Get a Piece of that Experience
Ba Bar is authentic Vietnamese food with an inspiring story to tell.
In a city known for its incredible Asian food, Ba Bar frequently appears on lists of the best restaurants in Seattle: “Seattle’s Best Pho," “Seattle’s Best Happy Hour," “Best Takeout," to name just a few. But owner Eric Banh knows that his relationship with the city goes deeper than just the reviews of food blogs.
“When I first came to Seattle 26 years ago, I fell in love with this place,” said Eric. “This is the place to make something amazing happen.”
Eric and his family left Vietnam after the fall of Saigon in 1975, when he was just a teenager. Along with his parents and five siblings, they boarded a boat in the middle of the night in order to escape Saigon in pursuit of a better life. After more than a year in a refugee camp in Malaysia, the Banh family was reunited in Alberta, where Eric’s parents opened the first Vietnamese restaurant in Edmondton.
In 1998, Eric’s sister Sophie convinced him to move to Seattle to start a Vietnamese restaurant that would stand out from the crowd. Together, they created Monsoon in Capitol Hill, which would take the city by storm and would be named one of “America’s Best Neighborhood Restaurants” by Bon Appetit. Twenty-four years later, Monsoon is considered one of the quintessential restaurants in Seattle.
While Monsoon is upscale, refined, and focused on elevated cuisine, Ba Bar is energetic, fun, and dedicated to Vietnamese street food. Customers love the fresh, flavorful food and the carefree vibe – two things that Eric says remind him of Vietnam.
“When we opened Ba Bar, I said I just wanted people to experience what I used to eat growing up in Vietnam,” he said. “You come here, you eat, and you can get a piece of that experience.”
One important calling card of the Banh siblings’ restaurants is that they incorporate and prioritize local ingredients better than anyone else. Fresh fruits and vegetables, beef, and chicken are all sourced from Washington farms.
“Frankly, I don't invent anything,” said Eric with a smile. “I just repackage and use the best ingredients that we can buy. Good ingredients is the key.”
