We love this place, Great appetizers and delicious PHO! Our favorite place to eat for PHO The interior is very comfortable and we love the atmosphere. The service is always great and they also offer takeout which we enjoy often. I don't think there is a better Pho place in San Diego. read more

Great celebration lunch at Le Bambou with all the precautions in place. Seated in a booth with no one around us, partitions in place, 100% of staff are vaccinated and wearing masks for all the patrons. We had Golden Coins for an appetizer which is BBQ ground pork where you wrap in rice paper and put your desired condiments inside. Then we had a shrimp salad of nice plump shrimp with a Vietnamese twist, and their Clay Pot Rice "Le Bambou". All the dishes were delicious and we can't wait to go back and try more dishes. This is not your regular pho' place, they have a large selection of interesting dishes. read more

Tried several recommended dishes: Shaking beef is good The house special pho is fine But the clay pot is a total disaster - no flavor at all yet all burned in the bottom, tasted like burned wood. read more

Le Bambou - House special 8. Clay Pot Rice Le Bambou Flavorless yet burned. Absolutely not recommend - Vietnamese Near Me - Del Mar, California

Wow. My husband Henry just left a 5 star reviews, and I'm here to do the same! I was impressed with the all white and elegant decor the moment we walked in. We spent the entire day at a LEGOLAND, dinner here was the perfect place for us to unwind. Our dinner was very pleasant. The food was great and the service was attentive. My husband ordered the pho and I ordered the seafood with tamarind sauce. The moment I had a taste of his pho, I had to order a second bowl for myself. My husband and I are born and raised in Vietnam. We also live 15 minutes from Little Saigon in Orange County (there are ALOT of pho and Vietnamese restaurant). My husband ALWAYS order pho at every Vietnamese restaurant... me, not so much. I rarely ever eat pho. But WOW, I ordered a second bowl of pho for myself because it was THAT good. This is the best pho my husband and I have ever had. Seriously, go here and order the pho. You will not be disappointed. I can't wait to tell all of our friends in Orange County. The owner was so kind to us and our two years old. Great service is always a plus in addition to the amazing food. read more

I got this dish via doordash. It came with additional sauce to pour on top of the noodles. The overall dish isnt too salty, but the rest of the dish wasn't stand out enough for me to sense any other flavors. The noodle texture was slightly sticky while the veggies were slightly undercooked. read more

Le Bambou - Stir fried veggies with bean curd w rice noodle - Vietnamese Near Me - Del Mar, California

Le Bambou Restaurant in Del Mar is considered a mainstay in this area. It's been around for ages and has managed to survive the times. I cannot remember if I've ever visited but I vividly remember seeing Le Bambou Restaurant every time I visit this part of town. The restaurant is tucked away in a corner of this re modeled strip mall and rarely seems busy. Friend and I were done with work one late afternoon so we thought it would be nice to try out this restaurant. They serve wine here but you are welcome to bring your own. I believe their corkage fee is $15 or $20? We tried: Crispy Shrimp Tempura: - This wasn't exactly the tempura I had imagined. It was more Hawaiian style than Japanese/Vietnamese tempura style. The shrimp is nicely breaded and decently plump. You can make a low carb wrap using the lettuce and mint leaves they provide on the side. Crispy Soft Shell Crab $24: - This wasn't the dish or presentation I had envisioned in my head. The plate was piled with a mess of fried 'stuff' (as friend commented). Not that this has to be a bad trait but I had pictured something a bit cleaner/refined for whatever reason. The crab was battered and then deep fried. The crab was decently meaty and tasty ok. But it was difficult to taste the true crab as it was covered with so much salty fried onion and green onions. I think there were also pieces of snow crab deep fried in there too. Chicken Curry (lunch special): - The curry isn't thick which I didn't mind. The meat was tender but I prefer dark meat in my curry. There was a nice amount of onions and carrots as well. Stir-Fried Beef and Vegetables ( lunch special): - We preferred the stir fry over the curry. The beef was wok'd well and tasted delicious with the fresh vegetables. Each lunch special comes with two pieces of wontons. They looked more like cute empanadas. The lunch specials also comes with house made chicken soup. The soup is more porridge than anything and I loved it. The consistency was smooth and tasted comforting with just the perfect amount of seasoning. The fresh cilantro on top was refreshing. Service was great. Our waters were consistently refilled and the man always had a kind smile. The prices are high here so try to visit during lunch to try out a few dishes. read more

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Just an incredible restaurant. The food was amazing - we ordered some vegan things like the vegetable ambrosia where you make your own spring rolls, was fun and so yummy and some meat dishes and everything was delicious. The service was so kind and attentive, a family owned restaurant. Definitely recommend, even the leftovers the next day were delicious. read more

This is one of those "WOW" places. Never disappoints and I try and come once a week, it's that good. Everything is fresh, made to order and the quality of the food is excellent. Service is always helpful and friendly. The portions are excellent also, often more than I can eat. You are definitely getting your money's worth here. This is a very legitimate Vietnamese restaurant serving great food. Worth the drive from anywhere. Looks like from the plaques on the wall they have been voted best Vietnamese restaurant in San Diego several times over. Enjoy. read more

Impeccable service and delicious food every meal I've ever had at Le Bambou for many years! I can definitely understand why it has been voted the best Vietnamese food in SD for 15+ years! The chicken curry with all the veggies added is my favorite comfort food dish here! The chicken is so tender and juicy with the fresh veggies and rice ! Don't miss out! I recommend the spring rolls as well read more

This spot blew me away! I have never been to a Vietnamese restaurant where the menu was all in english before. This had me a bit worried about the authencity of it, but minutes after I ordered, the food all came out so fast & so incredibly delicious. We ordered the fried tofu, shrimp & crab egg rolls which was crisp to perfection & so flavorful. The noodle soup dish was packed with umami flavors - the meat & shrimp cake was really juicy still too! Server was attentive and very kind. Would totally recommend checking this spot out for some great viet cuisine! read more

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Four stars for food + two stars for service/decor = an overall three star experience. After living nearby for almost four years, I finally visited Le Bambou for dinner last week and found that it was nothing like I had expected it to be. I thought that a Vietnamese restaurant would perhaps have a bit of culture to its decor but instead it looked like I had taken a time machine back to the 1980s. The color scheme reminded me of my Barbie's Dream House from my childhood. Definitely a strange vibe. We were also less than impressed with our server, who took our order and then disappeared for the rest of the meal. No water refills for us, I guess. I ordered the Hot and Spicy Chicken Rice Noodle Soup. My only experience with Vietnamese food is pho and this was the closest thing on the menu. I asked the waiter how spicy it would be and he assured me that it wasn't too spicy. I could taste a bit of spice and could faintly feel the burn on my lips but even for a spice wimp, like me, it wasn't too spicy. I'm sure if you prefer your soup to be spicier that they could add some extra spice but for me it was perfect. My date ordered the Sauteed Bean Curd with Tomatoes, Mushrooms and Onions and thought his food warranted a four star rating as well. As far as Vietnamese restaurants go, Le Bambou is definitely on the pricier side. Many of the entrees run around $15. I think I'd rather go to one of the more affordable mom and pop type restaurants, save a few bucks and enjoy food that is just as good. read more

Le Bambou - Hot and Spicy Chicken Rice Noodle Soup - Delicious but not hot nor spicy - Vietnamese Near Me - Del Mar, California

Great choice for very tasty Vietnamese food. All dishes are excellent and the service is quite good. Of course, with the COVID we have been enjoying the take out. The only criticisms are: 1) keep some plates and silverware at the cashier so one doesn't have to wait for it 2) MSG. it really not needed This is meant as help to the owners. Not a criticism. I always tend to overtop since I have been enjoying this restaurant for MANY years read more

I've lived in the area for a few years now and ago finally decided to visit Le Bambou restaurant for dinner. As other reviewers pointed out, the decor feels a bit dated, pink walls, glass tiles.. nothing in the restaurant points out that this is a Vietnamese establishment, except there are lots and lots of bamboo plants everywhere. We settled on two chicken dishes: sauteed eggplant with chicken/basil/ and sauteed Chicken with lemongrass/hot peppers. Our plates came out incredibly fast and looked almost identical. Both entrées were very watery and soup-like, simple plate presentation. The chicken was dry and chewy however the sauces that were poured over the chicken were flavorful. I got the feeling that this is an "upscale" Vietnamese restaurants so don't expect to see pho on the menu. Our chicken dishes were $15 each but it was definitely not worth the price, i'd say go to Convoy st and you will get the same dish for much better price. read more

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This is a decent Vietnamese restaurant. The atmosphere is very nice, with candle and bamboo decoration on each table. The food tastes very good. They also have plenty of vegetarian options, which makes them a good choice to accommodate everyone's meal need when eating in a group. read more

I had my first take out pho from them . What a surprise I bought it home...it had all the ingredients I needed but had no clue how to make it ! Lols! I called them and they were sooo cool about it.......guided me through it all....and the end result was the BEST pho I have ever had! Their egg rolls with meat, after the first bite, I went kerplunk! Whoa dang! This place brings out the best Vietnamese food I have had ! You won't be disappointed! read more

Excellent food, service and atmosphere. pleasant and relaxing dining. First time here. We will be coming again soon.

This place is a joke! came in for lunch and ordered the special stir fry with scallops for $16. brought out the soup and it was good! Next the salad and it was ok and it had a few extra veggies and 3 small pieces of scallops. Was waiting for my stir fry and was told it was included on the salad plate. did not want to make a scene so just shook my head and paid the bill read more

Le Bambou - My main course stir fry? Looks like salad only to me - Vietnamese Near Me - Del Mar, California

Today I'm sick and decided to skip cooking dinner and ordered food at Le Bambou for my children. The kids started to eat, I came to them in the middle of their dinner and saw just unacceptable quality of food. I would like to get a refund. Order number is 813241939 read more

Le Bambou - 19a. Crispy Chicken and Vegetable Imperial Roll - Vietnamese Near Me - Del Mar, California

The crab, shrimp, pork egg rolls were ok. Did not enjoy the pho (too sweet and difficult to eat for my liking). Maybe the rest of the menu was better? They were pretty busy on a Friday night so it might be worth it to make a reservation if you plan to go. read more

Le Bambou - Crab, shrimp, pork egg rolls - Vietnamese Near Me - Del Mar, California

Service was very good friendly staff. Some of the best Pho I have ever had. Cuts of filet along with a beef bone. The broth was fabulous. I will definitely be back. read more

Wonderful, clean restaurant! Vietnamese inspired cuisine. The service was incredibly nice and the food came out incredibly fast. I ordered a chicken curry which was the perfect level of spicy and wasn't too heavy. My friend ordered the BBQ Beef which was made KBBQ style on top of rice noodles and cucumbers. There was a wonderful, light sauce that accompanied the noodles as well. Only qualm was that we were looking for pho restaurants and the restaurant came up, but there wasn't a pho menu. read more

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Was REALLY hoping to like this place because it's a three minute walk from my new home, but, sad to say I cannot justify more than three stars. I ordered one of the lemon grass dishes because I love the spice but my dish was pretty bland. The shrimp was overcooked. My wife ordered the scallops in tamarind sauce, which was much better. But she is not the one leaving the review. Maybe I can convince myself to give it another chance. read more

Le Bambou - My wife and her new haircut - Vietnamese Near Me - Del Mar, California

Unbelievable Vietnamese restaurant. Absolutely loved every dish we got. The service was amazing too. Highly highly recommend coming here!! I want to come back tomorrow already! read more

The food was great and the staff was friendly!! The ambience was a little old fashioned, but it was very clean and service was quick

It is a clean and nice ambiance restaurant. But please aware, this is not an authentic taste Vietnamese restaurant. Everything is way too sweet. The beef inside Pho soup is also very chewy... read more

I'm a long time fan of Le Bambou since friends introduced me to this upscale Vietnamese restaurant about 35 years ago. I moved from La Mesa to La Jolla a year ago, and one of my favorite benefits is that I can now order in delicious meals from this restaurant via Grubhub. I've ordered in many, many items from this spectacular restaurant, but tonight I ordered their Cornish Hen Special. Oh, my! It was delectable! So moist, so flavorful, and for $19, so generous. I only ate half of the hen and look forward to enjoying the rest for dinner tomorrow night. The Cornish Hen arrived with a generous side of white rice and a small salad. There was also a little cup of sauce...not sure if that was for the chicken, the rice, or the salad so I just dribbled it over everything. It was wonderful. I'm one of those people who are reluctant to order either fish or poultry in any restaurant. I fear fish will be overcooked and poultry will be dry. Well, that doesn't happen at Le Bambou. I cannot oversell the Cornish Hen Special I ordered from Le Bambou tonight, but there are so many wonderful entrees that it's hard to choose. I highly recommend the Star of the Sea curry, and well, all the curries. I've ordered at least one third of Le Bambou menu items so far and have not had one disappointing experience. Love this restaurant! Hmm. Thinking I'll try the Lacquered Duck next... read more

We dropped in here expecting a pretty common experience. Most Pho places are kind of the same IMO. Boy... were we wrong! The service here was excellent. Really top notch. Everyone we spoke to was warm and friendly. They were very attentive (but didn't over do it). The atmosphere was upscale. There was jazz playing in the background, candles on the table, and lighting that said "relax and have a good meal". The Pho was outstanding! The noodles were a little overcooked (which surprised us) but we ate every bite of it. The broth was not sweet like many places. Instead of cutting a corner with MSG they made the it with a rich bone broth that our server said they spend a lit of time and energy preparing. There was a lot of meat in the soup. Way more meat than I expected (maybe too much actually). All of it was priced really well for what you get! It's not a "run of the mill" budget Pho. There is a premium aspect that is worth every extra penny. This is officially our favorite Pho place. We will be back! read more

Have seen this place for some time and now regretting that I didn't try it sooner. Seemed a bit up scale compared to many of the Vietnamese restaurant I've been to, but the atmosphere was relaxed and service was fantastic. Ordered their crispy pork imperial rolls as the appetizer and they were crispy and hot with ample fresh greens to wrap them in. Follow that up with their pho special, which I learned is a carnivore's dream. There's a beef bone hanging out of the bowl! (Check out pictures) In addition to the beef bone, which had more meat on it than what's in a typical pho, there was thick slices of very tender filet and chunks of brisket that melted when you tried to pick it up with your chopsticks. Of course, can't forget about the rich broth and fresh noodles. The only thing they could have improved on was a little fresher basil and there was no jalapeño. All in all it's a little more expensive bowl of pho but very much worth it. I will be back for both, and to try some of the other items on the menu. read more

Le Bambou - 19. Crispy Pork and Vegetable Imperial Rolls - Vietnamese Near Me - Del Mar, California

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I was a bit skeptical when I realized how friendly the server was. I'm used to the nonchalant way of service at some of my frequented pho restaurants. However, the change in service was very nice! I love the pho broth here. The servers and chef take pride in the broth - no MSG, made in the back, and fresh. There's a natural sweetness to it and it makes me feel at home! Will be coming back in the near future for more! read more

I am saddened to share this place was not good. While the grilled dishes my friends got looked good, the fact they had the worst pho (honestly, can't even call it that) I've ever had or seen.. was so bad.. I quite literally cringe. Will not be returning, sadly. Maybe the worst Pho on earth? No joke. read more

I've eaten here a few times and has always been good but ordered the spicy chicken pho to go and it really has done a number on me. I am not one for usually leaving reviews but when one gets food poisoning from a reputable establishment it makes one question their sanitation practices (especially chicken?!) and Le Bambou has to take accountability for this. Will not be ordering from here again. read more

First time here. Husband bites into imperial roll and gets a black hair in his mouth. The waiter took them off the bill and brought fresh ones. Bad first impression. They happened to be delicious ( minus the hair) We ordered the shrimp and eggplant which was tasty. We also ordered the beef stir fry which had almost no taste or flavor. Had to add salt. Was looking for the waiter to request hot sauce. He never came back to check on us once while we ate, only at the end to give us the check. Nobody by the door to say goodnight when we left either. A bit of a disappointment. read more

It was getting late and my girlfriend and I were winding down from work, but felt like soup. It's been a while since I had pho and this restaurant had great reviews, so I wanted to give it a try. When we arrived, it was definitely a lot more fancier than I imagined it would be. The selection was amazing to look at as well! I didn't realize how French-inspired this place was and definitely want to come back to try some other dishes. read more

This place has been here forever but never open when I seem to be by. I was going to try Seasurf but saw this was open. So happy I did. The only ones in here for an early lunch and one taking food to go. White linen table clothes, booths, clean. Very pretty and you get waited on. Vietnamese food is what they serve. I asked if they have veggie or summer rolls. The non fried spring roll. They have three different kinds but get this, you roll them yourself! They bring out the rice papers on a vented plastic circle. Depending on if you ordered shrimp, or chicken or pork, you add filling plus the condiments it comes with like cilantro, mint, sprouts, onion, cucumber and carrot. Then roll and dip in the tasty sauce. The sauce is delicious too. They have Pho although I didn't try it. Instead I chose the curry chicken lunch special. A tad sweet and only a tad spicy. Not like Panang. I prefer panang myself. It didn't stand out in flavor or texture and I would not get it again. Lunch is served with coconut soup but it is a bit chunky, not smooth and I didn't like the texture. A couple fried wontons and salad and rice. I posted pic of the specials and prices. I've heard the Pho is good so next time I'll give that a try and see if I can give them another star. The service was fantastic, the guy that was there was very helpful and sweet. read more

Le Bambou - Vietnamese Near Me - Del Mar, California

Wonderful restaurant. First time there on a Thursday night. Fantastic food and service. Started with the delicious Spicy Shrimp rice noodle soup. Also had the lemongrass tofu and the Cornish game hen. All were excellent. The service was prompt and friendly. No complaints. Highly recommended. read more

Le Bambou - Cornish Game Hen - Vietnamese Near Me - Del Mar, California

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Le Bambou is a family restaurant in Del Mar serving excellent Vietnamese food for many years. The egg rolls are terrific, as is the variety of soups and main dishes. The staff is friendly, helpful and efficient. Parking is no problem. read more

Very clean nice atmosphere and fast service! The food is amazing!!! This establishment is a gem hidden away in Del Mar/Carmel Valley... read more

This is our go to place for comfort food. We love everything on the menu from the beef pho to the BBQ chicken wings. The employees are always so nice and polite. We order take out from Le Bambou at least a 5-6 times/month. Love this place! read more

The food is consistently wonderful. I have been coming here for years and have tried many dishes which are diverse and unique. Their Imperial rolls and clay pots are consistently wonderful, but then, so is their seafood curry. My guests and I are never disappointed. Le Bambou has, too my knowledge, always been family run an they are on their 3rd or 4th generation. They are a tight, dedicated, knowledgeable, family who know food and wine well and how to pair it. The service is spot on without being pretentious. They just go about doing their very best for their guests and it shows! It is just such a lovely spot, with a knowledgeable staff offering attentive service and great food. It always makes for a relaxed, delightful time, well spent and especially well fed. read more

Le Bambou has been our family's go-to restaurant for decades. There's a reason the restaurant has been in business so long: The food is always fresh and tasty, and the service friendly and fast. It's a local favorite. read more