Baoqi Vietnamese Eateri

Baoqi refreshingly offers diners an unforgettable experience of what authentic Vietnamese cuisine should be like. Their sumptuous portions of noodles and broth delight the senses and invite you to leave nothing in the bowl. If you are a fellow kindred spirit who longs to sit down on a cold rainy afternoon hoping to find a place to regain warmth and a feeling of peace, Baoqi is that noodle place to visit.

I love Vietnamese food. But I like it better when the restaurant has «ambience» or some people call it character.
The restaurant is named after 2 brothers: Bao and Qi. Their mother who is the head chef has pictures of herself back in Vietnam.
The food is delicious and well presented. The décor is tastefully minimalist. The place is small so be prepared to share tables with the patrons.

3 star for food and value downtown.
2.5 star in comparison to other Vietnamese you could easily get elsewhere in east van.
Not a bad option downtown.
Some unique flavours and combinations.
It will be 10 – 15 $ per person. As opposed to a definite sub 10 $ at any other Vietnamese in east van.

I called in to make a reservation but I was told it should be okay just to arrive without one but when I arrived it was quite busy. The staff recognized that I called earlier and said he would take our order ahead of time so that we could get our food right when we were seated. We were impressed with his care for us and appreciated the attentiveness to our needs. The food we ordered was really delectable ~ they are like no other Vietnamese restaurant I have seen in Vancouver. It’s a small restaurant that fits less than 20 people so you may have to wait a bit. We had their different salads (lotus salad, pompelo salad, and the mango papaya salad) along with the beef wrap and the spicy beef noodle soup. The lotus salad was overly spicy hot for one of our friends but if you’re able to handle spicy food then it may not be too hot for you. I loved the mango salad. The portions were great for me but for a person who wants bigger portions the salad won’t be enough to eat. Overall this place is excellent and I highly recommend it.

Came here for take-​out and got the Spicy Beef Noodle Soup. Service was quite quick and I was only waiting for 10 – 15 minutes.
The broth was really tasty, I was impressed; full of flavour and not too greasy. The meat, on the other hand, was quite poor quality and looked/​tasted reconstituted (see photo). The worst thing of all though was that the soup packaging had a really weird smell on it. Like, it smelled… wrong. It kind of put me off. Maybe this is only a problem with take-​out packaging though!

When I went, I got placed next to the little «fish pond» by the window. The food was alright, but there was a lot of dusty corners. Also, I looked over to see the fish and saw a pile of 3 – 4 nail clippings, kinda ruining my appetite.

The lemongrass pork Banh Mi is quite delicious. Fresh French bread and fresh prepared pork.

The best Vietnamese in downtown Vancouver hands down. I especially like their crab phở.

The food is still good. Just feels overpriced. It’s basically vietnamese food for hipsters at hipster prices. They do a roaring business in takeout.

Since travelling in Vietnam I have raved about the amazing salads there that, up to now, have been impossible to find in Vancouver. I’m so happy I stumbled on Baoqi on my way home from an appointment downtown today. The pommelo salad was exactly what I’ve been craving since my travels. I’ll be back to try their other salads, and eventually their more standard fare.

Came here for take out and was not impressed…
— Beef Stew Phở $ 12 (⁶⁄₁₀) — it was sweet. unpleasantly sweet. i didn’t really like it. small portion too.
— summer roll $ 6 (⁷⁄₁₀) — came with 5 pieces. each about 4 inches long. not too bad tasting.
— banh mi $ 6 (⁸⁄₁₀) — this was bomb. had a slice of pork belly in there. i enjoyed it.
The only reason why i give an average rating is because our family has ALLERGIES to specific foods. I asked them if they could prepare their Banh Mi without cucumbers, and they said OF COURSE. so i said, «Fantastic!»
When we got home to eat our food, there were like 2 handfuls of cucumbers in the middle of the sandwich. WTF??? smmfh. come on bruh.

Hands down my favourite Vietnamese phở place downtown. The prices are a little on the higher end but the food beats any other Vietnamese restaurant downtown. I always get the spicy noodle and it comes out perfectly every time! The service is great, and the restaurant looks modern — if you go during busy times be prepared to wait as the restaurant itself is tiny!
I only wish they carried fried spring rolls

overpriced for the pitifully small portions. I could have probably eaten 3 portions of the phở. that being said the portions for the salad rolls were fairly good.
soup broth was okay but nothing you can’t find elsewhere for a better price.
if you’re looking for a good satisfying phở experience, go somewhere else. if you’re looking for fancified overpriced phở then this is the place for you.

I very rarely write bad reviews… having said that when something is hyped as AMAZING and then turns out to be Meh… I must say something!
First off The tea was bitter and over brewed, we got there at 5… call me crazy but is this not the dinner hour? I asked and was given a new cup though.
Second the Rolls… we ordered the Winter rolls, absolutely uninspired! A couple of pieces of pork and Lots of sliced cabbage… small and tasteless… the sauce tasted out of a can.
Third:
I can forgive a multitude of things for amazing Phở. This was not Amazing… I got the House specialty and I can honestly say that other than the broth, which was passable, the whole thing was a very sad disappointment. The noodles were thick spaghetti noodles and the meat was WAY overcooked and tough. The portions for the Phở were underwhelming and overpriced.
All in all it may have th ambiance of a great date place and it IS in a great location, BoaQi is not worth the price or the Hype…

I was first introduced to Baoqi by a friend around 3 months ago but let me tell you, it has become my go-​to phở place! My previous go-​to was Phở Xe Lua 24 on Cambie. When comparing the two, Baoqi definitely provides prettier presentation, fresh, flavourful ingredients, and a relaxed ambience, kind of like a spa or something haha. I’ve tried the lemongrass chicken once but I was pretty disappointed; it was too salty and dry. But their phở always tastes fresh and delicious (keep in mind I’ve only ordered the Beef Noodle Soup and Spicy Beef Noodle Soup).
The place is quite small. There is a booth in the back that could fit 3 people on each side and then there’s a long table that extends from the front to middle of the restaraunt. Basically it’s formatted so you sit beside people you don’t know sometimes, which I’m fine with ’cause it’s an interesting/​unique experience.
Although it can get a little busy in there, the wait is worth it. If you don’t mind waiting a bit to eat or sitting beside strangers then check Baoqi out!

I’ve had both the chicken and the special banh mi and both were fantastic.
Last night I also tried the banana leaf cakes thing, which turned out to be what they called ‘cakes’ in some other Asian places, strange gelatinous slugs with some stuff inside. I wasn’t thrilled with these, flavor was ok but it just wasn’t a dish I’m after.
Stick to the basics and you’ll get some terrific food!
Takeout time estimates are not great, I’d tack an extra ten minutes onto whatever they tell you. And if you want to eat there, be prepared to do some waiting because seating is very limited and you’re rolling the dice about how crowded it is when you get there.

Cute eatery I found on Unilocal before I ended up in Canada. Stopped by for dinner and was pleasantly surprised by the romantic ambience. It’s small with a shared large table but the dim lighting and Ron Isley keeps you focused on your date and the food.
All in all, relatively inexpensive. We got the pork chop with rice which was well flavored and a generous portion. There’s a surprise spice in there, cinnamon?, that brings the dish up a lot. We also got the summer rolls, which is your standard pork and shrimp with peanut sauce — also generous at 5 rolls and well made. My favorite was the bun bo hue. It’s a childhood fave of mine, and rarely does anyone else make it better than my mom but Baoqi did a good job. It’s a bit sweeter than I’m used to but oh so satisfying. I was sweating balls eating it between the warm soup and spice — definitely a food time regardless of the warm summer night.
Best part, they also have a delicious complimentary tea and wi-​fi. If you’re looking for a casual dinner spot that won’t break the bank or take 3 hours, this is your spot!

Wow. Everything here is superb, an absolute flavour explosion!
Incredibly bold flavour profiles are everywhere.
Everything is great; the stews, the soups, the rolls, and the specialty dishes. But if I had to recommend something it’d be the salads. Forget your average yaletown asian salad of some meat on soggy lettuce, these are ambitious creations of meat, sea food, fruit and vegetables. The Lotus, Pomelo, and green mango salads are all 5 star dishes.

Hipster Phở!
This is now my new favourite downtown Phở! How did I not know about this place before? It’s on the pricey side. Regular Phở and BBH were the same price — with tax it came to $ 10.03. But the BBH was amazing– flavourful broth and beautiful presentation. The regular Phở had the raw beef on the side which was a pleasant surprise. The portion wasn’t HUGE — if you’re super hungry, I’d probably recommend getting a salad roll on the side.
And yes, request for a cup of tea instead of water! It’s amazing. It’s some house made concoction of artichoke, pandan, goji berries, ginger and other ingredients and things I can’t make out.
It’s a super small place, but I love the long communal table. It’s obviously not good for groups but a great spot to catch up with a friend or go solo and chat up the good lookin’ guy sitting across from you! ;)
An easy 5 stars!

Small, quaint place with two canteen style tables. It is tight so be prepared for your conversation to be overheard if you’re going during peak hours. Décor is nicely done. Simple, classy, not pretentious. Check! Been here twice so far. Tried the spicy beef noodle soup, pawn and crabmeat soup noodles, and papaya salad.
Spicy beef noodle soup is tasty. Tasted like a mix of Vietnamese beef noodle soup with dried shrimp and spicy prawn paste. First of its kind in Vancouver I must say and for a moment, my taste buds were confused –was I having Vietnamese beef soup or Malaysian style prawn noodle soup (which is spicy and uses a lot of prawn paste) or 2-​in-​1? If I don’t overthink it, it is quite tasty. Flavour is balanced and I like the fresh basil and bean sprouts. Noodle is of the rounded kind unlike the traditional flat’ish phở noodle. Still as tasty. Perfect on a cold day.
Papaya salad came with what seem like a sweet soya sauce as its dressing. Papaya salad also had dried meat jerky shreds sprinkled at the top which was quite unique. Added some chewiness to the salad. Like Thai papaya salad, ingredients were very similar. Salad had peanuts as well. It was flavourful but I actually prefer the Thai dressing better than this one. Though it was light, I enjoy the sourness of the Thai dressing better than this savoury style salad.
I found the crabmeat and prawn noodle soup rather bland. It had a lot of coconut in the soup and the broth came out opaque. Didn’t have the complex combination of flavours the spicy beef noodle soup had. I wouldn’t order this one again. Next time I go, I may try the rolls.