- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Bamboo Asia
Category: Restaurants Asian Fusion Asian Fusion [Edit]
41 Montgomery(between Post St & Sutter St)
San Francisco, CA 94104
Neighbourhood: Financial District
(415) 772-9134
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11 am - 8 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
139 reviews for Bamboo Asia
Review Highlights
-
"My first visit I got the Sweet Alaskan rice bowl." In 25 reviews -
"We Shared Fresh Fruit and Mochi from the Japanese Station." In 12 reviews -
"I ordered the Indian food and was very pleased." In 10 reviews
Loading...
139 reviews in English
-
Review from Erica C.
San Francisco, CA
5/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
I love this place! There are so many different choices, that it feels like I'll never get bored of it.
Since I have a pepper allergy, a lot of Asian cuisine can be difficult for me to eat. I let the people behind the counter know, and they went out of their way to be sure that I had plenty of options. The sandwich I ended up with the first time was unbelievable! I highly recommend coming here! -
Review from Anne L.
San Jose, CA
4/21/2012
The four and five star reviews here make me question whether the reviewers have ever been to a decent Asian restaurant before. This place is awful.
$8 for a vietnamese sandwich is outrageous. The selling point of those things is that they are cheap and delicious.
The Japanese area looked more promising. I got a Sashimi Trio over white rice. There was nothing good about it. There was barely any fish, the flavors clashed, and the rice was undercooked and chalky inside. The portion was measly and I was done within 10 minutes, unsatisfied and displeased.
The person behind the counter who put the bowl together wasn't very polite, but I could have disregarded it if the food was any good. It isn't. This whole place screams inauthentic and bad food. -
Review from Vero K.
San Francisco, CA
4/20/2012
I am really surprised this place gets so many 4 or 5 stars. I'd say this place is tolerable, and it's fairly cheap for downtown SF. I just had the Japanese sashimi trio bowl. There is barely any sashimi, although they do load up on the crab meat. I had tobiko, sesame seeds, and scallions added on top. I could have gotten cream cheese on top, but passed on that. I also could have gotten unagi sauce drizzled all over, but I passed on that, too. The food is more or less fresh.
The good thing about this place is that you get to eat something. There's nothing memorable about the experience, though.
Oh, and I ordered a green tea milk tea with boba. That was pretty disgusting. It tasted like chemicals and fake sugar. I usually am a fan of anything with boba, but I couldn't drink this.
The interior is pretty clean, though. I appreciate that. -
Review from WhitePeach s.
San Francisco, CA
5/21/2012
I like the concept... multi cuisines and $8 gets you pretty much anything you want in your bowl. Nice for a quick lunch. I had sweet alaskan bowl from the japanese station (the least crowded one). The toppings were nice but the brown rice was undercooked. It was hard and dry. Not really edible.
-
Review from Jessica M.
San Francisco, CA
4/23/2012 5 Check-ins Here
Seriously, some yelpers really are asking for the world when they go out. Are you kidding? $8 dollars for a hearty, healthy portion of good fresh food assembled right in front of you.
You may think the world runs around you but you can't have it all. Sure the space could use a bit of warmth, but does that change the way the food tastes? I would rather pick up something healthy and fast before I pay more for less of a meal as I walk on marble flooring. It's in the heart of downtown where your in and out in less than 10 and the meal costs less than $10, what else could you want? -
Review from Nadia D.
San Francisco, CA
4/15/2012 2 Check-ins Here
I think it's genius that this place is right next to the gym. I had the most satisfying non-carb Japanese bowl after a great workout, cooling off from that 9-5.
You walk into this minimalist, green restaurant and instantly are faced with a decision. What to choose?! I'm a huge fan of fast assembly food, and it was pretty deng difficult to choose between the Indian, Japanese, and Vietnamese cuisine options. In the end, my heart OR stomach chose my love for raw fish. The prices were pretty much set at $8 for a bowl or dish for food that could have easily been jacked up a few bucks more considering the area it's in. That, my friends, is something honorable.
Check it: The Slammin' Salmon. Salmon, crab (like in CA rolls), asparagus, seaweed salad (drenched in delicious sesame! LOVESIT), tobiko, green onions, kale (my new go-to green), dynamite sauce and instead of their gingerly dressing, I had their sesame one (I'm a sucker for sesame). 8 bloody dollars! And, this bowl was more generous than one would think.
Yes, it's not the nicest lookin' spot. The green paint helps, but it's got that wide-space, doughnut shop kind of vibe for some reason. Decor is something to crave, I get that, but you can't beat those prices for food like that. I'm excited to try more! That'll be my after work-workout jam from here on out, I'm sure.
OH! Slash, I got a free mochi for my next visit on yelp when I checked-in on my phone! -
Review from Hannah H.
4/11/2012 1 Check-in Here
I've had Bamboo Asia a couple of times, the first through delivery, the second on-site. My first impressions on-site was "oh, one of THOSE urbany around-the-world cuisine places, like a super-center of sorts... super-restaurant?" But the delivery food was pretty good, and when a second attempt to order online turned up a buggy menu, my coworkers and I decided to hoof a couple of blocks to the place itself.
Before you enter here, you should know a few things:
- This sure ain't top-notch cuisine, so set your expectations low.
- Every main item here is $8. This may sound ridiculous when you consider that banh mi can go for $3 elsewhere, but bear with me here.
- Go for the Japan aisle. Trust me.
Both times, I've had the make-your-own salad from the Japan aisle. When you think about how expensive Japanese salads could go for, especially make-your-own (if that option even exists elsewhere), this is a sweet deal. I got pretty big bowls too, and you can pile on all the toppings you want at no extra charge, with the exception of meats (they're $2 extra). If I wanted to stuff my salad with daikon, asparagus, tofu, sesame, seaweed, avocado, elephants, redwood trees, blue whales, and dwarf planets, I could, at no extra charge (well, except maybe the last four, those might take some special handling).
Never tried the bowls, but from what I saw from my coworkers, they're pretty hefty too.
Skip the mochi though: it was decent, but costs $1.50. I managed to get it for free with a check-in offer.
Haven't heard any complaints from coworkers, so this has become one of my top delivery choices. -
Review from roxmarie g.
San Francisco, CA
3/28/2012
I had the Sweet Alaskan (Japanese) Bowl. I had come in wanting a hot something but the Thai didn't look as good as at Osha, where they are fantastically engaging and nice and give very generous portions. Something about Bamboo Asia made me want to rush through, even though it wasn't particularly crowded during the time I went. You watch them assemble your food and they focus with rigorous precision, and the process, while exacting and confidence-inspiring, is without soul. They ask rote questions that prompt you to say "sorry, what?"
Flavor combinations in the Sweet Alaskan (Japanese) bowl were pretty yummy. Ripe mango and fake crab, perfect avocado, lots of ginger. The ingredients, while scant like in most of today's challenged food places, are all fresh, and ripe where required. The sashimi was tender and not gristly. Tempura shrimp, cold, while kind of decadent, are really not so great. Given that these bowls are supposed to be healthy, why not poached butterflied shrimp (like an ebi concept) to go with the salmon sashimi? They offer a sashimi bowl with similar ingredients for those who don't want fried, and you can also build your own bowl. They give you just the right amount of rice (about a cup) and the bowl comes to about $8.
I'll go back and try a salad. A lot of people were there, seated, but it has a very in and out feeling to me. -
Review from F M.
San Francisco, CA
5/18/2012
Bamboo Asia catered a big event I had on May 17, 2012.
- food was delicious
- the bowls and serving trays were very attractive
- the food was very very fresh and colorful
- they forgot serving utensils so, less one star for that; that was stressful for us
- each item was labeled with the menu title and ingredients so we had an easy time helping our guests choose dishes on our buffet table; we removed the labels from the bowl lids and stuck them on the table cloths and it looked very professionally catered for our colleagues and guests
- a few minutes late delivering so that contributed to the rating too
- on time pick up of bowls a plus when renting a conference room that has to be vacated on schedule
- polite friendly service with a smile; Sebastian was great
- our guests ALL loved the food
- we had a large variety of items sushis, salads, rices, etc.
- beef was super juicy, not chewy, tender and perfectly cooked
- tamarind salad dressing was fantastic, well balanced in all aspects of flavors
Overall an easy, healthy and delicious choice for an office meeting or birthday party. A great way to deal with providing food with super variety, flavor and satisfaction.
I have had their food at many catered events and was always impressed so I used them for my own event and was satisfied. They made me look good with minimal effort on my part.
I cannot speak to their brick/mortar location as I have never visited it and do not work in that locale. -
Review from Emily G.
San Francisco, CA
3/30/2012
Having only tried the Japanese side (sushi bowl) I really like Bamboo Asia. I think the food is reasonable, quick, and a healthy option. After being there a few times, today also sold me on their cleanliness awareness - the woman preparing the food took money. I was next in line and was worried I was going to have to ask her to change her gloves before serving me. Before I needed to say anything, the woman changed her gloves and asked what I wanted.
The only reason this place doesn't get 5 stars is because of the lack of food they put in the bowls. I don't eat much at one sitting, but know that I need to order extra meat or I'm hungry.
I'll still be going back! -
Review from David C.
San Francisco, CA
5/23/2012
I like this place a lot. The food is fresh, healthy ingredients, tasty, and reasonably priced for what you get (at least for what I've gotten, thus far). I have tried the Holy Cow Wrap, the All Veggie Vietnam, and the Dynamite Sushi (w/o the crab). Since I won't eat the meat or shellfish, these veggie options (aside from the salmon in the sushi) are a diverse enough variety to keep me interested and coming back for more. While a more presentable floor, and nicer presentation of some of the food might be advisable upgrades to this eatery, that is clearly not what I go here for (and I probably wouldn't be wiling to pay (much) more for the food to make such upgrades feasible). I actually like the green decor and the wide open space in the middle. It has a welcoming feeling. It is a very convenient location during my work days, and is a nice, quick, affordable alternative to all of the salads and sandwiches available downtown.
-
Review from maria K.
San Francisco, CA
2/4/2012
This review is strictly for the "Japanese bar." And it is awesome!
It was a little confusing when I walked in... but I stood back and watched for a minute, and then it was game time! I ordered the "Sweet Alaskan" rice bowl with brown rice. Ingredients perfectly laid on top of the rice bed are: Fresh Salmon, Shredded imitation Crab, Tempura shrimp, fresh Mango, Seaweed Salad, Avocado, Sesame Seeds, and Tobiko. Lastly they top it off with little cream cheese sticks, green onions and wasabi almonds. Nom nom nom! I stayed away from the "sweet chili" sauce fearing it may be spicy... and got "dynomite mayo" and "eel sauce" on the side.
I don't know what it is about it? There's no bells or whistles... It was just so fresh and exactly what I needed! I ate the whole thing, I practically licked the damn bowl! I see other yelper's stating the portions here are small? I disagree. I thought it was just right, I'd even dare to state it felt it was big! I liked it so much I went back the next day and ate it AGAIN! If they were open today (Saturday), I'd be eating it again today for a third day in a row!!! I am in short, obsessed! and also sad... That they are closed right now... after typing this up in such detail.. I think I'm now salivating... and jonesing for another helping! -
Review from Rebecca B.
San Francisco, CA
4/16/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Incredible spicy tuna salad. Has quinoa, mango, seaweed salad, and yummy veggies. Fills me up but is low in carbs and healthy. YUM! I also love the chicken tikka guacamole wrap if I want a heavier meal. Thank you, Bamboo! Paying with LevelUp is cool, too. I've gotten a bunch of lunch credits.
-
Review from Rachel L.
San Francisco, CA
2/24/2012 1 Check-in Here
Dont really find the food that fantastic. I had a coupon for it and decided to try out to see what was so great about this place. There were 3 options, Japanese/Indian and Vietnamese.
Had the Sweet Alaskan rice bowl with brown rice from the Japanese bar and it was nothing fantastic. Ive tasted better salmon and it just didnt look that fresh to me.
The place is ok but its not a place I would return to. -
Review from Wana C.
San Francisco, CA
12/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
Don't come here! I only came here because I bought a 50% off deal that was only good for Japanese food. They don't have a good selection of food. I opted to try one each of the 3 rolls they offered on the menu. I got back to the office and one look at them told me it wasn't going to be good.
The seaweed wrap had rice on it and these were already premade and sitting on their counter. The rice is hard and dry....so that make it undercooked! How the hell do you undercook rice in an Asian restaurant???? Shit, if you can't get that part right, you're a total FAIL! The seaweed is the cheap kind you'll find at buffets. I don't eat spicy things but the spicy sauce was bland. And yes, these should be hot/warm sushi but they are all cold. YUCK! These are exactly like supermarket cold sushi.
They had their avocado all sliced up and they were already turning brown. No bueno!
I bought orange, ube (NASTY!!!!), and melon (good) mochi. Each mochi came in its own tiny plastic container.
Please pass on this place. $8 is super expensive for shitty cheap food. What a waste of my money! I will never come back again. -
Review from Ashley N.
San Francisco, CA
4/8/2012
I LOVE this place! I always go to the Japan station and make my own bowls. They have a good ingredient selection and the people that work there are always really friendly. Its hard to find a meal for under $10 and unless you get extra ingredients then their whole menu is under $10!
-
Review from Kiersten B.
San Leandro, CA
1/13/2012
After reading some of the reviews I feel I need to step in and defend the Japanese food bar here. I've been going to this place pretty regularly since it opened in the fall, and I always go straight for the japanese. I never order off the menu though, and that may be where everyone else is tripping up. There is a create-your-own option.
I get a rice bowl with all of the veggies, tempura shrimp (4 pieces), ginger and unagi sauce. I take it back to the office, mix it up, and eat it. It's delicious, especially with the mango and asparagus.
I definitely recommend Bamboo Asia, but maybe stay away from the preset dishes and get what you want. -
Review from Shawn C.
3/18/2012
i had the all veggie bowl from vietnam, which was very delicious. with a san pellegrino it was around $11.
i'm into the whole cafeteria vibe, but the inside of this place seems rushed or unfinished. like they set this place up in a day (and could take it down in a day). i'd like a nicer place to sit down and enjoy the delicious food.
spruce up the inside and it will be top notch. -
Review from Seema V.
San Jose, CA
2/7/2012
I tried their indian food. It was good, the veggie section too has a good variety and surprising their food is better as compared to other indian places in the city. Atleast the ones I have tried, this is so far the 2nd best.
However, we go here everyday coz i went 2 days in a row and the food was the same. However good food. -
Review from Helen N.
San Francisco, CA
3/19/2012
got a Japanese salad and am still in love.
fresh sashimi, lots of sriracha, kale, avocado, quinoa, and all for 8bucks.
i'll be back. :) -
Review from Rachel E.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 1/11/2012
After several more visits, and many to the Vietnamese station, I'm excited to say that Bamboo is moving up my preferred lunch spot list. The shaking beef bowl and sesame chicken bowls are both delicious, especially with peanut sauce.
I usually get mine with noodles instead of rice and have found that keeps me fuller longer into the afternoon.1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
11/30/2011
Today was my third visit to Bamboo and this place is quickly becoming one of my favorite lunchtime… Read more »
-
-
Review from Michelle M.
San Francisco, CA
4/4/2012
I have only tried the Japanese and Chinese food here. The bowls and salads are very tasty and I like that you can customize it and they don't charge you too much extra for adjustments. Everything seems to be the healthy version of what you are used to.
What I didn't like: the boba shakes are not sweet enough. Got a mango shake with pearls and it was not sweet. I threw half of it away after I couldn't stand drinking it anymore. I hope this gets better as those shakes are popular when the weather turms warmer. -
Review from Adam A.
San Francisco, CA
1/26/2012
I really like this place as a downtown lunch spot. Firstly, the idea itself is pretty darn smart, and the menu is a good execution of the great idea. Second, I'm a huge fan of good quality buffets and/or spots that offer a wide variety of options...Bamboo Asia has elements of both.
Just look at the things that you like that are laid out in front of you. You can choose anything you want. It's like a wonderland. It's a solid mix between good quality, convenience, and selection. -
Review from Tina F.
San Francisco, CA
2/10/2012
Tried it out since I had bought a coupon for here and it was about to expire.
The place is OK, not great but not bad, still edible.
Would come back to try something else since all I had was the sushi and mocha bubble tea this time. -
Review from Brad B.
San Francisco, CA
10/27/2011
5 bites and done. Do not waste your time and always remember the rule about places that try to do multiple Asian food types under the same roof....it never works.
Tried this place today for lunch based on a quick scan of the reviews and actually had a bad feeling as soon as I walked in because the place has an atmosphere like a small disorganized roller rink. I opted for the Vietnamese bbq pork bowl which amounted to a luke-warm pile of mush that had some very odd components including guacamole, peanut sauce, rice, multiple vegetables and some nasty, fatty pork.
A few bites in and I got a nasty piece of pork that was mostly gristle. Of course I then analyzed the other pieces and found them to be the same. Besides the gristle (as if I need to continue), there was no element of the pork that suggested an asian BBQ flavor. I can honestly say this was the worst lunch I've had in 8 months of working in the financial district. Basically, it's bad mall food. Yuck! -
Review from Stephanie T.
San Francisco, CA
This was my first trip to Bamboo Asia, everyone in my office raves about this place, so I had been wanting to try it for a while. I decided to try an item from the Vietnamese section. I got the Shaking Beef Curry in a rice bowl, it comes with bell peppers, shaking beef, coconut curry sauce, sprouts, green onions, cilantro, mint and pickled vegetables.
The bowl was good, but I feel like there were a TON of bell peppers and another TON of pickled vegetables, and only a little bit of meat. Since it was my first time I wanted to order something off the menu, but next time I think I will build my own creation so I have a little bit more control over what I am getting. -
Review from Nancy S.
Food is mediocre, but great service! You can mix and match different cuisines into one bowl and it is still $8!
The servers were so kind and let us try whatever we were interested in. My bowl was mainly a mix of Vietnamese and Indian. The guy at the Indian station was so nice that he gave us an extra bowl of just all meat! Therefore, we basically had 3 bowls of food for 2 people....and it was $16 ($8 each....he didn't charge us for the extra bowl of meat!)
Food isn't the best thing out there, but the concept of mixing all kinds of sauce with all the different flavors and herbs tasted refreshing and interesting.
The portions are pretty big, so I took the other half home and ate it for dinner! -
Review from Rick C.
San Francisco, CA
12/14/2011
White rice Japanese bowl.
For your $8 you get six pieces of protein, ride, and your choice of veggies. I tried hamachi, eel & salmon. They come in 1/4" x 2" strips. None of it was especially flavorful. Am guessing it was all farmed vs wild. I'm an eel fan, though - so maybe I'm expecting too much.
The fail though? Canned asparagus. Or so overcooked as to be canned. They were the color (and texture) of canned green beans. No excuse for canned asparagus in San Francisco during asparagus season. None, zero, nada. Steam then flash it in ice water and the asparagus will be bright green instead of waxy yellow-green.
Service wasn't bad in the line, but the interaction is awkward. It just didn't feel up to the level of, say - ordering a salad at Pluto's.
The person who compared it to a cafeteria in terms of how they handle the food is spot-on. The ambiance could be less bad food court and improved considerably by replacing the fluorescent panels at the serving lines with spots &/or floods. The lighting that's there is broken from a design perspective, and needs to be rethought out.
Bamboo Asia have a frequent diner program, but it only applies for meals over $10. When everything they have on their boards is $8 it's a little heavy of an upsell, since you've got to buy meal + drink + dessert to qualify. You could buy an extra 2.5 bowls for the same cash outlay by NOT participating in the frequent diner program.
This place feels like an "almost" concept that needs refinement and polish. I would suggest fewer things done extremely well. Also, when your crab is fake - say so. Don't call it "crab" and refer to that product as "crabmeat." Use fresh veggies. Increase your protein portions just a bit and consider an "easy upgrade" to twice the protein for an extra $3 or so.
Maybe - no, hopefully - Bamboo Asia will get better in time.
+2 for the food
+1 for the service -
Review from Melanie C.
Berkeley, CA
12/2/2011
Extra star for the fresh California-Asian mix. SF has Italian / French OVERLOAD.
Total winner having us choose which flavor we want (Vietnamese, Indian, or Japanese) and then in which format (bowl, wrap, sandwich, or salad).
And mostly $8. Awesome. -
Review from Vicky L.
9/8/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Sometimes I envy those really skinny supermodel-type girls who go somewhere, order a slice of tomato, and call it a day. Not just because they fit into a size 0, but because their stomachs have shrunken down to such a miniscule size that all it takes for them to get full. It sure would make it a lot easier on my wallet.
Unfortunately, I am neither a size 0, nor can a slice of tomato fill my tummy. In fact, the only time a salad has been able to make me full was when I ordered a large one, then piled on pasta and chicken.
My friends and I went to Bamboo Asia today for lunch, and coincidentally there happened to be a MunchOnMe deal for a Trio of Sashimi Salad Bowl (normally $8, now $4). So we went and each ordered the salad (except Sara P. and Jason R. - they were smart and ordered rice bowls). The rest of us swallowed our salads and then looked around for more food, because we were still hungry.
The flavors were actually very good. The Trio of Sashimi included slices of fresh fish, kale, red cabbage, and imitation crab meat, all drizzled with a sweet Teriyaki-like sauce. However, the portion was so small - the leaves of the lettuce took up a lot of room even though it was just a bitty portion - that it was gone in a few bites. If I'd paid $8 for this, I would've gone back in and demanded more food.
A few of us actually went to another restaurant and ordered a second full lunch, and it was only then that we were remotely satisfied. Sara and Jason were both full after their rice bowls, which would be the only other thing I'd try, because that's also $8.
Nice try, Bamboo Asia, but I will not be coming back for your salad unless I become a size 0.Listed in: Financial District Lunchtime
-
Review from xochitl j.
San Francisco, CA
10/13/2011
I've been wanting to try this place and I am super glad I did.
I had the japanese salad with kale, cabbage and quinoa. Topping it will all the veggies, hamachi (not a ton) crab and tobiko. It was great, really flavorful and only $8. If you are looking for a huge meal, not really the place BUT its very "diet friendly" and healthy and I love that you can customize what ever you get. I will be back! -
Review from Maggie C.
San Francisco, CA
12/1/2011
This is for the Japanese station.
I really like the concept. Think Chipotle but with Japanese ingredients.
Sushi/rice bowl/salad and decide what toppings and sauce you want.
Pros:
Brown rice is an option
You can make it really healthy or indulge
You are not stuck with the same combination.
Price is decent with the portion.
No need to figure out how much your customized combo is as all items are $8
Easy to carry to eat anywhere you want
Cons:
All items are served cold. (Not really a con but I just thought its worth being mentioned)
Limited selection on fresh veggie
Limited selection on sashimi and other common ingredients found in sushi rolls
This place will be added to my lunch routine in fidi. -
Review from Sara P.
San Francisco, CA
9/8/2011
Vicky L. is truly my culinary (& maybe telepathic) soulmate. The same day I bookmarked Bamboo Asia, she suggested having lunch there. She may have just been stalking my bookmarks...
From reading other reviews, I understood the setup. I think they are still working out some kinks in efficiency because the line moved slower than it should have.
I decided to go with Indian since I didn't want to pay $8 for a vietnamese sandwich and I wasn't feeling like Japanese either. Plus the Indian had to be legit since the line was made up of mostly Indians. I had a rice bowl with paneer. It was actually really good, perfectly spicy and the right amount of food. $8 is probably a little much to pay for it but this is the FiDi. They have an array of drinks including my favorite water, watermelon Hint.
There's not much seating in the restaurant itself, like maybe 3 tables. But you can take your meal to-go -- we went to Crocker Galleria's rooftop :)Listed in: SF Lovin'
-
Review from Dave W.
San Francisco, CA
Sushi bowl with brown rice. Piled high with salmon, shrimp, and crab... Mango, avocado, and other great flavors. Maybe it was a lucky day, but I thought it was great and a good deal for the money-- especially downtown ( where I've worked for 14 years). I'll be back to try again. Lost one star for terrible ambiance... But I got it to go - and would only get food to go, so there you go.
** after a second visit, my rating went from an A to an A-, but it's still worth the 4 stars. -
Review from Andrew W.
San Francisco, CA
9/23/2011
Order: Vietnamese Rice Bowl, All Veggie Vietnam
Reminiscent of some of Cal Dining's less inspired offerings. Seemed like the veggies were fresh yesterday. Fried rice was just bad and bland. So called "coconut curry sauce" reminded me of neither of those adjectives.
This is not a case of 'you get what you pay for' (unless you think, 'oh, a cafeteria style, tri-personality to go joint in the Financial District.') This meal cost $8.68 (tax included) for a small quantity of unimpressive food.
I should've known better. -
Review from Amba A.
Walnut Creek, CA
9/15/2011
Love this place! Great location and great concept. I've been here about 4-5 times since they opened which is quite a lot since I'm usually a brown bag type of gal.
This restaurant is kind of cafeteria style and has three stations. One for Vietnamese food, one for Indian and the other for Japanese food. I've only been to the the Japanese one and I have only ordered the Slammin' Salmon bowl which clearly I love. They give you a brown rice option for bowls and sushi rolls which is great! Staff is also friendly and soon they will be serving breakfast and will have happy hour. Count me in! -
Review from Brian T.
San Francisco, CA
10/24/2011
Is halfway through my very first brown rice bowl from this place too soon to submit a credible review? If so, then not to worry. At the rate I am currently inhaling this mother, I'll have finished it before I type the last period.
A FiDi patron has three options here: Japanese, Vietnamese, and Indian. I popped my cherry with Japanese, and have nearly finished shoveling into my face hole some salmon and tuna sashimi over brown rice with asparagus, seaweed salad, green onion, avocado, ginger (lots and lotsa ginger), and, let's see, what the heck else was on there...? Oh yeah, sriracha - that gastrointestinal firestorm; the napalm for your tastebud jungle; that delicious blessing flavored with the incandescent glow of a thousand dying suns!
So.... if I come in every day for lunch, will I seem too desperate? Will you lose respect for me? Because I really like you. Seriously, I NEVER do this. You'll call me, right? B.A. + B.T. forever!!! -
Review from karita s.
San Francisco, CA
1/20/2012
Gross!!! Just had the tandoori chicken salad and the chicken was RAW!!! Not just undercooked, but RAW! Major health code violation.
Despite being grossed out, I am bummed because I have been going there once a week practically since the place opened and loved it but the last couple of times have been awful. After this serious infraction, I won't go back and this incident warrants a complaint to the SF of Department of Public Health. Sorry, but raw poultry-major NO-NO! BTW, I did go back show the dish to the manager. I thought he should know so he could get started on fixing the kitchen issues. -
Review from Karen C.
Millbrae, CA
1/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
This review is strictly for the Japanese food bar. I had been eyeing the food bar for a while now since I recently started working in the area. So much to my glee, my lookout for daily group coupons yielded a KGBdeals coupon for $20 worth of food, but only at the Japanese food bar. After this meal, I only have two words: no wonder.
Once you walk in, you come across the Vietnamese food bar on the right and the Indian food bar on the left - both bustling with business professional-clad people waiting in line, trying to grab a fast lunch, and with menus that were pretty enticing. Upon further inspection of my coupon, I found that I was restricted to the Japanese food bar. So I walked to the back where..there was no line. Oh well. I had to use the coupon sooner or later. I got the Super Spider bowl while my boyfriend and my co-worker both got the Super Spider rolls. The bowl offers a lot more food for the same price. It obviously comes with more rice, but it seemed to also come with more of the fixings and the proteins - but not big enough to share. One great thing is that they offer brown rice in both the bowls and the maki, which is pretty refreshing for maki but I'm guessing pretty standard for the health conscious clientele working in the surrounding area. Overall, the food was just mediocre. I found it lacking in flavor - it just tasted like unagi smothered in the unagi sauce. Honestly, I'd give Bamboo Asia Japanese two stars (especially if you account for the not-entirely-that-great service), but I'm giving it three stars overall because I really liked the decor inside (though they could use several some more tables) and also because I commend the "clean" and "new" feel that you get when you walk inside from the neon lights to the ipad-as-cash-register cash register. I might come back to try the Vietnamese and/or the Indian cuisines, but the Japanese food bar won't be getting any more of my money. -
Review from Alyson C.
San Francisco, CA
9/7/2011
It's very cafeteria-esque but the idea is very cool. So many options, I can probably go here multiple times and have something different.
My first visit I got the Sweet Alaskan rice bowl. Pretty tasty and lots of toppings that you would normally find in a $10 Whole Foods sushi rice bowl. Crab (fake), Avo, Shrimp Temp, Salmon, Seaweed Salad and a sweet chili sauce. Very tasty, I should have made it a salad bowl to make it healthier.
As far as the options:
Japan: Rice bowl, salad bowl, big roll
India: Wraps, Rice Bowls
Vietnam: Rice/Noodle Bowls, Bahn Mi's
MYO options too which are awesome and everything is 8 bucks. Also download the Stampt app and after 10 stamps you get a free $8 credit. Not too shabby.
A great new lunch spot to venture out to.
