Bambuza Vietnamese Bistro

03/01/2008 Posted by rusche

Delicious vegetable lettuce wraps are very tasty and a good appetizer.The coconut shrimp curry with rice was just the right portion for lunch, service was quick and friendly.

Pros: Fresh well prepared food!

Cons: Cheapest parking lot nearby is $7.00 for 2 hours, otherwise park on the street

05/31/2007 Posted by zotmama

Bambuza is one of our favorite Seattle restaurants; a performance at the Paramount isn't nearly as good if we haven't dined at Bambuza first. The menu has so many gems it's hard to pick just one. My favorites are the traditional dishes like claypot catfish, my husband loves the wok specialties like cognac luc lac beef, the chicken salad and fresh mango salads are exquisite or try the honey glazed chicken over rice. We have been coming to Bambuza for several years and the service can vary - while always friendly it can at times be slow, however the owner is usually on site on the weekends and you can always ask to speak with him. The chairs are a bit uncomfortable; it would be nice if there were seat cushions and carpeting would lessen the noise. However, the interior is attractive and the food is absolutely wonderful.

Pros: The Food, The Food, The Food

Cons: Uncomfortable seating

02/11/2007 Posted by jc425

I was surprised to discover this place--and glad I did. Everything we had was tasty, well-prepared, and full of flavor. It was a pleasant break from the usual retreaded northwest cuisine or thai food that seems to be everywhere. Service was prompt and very friendly. Will definitely be back soon.

12/05/2006 Posted by tamlenguy

My co-workers and I stopped by for a dinner after a long day of work and we all had a wonderful time. This place is romantic and menu was very impressive. We shared our food and some of my favorite items was: Lemongrass Beef Skewer, Mango Salad, Cognac Luc Lac Beef, and the Vietnamese Crepe. We each ordered a martini and that was very good. Oh, don't forget to order their fried banana for dessert, this is the best dessert I ever had! The staff was very friendly and funny! We were in and out within approximately 1hour and 15 minutes. We had a wonderful time!

Pros: Romantic, Friendly Staff, Quality Food

Cons: Parking

11/19/2006 Posted by outeverynite

Major disappointment set in about 5 seconds after my first bite of the appetizer we ordered. My first impressions of the restaurant without eating the food was “ehh” the decoration was nice but felt like it missed the mark- it was Saturday night and no one was there, and it was on the outskirts of the main “people” part of the city. The food was bland, the service was mediocre, and I felt like I was wasting my time. This wasn’t authentic nor was it unique. I felt like they thought their food was good and that this was a trendy cool place to be… but don’t be fooled- it wasn’t. I was disappointed.

Pros: The table was clean

Cons: Not cool, not good, no flavor

09/15/2006 Posted by hbombdiggity

Not only was the service painfully slow and the food cold, but when we asked for the manager he didn't bother to appear for nearly 10 minutes and even then didnt seem to care. In cities with more competition, this is exactly the kind of thing that puts you out of business in no time. If you're wanting a decent, timely, warm, dinner, look elsewhere!

Pros: Good location

Cons: Everything else

09/15/2006 Posted by kellylwolf

Just because this spot has a built in customer base with the Convention Center and Paramount nearby, does not excuse the horribly slow, service. It took forever to get drinks and order. When the food arrived, several of the dishes were cold. When I asked about this, they were promptly taken away, microwaved (fork marks and all) and returned to our table. When we spoke with the manager, he seemed extremely unconcerned. The sad thing is that with so little competition in Seattle, businesses with service like this thrive....

Pros: good food and drink menue

Cons: unbelievably bad service

09/14/2006 Posted by lilibeth

I am from the Bay Area and eat all sorts of Asian foods practically everyday and Vietnamese at least once a week. This is my favorite Vietnamese restaurant in Seattle and make a point to go here at least once when I visit my parents in Seattle. Great mango salad, bol ak lak (sp?), lemongrass chicken, curry chicken, vegetable pho and much more. Finally, for the topper, I absolutely adore their banana cake dessert. Even if I'm already full, I order it to take home. YUMMMMM!

02/15/2006 Posted by jadalai

It takes a special skill to get to this level of mediocrity. Bambuza lures you in with a nice Vietnamese sounding menu. Here one dimensional flavors are the hit of the day. Ginger claypots are just that Ginger and no other flavor, so much that it will give you heart burn. Reduced soy with sugar added is the glaze for their other chicken dish. I would rather be served a salt lick. Who serves dry, greasy wontons with no serving sauce? Foreign sounding martinis such as mango and lychee entice you to buy, yet at $8 or more they are nothing more than vodka with orange dye added. This restaurant should be called Bamboozle, because this is what they do. They trick you into a nice well priced meal, that is overcooked under flavored and leaving you with a taste of snake oil in your mouth.

Cons: Food,, Service, Menu

01/15/2006 Posted by tylerwilson

My friend and I had dinner there last night again. we had lobster wonton and lalot beef rolls-both were very flavorful. My friend had the halibut and I ordered the "flaming beef" dish which we had a lot of fun with- they allow you to cook the beef at the table and bring out a platter of greens to make our own rice paper wraps. COOL! They also added a whole new section to the dinner menu which I recognize from the lunch menu- which are a little lighter but still very satisfying. We ended spending about 40 bucks for all the food- still one of the most "bang for the buck" places downtown. Still my fave Vietnamese place!!

Pros: flaming beef, inexpensive, ambience

Cons: small print menu