Bambu Bistro - A Big Bu Bu

*** Hi everyone, I appreciate all the comments, and respect all of your opinions. I have always enjoyed the "real time" comments and interaction, and do my best to respect everyone's opinions, that is why I don't have moderation turned on, and other than a few "rules", I don't delete comments. But in the last few minutes, I've had to delete a few profanity laced comments. With that in mind, I've decided to close comments on this post and I thought I'd let "Chef Alexandria" have the last word/comment. So let's get back to eating, shall we? Thanks again for taking the time out to read, and comment on my humble little blog. And all of the really kind Emails. I really have no "agenda", maybe that is why many of my posts are not polished, I'm really just looking for a good meal(s), and the result is pretty much my food diary, and I'm always honored to have you visit.

One last item, a few quotes from an Email I received from a San Diego restaurant owner, that I think are insightful:

"this is a tough business and you can work yourself to the bone and still have the food not come out good...but of course they're totally wrong to bash you for blogging your opinion. "

"it's a brutal business which doesn't always bring out the best in people."

So true...............

Our office is located in the basement, so we never really have a true bearing of what's going on in the world around us unless we step out and into the building's courtyard or rise like blinking moles into the sun. So during lunch today I became obsessed with having a Wor Won Ton Mein. I don't know why, but I had to have one! So I left the office in the 80 degree heat and started walking to Hong Kong Restaurant in the blazing sun to get a Wor Won Ton Mein. Needless to say, by the time I hit 4th and University I had a pretty good sweat going on, and that Won Ton Mein didn't look quite as appetizing. But by this time I had also passed all the "regulars" in Hillcrest; now I thought about Bread and Cie, but I could see that it was packed and I didn't want to deal with that, so I turned around and saw Bambu Bistro:

So against my better judgment I stepped into this place, and up to the counter. there was a chalkboard with various lunch specials. The very "chipper" gal at the counter recommended the "Thai Burrito" so I ordered it. The funny thing was that there were no prices written on the board - turned out the lunch special was $8.00 - for this:

Notice the bright colors of the plate, the tablecloth, take notice of the bright and sunny store-front. Take notice of the brown-grey looking "burrito" and peanut sauce. The menu stated that the burrito was wrapped in a cilantro tortilla - does it look like a cilantro tortilla to you? Also, no scallions, as also stated in the menu. Oh well, taste will always prevail IMHO, so I took a bite of the burrito without the peanut sauce, and "BLANK", I mean truly a "blank", very bland, tasted like can chicken stir-fried with bean sprouts, there obviously was some kind of sauce in there, because my burrito "self-destructed" on the very first bite. The peanut sauce seemed just to be pureed peanut and some hot sauce like sambal..... Well, enough of that. the only other person in the restaurant during this time was eating a bowl of "pho'", very loosely defined as pho'. Was kinda small, and I checked the price $7.00! Posted on the counter was a picture of a Banh Mi, with the heading that was something like "The newest thing, blah, blah...". I'm afraid of what might happen to a Banh Mi (I didn't see it on the menu) in the hands of a restaurant like this. And how much would they charge? like $7.00? Scary thought.........

At that point I called it quits, the service had been good and friendly, but the food really needs alot of work if this place is to survive. To me this was the perfect example of "Con-Fusion" cuisine, tasteless and pointless. If somebody has been there, and there's something I'm missing, by all means let me know. I usually will try a restaurant twice; but in this case it would seem to be pointless.

Bambu Bistro
3882 4th Ave.
San Diego, CA  92103

Comments

[Jo]

"rise like blinking moles into the sun"... wow... I am, like, so totally humbled! I just LOVE that line! I also know EXACTLY how that feels! Then to be bent over for a meal of that negative quality?!?! I feel for you Kirk. That's really the pits. Thank goodness dinner will be better!

[Pam]

Kirk, do you and I work at the same place? ha ha, yeah, I know we don't, but geez, my office has no windows. It's like a big giant rat maze in a sealed up cardboard box. That's why lunch time is so exciting.

BTW, love the word "Con Fusion" So true!

[Kirk]

I work in an IS department so I think they're afraid to let the rest of the world see us! Weird thing is that we have a little courtyard/atrium and nothing basically grows(except ferns/moss) cause it's like a four story building and no sun reaches the basement. There also are very weird insects down here - I should take some pictures of them one day!
Fusion when done well brings out amazingly wonderful tastes/experiences - but when it's "dumbed down" to ride the wave of some food fad, or slapped together it's a real train wreck.

[elmomonster]

Sorry about the bad experience you had. What a bummer to have your hour out in the sun doused with a big wet bucket of disappointment like that! I had a similar burrito here in a shop called Tropical Smoothie Cafe (I think), it wasn't great, but they still had the gall of charging $7 bucks for it too. ARGH!

I'll believe it when I find that out that shop charges $7 for a banh mi. Someone's already tried it here in Irvine. They went bust after about a month after they opened.

http://professorsalt.blogspot.com/2005/01/nam-viet-irvine.html

[Reid]

Hi Kirk,

Where I work, there are no windows for the first 11 floors of the building! Whenever I walk outside it's like huh?

Sounds like this place really needs to get it's act together. Too bad...especially $8 of too bad! =(

[Kirk]

Elmo - Hey I like the "What a bummer to have your hour out in the sun doused with a big wet bucket of disappointment like that!"
Yoso-eloquent! I shoulda' known better - if you look at the picture, it was 1130 and the only guy sitting outside was the "Manager" - kinda tells you how this place is doing!

Reid - Pam, You, & I are all sensory deprived, huh? I just wish this place would put as much effort into their food as they spent on menu decriptions & decor!

[Glenn Rivera]

Dining in Hillcrest is a real treat! Many restaurants offer their style of unique food with an ambience that they set to create an environment for their guests. My visits to Bambu Bistro are not as any I have read above – I have always left satisfied with both my food and the service. As a matter a fact, the owner has always made my partner and myself, feel at home while eating there. I can recall mentioning to my partner that I felt very welcomed there.

As far as food, I highly recommend the Thai Burrito, which is my favorite lunch menu item. I have always been told unless you have something nice to say, you should hold your comments to yourself. And as for restaurants, do not go back if you have had a bad experience – and perhaps if you feel up to it try it at a later time to solidify your conclusion. To write such things as above I feel unnecessary and as unprofessional as the ideals they state.

I live in Mission Hills and visit many restaurants and vendors in my neighborhood – the wrap above is unfair and unlike the delicious ones I have encountered at Bambu Bistro. Thank you for the new taste!

[Kirk]

Hi Glenn - I love eating in Hillcrest, as I work in the area. Well, you have nothing nice to say on this site, other than to tell me what to write, so do you realize you're being a hypocrite? I went for a follow-up visit, and the food was even worse...so I spared my blog that experience. I'm not giving the restaurant a bad "rap", unless you're talking about the bad "wrap" I got there....
Do you notice that it's always those who feel that they should express their negative feelings freely, who turn around and tell you not to do the same.
The bottom line is...this is what I ate, this is what was on my plate, this was my experience, this is what I though about my food, what can be more "fair" than that...perhaps you have your own definition of fair? Oh, one more "and", and this is my blog.
It's okay to disagree, and I respect your opinions, perhaps you can tell me what you really liked about the wrap and experience, other than you like the Owners?

[bambu bistro]

Thank you all for sharing your comments regarding Bambu bistro especially you Glen. As for you kirk I have recieved many rave reviews regarding my restaurant and if you feel so compelled to dish my restaurant why don't you come in and meet me directly instead of bashing our restaurant over the internet? As Glen expressed his truly awesome dining experiences I am sure there are thousands more. IT is sad you feel you have to target us with such harsh criticism, I am curious are you a chef or restaurant owner? Until you have walked into our shoes maybe staying underground would be a better place for you. I guess you need the attention. PLease do come in, I would love to meet with you, if you have the guts to do so. sincerely Bambubistro owners

[bambu bistro]

One more thing Kirk, we have just celebrated our three year anniversary and we are going strong, so once again please do come in and meet us, would love to discuss your terrible experience (check out the reader review and many others) and we have been asked to add to more locations by private investors, guess that should tell you something.

[bambu bistro]

Regarding the posting by Mary this is the obvious sign of some sort of terrible gossip invented by someone who has nothing better to do than to fabricate stories, this could be written by an employee I recently fired (which I suspect) I have never had anyone of my staff drunk, nor have I had any customers complain of this type of behavior and we have owned the restaurant for three years. I truly feel sorry for people who take pleasure in vindictive behavior at the expense of others. God bless and peace owners of Bambu Bistro

[Kirk]

Hi Bambu Bistro - I may do that....actually I'm not underground, and I have the "guts" to actually write what I think. I'm not bashing your restaurant, I just wrote about my experience. Do you have problems with people expressing their opinions. Please read, with a clear mind what I wrote - I liked the service, thought the food was not very good. As for me, I have a name......who is Bamboo Bistro???

[Kirk]

Hi BB - As for Mary, that is the reason why I did not reply to the comment. If it is slanderous and untrue, feel free to send me a cease and desist Email, and I'll be glad to remove the comment. I like the way you say god bless and peace, right after you asked me if I had enough guts to come in. I like the way you treat customers....I can only imagine how you'd treat someone who came in and complained.

[bambu bistro]

Well kirl I actually have been known to treat our guest extremely well that is probably the reason why I have such loyal cliental and been so successful I also am a chef instructor at Macy's and I am sure they would not hire me if I did not have the talent or the grace. Yes I handle complaints extremely well with an open mind, my beef with you (no pun intended) if you had an issue with the product why not express it to me at the time and I could of fixed the problem (pls I have been a chef for 12 years and my peanut sauce is not made of sambal by the way I would be more than happy to give you the recipe macy's has it on file)

Yes Mary's comment is untrue and I would appreciate if you could delete it why post something so damaging an untrue? I have worked very hard kirk with my restaurant and have hung on for three years and I do not appreciate the fact that one could slam ones efforts without knowing the facts, taking in account when you wrote that review we were new, I noticed you did not inform your readers of that. We have gotten rave reviews in the Reader, 944, Lavender lens, and many more ..so please once again if you have the guts to visit me why don't you instead of bashing me over the internet?

Bon Appeitit with peace

[Jo]

Geez Kirk... I'm not sure what's more amusing, the defensive posture these folks are showing or the fact that it's taken a year and a half for them to figure it out!

[Kirk]

Hi BB - Please read my post....I do not bash restaurants, I eat at them. I did have a repeat performance of the "Thai Burrito" several months after...since someone asked me to try it again. And it was a repeat performance...so why should I complain? It is the way you serve it, and I didn't like it for the precise reasons I stated.. It is not my intent to destroy and bring you down, when I first go to a restaurant, I have no agenda, I just want something good to eat, if it's a place I love I want to let as many people that I know as possible. As for the facts, what are the facts? You read the post...and you tell me that I didn't eat that meal, that I didn't taste what I tasted, that the service(which was good) was not the way it was......then what are the facts? I'm guessing you mean that I didn't get to know you, maybe what your "mission" was, or something else like that? It is not my goal to ingratiate myself within the "eating community", I don't care to be the center of attention...I just want to eat, and I have at over 300+ places since I started this blog. For me it's about the food, many of the people I'm in contact with view the media in San Diego with a jaundiced eye. You can just get onto Chowhound and see.
I will remove Mary's message from the post at your request, it was a bit over the top and suspicious.
I tell you what, I'll return to Bambu Bistro in the future, Myself, but no promises as to whether I enjoy it or not...that's just not the way I do things, I'm just "Joe-average", the average dude......remember just plain "Joe's" have to eat as well.

[Cindy]

Well, I just went to the YummyDiego.com review site, and it appears that anyone can put in a number rating of the place, but the written review of Bambu is not at all flattering, similar to your blogging. "Tough Beef", "bland tofu...that should be cut into smaller chunks", "watery pho broth...its her (the chef's) job to know what to add to it", "underplayed sauce", "composition of the thai chicken breast wrap was...dry and would be... jucier ... with more chicken and no rice". Seems your blogged observation, more than a year ago, was in line with this other Restaurant Review site, which does not have a date of when they reveiwed it.

[bambu bistro]

well cindy artie who is a friend of mine who runs yummy diego he is a waiter by the way, reviewed my restaurant a second time so maybe you should read the second one, once again, that was posted over two years ago, why don't you read the reader review one year old or the 944 or Your rest once again, it is always fun to bash one, have you ever owned a restaurant? By the way Artie does not write for ymmy much, he is to busy being a waiter, mmm you figure it out

[bambu bistro]

Hi Kirk thank you for removing the awful vindictive lies posted by an ex employee of mine who was fired for stealing my cash till, wine and food items. As far as responding to these comments I work close to 70 hours a week and truly do not have a huge amount of free time, actually a chef friend of mine was appalled by this site and mary's comments and advised me to take immediate action.
As far as lunch goes why don't you come into the restaurant enjoy a yummy lunch on me, and we can discuss your thoughts, taste etc..would like your input one on one, so give me a day which works for you and we can sit and chat-I am there everyday except for sunday my treat chefalexandria

[bambu bistro]

and I will give you the thai peanut sauce recipe as well, hey cindy why don't you come in, my friend Artie hangs out there often and you can meet mr yummy diego as well-chefalexandria

[Cindy]

All I said was that I went to yummydiego.com and that one review was what came up. No date on it. No second review. It seems to concur with the blogging observations of Kirk. I also read the review in the Gay and Lesbian Times and it was also not flattering, giving Bambu a 2 of 4 stars (fair) rating for the food. I am not bashing; I have not gone there. I am reading the statements of other people who have gone there to eat. All three chose their words very carefully and all three concurred the food was not that great. I do believe people pay to have their restaurants "reviewed" in the Reader and I take all the "reviews" shown there with a grain of salt. Nobody has to own or work in a restaurant to make observations of good or bad food.

[bambu bistro]

Cindyhave you been to my establishmet??

My advice to you is everyone has an opinion the gay and lesibian times was ok, I was fine with it, why don't you read the reader review or 944, or Yourmagazine those are the most recent..my point being if you owned a restaurant or a chef you would understand the food business is always changing, menus staffing, new product etc, anyone can eat, but not everyone has good taste.

[bambu bistro]

And I would not have lasted for three years on the makes of restaurant reviews good or bad, what counts is our establishment gives back to the community through numerous causes, we cater events almost everyday, I teach cooking classes all over the city, and we have a huge audience that keeps us alive, pays my rents, and gives a few employees a great place to work. And everyone goes homehappy at the end of the day, including me, dine in peace and do come visit me, chefalexandria

[maggie]

Hi BB,
As a loyal reader and a friend of kirk I would like to say that kirk is the most fair and honest person I know. I understand how hard it is to make it in the restaraunt business and how hard that owner works. The first instinct for someone to read not so flattering write about is to "fight back". I can sense your frustration and feeling that you are not appreciated. Why can't we take criticism with a little grace? Why don't we look within and try to improve outself and make it better for all of us. NO ONE, I mean NO ONE is perfect. I am sure you agree with that and we can all use some improvement.

[Kirk]

Hi BB - Well, now not only am I gutless, but I'm appalling as well? I don't understand. I've worked in the food industry, and know how difficult it can be....but that "good taste" statement left a bad taste in my mouth.....because it infers that anyone who doesn't enjoy what you enjoy doesn't have "good taste". You offer to sit down and talk....but why, since apparently, it wouldn't matter since I don't have good taste! And just what is that? I'm guessing you have to be a chef to have good taste??? BTW, "outing" Yummydiego was not a good move. I'd never even heard of the site...but went to check it out....it's a guide to fine dining, so all of these Guys know the chefs and staff at the restaurants they are visiting?