I had been to the Southside location in the past and was happy they decided to relocate closer to my hood. Since opening I was seeing mixed reviews but it's what makes the world go round right? Anyway, our party of 8 arrived to a packed house on a Friday night prime time. Parking is a premium here and they may need to address that issue sooner than later - which is a good thing if you think about it. The interior has a minimalist feel with very little decor on the walls. Not sure if that is the plan or if they will be adding some things later. Our table which was closest to San Jose had the highest ceiling and it made conversation hard since it was so loud. The lettuce wraps appetizer had an intense flavor offset by the cool lettuce leaves. My Velvet Yu Kew was so well named as the fish was oh so velvety the way it was prepared along with the sauce. The bok choy, carrots, and mushrooms were a perfect combination to enhance the entree. The reason for the 4 stars is the generals chicken was pretty ordinary. It wasn't bad and it wasn't your take out covered in batter and swimming in sauce. In fact, it was pounded chicken breasts crunchy coated. It just felt like an adult sized kids meal. The other critique is the rice serving with the meals. It was scoop just a little bigger than a golf ball. Entree serving sizes were ample so my guess is that if you decide to share, they'll get that extra $2.25 from you for another golf ball of rice. Similar to a Japanese teppanyaki if you share. Just a small annoyance. Again, happy they relocated. I recommend being more adventurous and avoiding the adult kids meals. Also check out their menu items that require 24 hour notice. Those look very interesting. Welcome to Mandarin!! read more

Blue Bamboo - Velvet Yu Kew. Excellent - Comfort Food Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

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Service was amazing. Staff were very knowledgeable about the menu. Food and drinks were really good. I feel like this place is a hidden gem. read more

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Met my bestie there on Wednesday and we were so happy with everything. The restaurant is very serene when you enter. We were greeted and brought to a table immediately. Our drinks were brought and we ordered. I had Generals Chicken which came with rice and a spring roll, my friend had the sweet and sour chicken, which came with the same rice and roll. Food was delicious. Usually we end up taking half our food home, but not this time. We finished every morsel. We will definitely be back. Our waitress was terrific and we loved our Robot Man. read more

Your name has value and Chef Dennis Chan name is priceless His familys reputation for being innovative and a forerunner in our community with volunteering for events like Caring Chefs is incomparable. His love of sharing his kitchen experiences has brought memorable times to many just like when ever I engage his own Mandarin Orange cake...mmmmm They now have a new chocolatier in the back of the house as a new adventure. Several flavors to sample in truffles. They are very experienced in doing various events..they will even bake the cakes. Try a cooking class event or watch there calendar for Dimsum Sundays. Try BB for a valued experience and be a part of their story... read more

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The staff was wearing masks. Nice new upscale Chinese restaurant. All of the food was good. The drinks were just ok... I ordered a cocktail and it was a little on the weak side and in a very small glass with a lot of ice. The ice tea was horrible. And it cost $4.00. I ordered the general's chicken. Very tasty and crispy. It could have used more sauce... also they brought the rice in a separate bowl and it was the size of a small ice cream scoop. There was a total of 4 filets of chicken, so it was a generous serving, but there was not enough rice, and they were charging $2.25 for extra rice. We ordered the 5 piece sampler as an appetizer, and it was a good variety. But a little pricey compared to what you get at other Chinese restaurants. With a restaurant that is upscale like this, I felt as though they were skimping on the little things which tainted the overall experience. I'm not sure if the experience made up for the pricing either as the very loud acoustics made it difficult to converse within our own table. Hopefully, the longer they are open, they will learn and have a chance to get the kinks worked out. It's nice to have another dining option in the San Jose area. Also, they need to remove the tacky and rusty taped- up "NOW OPEN" sign in the dining area. The service was attentive but lacking in personality for an upscale restaurant. read more

Blue Bamboo - General's Chicken - Comfort Food Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

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This is one of my favorite restaurants! The food is delicious with a lot of choices and the service is excellent. I go occasionnally with a group of girls who also love this place. Love the decor and desserts, too! read more

The history of the name of the restaurant and of its chef, Chef Dennis, is fascinating. It has been a real fixture on the foodie scene for Duval county for a long time. Having said that, I rarely go here but I really enjoy the food when I do. Why rarely, well a few reasons actually: 1) It is an out of the way place for me for lunch 2) It is an out of my way place for dinner. 3) The food is good but a tad bit pricey. On my most recent visit my daughter and I stopped in by chance, as we were in the area. She has a gluten and dairy allergy and there was almost nothing on the menu she could eat. Our server was FANTASTIC and found a few things she could choose. The food was good, but again, a tad too pricey for what we got. One thing that really took away fro out meal was they did a job interview for a bartender position at an open table. It happened to be so loud that everyone in the restaurant heard 100% of the interview and it was quite uncomfortable. Not sure what could have been different, but it felt like we were intruding, if that made sense. read more

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Great food and service. This is an upscale Asian sit down restaurant good for dinners with family or a nice date spot. There's a little robot that brings your food to your table which is a fun little bonus too. read more

Blue Bamboo - Comfort Food Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

We were really disappointed by the food overall. The food was very bland, basic, and overpriced. It's definitely not worth the price. Unfortunately, this spot is a no for me. If you're looking for flavorful, authentic chinese I'd go elsewhere. I wouldn't recommend it at all. read more

My lunch was so delicious. The portion size was generous. My shrimp was very tasty. I really enjoyed the mandarin orange cake. I will come back for dinner. read more

Beautiful restaurant. Very clean. They provided great service but we did not go there for the decor. Let's get to the food. We ordered the veggie spring rolls. They were almost inedible. The filling was basically a paste with no discernible veggies. An epic fail! The main dishes we ordered were honey garlic shrimp and General Tso chicken. The menu calls it "General's chicken" so as not to confuse it with the real General Tso's that everyone is used to. They were both very tasty but not really what was expected. The chef has decided to re-imagine Cantonese food so while the taste was worth it, the product was not. It is so difficult to write a review of this place because what you expect is not what you get. The best I can say is that based on what we ordered you will not be disappointed with the taste or quality of the main dishes but it is not your grandmother's Cantonese restaurant. Stay away from the veggie spring rolls. The waitstaff is top notch and the food is priced accordingly. read more

My wife and I just dined at the Blue Bamboo Canton Bistro after reading numerous positive reviews. Many reviews proclaimed it as the most authentic delicious Cantonese food in the area. Our expectations were high and we were excited to visit the restaurant under award winning Chef Dennis Chan. The restaurant, located on San Jose Boulevard, is modern decor, spacious dining room and has plenty of parking. Our server was personable, enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the menu items. We started our meal with the Fried Pork Potstickers. The dumplings were not crispy enough and the accompanying dipping sauce was not good. We prefer the traditional sauce with soy, ginger, garlic, scallions with chili or sriracha. My wife opted for the Curry Salmon and Shrimp. The seafood was fresh and cooked well but nothing to write home about. The dish was served on a bed of vegetables ... broccoli, carrots, celery, bok choy and possibly some onions. My wife is British, she is very familiar with cooking with curry. We understand that curry dishes are also very subjective. The curry in this Salmon and Shrimp dish was bland, nothing special especially at $ 33.00. I ordered the General's Chicken. It is their spin on traditional General Tso's chicken, a dish I have had hundreds of times in my life living in the metropolitan areas of NY City and Boston. The menu describes the dish as crispy fried chicken breast meat tossed in chilies with peppers and onions with steamed rice. My chicken was dry, overcooked and served in a tasteless sauce. Extremely disappointing considering all the great reviews of the Blue Bamboo. The best item we sampled was the Mandarin Orange Cake. It is their award winning signature dessert. It was absolutely delicious! The highpoint of the meal. We had great expectations visiting the Blue Bamboo as many reviews proclaimed it as the most authentic Cantonese restaurant in the JAX area ( No yellow fried rice). Maybe it was an off day, but we found the Blue Bamboo to be disappointing and highly overrated. read more

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Todays choice for some Asian cuisine for lunch was definitely the right one. Upon entering the large and spacious interior I was greeted by the owner Chef Dennis and Manager Tina. Both were so welcoming and had great smiles to share with me while being seated. My waitress named Lacey was also very kind and professional. I ordered the tasty and savory ribs that came with mixed vegetables and white rice recommended by a friend. The food delivered to my table by robot "Booey" was fresh and delicious. The portions were perfect. To compliment the great tasting lunch, seating was very comfortable. The interior clean and super roomy. Parking is conveniently located on the property. Looking forward to my next lunch and/or dinner visit soon! read more

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OMG! This was a dream come true no exaggeration! I've been hoping to come here for quite some time when they were at the other location. I wanted to get into the Sunday dim sum offering for YEARS! So when the opportunity came up to eat dinner there, I jumped at it. There were five of us for dinner and from beginning to end, it was a great experience. We ordered three different appetizers, drinks, we all got entrees and then we shared the famous orange cake. I'm going to start with the cake. We were full and they've had it before so we just shared the one piece but had I known, I would have made everyone order their own! I didn't know (smh) that I would be mad at everyone for taking it away from me, but now I do. From now on, I will order a piece before and after dinner! So so good. The cake is like a really good carrot cake on steroids. Shares similar color and texture but this cake, this cake, leaves the best carrot cake looking like a little Debbie. Everything was just outstanding. read more

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Elegant setting, pleasant staff and varied menu. A group of 5 adults, we shared appetizers of spring rolls and crab Rangoon. The we ordered the following main dishes: basil-miso salmon, pepper steak, Vietnamese Tra Fish, coconut chicken and lo mein. Desserts: cream brûlée and mandarin orange cake (hands down the best dessert!) The cost of dinner for 5 adults was $190.00. Since we were celebrating a retirement the owner came by our table to greet us. Ashley was helpful waitress and she aided by the robot waiter which gave everyone a good chuckle. read more

I've been to this establishment and the old location multiple times. They even catered my surprised 30th birthday party a few years ago at my house which my other half set up and I was extremely surprised. We have hosted multiple family events like graduation, gender reveal, Chinese New Year, birthdays and other occasions at this restaurant. I'll now write about my last visit. It was back in September for my birthday. As always we love the food and selection that they offer and I appreciate when they cater to special requests. We always pre-order our food and since my family enjoys family style meals they always help set that up. The food was amazing which pics are below and the service was magnificent. The chocolate are great too.. WINDY HILLS The restaurant has private rooms for any events Highly recommended this establishment for both regular service and group events. Denise and his staff are amazing I can't seem to find the 10 Stars . Unfortunately it only allows me to give 5 stars lol read more

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I wish there was a half star rating because this is a solid 3.5. While the atmosphere gives a sleek, modern atmosphere, most of the menu feels more like your neighborhood Chinese restaurant. We were expecting a little more prep with the appetizers - they all tasted like the mass-ordered, frozen foods you can get in the grocery store. The wait staff was nice but slow - it was a Saturday night, but the section was rather small. The price matches the atmosphere but not the quality of the food. read more

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Woo woo Blue Bamboo! Everything I had here knocked my socks off. Highly recommend this gem. The robot delivering food also is a great show. read more

Blue Bamboo - Comfort Food Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

Recently came here to try out their monthly dimsum special. Ambience is very nice as it is spacious. Presentation of food was very fancy. However, the dimsum did not taste like the authentic dimsum. Lotus sticky rice barely had any chicken/meat. The sesame ball and pineapple buns tasted a little odd. Waiter was very nice and attentive though. Would not come again unless the chef improves the quality of the food. Try Tim Wah for more authentic dimsum. read more

Been wanting to try this place for a while but it's not open Saturday lunch. We went today. It is a very nice restaurant. Great looking bar area! The decor is very upscale. Menu is varied lots of shrimp and chicken dishes. I ordered Kung pao shrimp bowl it was really tasty, great sauce comes with s crispy spring roll and white rice. My husband ordered beef and broccoli of the dinner menu. He was not very excited about the price! Lunch is brought on a cute little robot thing, that Made up for the expensive lunch. I would definitely go back. It is in the high side for Chinese but it is clean and tasty. read more

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I enjoyed the Honey Ginger Shrimp with Broccoli and rice. It was the perfect balance of sweet and salty. I really enjoyed the spring roll appetizer. This was my first time at this location and the service and atmosphere were even better than the Southside location. They have happy hour specials on select food and cocktails for $5 until 6pm at the Mandarin Bar. There's also a sweet shop here. read more

So we tried BB again but afraid not anymore impressed. Had a good cocktail a cucumber smash. That said our waiter spilled part of it on way to table and still just served it 3/4 full. It is a beautiful dining room and very large. Super comfortable chairs. We shared the mixed appetizer - 5 pieces, Rangoon, spring roll,shumai, dumplings. Spring roll virtually all cabbage. Rangoon and shumai hard as a rock on outside and very little filing. Not allot of flavor. Small amount of dipping sauce under each is not practical for sharing. My husband had the duck $38, he was underwhelmed. I tried the honey shrimp - they were beautiful, large shrimp, perfectly cooked with lovely broccoli spheres also beautifully prepared. Portions are small don't expect to take any home. read more

I was visiting Jacksonville and stumbled upon this place. What a great find! The food was delicious! Fresh and perfectly cooked. Ribs were juicy and had a nice char taste. Pan fried noodles and the lo mein were like New York Chinatown! The fried zucchini sticks were so good! Light and crispy and not oily! The bartender Holly made the best cocktails! The restaurant is beautiful and the staff was so nice and accommodating to my food requests. I would definitely recommend this restaurant if you are in Jacksonville Florida. We tried other places in Jacksonville on our vacation and this was our favorite!!!! A must ! read more

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Over all it was a good experience. Food was good. We ordered the dim sum sampler and the egg rolls. For dinner we had the chicken fried rice, sweet and sour chicken that didn't get great feed back because it had a smokey taste to it and the tuna dish. Service was great, manager checked on us multiple times and our waitress was very sweet and helpful. The area we weren't happy with was the bar staff. Waited entirely way to long for drinks only to have them made incorrectly and its probably because she was taking multiple orders from multiple customers at the bar. The bar wasn't busy either including us 2 other parties. read more

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We've been talking about going to this restaurant for quite some time now, but we always find a way to go somewhere else instead for whatever reason. Last weekend we finally decided to go and just had an amazing time. The waiter (I wish I could remember his name but he's worked there for 6 years) definitely knew how to spark great conversation, communicate the details of many menu items, and make us feel very welcome. He had a touch of sarcasm, but that's my kind of style and I appreciated that. We started out with the barbecue duck crisps and they were phenomenal. Quite crispy! I also had a crispy honey glazed shrimp entree which I loved, but wish it was a little bit more food. Finally, we ended with a tea-based creme brulee that was delightful. Our server mentions that it wasn't too sweet and he was spot on! Side note: a funny anecdote was that my girlfriend and I kept on laughing a little because they do have an electric bus boy and serving machine of sorts. So much so that we ended up looking online to see how much one of those things cost and we're also laughing at how awkward it can look sometimes while also seeing how other customers were staring at it. Overall we really had a wonderful time here and would definitely recommend it. We'll definitely be coming back. read more

Blue Bamboo - BBQ Duck Wonton Crisps - Comfort Food Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

There are better options in Jacksonville. The food is flavorless, it is expensive, and the inside is clinical. It was disappointing all the way around. read more

This place has been amazing every time we have been here! Chef Dennis is absolutely fantastic and very personable. Always a wonderful treat. I highly recommend the generals chicken. read more

After hearing great things about Blue Bamboo we decided to give it a try on a weeknight. We all agreed that it was much better than what you'd typically think of as Chinese food. It wasn't as greasy or salty compared to your go to Chinese take out place. We were impressed by the flavors and freshness of our meals. We left satisfied after our meal and kept talking about how fresh and tasty it was! We also started with the egg-rolls and they were delicious. read more

Blue Bamboo - Kung pao chicken stir fry - Comfort Food Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

Beautiful new location in Mandarin. Amazing staff and customer service, The new place is gorgeous and modern inside and out. Chef Dennis added a nice touch with the family photos on canvas hanging in the dining area beside the bar. We started with the 5 dumpling sampler which I highly recommend. The different types of dumplings are each served with a unique sauce that compliments nicely. For my entree I ordered the Curry chicken bowl . It was way too spicy for me but will be eaten. My husband ordered the garlic fried shrimp it was panco breaded and fried with a honey garlic sauce and served with white rice. Delicious! 2 teas and the lunch meal came out to $70. Go at least once and enjoy ! read more

Great atmosphere and service but that's it. Food is overpriced, and absolutely BLAND! We were disappointed in such a missed opportunity here, but it seems the owner or chef has a "tasting" handicap, because the Beef brocolli and the Rice stir-ftry dishes lacked any depth or discernable flavor whatsoever. We had to ask the server for Soy Sauce after a few minutes -- the food was that bland. Now, after reading the yelp reviews, our impressions are confirmed by many other reviews. We'll be looking elsewhere for a great Chinese restaurant in JAX. (They seem to be few and far between) read more

I've been back to Blue Bamboo half a dozen times since I penned my initial review. It's important to re-evaluate reviews after giving them second and third chances. Chef Dennis and co. deserve a star update. With a crazy amount of businesses opening up in the Southside area, old businesses might get lost in the shuffle. However, we need to celebrate the fact that Blue Bamboo has been serving Jax for 13 years! A stunning renovation took place within the last few months. From signage to chairs to menus, Blue Bamboo has upped its game. Luckily, Chef/Owner Dennis still has the same smile on his face and his classic Chinese comfort dishes on deck. Remember, it's hip Asian comfort food; not Chinese take out. The presentation alone is mind-boggling. I might be wrong, but I think the portion sizes have increased. One thing's for sure, you will not go home hungry! General's Chicken, Canton Pork Egg Rolls, Dragon Whiskers (the best zucchini fries you'll ever try) and so much more are undeniable winners on the wide-ranging menu. Want something off menu? Just ask the server and they'll more than likely accommodate your crazy request! I'm so glad I brought some friends here a few nights ago. It's been way too long since dining at Blue Bamboo, and I'm going to proactively try to make it happen more often. The food only seems to be getting better over time! With a great family history serving the community, the Chan's have earned their stripes in Jax. read more

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Never had. Bad experience in this restaurant. Food is always in point. Servers are friendly and very accommodating. Drinks are very innovative. This is one of our favorite restaurants. read more

The entrance to the restaurant was a bit awkward. The main entrances looked like a side entrance and wasn't as grand as I was expecting. They have two entry ways; one each side of the building, to accommodate for the one way parking lot. Both doors lead to a centered hostess stand with dining areas surrounding. The break up of the dining area wasn't very imitate as some areas were blocked off by walls and doors. I would describe the interior structure as more modern but very clean, simple, and plain. Order: crispy duck wonton, shrimp in lobster sauce, crispy tra fish. The night started out good but after 10 minutes of placing our appetizer we were still waiting. After 30 minutes passed our server came to the table to let us know the kitchen was backed up. After another 15 minutes; a total of 45 minutes, the manager dropped off the appetizer. She apologized for the wait and she would have it comped. 30 seconds behind her, I see our server heading our way with our appetizer in her hand. There's clearly some communication error in the kitchen and it needs to be addressed and fixed. There shouldn't be any reason as to why it took 45 minutes to make an appetizer, especially the one we were served. The menu described it as duck served with cabbage over crispy wontons. I didn't find a single piece of duck meat, it was basically sauce and cabbage over 3 fried sheets of wonton. Despite the misleading description of the plate, the flavors were there. Immediately after, our main courses arrived (before we were able to swallow our first bite of the appetizer). Again the flavors were on point. Everything had our taste buds dancing. The portion of the shrimp in lobster sauce was large enough to feed a child. For an entree to be priced over $25, one would expect more than 8 shrimps and a scoop of rice and better presentation on the plate. The tra fish however was better presented and larger in portion size. I did enjoy the meal. Everything was prepared really well. As far as service, our server wasn't knowledgeable about the menu items (she was unable to answer most of the questions I had), she wasn't rude but she could have been more attentive and concerned. The kitchen service was super slow. Taking into consideration price, serving portion, presentation, taste, different entree options, Blue Bamboo is okay. If they can knock it out of the park like they did with flavor, this place would be top 10 for me. read more

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I really wanted to love this place. First it's absolutely beautiful...second the wait staff is stellar. Lastly the food was very overpriced and mediocre. Got many apps and no home runs. Lunch bowl were just ok and the chef forgot to give us rice until we asked for it later in our meal. Two apps Two lunch specials and one ice tea with tip..$83 read more

Blue Bamboo - The new location - Comfort Food Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

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Great spot. Stopped by after passing it several times off hours. Finally got in there and it was all I'd hopped for. Curried chicken with rice and beans were amazing. Not too spicy so you could taste all the flavors develop. I also had the oxtail. I love oxtail and this dish was no exception. Savory and tender. They were attentive and helpful. Very clean. That's a big deal for me as I'm not unfamiliar with restaurant kitchens. You can see the kitchen from the counter and the place is immaculate. A clean chef is one that pays attention to details and runs a tight ship. Flavorful, friendly and I didn't have to wait forever. Perfect spot for a decadent take out lunch. The medium container was easily enough for me and I was hungry. They also kept spooning on meat and vegetables. It's not cheap but you get all you pay for. Can't recommend them enough. read more

Ok, and sure the food is good, but SO overpriced and overrated.... The dim sum is fancy and the robot thing and all is ridiculous. Sorry, I just want a great meal that's fairly priced. read more

Wow, my birthday dinner was a bust! I have eaten her before one the Southside location. The service was terrible, mostly the attitude of the server. Food was even worse! I'm sorry I spent my time and money there! Yuck never again! read more

Living in Jax my entire life I've passed this building about 9999999999 times. I believe it's been several things throughout the years, but Blue Bamboo is finally what got me to stop. My work team and I (6 people) ventured out for a unique celebratory lunch - something different than the quick salad stop or a sandwich joint. We wanted to escape the busyness of life and Blue Bamboo was the perfect way to do this. The location was tranquil and welcoming, and so was the staff. Our server was SO friendly, helpful and welcoming and ensured we knew everything about the menu selections and offerings. All of our dishes were lovely, and I believe everyone enjoyed. My ONLY pain point here is the price. The lunch menu had, what I felt to be, more dinner-like price tags. Nonetheless, it was a lovely establishment and would definitely be a wonderful treat, on occasion! read more

Blue Bamboo - Comfort Food Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

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I was extremely excited to finally dine here only to leave disappointed with my choice of food which was the ribs - the flavor was there, delicious but the ribs were NOT tender and on the tough side. I will give Bistro my own definition of expensive. $19 for fried rice that I notice on another table didn't even look tempting to order next time if there is one. read more

Blue Bamboo - Chinese BBQ Spareribs - Comfort Food Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

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The Service was horrible. 45 minutes to receive our drink order. Different waitress brought the wrong appetizer. Waiter was very unpleasant. Food was very ordinary. At previous location food was very good. Very Very NOISEY AND AN AWFUL EXPERIENCE. Sorry ,never will return. read more