Bamboo Garden

I frequent this place once every week to two weeks to get takeout because it’s on my way home; the lady up front even recognizes me when I come in. I will not be going here again after the service tonight. I ordered a chicken dish, rice, and the baozi, which is $ 15 for ten dumplings. The total was about $ 27 dollars, when the lady up front informed us that the baozi is CASH ONLY. Okay, I’ve never heard of one single item on your menu being cash only, but we can play ball. So I picked another entrée instead of the dumplings. She then informed me that now the dumplings are not cash only anymore since I ordered more food. Wow.
I’m already irritated that she is flip flopping on her dumpling policy to get me to order more food, but it gets worse. I wait for the food when another man comes in for takeout. He orders one dish (chow mein) and the lady informs the man of the card policy, but then takes his card anyway. WHAT? She would not let me use my card for $ 27 worth of food (I ended up with $ 40 with the dumplings) while she let the man use his card for $ 10?
This place has no principles. I was so angry at her preferential treatment of the man that I looked up their public health inspection report*. This was the worst:
«Inspector Observations: Observed an employee place dirty dishes into two compartment sink with other dirty dishes and only rinsed with water. [CA] All food contact surfaces must be washed, rinsed, and sanitized. [CA] employee was instructed to rewash items by hand or place into dish machine.»
Disgusting… lady must think I’m not petty because I go there all the time.
*

I haven’t tried many dishes from this place, but my favorite Chinese dish «White Fish Fillet in Wine Sauce with Wood Ear Mushroom» always tastes like music! I had my favorite place for many years in Boston where I would get it and I was worried moving to Mountain View that I might not be able to find such special taste anywhere in the area. I am at piece now thanks to this little joint.
Also a tip: if they tell you your togo order will take 20 minutes, it will be ready in 10.
Also another tip: Wood Ear is also called Juda’s Ear, Jew’s Ear & Auricula-​judae; it’s a fun looking mushroom used in folk medicine! Goes well with white wine or cambucha.

Quite solid XLBs when they come out fresh. Come here for authentic non-​Cantonese Chinese food in Mountain View.

I had high hopes for this restaurant and came away mostly disappointed. The service we experienced was really quite poor knocked our experience down by a star.
We were here in a moderate-​sized group. There was only one other couple in the restaurant at the time. We asked to be seated at the large group table in the corner, but instead they insisted that we crowd around one of the regular tables with the leaves extended. We told them that we were going to order a lot of dishes and the table would be too small, but they just ignored our request. That large table, incidentally, stayed empty for the entire time we were there.
I had heard about the xiao long bao, and as this is one of my favorite things to eat, we ordered several trays. This was a very disappointing experience. The dumplings were steamed on wax paper instead of lettuce leaves and they all stuck to the paper. Half of them ruptured as we tried to gently lift them out. The meat and broth (when we were lucky enough to have one that didn’t leak) was well-​flavored but it had a very greasy, fatty texture.
The deep-​fried spareribs (that’s probably not the right name, but I’m blanking on the name right now) was all breading and almost no meat. The baby bok choy was almost devoid of flavor and was barely touched by our table. The smoked duck was really good, though. The fish with wood ear and soy beans was just okay — the flavor was really nice but there was way too much cornstarch in the sauce and it was unpleasantly thick. The combination fried rice was perhaps the hit of the table, but come on, it’s just fried rice.
Getting back to the service: in addition to the seating problems (and yes, our table was overflowing with food), the waitress made an error. We ordered a certain vegetable dish, and she came out with one that we definitely did not want. We told the waitress that this was an error, and then she called back to the woman working in the back. That woman said, in Chinese, «yes, you ordered it because the waitress told me that you did.» Uh, wut? If the waitress said that we all wanted a kick in the groin would it make it automatically true? In any case, they wouldn’t take it off our bill and so we just kept it. It was some sort of mixed vegetable dish with eggplant that was way to heavy with soy sauce and cornstarch.
I won’t be back. Between the disappointing food and the even more disappointing service, there’s really no incentive for me to return.

Everyone talks about the XLB and the glutinous rice. But there are some fun dishes if you want to go off the usual items:
Salt and pepper fried fish
Pumpkin fries
Lions head meatballs
Fish cooked in wine sauce
Pork knuckle
Tofu and beef tendon hot pot

This place is well known for XLB and SJB (xiao long bao, soup dumplings; Shen Jen Bao crispy bottom soup dumplings as pioneered at Yang’s in Shanghai).
The rest of the food is good, but for anyone who cares about these crucial dumplings, the ones here are fresh and with excellent skin /​soup /​filling ratios (in the Shanghai style, not in the New York — Joe’s Shanghai style). The other dishes that are shanghai and hong kong style are quite solid too, but my chinese friends say the place is KNOWN for the dumplings and you HAVE to get them.
The setting is small but clean in the store, the area is a bit run down. Don’t let that stop you.

The one thing I always notice about this place is that there are always a ton of Chinese people dining inside. On our last several visits here and every time I go next door to buy cigarettes, the majority of diners are the people of this cuisine. Now, if that isn’t a good sign, I don’t know what is.
Not sure if it is the case anymore, but on my first visit back here years ago, they had several dishes that were Michelin recommended (the smoked duck, the shanghai baby bok choy and the glutinous rice w/​pork in the bamboo thing).
The smoked duck is far and away the star. Have come by many times just to get an order of takeout and the price on this dish has risen over the years. On our last visit a month or so ago, the price tag is now $ 14.95, but still worth it, as it never fails to disappoint.
The glutinous rice in bamboo that everybody loves and swears by here was a gigantic mess to me. The gravy tasted disgusting and the overall smell and flavor in the dish were quite nauseating to me. I’m definitely in the minority on this, so suggest giving it a shot, even though I absolutely hate it.
The XLBs here are pretty inconsistent. I’ve seen the lady making them on the tables after lunch and before dinner when they are closed sometimes, so it’s not unexpected that there is so much fluctuation in the quality. Still never a colossal mistake to order them, as they’re only a little bit over a dollar for each.
The Shanghai baby bok choy on my last visit was severely underseasoned. Even the slightest pinches of salt would have done it wonders. Pretty disappointing after how delicious and perfect it was on my first visit here. Way too bland this time. The pea sprouts veggie plate was significantly stronger, but I will probably give this dish another chance, as it was exceptional the first time I had it and have hopes they can replicate that again.
The hot and sour soup was solid enough, but nothing all too distinguishable about it in comparison to other versions of the soup I’ve had. But the little ones wanted soup and it was satisfying enough.
The salt and pepper squid was a little different than what we had all expected. Pretty light and not salty, which is a common theme to most of the food here. That definitely applies to the seafood and tofu clay pot dish we ordered. Very light again, but appreciate the clean, smooth and healthy bites that came with every taste of that plate.
The waitress usually starts talking to me in Chinese, to which I respond in English. Standard operating procedure my whole entire life. They do have a lot of specials written in Chinese on the walls, so if you know anybody who can read, it will probably make for a better dining experience. Not complaining though and definitely no eagerness to learn Mandarin at this point in my life, since I’ve left fat and happy after each visit.

THE FOOD:
The food is alright — some items are much better than others. I would recommend the spicy garlic eggplant! Super tasty. Definitely greasy, but totally yummy. I was NOT a fan of the black bean noodles (jajamien).
THE VALUE:
About ~$ 10/​item.
THE EXPERIENCE:
20 minutes for food to go orders over the telephone. They take credit card for orders over $ 25. It looked «okay» on the inside — not clean or dirty.
WOULD I RETURN?
possibly

One of the best hidden gems in the Bay Area. This authentic eatery has given new meaning to the ever so famous Chinese food. While not serving disappointing simple Chinese food, bamboo garden works to serve really great, homemade Chinese comfort foods that grandma would make. Namely, the sticky rice served in a bamboo box with the necessary sautéed fixins that go with it. Absolutely a delight and a foodie’s wet dream. I don’t even think 3 generations of my grandmas would have made it this good. Wait, maybe my papa’s side.
Another highlight is the string beans dish. A Chinese favorite, and a overly tried one at most faux Chinese restaurants but this one is made perfectly well, dry as f which is actually a GOOD thing in this instance and the most well seasoned beans that could put the actual natural veggie to shame. Haha sorry green beans. Sautéed is infinitely better.
This place is so legit that the specials posted around the walls are in Chinese. Bring someone who can read Chinese or basically lose out on amazing specials.

Went there for lunch for the very first time, and I like it! We tried three different types of dumplings from the dim sum menu, and they all were delicious. We also got Mongolian beef and I would say it’s of compatible quality with more expensive places like Chef Chu’s.
Just as a matter of fact, the place was pretty full at a lunch time, and we were the only non-​Asian people there, and a lot of people were either old couples or families with kids, which in my opinion is a sign of kitchen being authentic.
Not 5-​stars because there’s only one waiter, so things are not extremely fast, but acceptable. I’ll definitely will try them again.

Located in a random worn down strip mall next to a liquor store, this looks like a typical hole in the wall Chinese restaurant. Well it is. But hole in the walls are known for the best foods.
Between the two of us, we ordered XLB, House special fried rice, bamboo with pork, and orange chicken. This was more than enough food. Their portions are very generous.
Service was decent since we were the only patrons in the restaurant. It was hot as hell, why no AC on a super hot day? It felt like a sauna in there.
May or may not return. There’s a ton of other restaurants to try. I would only go back when craving XLB.

Don’t be fooled by the exterior and shopping area. If you want a home cooked (un-​American style) Chinese meal you must come here. The XLB were delicious! Thin skin, tasty meat and broth dumplings here are the bomb! Green onion pancakes were crisp and not greasy, noodles could have used more soy sauce but had such a great chew. Auntie likes the smoked duck here. I have a soft spot for family run businesses and the owner of this establishment was welcoming, hard working and funny as heck! You can tell her regulars love her. Will be back for sure to try the more of the menu. Newly remodeled inside — super clean! Just like a traditional Chinese restaurant, just raise your hand to signal the server you need something.

Don’t be fooled by the 3 and a half stars. This is a truly authentic Chinese restaurant with food that reminds me of my mom’s cooking. But unlike other Chinese restaurants, the service here is great! The owner is a super nice woman who loves her restaurant and customers.
Good dishes to try are all the clay pot dishes. You can’t go wrong with any of them.

Not bad, but only if you have plenty of time to kill.
This place is a moderately sized sit-​in restaurant located in a surprisingly shady looking shopping center in Mountain View. There is a ton of parking and it’s conveniently located right on Rengstorff, a couple minutes off the 101 exit. The interior is not much to look at and the décor is minimal. I came before lunchtime (11:20ish?) on a weekday and it was nearly dead empty (around lunchtime, a couple other tables filled up).
The three dishes we had were pretty good overall. The soup dumplings (quantity of 6) had a thin skin that was surprisingly resilient to the flavorful pork and crab soup filling — one of the better ones I’ve had so far living on the peninsula. We also had the sheng jian bao (fried pork buns) and they were quite good, juice on the inside and just the right amount of flavorful (however, it will take 20 minutes for it to come out so order early). The stir fried rice cake with preserved vegetable and pork was only ok and the serving was small to average.
My main gripe with this place was the slow service, despite it being an unusual mealtime. It looked like it was being manned by just 2 people, who were overseeing the kitchen and also taking orders AND also handling take-​out pickup. While I was seated immediately (and that shouldn’t be surprising, given that the restaurant was empty), my order wasn’t taken for nearly half an hour while the woman at the register was bombarded by one take-​out pickup after another, and the other worker was dashing in and out of the kitchen. I also saw them putting the buns together from scratch after each order was put in, which is certainly nice but as expected, all of this took some time.
Overall, the food is fairly good and Mtn View has been a bit of a black hole when it comes to good Chinese food, in my opinion, especially with Sunnyvale and San Mateo nearby. But just don’t expect to get in and out in a short time frame, even on a weekday.

Caters to the palates of the un-​Americanized Chinese and tastes like home if you don’t consider chop suey authentic. My recommendations:
Dried Bamboo Shoots with (Fatty) Pork
Hot and Sour Soup
Duck Stew Napa Cabbage
Shanghai Style Pork Knuckle
Fish Fillet with Wine Sauce
The steam pork buns have thick skin and so do the fried buns. I’ll eagerly await the grand opening of Din Tai Feng.

My review is based on trying one dish, chow mein, which is my litmus test at a Chinese restaurant. It was very bland. The noodles were mushy and despite being very brown, like it was covered in sauce, it was very bland. All the meats were overly tenderized and the shrimp was not so fresh tasting.
There really isn’t much service required but one of the two servers was really nice.
I love noodles and since this place failed on that, I won’t be back.

I would say that this place is 3.5 stars.
I came here for lunch after church service on Sunday. Prices are decent and there is a wide selection. The XLB are good and the wrappers are thin, but I’ve had better in SoCal at Din Tai Fung, Dumpling House, and Mama Lu’s. The Jia jia mian was pretty good. We also ordered salt and pepper fish, although it was kinda bland and not spicy compared to other restaurants such as New Port. They were very busy, so service was slow, but overall ok experience. Typical, average chinese food.

The XLB is still amazing (see my previous extensive review) and I wanted to give a shout out to their vegetable dumplings, oh that delicate skin!
I noticed Kathleen (co-​owner) wasn’t looking as happy as I knew her to be in years past. Actually, she looked chronically stressed. Gotta remember to check-​in on the well-​being people who have been working day after day to bring us such amazing dumplings.

4 stars for the xiao long bao! Thin skins that don’t break, gingery pork filling, soft crab filling, and delicious soup inside! Perfect ginger vinegar dipping sauce too. I’ve been searching for good xlb from Cupertino to San Francisco, and I haven’t found a place that beats this yet.
Standard authentic Chinese restaurant service (read: not very good service). The Shanghai cakes are also pretty good, as is the pork cooked in bamboo. But the best thing about Bamboo Garden is definitely their xlb.

A family-​owned restaurant in a small mall that Packs a Punch!
When I first walked in, the place didn’t look impressive. Boy was I wrong! Once our food arrived, it was insanely good. The juicy pork bun was at just the right temperature, not too hot and not too cold, with lots of juice still inside.
We saw the other tables in the restaurant order the «bamboo» rice thing and followed suit – score! The server literally cracks open the bamboo on the table in front of you, and you can see the steam coming out while the juicy goodness flows out onto the plate. Best order decision eva
No wonder this place was so packed!