Bamboo Asia
| Address: | 41 Montgomery St, San Francisco, CA 94104, USA |
| Phone: | +1 415-772-9134 |
| Site: | eatatbamboo.com |
| Rating: | 4.2 |
| Working: | 11:30AM–8PM 11:30AM–8PM 11:30AM–8PM 11:30AM–8PM 11:30AM–8PM Closed Closed |
Location
Photos 79
Reviews 11
EM
Em C
TLDR; Decent quick & healthy~ish Asian fusion (NOT authentic!) options in the FIDI for $8-11. Ive been working in the FIDI since Bamboo first opened and have never been compelled to come. Its mostly because I never crave Asian food on workdays (maybe because Im Asian myself). Secondly, everytime I walk by to get to MUNI/BART, this place smells like oil or fried food outside. I will say that after I got my food from here, I smelled a bit oily too. But theres another lunch place I frequent where that occurs as well, so Im not knocking down points for it, just something to think about. Its well lit, clean, and inviting inside! Lots of tables, cafeteria/Chipotle style where you order/customize your food and then eat or takeout. Aaand they have alot of healthy options. Also a plus that they put the calorie count next to the item. I opted for Indian and got the Holy Cow roti (like an Indian burrito). Ordering and paying was super fast! I was surprised that they actually DID use roti, I thought they would use some sorry excuse of a tortilla. Its not like actual roti where its crisp and flaky but it wasnt BAD. A bit doughy, yes. Overall the ingredients were all good, cooked well, and tasted fresh and it was a good balance of flavors and stayed true to its Indian flavors. It was about 6 inches long, but packed full with good proportion of each ingredient that I could actually taste everything! It was worth the $8 price tag. Surprisingly, it didnt soak through even there was no rice inside, and I waited about 30-40 minutes after I ordered to eat it, too. Definitely a good option for decent, quick & healthy Asian food in the FIDI.
JA
Jay Mehta
One of the finest Asian cuisine restaurant in the town. This place is insanely crowded during lunch hours, so in case youre not having a time constraint, you can check it out before or after those hours. Food: Bamboo Asia has three options as far as the cuisine goes - Indian, Vietnamese and Japanese. I have tried Vietnamese and Indian rice bowls and loved it. They have a large variety of options on what you want to add to your bowls in terms of choice of rice, proteins, veggies, sauces and toppings. So, essentially, you have a good amount of control on what you are eating. One can also make out that the ingredients are fresh, partly also because of good churn. Ambiance: If youre visiting this place in the noon hours, expect it to be really cramped and be ready for long queues on any counter you visit. It is not a fine dining restaurant and most of the people go for a take away but there are good number of seating options in case you want to have your meal there itself. In non-rush hours, the place is quite spacious and the glass wall ensures enough natural light. Service: They are quite quick in terms of turnaround time for customers. It is not a fine dining restaurant but has more of a subway style set up where you just tell them what you want to add in your salad/rice bowl or sandwich and theyll add that. The staff is good and helpful. Overall, it is a very good restaurant that people must try at least once or twice.
MA
Margo Cleveland
Bamboo Asia is one of my favorite lunch stops. They offer three different types of asian food, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Indian, all served at their own counter. They are all bomb, but my favorites are the Japanese and Vietnamese. Watch out for the Japanese section, as the line can get pretty long. My suggestion is skip the line by ordering online. My favorite item, I believe available at all the different counters, is the eggplant chips. They are amazing. Even if you dont like eggplant (I feel you) still get the chips! Be a bit wary if you come for dinner, as the staff are all new and still practicing. To make sure they get your order right I would suggest not ordering online and instead moving through the process with them at the counter.
ED
Edouard B
Un fast food où lon peut manger un plat original et un peu plus saint quun hamburger-frites. 3 ambiances, 3 espaces : japonais, vietnamien et indien). Cest un peu plus chère (aux US en tout cas) mais ca vaut le détour. Le personnel a été plutôt sympa. On aimerait plus détablissements de ce genre en France (pour varier).
JE
Jennifer D
Good bang for your buck! I love their Indian and Japanese sections. My fallback is the Bhangra bowl with balsamti rice, chickpeas, paneer, chicken, cauliflower, cilantro, curry and eggplant chips. The bowl is packed and leaves me with some serious food coma. The Japanese section serves sushi rolls, salads, and rice bowls. It isnt as packed but still enough to fill you up. They also serve Vietnamese food but Ive avoided that section ever since I got a bad stomach ache almost instantly after eating one of their noodle bowls. Overall, Id go for the Indian food!!
PH
Phuong Trieu
This place has 3 different types of food stations you can choose from: Indian, Vietnamese, and Japanese. Depending on the type of food you want, you stand in the appropriate line at the station. I usually get the Japanese food as they have excellent Sashimi salad bowls. When they first opened, it used to get really busy with long wait lines; however, I noticed recently that the last few times I have been in there, there was little to no wait. The food is fresh, delicious and healthy!
AL
Alice Jou
Great spot for lunch. There are 3 different stations offering indian, vietnamese, and japanese rice bowls, salads, etc. The beef salad at the vietnamese counter is especially tasty with eggplant chips, pineapple, and pickled veggies. The spicy tuna salad at the japanese counter is also delish. They dont mind if you substitute dressings so try it with the ginger dressing. The price is okay for the quality and the area. Grab a punch card which is good for any lunches over $10.
LI
Lilian W
Ive been wanting to try this spot for a while and finally got around to it after a gym sesh next door. And it was life-changing. The amount of food was substantial and the quality of the salmon sashimi and tobiko was objectively high, especially for the $8 price tag. My only complaints would be: 1) She gave me fake crab instead of real, when there was real crab available 2) Not a ton of sashimi, but you always want more, doncha Would definitely go back.
IF
Ifthikar Talha
A very interesting place, has three different food stations inside the restaurant, Vietnamese, Indian and Japanese. The restaurant claims its inspired by the street foods of the three countries, but honestly its just a rip off of chipotle bowls with Asian ingredients. Tried the Vietnamese noodles bowl and I absolutely loved it. The chicken was good, but the best part about it was the unique sauces they offered and free unlimited toppings.
SE
Sean Griffis
Love the concept of multiple cuisines. Lots of variety in the options. I got a sushi roll and sushi bowl. It was actually surprisingly better than I was anticipating. All of the fish, vegetables and even the rice tasted very fresh and delicious and the price was not too bad either. I will definitely be coming here again when I have a time crunch for lunch or dinner and try one of the other cuisine stations.
LA
Lauren Pinheiro
An excellent place for a group with different tastes. They have a few different stations, all of asian varieties (duh, lol) and I love the shaking beef bowl with eggplant chips that melt in your mouth. You have the choice of rice or noodles and you watch as they assemble your food before your eyes. Its a quick in and out type of place and gets way too packed to utilize the minimal seating in the middle.
