This place serves really, really, really delicious smoothies! I've never tried anything else but the smoothies because I know that the smoothies are by far the best they have on their menu and possibly the best in San Jose. Almost everything on the menu is $3.50, which is a reasonable price compared to other places that serve milkshakes, smoothies, tea, etc. What is so good about this place is that they use real fruit! When I found out, I was filled with joy because I was so concerned that they might have used syrup as a replacement in their drinks...*cough*...Barcode. Haha, but really, this shows that the employees put the time and effort into the products. The girls that work here are all too generous and nice. God bless them. This is a really great place to relax and socialize with friends. It never gets crowded here. I definitely recommend you to go here and to try out the smoothies. They are incredibly delicious and cheap! read more

I like bambu in general, but something is off about this location... ...and that something is the milktea. Such a simple drink but they got it all wrong! Tasted no different then a bottle of half n half. And don't even get me started on the nasty plastic-tasting excuse they call pandan jelly. bleh! I guess it's understandable since they specialize in really, really good CHE. but c'mon Bambu.. get the basics down! After all, this is the original location. read more

I didn't realize how much I missed Vietnamese desserts til I had Bambu! I ordered the #10: pandan jelly, red crunchy tapioca, and grass jelly. If you like mung bean, I believe it's the #4 that has all the above. But I don't so #10 it was for me. O.M.G. Soooo good and fresh! They're so generous with the toppings too because it took me forever to finish my drink. I. LOVE. Can't wait to try the other drinks on the menu! read more

Not sure why it's taken me so long to write a review for this location but it's deserving one... No matter how many times I look at the menu I always go for the #4, Chè sng sáo ht lu - Grass jelly, red tapioca, pandan jelly, jello, mung bean. I used to be such on a Pearl Tea craze that I forgot that I can get a real dessert instead of just a drink. Plus it's cheaper too at $3.25 I've been to the Milpitas (N. Milpitas Blvd) and the Sunnyvale location but this one is still my favorite. Note: CASH ONLY read more

I love their che, especially the #1 and #10, but after trying the coconut smoothie I don't think I'm going to be able to order anything else. The coconut smoothie is incredibly rich, perfect for someone who enjoys sugar as much as I do. If you prefer something less sweet you should definitely stick with che or go with the avocado smoothie. The restaurant is really small and normally too warm to sit inside on a hot day. They have a couple of places to sit outside but it's best to get them to go and find somewhere more comfortable to enjoy the drinks. ***Cash Only*** read more

Went back to California for a week & was craving Milk Tea soooo bad! Darn you San Antonio, why don't you have satisfying Milk Tea?! I got a lot of recommendations for this place & decided to treat my mom and sister out so we'd be able to try it for the first time! Bambu is in the same shopping center as Goldilocks & Hello Desserts. It brought back so much childhood memories because I used to live near that shopping center when I was younger. We went in & it wasn't too packed, probably about 5 people. Their atmosphere was pretty, but their space is very small. The place looked clean & very well maintained. Plus they have really nice staff, the lady greeted me with a smile and hello. My family & I didn't know what to order because we didn't know what was good there, but I just picked out whatever that looked good from the menu. They lady was nice, patient, and I didn't feel like I need to rush on my order. I got a Jasmine Milk Tea for my sister, a Pina Colada smoothie for my mommy, & I got the Che #4 (Pandan, red boba, grass jelly, & mung bean). Best thing about it was, the service is quick! It took them 3 minutes to make our drinks. I understand that it wasn't too busy that's why it came quick, so we were lucky we didn't come on a busy day. We were really satisfied with everything! Their pearls were soft & chewy, their JMT was bitter but I like it that way, and the Che #4 was really yummy! I've never tried anything like it, & I gotta say I totally fell in love with their grass jelly! Their Pina Colada wasn't icy and was flavorful, just like a smoothie should be. Our first time experience there was great! I wasn't disappointed with anything, I will definitely definitely come there again when I visit California. I believe Bambu is my new favorite boba place. Darn you San Antonio! Why can't you have Bambu?! haha. read more

BAMBU - Che #4 & Jasmine Milk Tea - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - San Jose, California

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2 stars for delicious desserts. 0 stars for everything else. I've been coming here for MANY MANY years. It seems like there is a change in ownership. The girls at the counter have no personality and barely speak English. If you're hanging out with friends and happen to be there awhile, you would need to find yourself somewhere to use the bathroom. They recently closed the bathroom for public use. Even if you're a customer, "no bathroom". read more

The bambu special is sooo goooood! Seriously, I come here twice sometimes three times a week just for the #1. At first I was just ordering it and paying, until I realized you can make it a large! There's been no going back since. Fifty cents more for extra cocnut meat, um hell yeah! read more

Let it be known, I heart Bambu. They make some awesome pearl tea drinks. I love how they use fresh ingredients like mangos in their mango milk teas. But after today, I am utterly infatuated with Bambu. I got the hot taro milk tea and OMFG, it was FRIGGIN' out of this world. Sinfully creamy and smooth, slightly sweet with HUGE chunks of taro. The best taro pearl drink I've had in ages! It sure hit the spot on freezing day. It's a small shop with not much seating but service is always stellar! Parking can be an issue on the weekend since it's so close to the Ranch 99. read more

Staff is lovely! Quick service, fresh flavors, tasty on a hot day. Or any day. My only complaint was the taro in the taro milk tea. Not sure if they use a powder but it tasted a bit off and artificial. The taro chunks in their dessert options were awesome! So it was only the milk tea that was funky. I've been twice this month, so good! read more

This place is dangerous! While I was going to grad school, I moved to a house that was just an exit away. I was first introduced to this place by my then-boyfriend's sister who lived down the street, I believe. I hate her for it, because if it weren't for that one night when she asked me to meet her and her husband, I would've had a lot more money and lot less pounds. At least once a week for who knows how long, I had to get the mango shake with lychee jello. It was the closest thing to the mango shakes I would get in the Philippines (in my opinion, the best mango shakes ever! Hmm.. am I little bit biased?). You know it's fresh if they can't make them for me during winter- mangoes are not available. The amount you get is very filling for the price of what a tall Vanilla Latte would be at Starbucks. To this day, every time I go back to the San Jose area, I try to make a trip out to Bambu. And everytime I walk in, immediately at the counter, she calls out my order before I finish saying, "Hi": mango shake with lychee jello, no whip cream. read more

Goodness gracious! The milk tea drinks here are so strong. Is it mostly caffeine? I can barely taste the actual flavor of the drink. On the contrary, I do like the fact that fresh fruit (not frozen) was added into my cantaloupe drink. It definitely stands out from all the other places that I've been to. Other additions to the drink is extra. This place is small and simple. Beautifully decorated and feels like I'm in a little cafe. I still come here to get my pearl drinks. So far, my fiance and I have tried 4 flavors so we will definitely come back here and try the others. read more

My mom absolutely loves this place! Every time she heads to San Jose, she always buys her CHE from this store. There's not many places that specialize in selling CHE, so this place alone is already unique. If you don't know what CHE is, it's a vietnamese dessert comprised of many things such as mung beans, jelly, pomegranate, and lots more depending on what you choose. What sets BAMBU's drinks apart of others milk tea/tea stores is that use REAL fruits. Instead of artificial syrup and flavors you can actually see and taste it in the drinks. The first time I came here I got the avocado smoothie. The texture was thick, and since I've had homemade avocado smoothies before I could tell that this was legit. The service here is quick, and is only somewhat busy on weekends or hot days. So whether its a hot summer's day, or you're in the mood to get filled up by some yummy dessert. BAMBU is the spot to go to! read more

When you walk in here, it smells like fresh pandan everywhere!! Initially I wrote "panda" and thought that was funny. The #3 contains: red bean, white bean, green/mung bean, taro, and pandan jelly. Now that is a lot of stuff which is why it should be treated as a dessert when you are hungry and not as an in-between meal drink. I had already finished my lunch a couple hours back and could only drink/eat half of this. You could definitely save it in the fridge and while the crushed ice will melt, it's still good since you don't get too much ice to begin with anyway. Judging by the intense aromas, I'm going to make the safe assumption that they make their own pandan jelly. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong though. It's definitely a chewy item so while the other items are grainy and easily broken down by your teeth, you will spend some extra time on these green slivers. It freaked my husband out. For $3.25, this is a pretty good deal for dessert. It's on the large board on the wall so make sure you're looking at the menu in the hard plastic sitting on the counter. If quantity is what counts, it's definitely worth more than the $7-10 for a dessert at a sit-down restaurant or a skimpy $4+ cup of fro-yo. read more

BAMBU - #3 - a whole slew of things - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - San Jose, California

Small place so it's not really great for lingering unless you manage to snag one of the 5 tables inside or outside. #1 Bambu Special is what I had. I was actually impressed with how light and refreshing it was! Not too sweet. Coconut water, chewy pandan jelly, fresh shavings of young coconut, basil seed and longans. My friend had an avocado shake and it wasn't good. Not enough condensed milk and the avocado was still too young. Better to get avocado shakes from the special Viet coffee shops if you know what I mean ( . Y . ) read more

Bambu is a great spot for dessert drinks. Their drinks are a little similar to a Filipino dessert drink called Halo-halo. Instead of using evaporated milk, they use coconut juice which makes it 10x refreshing! I'm not a big coconut juice fan, but something about these drinks are amazingly good. I always get the Bambu special which is a mixture of young coconut, chia seeds, and pandan jelly. May sound like a whole lot going on in one drink, but trust me when I say you'll be coming back for seconds after your first time trying it. Bambu also serves Vietnamese coffee, which is known to be super strong. Good for those who need something to keep them awake. Tip: they only accept cash read more

CASH ONLY! If you don't have any cash on you go to Ranch 99 next door and pick up a snack and get some cash back - easy peasy. I go here for the dessert drinks. #1 is their special - has not coconut milk and for those who haven't had the basil seeds before, it could taste a bit earthy. So far I liked the #2 and #3. If you don't know what something is, ask them! The cashiers are really nice and try to explain as best as they can. I often visit during their off hours so haven't had a long wait. I order and I receive in just a few minutes. Best way to get your sweets in on a hot day. Thank you Yelp for another awesome suggestion. read more

I always come here when I'm craving a Smashed Avocado (#5 Bo Dam). They don't skimp out on the avocado like most places do so the drink ends up having a very creamy consistency, rather than being watery. It's also really filling so you can actually eat this for lunch and get full. Aside from #5, I'd also recommend #10, #3, and the Vietnamese iced coffee. Get #10 if you're looking for a Vietnamese dessert without beans in it. It's pretty refreshing. Get #3 if you like beans in your drink because this dessert is the three color drink. As in the drink is loaded with red beans, yellow beans, and green beans. It sounds gross, but it's good! Get the Vietnamese iced coffee if you need a serious pick me up. That stuff is strong. I feel like Bambu requires an acquired taste because many of their drinks have coconut or beans in them. It's something I crave every once in a while when I'm missing my Vietnamese culture, but it's not something I'd want all the time! read more

This place serves up some of the best fresh-fruit smoothies in San Jo (and the Bay Area). I've never had any of the coffee, b/c I'm not a coffee person, but the smoothies are definitely worth trying. The girls here use actual fresh fruit, and are generous on the servings and don't dilute it w/ just lots of ice (like over at Tapioca Express - waste of money and simply yuck). Their prices are super reasonable, and my cousins and other friends frequently go to this nice establishment several times a week. They've got plenty of tables and seats for you to chill and enjoy your smoothies w/ your friends and family, and the environment is very welcoming (i.e., no wannabe gangsters or coffee shop fobs). I would highly recommend getting the papaya chunky-style smoothie - YUM. read more

You claimed to be closed at 10pm on yelp. It was past 10 but i really wanted to get some dessert for my girls, you still took my order happily. The desserts are amazingly delicious. We love you guys!!!! read more

I love their milk teas because it's one of the few milk tea places that make their teas fresh and not from artificial powder. The strawberry milk tea has little bits of strawberry to it. It's perfectly sweet unlike the powdered milk teas that are unbearably sweet. My only pet peeve is that they take cash only and they are closed on Mondays. read more

FIVE STARS***** Meaning this is the best of the best. Drinks are cheap, made with fresh everything. It tastes good, friendly workers. There is nothing wrong with this place. (besides they have been playing mr.bean for the past two months) If you want a drink this is the place to go, I do not know why this place is not filled with people 24/7. It really is that good read more

I enjoy most of their milk teas (mango, Thai, jasmine), but today the lychee was way too sweet for me. Maybe it was an off day for them and poured too much lychee syrup in the milk tea. It's okay though because most of the time they're on point. It's free to add pearls which is a plus!! My bf loves the three color dessert, which is #3. He's always excited to get it because they don't have Che in sf! His friends drive all the way down just for Bambu, so that says a lot! Closed on Mondays. read more

For summer drink!! Order number 1 - 22 desset if you dislike coconut milk Order number 6-10 dessert if you like coconut milk and dislike bean Order number number 2-3 if you like bean and coconut read more

The smoothies here are delish! My favorites: Passion in Love and Peach Catalina. The pearl tea is good as well. The Che(Vietnamese dessert) is good here as well, a lot of people come here for these. read more

This is not your standard milk tea with pearl joint, they have very unique Vietnamese drinks that I haven't seen elsewhere in the Bay Area. I like the #10, not sure what the name of the drink is but it has grass jelly, red tapioca balls and green pandan jelly in coconut juice with shaved ice on top. The red tapioca balls are chewy on the outside with something crunchy in the middle. The pandan jelly is soft, chewy and taste very fresh every time. There's other interesting combinations that I want to try but I like the #10 so much that I end up getting this whenever I come here. They pack so much stuff into the drink that it's almost like a small meal...I really feel like I get the most bang for my buck for a drink here (it's only $3.25) This is definitely way more interesting and delicious than the overplayed milk tea with pearls. Take note that they are closed on Mondays. read more

Best Bambu location hands down. They're quick with their orders and consistent with their drinks/desserts. My favorite is the #1 on the che menu (bambu special). My second favorite is the popular ba mau #3. This is my family's go-to che place. We've tried other Bambu locations but it's not as good as this one. They level their che more than half way of the cup, leaving little room for ice. Some places leave half cup che, half ice. I personally like little ice in my che, just because by the time it melts, it won't be watery. It's all in your preference but this place has been the best and real consistent. read more

The drinks are alright, not the best, but I'll be back when I'm in town. Two stars for suck customer service, the person who is taking the order needs to light up a little bit, she always has an attitude when taking an order. read more

Wtf... they don't tell you about their stamp card.... Not cool. Sigh.... I feel betrayed.... Fml...

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE BAMBU... this location was the first and I use to go here all the time when I lived in the area... but since I moved, I haven't came back. Now I realized it's a good reason why! I ordered my usual.. #53 STRAWBERRY FANTASY. When I ordered, the lady said you want STRAWBERRY? and I said yeah... and she said the smoothie? I replied yes. She somehow wrote down #49 and I clarified that #53 was strawberry fantasy. Then I said I wanted pearls but no whip cream. She said that it doesn't come with whip cream unless requested. I said okay then I don't want it. 5 minutes later... I get a strawberry smoothie without pearls. I reminded the cashier that I wanted pearls in mine so she told her other female co-worker to add pearls. INSTEAD of pouring the smoothie into another cup, the dumb girl tries to take a smaller cup and pour pearls onto the top 1 inch circle of the cup lid for the straw. I'm thinking WTF? REALLY? who puts pearls on top of a smoothie? not to mention, she didn't really clean off the mess that she had made with the pearl syrup. it was almost all over the lid and sticky as heck. WHO DOES THAT? I had to bug the cashier lady again for napkins since the dispenser was empty... and how annoying. I had to wipe it off myself. They're lucky I still enjoyed my smoothie after going through all of that. Needless to say, NEVER EVER going here again... I'll stick to the Evergreen one! read more

Bambu is a chain with a few locations in the south bay. People like these place over the bigger chains since it's sweet and they make it as you order. I get the jasmine milk tea with lychee jelly and I notice it does taste different from other boba places. Definitely better than Quicklys but I still prefer Fantasia over it. It tastes good especially on a hot day and since there aren't many boba places around there, this spot is a great place for boba. There is very limited seating indoors but there are a few tables and chairs right outside the place to chill with your friends. This place is right next door to 99 ranch so you will see a lot of people grocery shopping with their Bambu boba. Parking around Bambu can be quite difficult because most people are there for grocery shopping. Be careful parking or driving around there! People do not know how to drive. **TIPS** 1) Cash only! 2) They used to have a stamp card but they no longer have it :( 3) Enjoy! read more

My mom sometimes brings home tea/che/sandwiches for my brother and me. I know; we're spoiled. I never knew where she got it. I just assumed it was from your average Vietnamese restaurant. A couple of days ago my friend posted a picture of his combo che on Facebook. It looked so good that I had to go try it! So I looked up where he had gotten it... Bambu. It was the first time I had heard of it. I was so excited I bought two ches... #2 and #5. One combo and one with a ton of avocado. They asked if I wanted the ice separate from the che (which was a nice gesture). I had the avocado one right away and I stored the combo che in the fridge. The avocado che was very yummy! It was like an avocado shake, with chunks of avocado, and some jelly. The next day I open the fridge hoping that my brother hadn't gotten to my combo che before me. To my surprise, there were THREE plastic cups of che! What the hell! It multiplied overnight! This is awesome! My mom finds me staring at the fridge and she asks, "Did you buy che too?" I said yes, I did! She explained to me that she had always gone to Bambu and the che I've been eating has been from Bambu. Then she says, "Yesterday I swore I bought TWO che. This means I'm not too old yet." read more

DURIAN SMOOTHIE!! Where have you been my whole life?? This is the closest you can get to feeling like you are eating a REAL durian but it tastes 20 times BETTER!!! For all you durian lovers out there, you CANNOT live your whole life without trying this DRINK!!! If this was some fictional alternate universe where I could engage in polygamous marriages with various food items, the durian smoothie would definitely be on the top of my "marry me" list!!! Yes!! It's all the hype and EVEN MORE!!!!! Now go TRY ONE!! (As a side note, I got to try the papaya smoothie and the lychee milk tea...which were way over shadowed by the durian smoothie so it wasn't even really worth yelping about...) read more

I went here a couple of nights ago to check out their famous che. I was sadly disappointed..... First of all, I don't like che that much, but there is one that I do happen to love and I order this every chance I get. I was hoping Bambu would deliver the best version of che suong sa hot luu I've ever eaten; however this was not the case. Traditionally, che suong sa hot luu has coconut milk in it. The one I ordered was not filled with coconut milk! In actuality, it was filled with a bland tasting liquid that had no more flavor than slightly sweetened water. Severe disappointment.....I LOVE coconut.... A lot of people compliment this place on how things aren't too sweet. Which was kind of refreshing to me, seeing as how I don't have a sweet tooth at all. But I do like flavor, and this che definitely lacked a lot of flavor. This review is based on how they make che suong sa hot luu only. I haven't tried the other drinks....but after this experience I definitely will not be coming back. read more

I love their "Che" deserts there. They make everything from scratch, even the green jellies that goes into their Che #1. Since there was so many different options available, I asked for the 3 most popular "Che". The girl at the counter recommended #1, #2 and #10. All were a great hit. I bought 2 of each to go. I had no idea I can order it "To Go", meaning, they will pack the shaved ice in a separate plastic bag. This allowed me to bring all 6 to a party nearby and everybody loved it!!! The #1 special was primarily young coconut juice with young coconut slices, a yummy green jelly and some pretty cool little seeds that look like Chia seeds, but I could be wrong. I had some serious "Che" eaters at the party I went to and no one has ever had the #1. And it was everyone's favorite at the party. I should have bought all 6 #1. The others were also very good. No one had any complaints and if anything, everyone loved all 3 flavors. I live in Dublin now, so getting to San Jose is not a common route for me anymore. But the next time I'm in the area, I will swing by and purchase a bunch, since I can take it to go and keep it at home... Great job guys!!!! or girls!!!!..... And oh by the way, I also bought a Vietnamese Ice Coffee from them for my wife as well and she loved it!!! If you like Lee Sandwich's Iced Coffee, you'll love this even more.... read more

My favorite drink from this place is their halo halo. My friend Shuba loves their other drink, forgot the name! Doh! I'll ask her next time. The service is friendly and the girls that work there will recommend drinks and explain what kind they are to you if you have any questions. I also love their big TV. My cousin and I went there couple weeks ago and I got her hooked! Come here if you like exotic drinks. They have this green jelly thing that is REALLY chewie and delicious. Bambu is next door to Poco, which is also another great dessert place if you like shaved ice or ice-cream. read more

$3.25 for a cup of dessert loaded with calories. Ughhhhhh why do all good things contain so much calories? I got their #14 dessert with pandan jelly, red beans milk and ice and really enjoyed it. I have to say though, you should eat it fast if you can, or all the ice melts and you get a more watered down. The entire combination in the cup however was really good and very enjoyable for a warm day. They have a huge menu of tea and desserts to choose from, so I think you'll find something you many enjoy here. read more

I met my friend and fellow Yelper Cindy T. here last night. Located in the same Ranch 99 shopping plaza as Hello Desserts, Bambu is a tiny little café specializing in Vietnamese dessert drinks (che). They also have juice and milk tea drinks. The Che #2 and 3 caught my eye: red, green and yellow bean with taro and pandan jelly. The difference between #2 and 3 is that #2 has pearls, whereas #3 doesn't. We both ordered #3, and as I didn't have cash (CASH ONLY), my friend treated me (thanks Cindyyyy!). They were $3.25 each. It was pretty busy last night, as it was nice weather, and the line was out the door when I got there. We didn't get our drink until about 10 minutes later because it was so crowded, but it was well worth the wait. I've had che at other places, but I definitely like Bambu's a lot, reason being that there wasn't too much ice, and what ice there was, was finely shaved. The only downside is that there isn't much seating, and it's kind of dirty right outside (people seem to like littering and leaving their trash there). Aside from that, it's definitely a yummy sweet treat that I'd probably take to go next time. read more

I'm a fan of their drinks and fresh ingredients, but definitely not a fan of their fresh off the boat w/ major attitude cashiers. I love their dark brick drink and their Suong Sa Hot Luu che. Luckily I like everything in this pre-made dessert, because the cashiers tend to give you a lot of attitude when you ask to substitute things. They also give you the stink eye when you ask for the ice in the side. Basically, if you ask for anything that causes them to do extra work they will make it known that they are unhappy about it. Lucky for them, they make great quality drinks/desserts and they are close to my house so I will continue to return until something better and closer opens. read more

All I have to say is poor customer service. VERY VERY poor. Please get a better order taking system (especially for those who do not know what the desserts are supposed to look like.) They made a mistake on our order and told us "we don't remake orders." HOW IS IT POSSIBLE that you do not fix something thats YOUR FAULT?? Ridiculous!!! I will never come back here again. Save yourself the anger, breath (of having to fight for them to fix THEIR mistake,) and hassle and go to Hello Dessert - where they've never got my order wrong and where the tables are cleaned occasionally. read more