The House of Bawai - Santa Cruz

There was no beer or wine available by the glass, so we had to buy a bottle which was nearly half the cost of the meal. The deep fried spring rolls seemed to have been cooked in old oil. The slow cooked beef was delicious, but the salmon was too bony. The ambiance was nice and the staff were pleasant. However, overall I would not recommend the experience.

The menu was simple, presented in a binder without any food pictures. We ordered Gui Con (12 pieces cut into 4 orders), Garden Fresh salad, Bawai salad, Pho Ga, Bunbun chao, Tom rang me, Com Sun Cha, and Gha Ko gung. I particularly enjoyed the prawns with tamarind chutney dish. The tamarind juice we tried was a bit bland, but overall, I enjoyed my first taste of Vietnamese cuisine. The service was a bit slow, as they initially advised us that only water or wine was available, but later we found out they also had tamarind juice and other Vietnamese drink options. Our orders took quite some time to arrive. In conclusion, our experience at House of Bawai was average.

After a long day of shopping at Ayala Solenad Mall, my family and I were ready to satisfy our cravings. We decided to try out a restaurant with my picky eater companions, my teen daughter, and my husband. We ordered the Goi Cuon, fresh vegetable rolls with shrimp and pork, which were delicious and came in a generous serving size. The Double-grilled pork belly was a hit with my picky eaters, so we even took some home for dinner. My favorite dish was the Pho Bo, with tender beef slices and the option for a broth refill because it was so tasty. The Tamarind iced tea transported me to Vietnam - I loved it! The restaurant had a refreshing atmosphere, and the friendly servers were eager to please. Overall, it was a delightful dining experience.

I wrote about the original restaurant in Tagaytay and could not say enough good things about the place.....so the same for their branch. You have to try it to believe it. Menu is simple and not lengthy with tons of options, but then that makes it easy to choose and by focusing on a few dishes you know they will get it perfect!

This is a good place to enjoy food and it's localy placed between a very nice location. At the entrance is a tricycle Indonesian Style.