This is a great concept and backed up by excellent food. "Hip Asian compfort food". Meals like Red Curry Shrimp and Grits, which was over grits cakes. So good. Great martini choices...At our table we tried the Green Tea Martini and a Cucumber Martini... both were a great start to the meal. Finish it all of with Lychee Sherbert and it's a great meal. read more

I had heard a lot about Blue Bamboo... rave reviews from lots of people whose opinions I respect. I blame it on the fact that I got to spend a year living in the San Francisco area and my taste buds have since been ruined to anything other than amazing food. Well, especially when there is so much hype. Blue Bamboo is great for the fact that it has an awesome menu, full of unique and creative dishes. It's fun to eat there because it's different, not something you can grab at any ol' place, and the atmosphere is nice. They have done a nice job decorating and making it feel like [relatively] fine dining, even though you're on Southside Blvd. The thing that bothered me was that they smother everything in sauce. I mean smother. I know us southerners love our sauces... but this was extreme. To the point where we had a hard time tasting the food itself and all we could taste was the sauce. I am not huge into sauce. I feel like sauce hides the flavor of the real food and also contains a lot of unnecessary calories and fat. [See how San Francisco has ruined me?] If you like sauce, then you are in for a great treat! If you don't like sauce, maybe ask them to go light on it, or just scoop some off when you get your dishes. It's still a really great place to dine. read more

My wife and I went to Blue Bamboo for dinner for a date night on the recommendation of a good friend. It was refreshing to get a recommendation based not just on the restaurant but based on the them getting to know the chef as frequent customers. It has an open floor plan and it still manages to feel very warm and close. It provided a great atmosphere for conversation. Everything is very clean and tidy. Our server was very friendly and knowledgeable. Her recommendations and feedback were genuine and knowledgeable. When she didn't know about one of the beers on the menu she got asked one of her colleagues to weight in. He was able to recommend the beer and it was great. My wife thoroughly enjoyed the Cabernet that waitress recommended. We tried the Classic 5 Sampler appetizer. I am generally not a big Crab Rangoon fan but I enjoyed this one as much as any I have had. The Shrimp Shao Mai was tasty as was the Pork Potsticker. The Panok-Cheese tomato was good though I could have done without the ranch. Mine and my wife's favorite was the Spring Roll. For entrees we both went with the Honey-Seared Ahi Tuna. This was the highlight of the evening. It was presented quite well which was a nice surprise and it was absolutely delicious. We will definitely be back for date night again. The atmosphere is great for a date. The service was very good. The wine list is very good. The beer list is not extensive but has enough good picks to cover pretty much any beer drinker. The food was presented well and very tasty. No complaints. read more

Without a doubt Blue Bamboo is a must visit for me during every business trip. The staff is spectacular, the menu rewarding, and wine and cocktail selections among the best in the area. If it's your first time, look around, inquire about the chef's cookbook, the interesting weekly specials, and enjoy your time. This is one of Jacksonville's hidden treasures on the culinary trail. read more

I love Blue Bamboo! The food is excellent and cooked to order. Chef will modify any of their menu items if requested. Everything is fresh and hip. Great bar selection and wine. We love to go as date night or with the whole family. read more

Was very disappointed. I'd heard great things but it most certainly did not live up to the hype. If this is Asian fusion then presumably it is Asian food fused with something incredibly boring. The service was fine, easy to make a reservation online and plenty of open tables at 7:30 on a Thursday but the food was blah. We ordered curry mango potato fritters, hoisin lettuce wraps, Singapore Street noodles and canton duck. Fritters big fried breaded potato blobs with a decent spicy mango curry sauce on top (definitely not enough of that). The lettuce wraps were fine, basically the same as every lettuce wrap you've had at any chain ever. Singapore noodles were very bland. We were splitting the duck entree and it came out on two places, each of us getting a leg. It looked like chicken, tasted like chicken, but I guess it wasn't chicken since we paid like it was duck. To top it off it was dry. I enjoyed the plain white rice more... Overall not worth the $100 tab (two apps, a side, an entree and two adult beverages) when you can spend half as much for twice the food that's 10 times better at hawkers. read more

This was my second time here and it was just as amazing as the first. From the welcoming and attentive staff to the amazing food, I had a lovely time! We ordered the dragon whiskers, which are soo good, and didn't leave me with that yucky feeling that I have encountered after eating some fried foods. We also ordered the Singapore street noodles which are delicious and the pork rib eye which melted in my mouth..Chef Dennis Chan talked with us, as he tries to do with all of his customers. He is such a nice guy and he just adds to the overall pleasant ambiance of the restaurant. If you haven't been here, do yourself a favor and go soon! read more

Blue Bamboo - The rice wine (sake) flights - Comfort Food Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

I ordered a chicken fried rice dish and a beef with broccoli dish. They were both utterly bland and flavorless, and the beef pieces had lots of gristle. And the entire menu is fantastically overpriced. What a shame. Avoid this one - don't be fooled by the glam facade. There must be better tasting less pretentious Chinese food out there in Jacksonville. read more

Beautiful inside and out. Great location. Service was good. Food was fresh. It was good , but not great. The food, except for the lettuce wraps , lacked taste. Not tasty sauces. I expected more, especially given the price. Even their famous Orange cake, which was good, was something you could get from Publix. In the end, overpriced and overrated read more

I was not so impressed with my recent visit. The menu is very limited, and does not seem to ever change. This time I selected the sweet and sour pork chop. Although it is usually quite good, this time it was very fatty and under cooked. My wife's sweet and sour chicken was very good, but again very limited choices. I cannot recommend this restraunt, and would tell the owner to change things up. Sad as it is a nice setting, and friendly atmosphere. read more

Honestly I wasn't impressed. Too many deep fried selections. Points for presentation and atmosphere but lacking in the taste department. Nice wine selection, maybe that's where the rave reviews are coming from. Value for money fail. read more

We were excited to try this restaurant since we saw that they will be moving to a newly built restaurant later on San Jose Blvd. Unfortunately, the food was not good. I know this is more of fusion than traditional Cantonese food but it was not memorable. The ribs which were expensive, lacked flavor and was not tender. That was also the case for the General chicken and potstickers. The potstickers seemed store bought. I just hope when the restaurant relocates to San Jose Blvd that the food significantly improves. read more

Its an upscale restaurant with nice ambiance but the food was lacking flavors. Nothing special here, I have ordered sweet and sour chicken and it wasn't anything special ,in fact the great wall chinese on san jose same plaza with Bealls was better and cheaper. read more

In my opinion, one of the most underrated places in Jax. The atmosphere is fun, the food is great and Dennis (the owner) is wonderful. You can almost always find him roaming the dining area checking on the customers, which is so refreshing as you rarely see that among chefs. I am a huge fan of their pad thai- it is lighter and tangier than anything else I have ever tried. Also, I will give this place 5 stars when they add the sweet chilli noodles to the menu :)- they are out of this world. We sampled these at the Best of Jacksonville party last year, the recipe is in his cookbook, but I would be just thrilled if I ever saw them on the menu. I also love the panko chicken and dragon whisker appetizer. read more

This place is great. This is as good as it gets in the Jax area for Asian cuisine. The price is right for the quality. One of my favorite places in Jax. read more

Chef Dennis and that staff at Blue Bamboo are amazing! We love their drinks, apps, entrees and the delicious desserts! I highly recommend their Mandarin Orange cake! Chef Dennis frequently walks the floor and makes it a point to visit guests! read more

Blue Bamboo - Comfort Food Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

Fun! Tasty! Elegant but not hoity-toity... classy. This was Saturday May 30th. It was supposed to be our wedding day, but COVID-19 had other plans so our wedding got bumped back to the end of June. Undeterred, we wanted to go out and celebrate nonetheless. We dressed up in classy finery and trekked out to Southside Boulevard to this establishment I've passed multiple times but never visited, while my bride to be had been there multiple times. I've heard so much about it, but the quality of the experience far exceeded the hype. The staff was professional, friendly, and helpful in every way. We got seated at a lovely table and ordered our drinks. Service was outstanding, and we got some good recommendations for starters and dinner. Everything was delicious, and the prices were quite reasonable for a restaurant this nice. Our waitress even took multiple photos of us, not just at our table but also outside. It was a wonderful evening and a wonderful dining experience in every way. Different from your typical New York style Chinese takeout place. You will see many similar types of dishes, but classed up artfully. Make sure you save room for dessert; the orange cake is amazing! Highly recommend! read more

To start, please know that we are long-time fans of Blue Bamboo. We have been going there for years, and when we were in quarantine, this is the place we got take out from, when restaurants opened, this is the place my Mom chose for her Mother's Day dinner, and my 80 year old Grandfather chose for his birthday dinner. Why? Because this is the kind of restaurant where the food is just so worth going out to, and because the entire staff makes you feel so safe. The real reason I am writing tonight is because we got take out. I have to say, the takeout was just as staggeringly good as eating in. My husband and I just look at each their and say, "Oh my G-d, this is so unbelievably good." My husband got the sweet and sour chicken, the chicken was crisp, juicy and packaged separately from the so good sauce, so you had all the textures and flavors you could want. My pork ribeye, well, it is delicious. Honestly, it is what we dream of when we think of what pork should taste like, and you know, 99% of pork in other restaurants is just a nightmare, but this is 1% that keeps us ordering. I know this is a long review, and I should have done several reviews over several years, but I just don't normally think of it. I just thought our experiences would help if someone was trying SS location, or their new location. In restaurant is amazing, safe and a wonderful experience. (It is our go-to date night place, not only picky family dinner place). Beyond that, the to-go orders are packaged like you would hope them to be, with an thought towards making sure the food is as spectacular at home as it is served immediately in the restaurant. Thank you, Chef and Staff, you are appreciated! read more

This was my first time back to the resturant in a while and couldnt be more happy. Our server Samantha was very attentive and the chef Dennis came out through out the meals to check on us. They create a friendly family feel. If you have a love for wine they are a remarkable offering. Will definitely be visiting again. Its a great hidden gem. read more

Beautiful restaurant, excellent food and service. But incredibly LOUD. They really need to do some sound absorbing decorating.

My daughter, daughter in law, and granddaughter had dinner on 5/14! My daughter wanted to try and support a new restaurant in Mandarin! When we compared the prices from online to the menu we were handed at the restaurant it was at least $3.00 more For each main course! I got the Tra fish which was very good (I recommend) They got beef broccoli noodles ( ok but nothing special) We always try to support and frequent local restaurants but I have to say Blue Bamboo is priced way too high for what you get!, I know the chef has a great reputation and the food is good! But $18.95 for fried rice is a bit much!, The chef needs to check his ego at the door and either cut his prices or add more food to the plate! If not I see him not making it long term! Just one opinion and I'm sure I will get some feedback read more

Overall really good experience. The food and drinks are phenomenal. Definitely worth trying and enjoying a nice evening. The restaurant is stunning. Unique in its own way. Wait staff was a little off beat. Not sure if it's because of the clientele or just newer staff out front. The Javin Rubbed Pork Ribeye was legit mouthwatering. Each delicate bite burst with flavor. Hands down to the Chef and kitchen staff! You guys rock! read more

Too pricey. Food was AWFUL and burned. Desserts and drinks were good. Service was slow and unpredictable. Wait staff although very nice, lacked knowledge. Atmosphere ok. All tolled, I won't go back. read more

I read great things about the food. I read the web site and the menu and while the menu was limited we thought hey the guy has a book it "must" be good...right wrong. good point we were dressed beach casual. The place was empty at 5pm(weekday), kind of a warning sign. 1 other couple was there dressed to the nines. we felt out of place Still its semi small but clean and white table clothes, which is your warning sign that its not going to be cheap food at least not price wise. again YELP needs to break out the ratings for different things. everything gets overrate d on this site. service was excellent, though i had to ask for water with my beer. nice "craft" beer selection. we ordered the shrimp appetizer. Crispy shrimp, you get 5 shrimp for $11.50 tasted very nice. but poor value. the wife got the chili mango salmon. $22.95 plain and tasteless, and under cooked, and the vegs were way under cooked. Does not hold a candle to the bonefish grill I had the Chinese bar b que spare ribs, was nice. but chewy. and a dry dry and not much flavor. @22.95 I really expected more favor and more Chinese, maybe we wanted to much. To those that the place appeals to great, I guess I was hoping for more Asian side. Hey I can cook ribs better drunk. drinks and service was great. food was frankly sub par for those prices. the menu changes some over time. maybe some off menu stuff is great??? We noticed some regulars ordering family style type deal. and knew the, owners, by this time it was after 6pm and there was only 4 table filled. JUST my 2c: here Can you say, one wonders how they survive here? I can.....its matter of time and how much money they can bleed. But the amount they are charging for 1 or 2 cooks, I guess they can hang on for a while longer? maybe they got a late crowd, no telling but they are losing the tourist type dinners..... who knows, we will not ever go back. period read more

Delicious food! The restaurant is very chic and clean! We ordered a bunch of different apps. BBQ Duck wontons, Ahi ceviche and crab wontons. I had the General's Chicken...OMG the crispiest Chicken ever! Our server Jacob L was so kind and attentive! He got an A+ from our table! My only complaint was the crab wontons...we didn't get any crab just all cream cheese. We will definitely be back though! read more

Blue Bamboo just celebrated its 12 anniversary and got a dining room remodel and updated menu. I don't get a chance to come as often as I like so we ate a big variety of the apps plus two entrees. Definitely needed a to go box! The big differences between blue bamboo and most other Asian fusion places in town 1. serene atmosphere you can hear and talk to your dining companions 2. Personal service from all the staff including Chef Dennis 3. Everything is flavorful but not overly salty From app dipping sauces to the entree I didn't feel like I had to gulp water to offset sodium. This happens to me often especially with Asian restaurants locally. Spent about 1.5 hours at the pace we wanted to enjoy dinner and never felt rushed. Everything feels made from scratch not from a freezer. We determined they have Excellent tuna ceviche, the best pork dumpling filling, panko tomato and lychee martini An impressive high end cold sake collection and bubbles list. I don't get to Southside often but we will need to make a point to especially since I don't have to go near the town center to visit. read more

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One of the best restaurants I've ever been too. Excellent food for a reasonable price, and amazing costumer service! Would recommend and would come again! read more

Yum! Wanted to try several thing on the menu, but since we came for lunch I kept it light with a wrap while hubby enjoyed Singapore noodles. Will be coming back for some more hip Asian food!! Oh, and they do dim sum once a month!! read more

The service was great; the portions of the entrees were on point. The food was delicious. We ordered a dumpling sampler for our appetizer. It was tasty, but we were hoping there would be two of each kind so we could both taste each different dumpling. For the main course, my husband ordered the beef stir fry and I had the Asian inspired pot pie. The beef was tasty and tender. My pot pie was also tasty and the fried chicken was amazing. Overall, we had an awesome experience, especially since we went on Mother's Day without reservations. We will definitely be back. Thank you! read more

I have been several times to Blue Bamboo, but this last time was not worth it. I have taken into consideration that it was a very busy night and the restaurant was packed, but the service and food fell way short. First, it took twenty minutes to order after being seated, our water came after our drinks, and we had to ask for our crackers after being seated for over a half hour. This wasn't a huge deal because it was packed and a bit chaotic. The appetizers were amazing, slow, but amazing. I have never had a complaint about the food, but this time it just wasn't all that great. The veggies with my ahi tuna were raw. The tuna was very tasty, but not hot. Dessert. Yes, this is the part where my high hopes were dashed. My brownie was hard as a rock on he outside and a slimey uncooked goo on the inside. It was cold, the ice cream on the side had melted before it even got to me. The bite that I did try tasted like a box mix. I would expect much better. I ordered Earl Grey tea and got jasmine, which was also not hot. There was a running theme of everything being room temperature and slow. There was no excuse for the quality issues. I have been on holidays and very busy nights in the past and while it was a little slow, it was never such poor quality. The building itself and the decor is looking pretty bad as well. There was a crack in the wall, and dust on the surfaces. We had reserved a specific table weeks in advance, only to be placed somewhere else as there were people recently seated at our table. Overall, the food is tasty. I would suggest skipping dessert and give up all hope of having a meal in a reasonable amount of time. Terrible service and general lack of respect for reservations and the specifications of those reservations. While we have gone for the past three years to celebrate an occasion, always at the same table, we will not be returning. Blue Bamboo will now be take-out and our occasions will be celebrated elsewhere. read more

I went there not too hungry so only ordered an appetizer, the classic 5 sampler. It is probably the best appetizer I can remember eating in terms of creativity and taste combined. Very well put together and every single sampler was just perfect, enough variance in flavor that worked well together. The thai-garita was different. But when I mentioned it to the waitress, she knew exactly how to fix it. Very good customer service. Appreciated the fact that the chef took time to greet customers and ask how their food was. Looking forward to try their entrees. read more

If I had to pick a favorite restaurant in town, this is it. Blue Bamboo has been a part of so many life celebrations over the past 12 years since I discovered it and where I always want to go when we have something special to celebrate. This is the best food in town hands down and I've even attended Chef Dennis' cooking classes in the past. I'm a huge fan of the General Chicken and even when it's not on the menu, Chef Dennis will make it for me. Tonight we tried the Fried Rice (normally not a fan at other Asian places) but this one was ahhhhhhmazing. We also tried the Red Curry Shrimp & Grits which was some of the best Shrimp & Grits I've ever had! I highly highly highly recommend this place. read more

I was a little thrown off by the mixture of Asian and southern food styles but was extremely pleasantly surprised. I will definitely be going back read more

I'm just gonna say that this isn't one of my favorites... Although the duck was pretty good the rest of the dishes were lacking, the coconut curried shrimp was just not really good, even the honey ginger Ahi tuna was underwhelming. The martinis were the star of the show sadly, but at least with that and the duck we didn't leave starving. read more

I rather enjoyed my experience here, but I'm lowering my rating from the 5 stars I gave it after my first dining experience here. The service was the best thing about the place: our waiter was top notch. The setting is upscale, but not quite full luxury. The food was pretty good. I started by sharing an order of shortrib tacos ($13). They give you three, so it's a good appetizer to share. They were pleasant, but a bit chewy. They came with nice corn chips. My entree was my favorite dish, and I might get it again: chicken and waffles ($19). It's a Friday and Saturday night special. I love waffles, and these were good. It was a bit larger than I'd like however. Lighter eaters may want to split it. For dessert I had a Mandarin orange cake ($7). It was pretty good, but I'd try another dessert next time (I'd like to try their imported New York cheesecake, the only dessert they don't make themselves). I also had a split of Prosecco ($9). It was fine, but not a spot on the terrific Prosecco I had at Taverna last week. They should list it on the wine list however. I didn't see any sparkling wines by the glass available, asked if there were any, and my waiter told me about the Prosecco and one other option. They only responded to one of the two emails I sent them leading up to this meal, but we still got the round table I'd asked about. With tip the meal came to $50. I'd probably try Blue Bamboo again, but I'd try mostly different dishes. In a previous meal I'd loved their duck wontons, and other reviewers seem to love the dragon whiskers (both are appetizers). Update: tried the once-a-month, Sunday dim sum. It was a 3-star experience. My favorite item may have been the orange crunch cake for dessert. I'd probably get it again. The chef, Dennis Chan, came by after our meal and gave us the remaining two pieces, which were smushed-up, to go, complimentary, after I mentioned to my companion that it had won a national award. The steamed pork buns ($6) were good as always, but I've had better: probably with more or richer filling versus bread. The red bean pastry desserts (five small ones for $6) were quite good, but I still prefer egg-custard style desserts at dim sum places. The Chinese broccoli with garlic ($9 for about two people's worth) was pretty good. The pan-fried potstickers ($6) were fine, but the least interesting dish we had: fair to pleasant. So the food was probably below the average dim sum place to me, just pleasant. The restaurant was mostly full this Sunday afternoon, and louder than I like. They had a nice-looking back party room that fits about 12. read more

Surprisingly Amazing experience here! After leaving St. John's Town Center because of 90+ minute waits to eat, we found Blue Bamboo. It was Saturday evening around 7pm. The restaurant looked nice but I was a little skeptical because there weren't very many people there. The wait staff was terrific! The food... AMAZING! One could say that initially the menu is intimidating because the entrees are a little high priced compared to anywhere else, but when our meals were delivered, it was more than worth the price! Not only was the meal presentation beautiful, it tasted delicious! I had the General's Chicken (something I would not normally order). I was shocked at the beautifully plated unique rendition of the "General's" chicken, definitely a meal for a king. My boyfriend got the red curry shrimp stir fry and it was also amazing! read more

Service was fine, food was alright but way overrated and overpriced. Won't be coming back.

I love this place. If Asian Fusion is your thing then this is a must go to place. Chef Dennis Chan is a special artist &, having met him a couple of times, a real down to earth guy. Or server, Heather, was attentive, yet left us alone at the right moments. The four of us split the Dragon Whiskers (zucchini fries) and the wife & kid ate the calimari. Not a fan of squid but I must admit they at least looked good. The fries just needed a little salt, but I ended up dipping them in the wasabi sauce that came with the calimari. ¡Delicioso! My salmon was cooked to a perfect rare but the stir fried vegetables needed salt. Again this was solved by the extra Sriracha and Asian chili sauce Heather brought out for me. The cucumber martini was nice and light, perfect for the pre-meal, & the chocolate mint martini (off menu) was a perfect dessert. They even brought out a small scoop of butterscotch ice cream for the wife's birthday & ALL of the other servers wished her a happy birthday-MAJOR PROPS. Can't wait to go back. read more

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More than Hip Asian Comfort Food (which is delicious and one of my favorite menus in town), Blue Bamboo chef, Dennis Chan, can whip up any style menu you choose for your events. Interested in his beautiful event space for my wedding rehearsal dinner, I inquired about his large party menu. Dennis so cleverly suggested we offer a Dominican-themed menu to give guests a glimpse into out honeymoon; THIS menu still has my guests talking! It was delicious. I highly recommend you consult Dennis with your themed party and guarantee you will not be disappointed. I also want to acknowledge the amazing staff who is very attentive, the fact that they have all been there for years speaks volume to the quality of their product! read more

Fabulous, unique & creative food, beautifully prepared & presented. Great ambiance, friendly staff. One of Jacksonville's best restaurants. You realize this because while you're there, you don't feel like you're IN Jacksonville! A big thumbs up! read more