THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED BarBao

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED BarBao Restaurant Review:

Michael Bao Huynh made his mark downtown with his signature Vietnamese dishes. He’s now taken over the erstwhile Rain space on the Upper West Side, where the pièce de résistance is a fresh-smelling cedar grape-stake ceiling. The menu is divided by small and large plates: the short ribs on lemon grass skewers are tender enough, but hit the spot when dipped into the accompanying hoisin peanut sauce; veal sweetbreads are soft and fluffy, like biting into a savory cloud. Crab spring rolls, however, seem to lose their flavor in the deep-fat fryer. The larger-portioned black cod, wading in a red pepper stew, tastes like the essence of rural Vietnam. Whimsical signature cocktails include the Long Duong Silver (laced with St. Germain liqueur) and the Bacardi-laced Jane Fonda.