squid and crab ($8.95). This spicy soup is both lively and hearty (it could feed a small army), teeming with fresh seafood and chunks of cucumber and tomato.
Capping off our afternoon delight, we ordered iced Vietnamese coffees. They are served in a glass with a mini-percolator on top, brewed fresh at your table. The result is layers of coffee and condensed milk that you pour over a glass of ice. I was in caffeine heaven.
The next time you are craving Vietnamese, make it a point to visit Bagolac. You can’t go wrong – good atmosphere, fabulous food and caffeine euphoria to boot. Just be prepared to bid adieu to your previous faves.
Bagolac Saigon is located at Unit 8, 6130 1A Street S.W.; phone, 252-5588. |
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