Basa Modern Vietnamese

Bass Modern Vietnamese is often overlooked as a place for inventive fusion cuisine, but it’s worth your time to check out!
Located on one of the great «eat streets» in Louisville, Basa is on Frankfort Ave, directly across from Bourbon’s Bistro and about one block from Volare. As a bonus on «the Avenue», it has parking in the back to make your dining experience that much smoother.
It’s an unassuming building that houses a cozy and intimate restaurant. Step into the vestibule and you’re immediately a world away from the bustle of the world outside. On my most recent visit, we were greeted promptly by the courteous and polished host and shown to a table in the dining room.
Our server quickly came by our table and explained some of the drink specials at the restaurant. Rather than go wild, both my companion and I opted for a tried and true glass of wine before or spring roll appetizers. Appetizers arrived with hardly a wait and were a tasty mix of crunchy bean sprouts, shrimp, and fresh herbs for seasoning. Accompanied by a savory hoisin dipping sauce with crushed peanuts, it was just what we needed to whet our appetite for the upcoming meal.
I opted to start with the soup of the day — a lobster and mussel soup that was hearty without being too rich and had a pleasant, mild flavor to it. I stuck with the regular menu for my entrée and got tofu with crispy noodles. It was savory, just a bit peppery, and had vegetables that were cooked perfectly and tofu that had just enough cinch on the outside but was tender within. Companion got the shaking beef and was kind enough to share with me. Tender morsels of beef in an umami sauce made it a delicious selection indeed.
Neither of us saved room for dessert, but that makes the perfect excuse for a repeat visit!

Service was like a bad dream food was good but not worth the horrid service from an obviously untrained staff.

The mussels and claypot fish were really good, the shaking beef was merely ok, but dear lord I wasn’t sure if some of the white grains in the rice dishes were actually rice, or if it was just giant crystals of salt.

It’s rare that I have a positive experience with a higher-​end Asian restaurant (partly due to too much fusion!), but Basa didn’t disappoint.
The signature cocktail (aloe martini) was outstanding, partly for only having the slightest touch of sweetness, as were the mussels in a white wine broth ($ 13) and papaya salad (a bargain at $ 8, a price I’m used to paying for this dish at more casual restaurants). For an entrée we had a satisfying and slightly complex (bordering on too much fusion) scallop dish (a little pricey at $ 32 for three small-​ish scallops).
My girlfriend and I split all of the above, and our server handled our meal sharing competently, without an annoying and increasingly popular sharing surcharge.

very under rated place. food was amazing. Tina tartar was very fresh and melted like butter in my mouth.

Oh, Basa! You are truly amazing. Now possibly my favorite place in Louisville for dinner since Jack Fry’s is off my list for good.
This tiny spot off Frankfort is a hidden gem, with amazing food, quality ingredients and attentive staff. The drinks are hand crafted and I adore the martini, as most people know I am an expert in that area and theirs is the best. Light and slightly sweet, it goes down like water. Dangerous.
One of my fave appetizers are the Imperial Rolls. Hot and crunchy, roll them up with mint and lettuce then dip in the salty sweet sauce. yum! The salad they have on special sometimes with the avocado dressing and fried oysters, it is heaven. Best salad in the city. We also ordered the small plate of crispy tenderloin, it was served with bits of potato and it was better than I anticipated, just wonderful.
This visit I shared the salt and pepper prawns for @$ 22 with my guest and we ordered an extra side of the fantastic garlic noodles, for only $ 4! It was perfectly prepared, tender and crunchy, a generous amount of shrimp… it was more than enough for us.
The atmosphere is very laid back and chic, large artsy photos and a contemporary zen vibe. Great ambient music. Perfect lighting. Bar or dining room seating options. So nice!
The owners and staff are top-​notch, they always remember me and say hello. We appreciate the level of care and professionalism it takes to run a place like Basa, thanks for the great meals and many more to come.

First time in and my husband and I were seated right away. Nice environment. Several of the dishes were pretty good, but I ordered the special long beans and they were extremely rubbery. The waitress didn’t come back to our table until the bill came, so we nibbled on the beans and decided to just pay and go. Overall, nice experience with pretty good food.

Very Carby! I ordered a salad and the Grilled Chicken Entrée, all of which came with delicious fresh leafy greens. We also had spring rolls as an appetizer. My entrée came with Rice Noodles and a sweet sauce. No chopsticks though, everything was served with a fork.

Basa deserves a good 4.5 stars. I came with some friends and colleagues on a Friday night for dinner and drinks. The service was excellent; the server was friendly and helpful on explaining each dish to us. We all ordered a variety of drinks from bourbon to cocktails to beer and wine; everyone seemed happy with their choices. They serve one of my favorite beers Delerium, which I haven’t seen in Louisville often so that was a plus. I had the daily special of scallops and it was a wonderfully prepared dish. The sauce was good and it was paired with asparagus. Everyone enjoyed their dishes as well. Definitely would recommend this spot for a laid back evening or for drinks. I’ll be back.

This is the probably our favorite restaurant in Louisville. The ambiance is modern and the lighting is very dim/​The service is very good and attentive. My husband got a ramen dish and it was amazing! It was the special of the day, with noodles, beef, and a runny egg. It was an incredibly flavorful dish and the egg yolk made it especially decadent. I got the claypot catfish dish and it was pretty decent. I got tired of it after several bites because I like a variety in flavors, but it was a very good claypot dish and the salmon wasnt too fishy at all. This is the sort of place you would expect to find in a bigger city, so take advantage of this gem, fellow Louisvillians!

We’ve dined at Basa several times for special occasions. On Derby night we came in, with reservations for 8. When making the reservations we weren’t told of a prefix menu. Our server was not only unprofessional and slow (surprisingly they weren’t that busy) but she was rather unpleasant. When delivering my friends entrée, who’s a vegetarian, my friend informed her it was wrong (she was served the prawns). The server told her «that’s what you ordered and walked away». In an effort to finish up because the service was so slow, we traded dishes (we had ordered the tofu as well) and I picked out the shrimp. It was So disappointing and we will hesitate before returning. There are far too many incredible restaurants in Louisville to put up with that garbage. 2 stars because the food was delicious, as always.

The staff at this establishment is cold and unprofessional. I decided to take my business elsewhere due to their lack of hospitality and walked across the street to another restaurant. Thankfully there was one outstanding man working there who was kind enough to find me and warn me that the manager was going to tow my car. Thank you kind and attractive stranger. You showed me that there are still good people in the world. I’m just sorry that you have to work at such a morally bereft yet pretentious place such as Basa.

The food at Basa is simply inspired. Any soup – especially the special of the night – is fabulous and I’m not a soup orderer (except at Basa). The fried oysters, either in a salad or by themselves, are almost too good to ever pass up. Love the attention by the owner to every detail of the guests’ experience. If the bar is backed up he comes and smoothly dishes a few drinks while seating people. Elegance in an understated manner. Greetings are always warm and sincere – but, seriously, it’s all about the food.

Taste (4.5 stars): I had the Shaking Beef entrée. It was delicious! I have heard that the chefs hand select the meats for the finest taste. And I believe these efforts show through the taste of their food. However, for the relatively high price I paid, I wish the accompanying serving of plain white rice would have been replaced with a more interesting and flavorful side item.
Design & Atmosphere (4 stars): Basa is a beautifully designed restaurant! Inside it’s modern, dark, intimate, and energetic. I don’t mind its small size because it adds to the intimacy. But the drawback is that it gets noisy. At one point, I had to yell at my friends lol.
Service (5 stars): The serving staff was polite, well-​informed, and attentive. What more could you ask for?!

Basa gets five stars because it destroys the majority of other restaurants in louisville at any price point. The food is well prices and the service is awesome.
I literally dream about the claypot catfish.

This place is an absolute gem. I have been here twice within two weeks and upset I found this place so late during my time in Louisville.
The first visit was a bit disappointing as their bourbon selection was a bit underwhelming but then I reminded myself this was an Vietnamese Fusion restaurant and grounded myself.
Appetizers:
* Calamari is excellent
* Spring rolls are awesome
* Muscles in their non-​curry sauce. I’m blanking on what the white wine sauce was called but the sauce was insane. We actually ordered additional bread to soak up the juice like we had zero table manners. Please for the love of god and all things holy order the muscles in their house white wine sauce
Mains:
* Caramelized catfish claypot — let me just tell you that this dish is AMAZING. I ordered the Salt and Pepper Gulf-​coast prawns my first time and my colleague ordered the catfish claypot. I started acting like my 2.5 year old twins after I tried his. I pushed my plate to the side after trying his and just stared at the window. He asked how mine was and I didn’t respond. He tried mine and instantly realized his was better. I started hitting the table, screaming «No», I threw forks (pretty sure I hit the waiter) and had a full blown adult temper-​tantrum knowing his dish was better. This dish is completely unreal. PLEASE TRY THIS DISH
* Salt Pepper Prawns — so I know I’m not doing this dish justice compared to my description of the catfish claypot but this meal is so solid. Lightly friend, not too heavy and seasoned really well. This is also a great dish
* Shaking Beef — our client had this dish and it was a tasty cut of beef. Very well done and seasoned and another great option to try.
This place is so good and a must try. You could put this in NYC or LA, double the prices and people would line up there for hours to eat here. I did eat during the week and cannot comment on the wait during the weekends. We never had an issue with getting a table and we always had solid service.

I do not have much to compare this too, but the actual flavor of the food was so-​so. We had a group of 6 of us on a Saturday. We arrived and asked how long the wait was, the hostess stated 20 min, and 45 – 55 min later we were seated.
Not a large menu, which makes it easy for restaurants to cook and not waste food. Not many gluten free options. I asked about a gluten free salad and the waiter came back and said the salad cook was too busy and I should come back on a weekday when they aren’t as busy. They would be able to inform me of more options than they would on a busy night. Interesting comment, single out customers who have a food allergy and tell them to come back at a later time when we aren’t busy so we can worry about your allergy! FYI I did email the week before to make sure they could accommodate my food allergy. This is not my first rodeo!
I ended up ordering spring rolls as an app for Jason and I. They were ok, two rolls and a good sauce. The other people with us also ordered apps-​calamari and the shrimp. Shrimp was good, I could not eat the calamari.
For my meal I ordered the tofu rice curry stuff. It lacked in flavor-​I was expecting much more flavor since it said it had curry.
Everyone else seemed to like their meals, they did state some of it could have had more flavor. Jason ordered the scallops, good size but again didn’t taste as fresh and needed a different sauce.
Service was ok; you refill your own water so it makes it easy for the staff to just keep up on the pitchers. Beers for the party were all refilled as needed, about a 10 min turnover time on those.
Prices are average, I think for our two meals and app it was around $ 50.00.
If you are looking for an intimate restaurant this is not your place, very loud and can be hard to hear on a busy night.

I went here with a friend the other night and we went to the bar for a couple of cocktails. The Basa Signature drink was so fresh and delicious. We met a fellow couple that was also sitting at the bar and they recommended it. It has aloe in it and we also had a more citrus-​y drink made with sparkling wine. I will be back for sure next time to try their scrumptious looking food.

Fabulous place for date night!
We went here a few weeks ago and the atmosphere is sophisticated yet unpretentious. As illustration of that: while waiting in line for the women’s bathroom the server who zipped past me 4 times while I continued standing in my never ending line of one threw out the suggestion that I’d be free to use the men’s room if I was tired of waiting. Weird… but done! And while I don’t usually pop into the men’s restroom, this one was quite nice.
So yeah, service is on point but it’s relaxed enough. It exudes warmth and intimacy and all that jazz but it’s not overbearing about it. In fact, it’s got a lively element as well being that it is in a relatively small space and there were about as many groups as couples. It was around Valentine’s Day so I think it might have been a little busier due to Hallmark’s favorite holiday.
Personally I prefer a little bit of a quieter environment for a romantic dinner and it seemed that experience was actually just around the corner from where we were seated… I think If we do date night here again, we’ll request a table in this little nook-​esque area that had fewer tables around and was less bustling.
Food: I ordered the duck and noodles special, expecting a dish heavy on the noodles and it turned out to be more of a soup. Well they failed to mention that detail to the right person — there’s not a single dish I love more than soup. Not a one. This one was similar to Phở but with duck and more subtle in flavor. I think it was a little too subtle for my palate and honestly any complexity was lost on me but the duck was tender and lovely. I preferred the shrimp and crab soup I had to start with (before I knew my entrée was a soup). Two weeks and a dozen different other soups later and that soup is still on my mind…
DRINKS: Capitalization is for yelling and I want to scream to the Unilocalosphere about how freaking outstanding these drinks are! I had an idea they would be though… Modern Vietnamese cuisine… Known for specialty cocktails… I had a sneaking suspicion that this is the place where I’d finally find a bar that serves up a beverage with cilantro! And magically, it was.

It gets 5 stars because it was worth every penny. We went for a date on a Saturday at 6:15 with reservations for 2 — it filled up within 30 minutes so, heads up.
Ambiance was beautiful and soft, tables were not too close together.
Service was efficient and professional, but just warm enough to be welcome and not intrusive.
Tempura green beans for an app came with 3 sauces and were scrumptious but large portion! I had the papaya salad vegetarian style and it was sweet, vinegary, crisp in texture and bright in flavor. Beautiful!
My date ordered the crêpe which was stuffed with mushroom, sprouts and shrimp served with lettuce for making wraps, mint and a spicy vinegar sauce — all together these flavors were bright and well balanced with a very satisfying crunch! (It was also huge!)
My dinner was actually an appetizer of vegetarian spring rolls. I’m a sauce kind of girl so the fresh made peanut sauce brought a big smile!
I will be back again, I’m sure, to try the many vegetarian and vegan options and you carnivores can get yours, too. Well done!