Decent pho with no frills. Small shop with a variety of dishes but I only come here for their chicken pho. Their broth isn't oily and is pretty good. There is 2 sizes to choose from small and large. The small being perfect. The fresh spring rolls are just okay. It's chicken and shrimp with noodles, pickled carrots and radish, and lettuce with a peanut hoisen? dipping sauce. 3 large rolls for $7. The boba is passable but not the best and I think all the drinks are powdered even the coffee and Thai tea. Their quick which is great if your hungry. If your total is less than $7, to use a credit card is I think a $.50 or maybe $.70 charge.
(4)
Kevin C.
Short Story: Like mother's delicious home cooked meal with amazing service in clean and comfortable dining environment. Wonderful experience. Long Story: HUGE sigh of relief to get my pho fix on Labor Day after beating the crowd returning home from the holiday weekend. Kindly greeted by the owners and my eyes went immediately to the pho section of the menu. I had the Bamboo Special Pho with everything on it, just the way I like it. My better half ordered the Pho with rare steak and we decided to celebrate the day by ordering the Korean BBQ (Galbi) after both falling deep into the menu's picture. We were surprised by the abundance of selection on the menu, but without a doubt knew what we were here for. We performed our typical ritual of getting table ready with mixed hot sauces on the small dish and soup spoons ready to devour upon arrival. Before we knew it, the food was delivered for consumption. Unlike some of the other pho places where the moment that you see the bowl of pho in front, the first thing that you see is a layer of fatty oil floating up top, but Bamboo Song's pho was free of all that with surprising amount of meat/toppings that said hello. It was quite welcoming to say the least. Without much remembrance from then, we both went in for the kill. The broth tasted authentic and comparable to my other favorite pho place in Little Saigon (Garden Grove). Soon later, I heard the sizzling skillet and smelled the oh-so-sweet scent of galbi at our disposition. Before we knew it, the table was left with nothing but empty plates, crumpled up napkins, and sighs of satisfaction. Since I did not mention it before, it is worth noting that the owners were constantly going in and out of kitchen, still finding the time to kindly check with the guests how everyone was doing. We struck a short conversation at the mid-term and one of the owners showed warmth of like our mother's. It was nice to see despite my face half enthroned in my bowl of pho. Tables and utencils seemed to be kept clean and dry, which I always look for in a restaurant, and service was, of course, good as it can get despite how busy the restaurant was during our visit. Quite surprised to see a mediocre overall rating as of today, but from the looks of it, they were mostly from the past. I can definitely see it level up in no time. Bookmarked to share and will definitely come back again.
(5)
Shyann C.
Food was tasty. Service is mediocre and overall cleanliness in gross. First time going to a Vietnamese/Asian fusion (it was different) but their pho was good. Bf got a bento box and he waited half hour for that.. I was almost done with my "large" pho by then. After the other patrons left, their used tables weren't cleared until we almost left. There were several tables that needed to cleaned up, it was attracting flies. There seems to be only 2 workers here until the owner came. Plus: free ice cream, good quality food Negative: loud machines for making drinks, cluttered tables, long waits, overall disappointing service We may not come back at all.
(3)
Kim H.
Good portions-not bad for the South Bay. Being a chain, there isn't much to say about this one in particular and its menu. Compared to other pho restaurants, I would have to say this chain in decent because they're very generous in their dishes. Everything is large here, and even though I ordered a small bowl, I was unable to finish it! My favorite is the rare steak soup as the meat isn't as fatty as tendon and tends to be very fresh. Service is very friendly here, but it can get crowded as it's a rather small restaurant. A great and trustworthy local! 22/100
(4)
Paul T.
Not worth a half star!!! Worst Asian food ever. 1st off, don't market "Vietnamese" unless you at least tasted edible pho. On our first (and last) visit, realizing the staff was NOT Vietnamese, we ordered a grilled dish and a pho thinking it would be safe; anyone can grill meat...WRONG!!!
(1)
Kathy K.
The owners are super nice and friendly, and the food is great. I always go with the pho, but they also have salads, teriyaki, spring rolls, udon, and sushi. The seafood pho is a must try! They give you SO much noodles, and don't skimp on the toppings either. The broth isn't oily at all, and is still flavorful. Also try the Bamboo Song salad! It's definitely one of my favorites, and we always share it at our table. The dressing is really good and the salad tastes very light and fresh bc it has mandarin oranges :3
(4)
Mike R.
This place is super good! Definitely in my top 3 pho spots. The 1. Saigon special was amazing and i added chicken made it even better and more filling. The free ice cream for dessert was out of control good! My nee regular spot.
(5)
Daniel L.
Second time here. Excellent both times. we've had soup, ramen, tempura, spring roll, sushi, and a shaved ice ice cream dessert. absolutely wonderful. I don't know her name but the lady who does the cooking also came out and help explain the dish and talk for a little bit with us and with other customers. she is absolutely adorable. very kind. regardless of how nice she is, the food was excellent. highly recommend.
(5)
Jeff L.
Always looking for a decent pho spot near me so I decided to try this one out. According to Yelp, the best pho around my location is pho consomme but bamboo song has that place beat for sure. Smaller location, mom & pop type joint. I ordered the Pho combo 1A (which only comes in large). Broth was a bit salty but definitely more tastier than Pho Consomme. Portions were bigger and meats were fresh. I usually ask for a extra side of sliced onions when I get pho but am almost every time given a tiny portion. Here they just piled on any extra veggies I asked for. Also ordered the chicken katsu combo and egg rolls. Both very tasty. Received a complementary shaved ice/ ice cream desert. Ice cream was good, shaved ice was literally just crushed ice but no complaints, its free. Price is more than reasonable, will be returning.
(4)
Seram L.
Though by day I am a mere staff member at a school, by night, I am a noodle soup enthusiast with a personal mission to find the best noodle soup restaurants in my closest vicinity. When it comes to pho, I pledge my favorite pho restaurant as Bamboo Song. No other pho restaurant gets the broth right: The crisp, sweet, yet refreshingly deep flavored broth is not only a delightful cuisine, but it is the cure-all for all illnesses and rainy days in my life. It has the perfect balance of oil and flavor that just goes well with any pho dish you order. The noodles are also cooked to its tangy, chewy perfection. The meats and seafood are always tender, juicy, and fresh, and I never had a disappointing moment with Bamboo Song's ingredients. Great food is often hard to describe, and Bamboo Song's phos are no exception. The best recommendation I can give to all pho lovers is to challenge themselves to try Bamboo Song and compare it to pho noodles from any other local pho restaurants. I guarantee that Bamboo Song's phos will meet, if not beat, the taste, quality, and flavor. And the service is fast, friendly, and great. :)
(5)
Jenn G.
Not bad but not the best either. My friend and I went to Bamboo Song one Friday. It was fairly early in the evening so there were not too many people there. We decided to split a large Saigon Special pho and one order of egg rolls. The large Saigon Special is $7.29 and comes with slices of steak, well done brisket and flank. When the pho was first brought out, the meat was pretty rare and had to be mixed in the pho broth in order to be cooked. There was plenty of long rice noodle. Taste wise the pho was just ok. The egg rolls is $6.29 and comes in four pieces. I'm normally a big fan of egg rolls but like the pho, I just found these ok. It came with dipping sauce that I decided to not to dip in because it tasted a bit too sour. The one thing I did like was that these egg rolls came out freshly fried and cooked. One of the nicest things about this meal, is at the end, the waitress offered us free ice cream. The complimentary ice cream was nice. It was vanilla ice cream with some flavored shaved ice. This dessert was tasty and refreshing. In addition to the free ice cream, I did get another freebie during this meal thanks to the yelp app. When I checked in, I got a free soda. Service here is friendly and I am thankful for the freebies. As for the food, it is ok if you are in need of a quick pho fix.
(3)
Hans J.
This is the only pho house I go to. I've tried out many pho places around town but none beats Bamboo Song. The broth/soup is to die for.. the first sip to the last warms your heart. The noodles consistency is almost perfect and so much is given. Service is great and the workers are friendly :) You get offered a scoop or two of free ice cream mixed with flavored shaved ice at the end of your meal~ how nice! Give this place a try!
(5)
Kyung E.
Bamboo song is another Korean owned pho joint, but NOT just a pho place. Their Vietnamese menu is limited to the big hitters: bun bowls, pho, spring/egg rolls. The rest is sushi, udon, and teriyaki. Overall the quality was A-OK, and the service was friendly enough. I ordered: Medium pho w/tendon plus extra rare steak. It's not a combo that they offer, but when I asked they obliged very nicely. The medium bowl is a good portion; the medium here is like a large pho hana bowl as far as noodles. The tendon was cooked to a gooey consistency. I prefer a little more chew, but it was fine. The only downside was that the extra rare steak I ordered was spartan and not worth the additional cost, IMHO. My friend ordered: Wonton noodle soup, which is a large pho (one size only), with a lot of little wontons...I tried one, they were good. Had a little fishy flavor so I think they were pork + shrimp wontons, but I'm not too sure. She enjoyed it. We also ordered a beef teriyaki for her son. He seemed to enjoy it, and it looked passable, though he wouldn't touch the salad that was doused in thousand island dressing. The hallmark for bamboo song is their complimentary dessert which is a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and some flavored syrup on top of shaved ice. It was a nice end to the meal. Seems like no matter how many people are at your table, they will bring one bowl with many spoons. Not a big deal though since the food is so filling, who wants ice cream! Anyway, it was a nice lunch, I'm glad I tried it. Not a lot of pho places in this area around Skypark, definitely will be back.
(3)
Moses L.
The pho here is simply the best I've ever had in the Los Angeles area, and that is no exaggeration. Whenever I am craving pho I can depend on Bamboo Song to hit the spot every single time. I live on top of the hill in the Palos Verdes area and even though there are Vietnamese joints less than a stone's throw away from me, I am always willing to make the 20 minute drive to Torrance just for this place. Yes, it's that good. Service is prompt and friendly, and the restaurant itself is impeccably clean. The food is always served within minutes of ordering. The food is deliciously aromatic and plentiful. Unlike many pho joints that skimp on the meat, this place always gives me generous portions of everything. It's awesome. I am heartbroken that Bamboo Song had to move out of the Palos Verdes area. I hope that one day they decide to reopen on the hill! Until then, I will be frequenting this location like it's my second home. Thank you for your the delicious food and great times, Bamboo Song!
(5)
G A.
Good customer service thats why i gave it a 3star. Unlike the other vietnamese pho spots in OC. I got the hanoi special. Noodle was chewy and soft. Broth was bland so i had to add siracha and oyster sauce. & free ice cream dessert at the end.
(3)
John T.
Decent pho. I took my daughter here for here first pho experience and she loved it. There are so many good pho houses popping up that you really have to do something to set yourself apart from the competition - unfortunately, nothing unique about Bamboo Song.
(3)
Molly H.
Boy, that rating really needs to go up to reflect the food. Great pho as stated in other reviews. Rich broth, perfect noodles, delicious, juicy meat. Im pretty picky when it comes to pho noodles, some are doughy tasting, some over cooked and flat tasting, these were great even after a car ride home. I'm a bit biased as I paired this with a rainy night and it was a great pairing. Also friendly and quick to-go service.
(5)
Kit H.
I love the wide variety of selections of food here.... Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese, and Japanese. One if my favorite is the Bamboo song salad. The dressing is home made. Another favorite is the tempura crunch roll. And their pho is really good too! Yummy all around.
(5)
Scott C.
Was looking for some good Pho and found this place. Not only was the food good, but the service was excellent. Dinner came with a complimentary desert. I'd recommend to anyone looking for good pho at descent prices.
(5)
tae k.
I have the bamboo song pho special which was good. They give you a generous portion of soup, noodles and meat. It is not greasy. They have free wifi which is nice. Friendly service. It is a small family operation.
(3)
Lisa F.
Not a honest business. They ripped us off. Our bill clearly showed that we owed $24.__ in big black permanent marker writing. They brought our credit card receipt for us to sign and they charged us $25.___. I even saw the waitress crossing out the amount we owed with her permanent market. If it was an honest mistake and they charged the wrong amount they should have at least told us the truth instead of being so shady. Needless to say we are never going back there. What a shame because I use to always go here and enjoyed the food.
(1)
Paul C.
I've been here plenty of times and always receive the great quality pho you can expect. The flavor is consistent and the food is not bad for being Korean owned. The broth is very flavorful and the egg rolls are delicious. The couple who own it are very nice, but aren't really able to engage you in conversation (strong accent) :-) . The decor has changed a lot since they opened. Lots of room for a quick lunch or dinner. Don't forget to get your free dessert it's incredible...
(5)
Rachel S.
Best Pho in town! A large portion of flavorful broth, they give plenty of meat/veggies. Pho doesn't get better than this. Mango-Avocado Salad: very generous with the mango/avocado, and it's ripe and delicious avocado/mango as well. Complimented with a very tasty salad dressing. The grilled chicken option makes this a good all around dish, and healthy too. Tempura is perfectly crispy/crunchy crust and nice chunky pieces of sweet potato/squash. Very clean restaurant, easy parking lot, friendly staff, with the nice ice cream/shaved ice at the end of the meal. They have a wide variety of food on the menu. Definitely worth a visit!
(5)
Rio S.
They are not vietnamese owned vietnamese restaurant but korean owned vietnamese restaurant.. The Pho was good but it seemed like people were ordering bibimbap and korean BBQ more than the vietnamese food. I give 4 stars for the waitress!! So cute and great service!!
(4)
Paul D.
I went here after a terrible experience at a Vietnamese restaurant in San Pedro. This made up for it 100 fold. AMAZING pho and the BEST ice cream dessert to ever grace my tongue. THANK YOU
(5)
Eddie S.
Pretty good Pho as I ordered the Bamboo Song Special. Lots of meat - more than any other place I've been to. The egg rolls were okay and the peanut sauce wasn't that flavorful. I also received good service and got free ice cream at the end of the meal. SCORE!
(3)
James C.
This is my favorite pho place. The food is really good and And so are the prices. They have a good selection and I have tried a lot of things from here. I honestly have not tried a single item that I do not like. Plus the owners are always very nice! I really like support family businesses like this one.
(5)
Shay L.
BEST PHO IN THE SOUTH BAY!! I have tried a ton of different places in Torrance, Gardena, Carson, Long Beach....all over the South Bay and this pho is by far my favorite. The broth is super tasty. And the owners are so nice!!
(5)
Lily A.
I work down the street from Bamboo song and I'm always picking some pho up for lunch I brought some back to work and now the whole office is stuck on the food . Always good and hot ! The owners and awesome and very nice . They remember our order too lol I'm always happy with my order thanks bamboo song
(5)
Leon A.
Been coming here for 2 years and they are great. Good food, service, environment. I come for the Pho but almost everything else is delish. If someone don't like it, it's probably just a culture thing. It's not for every one, but no other place is. 50% off Pho on Tuesdays and Thursday( I think its those days) woot! Their free desert is very good, sometimes its Mochi ice cream. I have to give it 5 stars as they deserve it.
(5)
Simon Y.
This is the best pho place ever!!! They use the freshest ingredients. The service is also exellent!!! The best!!!
(5)
Sarah K.
After reading a great reviews and craving some good pho I decided to try this place out with the hubby. After reading such good reviews I was excited to learn there was a decent pho place in Torrance but my experience left me sorely disappointed. Both of our pho's had a strange, strange taste. The only reason I didn't give this place a 1 star was because the service was very good and the waitress and owner were very friendly. I could not stop myself from writing a review because I felt mislead by all the other good reviews of this place and was sorely disappointed.
(2)
Shirley B.
The broth is light yet tasty , prices reasonable and portions generous . I can't get enough of the beef tendon pho; I think its my new hangover dish ;) The service is always quick and friendly .
(4)
Joshua D.
my family and I love this place. The food is good and the service is great.
(5)
M K.
I was really needing a pho fix and had to check out Bamboo Song from all the good reviews. And I wasn't disappointed! I ordered the shrimp pho large, and food came out about 5 minutes later. Yup fast. Yum. Large amount of noodles. Tasty soup. And at the end of the meal, a complimentary ice cream on top of shaved ice! What a lovely way to end a lovely meal! Definitely will be coming back here!
(5)
Karen F.
A decent place to get pho. Place is clean. A bit pricey. But won't hurt your pockets. They have sushi too. They gave us free icecream after we ate, which is a plus coz Im with my daughter. CONS: The parking is too tight. It's hard to get in if youre coming from lomita and making a left to the parking lot specially on rush hours.
(4)
Karina G.
Always always so friendly Best pho place I've ever tasted it's a little drive to get there but worth it... I honestly haven't even tasted anything else they have but I might one day haha for now pho is all I get...
(5)
Dawna B.
Good food and service! Very casual atmosphere so you can take the whole family. Portions are large enough to share. Food is tasty and the staff is very eager to please. When asking for hot tea, you may need to emphasize very hot. Otherwise, your tea will be lukewarm at best. On the whole, a cozy place to eat.
(4)
Subu N.
I've been here a few times and enjoyed the food. I stick with pho and haven't really tried anything else on the menu. The food is good and relatively cheap. Plus I think the locality make me a fan of the place. For a quick pho fix i usually come here instead of driving 20 minutes to a fantastic pho place. Service is average but the man who works there is really nice. You order, they bring food, you pay you go home. its not a place you linger. The place is clean and usually have open tables so there isn't a wait to get you pho on.
(3)
Gloria J.
EVERYONE CHECK THIS PLACE OUT! Very well cooked meals. Its a MIX of vietnamese japanese and korean foods. kind of like a cuisine. Their foods are always amazing. They serve boba noodles kbbq bulgogi crunchy rolls sushi rolls and always gives free ice creams after meals for service! The pho there is to die for! The owner might seem a little scary but honestly she's the nicest person ever once you get to know her! She is amazing and she's really caring. She's always looking for suggestions to make the food taste more appealing and they finally remodeled the place a bit! It has a homely feeling and I love going there :)
(5)
Charles C.
The restaurant looks clean. The servers are nice. They have a interesting menu. Its not your typical Vietnamese place. They have a blend of Korean and Japanese dishes. I ordered the chicken pho. It was a good portion for its price and for the area. I would say one of the better pho places in torrance. They have crepes which look delicious from the pics, but I never seen anyone order one, maybe one day I will try it. The boba drinks are decent as well.
(3)
Kelly K.
Wow. I really think this is my first one-star review anywhere. And I'm not one of those peeps who rant about bad places/experiences but this one really tops it. Wanting to support a local business, decided to go check it out. Everything about this place is thumbs down. Service (or lack of), cleanliness, ambiance and the food. You'll have better luck eating anywhere else than here. Dig: Set in a strip mall in Torrance, it's a confusing mishmash of japanese, korean and vietnamese. It made me a little queasy to be here. Floors, table, chairs, even the tray that the food was brought in looked dirty. And for your reading pleasure they had ULine box catalog. Hmmmm... Food: Ordered a vegetarian bibimbap thinking...I can't go wrong here. No mystery meat to worry about, right? wrong. All the toppings were wilted and sad-looking accompanied by clear broth with few sprouts floating on it. Looked like water. The best (worst) part? The korean gochujang sauce. It tasted spoiled. Not it's got vinegar and therefore may taste spoiled but like it's gone bad. I brought it to the attention of the owner and he looked at me angrily and said, "fine - then cancel" and refused to take the bibimbap away. Which leads me to service... Service: The girl who took the order was totally checked out. She was constantly on her phone surfing the net and I finally had to ask the owner to take my food away because I wasn't going to eat it and didn't want to see what is apparently a rotten dish at the table. I think he thought that I was trying to scam him and eat for free. Really dude, taste it! It angered me that customer feedback was not only dismissed but that he refused to listen. Ended up eating the spring rolls and left it at that. Verdict: Save your $ and eat elsewhere. Can't believe that they actually serve food here and are able to look at themselves in the mirror.
(1)
Sunny T.
Giving this place 3 stars because of the To Go Order I placed. It was $13.25 for an order of a MEDIUM Rare steak Pho and an order of Spring Rolls (3pcs). The spring rolls were ok but didn't taste fresh. Bleh. The pho broth was great but came with a small portion of noodles and literally 3 small pieces of meat that were sliced in half to make 6 tiny pieces. I was SO disappointed! I felt wayyyy over charged for what I recieved! Definitely won't be going out of my way to eat here again!
(3)
Roman A.
I'm rating 2 stars not because the food because the food is great! The pho is delicious and they give good portions and the prices are fair but because the service is horrible. I've ate here twice because I like to give things a 2nd chance before I totally bad mouth it but the girl that works here is not present, unfriendly, always on her phone, and there was 0 customer service. It's a shame when a place has great food but is lacking customer service, makes the customers not want to come back..I definitely won't. And I don't suggest this place to anyone
(2)
Caroline W.
Use to come here a lot and they do have a pretty decent tasting pho, especially for the South Bay area. However, the thing that kind of grosses me out and started turning me off is that every time I leave this place, everything - meaning my clothes and hair just smells like pho or like the restaurant. And trust me, it's not pretty or yummy. I now have to plan when I eat here and will never eat there after I've showered and am all clean. If you don't believe me, next time, you'll see.
(3)
Michelle M.
The owners are always there and super friendly and accommodating. I have been coming to Bamboo Song since I was pregnant and they've always been great. The pho is the best in the South Bay. Recently, I noticed they have a happy hour special..50% off pho M-Th 2-3. Awesome place.
(5)
Tina M.
I went to this place because this was the only place near me that I could find on Yelp that serves Banh Xeo (crispy and savory viet crepes with meat inside). Their Banh Xeo is generally good. Though it looked burnt it didn't taste burnt. I liked that there was no mung bean (not legit, I know but I don't like mung bean). I felt really confused inside though since unlike the original Bamboo Song they also had Japanese, French, Hawaiian, and Korean. Side story: haven't been to BS1 in a while... I used to frequent Bamboo Song in PV when it was owned the original Viet husband-wife team (i.e. like ~2003-2004.) who sold the restaurant to a Korean family around 2005 and went on to open Pho 26 in Carson/Gardena in 2005... they ended up selling Pho 26 (the quality tanked after they left) and I dunno where this couple went... they cooked amazing pho. Amusingly, btw the Korean couple who bought BS1 was one of my friends' parents from high school. LOL. I don't really talk to anymore though. I dunno if BS has been sold since then because they didn't have this stuff on BS1's menu. Anyway... my point is that the banh xeo was really good despite lacking some obvious herbs. I have not yet tried the pho and I will write about it next time.
(3)
Jenny T.
This place has a pretty large variety of decent Asian food. They literally have something for everyone- from japchae to chicken teriyaki to pho... I won't say that this place is my go-to for Asian food, but it's pretty decent and if you and your friends can't decide on which cuisine to eat, this might be a nice compromise.
(3)
Martin S.
I love their chicken pho! I don't know of a better bowl of pho in the area. Living in San Pedro there are zero options. I've tried a few of the LBC places but the broth here so much better than the others I've tried. Plus the basil, sprouts etc. are always fresh.
(4)
Sean O.
Great pho, good rolls and free dessert! Ordered a large pho and crunchy roll, which was perfect for two. Pho broth is light but complex. Place is casual, but a solid place to come in for a quick bite. Owners definitely put pride in their food.
(5)
Gina C.
i come here because it's convenient. Nothing more, nothing less. Their pho is decent, and they have a HUGE menu that covers anything from squid balls to kalbi to boba , crepes, and tempura. Basically anything that an Asian restaurant can possibly cook up and sell. But be aware that not everything is always available! I've had several times when some of their odd menus were not available. I don't mind coming here for a quick fix of pho after a rough night, but I do have to say... When I order it for to go and dump it in my bowl, the noodles NEVER EVER EVER ease apart. They always fall off into little chunks of short noodles and i HATE that!!! And they can't blame the distance because I live literally three minutes away from this place. If you are used to authentic vietnamese pho and looking for a GOOD bowl of pho, this is not your place.
(3)
Charlene S.
When I crave Pho, I usually have to make the 15min trek to lawndale/edge of torrance for a good bowl. Sadly, my laziness got the better of me today and instead of driving past el camino college from costco, I decided to save myself the trip and stop a few blocks away. Well, instead of cutting my trip short for a good bowl of pho, I cut my flavor buds short. The bowl of pho I had was mediocre at best. I will probably not return despite their array of asian style food, korean, vietnamese and japanese (bbq, bibimbap, pho).
(2)
Nate S.
Give me a break. This is not what I'd call shrimp and chicken fried rice. Dry, clumpy rice with 3 cooked-to-death shrimp and tiny pits of cut up chicken that have also been killed. No way no how! To top it off I ate about a 1/3 of it and feel sick to my stomach. There's better ways to waste your money!
(2)
Kevin P.
Come here pretty often and I get the same thing each time "Saigon Pho", you can't screw that up and thus the staff is friendly and order is ready within 5-6 mins tops...
(4)
Adam M.
I try to go here whenever I can. The waiter is nice and quick and the food is always great! What else can i say? It's GOOD!
(4)
Max X.
Im am a Pho-natic. This place satisfies my cravings. I usually get the #1 with extra tendon...nom nom nom! I haven't really tried anything else here so my rating is only applicable to the Pho...Big portions, great broth, fresh bean sprouts, mint leaves, and juicy limes! Best of all I don't have to drive all the way down to the OC or the valley for some legit Pho! w00t w00t!
(4)
Toshiyuki U.
Love this place for weekday lunch. There is plenty of spacious seating. The service is great and the workers are really nice! I like the #2 Pho or the Chicken teriyaki plate(#50 ?). The teriyaki plate come with a nice portion salad w/ special dressing and rice. The food is very good! Great cooking!
(4)
Tracy S.
Came to this place with a massive hangover on a whim, as my co worker suggested a nice hot bowl of Pho would make me feel better. First off, even if I wasn't hung over the Pho here would have been awesome. But, as I described to my co worker, each bite was like putting more life into me. At the end of the meal I felt like a million bucks. I had the Saigon Special, large. The meat is well done but not chewy and the broth is very fresh. Be sure to put in some fresh herbs and Rooster sauce ( cant spell the real name... sorry ) if you feel as dead as I did on that day. It was DELICIOUS. I couldn't stop eating, and before you know it, my appetite was so worked up that I wolfed down a few of their fried dumplings, which were crispy and not overly greasy, My co worker had the plain Pho, and she seemed to enjoy it quite alot. There was a single employee from what I could see working that afternoon. He was a very attentive and nice elder Asian man. To be honest with you, he sort of reminded me of my Grandfather! Lol. This meal really put the life back into me. And boy was it tasty..... and the best part was the price! You really cannot get much better than this.
(5)
Jansen R.
I have been coming to this place for the past 3 months and so far the food is average. The service is ok but when it does get busy it tends to be slow... And today i went during lunch to try a BENTO Box lunch and OMG!!! me and my co-worker were the fist people there (no one was in there) in the place and then a few other people came after that (maybe within 5 to 10 min. of each other). We were the 3rd to be waited on even when we were first there and seated. She ordered a chicken PHO and it normally doesn't take long to make but it took them 25 Min. for t to come out. I ordered the bento lunch (teri beef/tempura) and it took about 40 min. to come out... And when it did come it the beef was over cooked and was drenched in teriyaki sauce. The tempura was cooked perfect but was really greasy like they didn't give it time to let the excess oil come off. So I ended up taking the breading off the shrimp and veggies. Plus it made me late to come back from lunch... =( I really didn't care at that point when the food came out because i was sooooo hungry... I think after this point im going to find a new spot for lunch... And to a previous review I agree that when you leave the place you smell like the oily odor from the restaurant and it is not a pleasent smell after you eat...
(2)
Linda A.
Just went there for my first time. Haven't tried the Pho or other stuff but they make some darn good chicken and shrimp fried rice!!! I'll be back for more of that! :)
(5)
Tim W.
Dear Food Beings, Bamboo Song can become an addiction. I frequent this place often for a nice bowl of Chicken Noodle soup (Pho). In my opinion, this Pho is much better than many other Pho restaurants as the soup broth lacks the fishiness taste. Some of you may like the fishiness...but I myself cannot stand fish (yes, I'm weird)! Each dining table includes sauces to spice up your soup to your own liking. For those who breathe fire like myself, your bowl of soup is destined to look like a blood bath (very red from all of the chilis). WARNING: Be prepared to smell like fried foods the minute the front of your shoe enters the restaurant! I have no idea what causes this but without fail, each time I eat here, I walk out smelling like a human-size egg roll! The greasy stench seeps deep through your pores and in your hair consuming any fragrance or odor that you may have smelled like before you entered (for some, that may be a good thing if you had bad b.o. to begin with). But aside from the lingering stench, the noodle soup is great. Enjoy!
(4)
Emily C.
Not the best food you will get, unfortunately, but they have a good service and the portion is big. I wouldn't get their Pho, it may give you a headache from all the MSGs you can taste afterwards...But their salad is pretty good and very large! if you are into big dishes..
(3)
Eric K.
Spur of the moment decision to eat here. Was heading to get some pollo tacos at Amigos Tacos which is a few doors away...but decided to get my lunch with rice instead of tortilla, teri instead of salsa... I got there at about 11:30am, by myself. Sat down, handed a menu. After I ordered, I started to play with my iPhone, the connection was really slow, so I give-up. As the food still hasn't arrived, I started to pick my nose discretely, rolling the boogers between my fingers, and flicking them across the room...then the food arrived while finger half way into my nostril... no, this is a made-up story, I played with my iPhone the entire time I waited. Really. Got the teri chicken plate with sauce on the side - applied my teri-dip eating method (see my reviews on the Flame Broiler and 3 Bros). Not sure if it was all white meat or mixed with dark meat. I prefer white meat. There isn't really anything that stood out for me to write about, it was more or less your standard teri chicken plate. If explained from the perspective of statistics, it fits on the center of the bell-shaped curve, just average.
(3)
Michael K.
Wow!! I can't believe that this place has a 3.5 star rating, along with many 4 star reviews. This place is dirty, the food is mediocre and the service is horrible. The only reason I can see someone going here is for a cheap meal or if they were forced to at gunpoint. Never never NEVER again!!!
(1)
Terry I.
I've tried this place twice. The first time, I had the pho. The second time, I had the bibimbap with beef. The service is very good. The staff is friendly. The price is very reasonable. It's the food that's the problem -- very underwhelming. It's just dull and bland, so unexpected for Southeast Asian cuisine. I feel bad giving a bad review, but they need to raise the bar here. There are too many GOOD Asian restaurants in the Southbay for any establishment to be mediocre.
(2)
A K.
I've been here several times with my boyfriend, and we both are fans! The pho is delicious and the portions are huge. I can never finish a whole bowl of pho (so my boyfriend does). I'm thankful it's super close to my house, so I can always get there quickly when I have a pho-craving!
(4)
Edith C.
Decent!! I was in a quick Pho fix and stumbled to the closes place near my casa. I have honestly tried better. But the pho was decent i have been here twice in the last month and had the Saper and saigon Pho. they were both delicious. definately need to come back and try something different. the service was fast and setting is more a casual then anything. they give bif portions mm and i got sald with my order which was delicious.
(3)
Edwin L.
Convenient place for a good value bowl of Pho.The tendor is good, soft and chunky. I ordered a take out, the broth tasted good, but it did not solidify in the frig, which means it is not made naturally from beef bone. I may be expecting too much?
(3)
Lisa M.
Not a bad spot when you want some pho. I personally think this branch is a lot cleaner and nicer-looking than the one in PV, same food though. Their egg rolls are yum, both fried and the rice & shrimp ones. I like their pho too, though some others said that it was more cilantro-y and garlic-y than other pho places. Their service is really friendly, and I'm always full halfway through the regular sized bowl!!
(4)
Bernard C.
you can get the food else where for same price or cheaper, just go here if you live close. the boba is good though, although it tastes like other places.
(3)
Elise P.
I've been to this Pho place multiple times and each time there was slightly something off... One time i came here and the milk tea i ordered had sour boba in it. No not like sour skittles. more like went bad sour! I didn't say anything because i don't really like to make a fuss about things but regardless, it wasn't pleasant. The portions are decent and the broth is relatively good for such a small location. It's a small shop but has good pho if you are in the area. Parking is a bit of a hassle sometimes because the lot is small but nothing crazy.
(3)
win h.
I liked the tempura. The taro bobs was good. The boyfriend ordered beef teriyaki and It was very small and tasted worse than yoshi noya. He was still hungry so we got a pho.. Ewww. Don't recommend this place at all. Giving three stars for the cheap taro an tempura that tastes good but still made me feel awful the next day!
(3)
Lia C.
This location of Bamboo Song is preferred for me, it's more open, cleaner, and not as sweaty.
(4)
Daisy Y.
My second time here. I got #2 which is pho with flank and brisket. The noodles were surprisingly not mushy. Sometimes, you get pho and as you try to loosen it up, they all break... Yeah, this one did break in certain places, but the texture wasn't mushy at all. It was chewy in a good way. I also ordered egg rolls. I'm wondering if they made it fresh or it was a different brand than what I'm used to, because the egg rolls were really hot, and remained hot until I was finished with my noodles. (and I eat pretty slow) But the outside layer was very thin, and it was about to break at any moment. Also, the lettuce they gave was not fresh. There were the brown lines and other signs of age. Overall, the noodles were chewy, but it wasn't anything more than that. The egg roll stayed warm for a while, but the outside layer was too thin for me and the lettuce was old. So I want to give 3.5 stars but I guess I can only give 4, so I'm rounding up for you.
(4)
Robert and Tammy A.
I'm sure there are better Pho places out there, but this one is close to home and hits the spot. It's cheap and fast and the employees are nice. I always order the Pho with chicken and spring rolls. It never disappoints.
(4)
Joshua P.
I've been to this place several times and their pho is quite good. I heard that Bamboo Song in PV is better but this place is good for quick lunch or dinner. I liked their egg rolls.
(4)
Christina H.
The pho broth was pretty bland and the noodles were too soft. Service was very friendly. There are definitely better pho places nearby. Will not be back for the pho but the bibimbap looked good.
(2)
Cris I.
This location is not as good as the 1st location that is located in P.V. The service at this location is not as good and i have found pieces of sponge in my drink, and hair in my Pho. Honestly if your in the area there are better Pho places around that don't offer you pieces of cleaning utensils and Hair in your food. When it first opened it was better but that's probably because they put most of their efforts into this location but not that its been open its taken its true form. Because it wasn't always horrible i'll give them 2 stars but honestly they probably deserve 1 star. Your not likely to find me here again.
(2)
Gil K.
I like this place. I have been looking for a "pho" house that I could count on, and this is it. Got the meatball pho, chicken and shrimp banh xeo, and sumi salad. Save yourself $6 and don't get the sumi salad. I thought it had ramen in it, from the picture, but it doesn't. It's cabbage, tomato (3 slices), cucumber (3 slices) and peanuts with some sesame/vinegar sauce. The pho was good, didn't fall asleep after, which means no MSG (i'm sensitive to it) and the banh xeo was really good. I have found my Pho house.
(4)
D D.
I've been here quiet a few times for their pho. Its a Korean-run restaurant which aside from pho, serves a hodgepodge of Asian-themed dishes: a little selection of KBBQ and bibimbap here, a few choices of sushi or teriyaki there, etc. I say Asian themed because none of their offering appears to be truely authentic, but rather lean towards a more fusion take on Asian food. Food: As far the pho, it's average at best. The portions just keep on getting smaller and smaller every time I go. Sure, you get enough broth to fill your stomach, but like the famed 80's commercial slogan from Wendy's, I have ask literally- "where's the beef?!!" The broth itself is okay- doesn't have the depth of flavor as some other pho places, and sometimes you'll even find an adventurous piece of sponge who has made your bowl its new swimming pool. The taro smoothie with tapioca bubbles is really worth a try though. I've tried other flavors there, like mango and melon- but taro is definitely the best! So smooth and creamy... Service: While its definitely not the worst service, its not nearly the best either. If you speak Korean, your chances of getting good service are much higher. Overall, 3 stars for some passable food, and average service.
(3)
Jenni L.
Hard to find a good pho spot in the south bay. Around here, the pho joints serve pho that is either too oily, too salty, doesn't taste like pho or all of the above. In addition, the interior is filthy/seedy/unkempt. Bamboo song has decent pho. The prices are a buck+ higher than other joints. Interior is kept fairly clean. The rare steak- aka pho tai comes out w/ hard, cooked meat . The staff are not too friendly and sometimes hard to communicate with- language related but they're speedy and get the job done. Beyond the pho, their menu also includes teriyaki, sushi?!, bibimbap, boba, crepes... and the list goes on. A bit odd, with no rhyme or reason- but I guess they were trying to reach out to all taste buds. To fill the pho craving, this spot will do- without traveling very far.
(3)
Yess M.
Oh HELLZ no! I visited Bamboo Song twice before and would have given this place 2.5 stars for the simple tasting Pho and possibly suggesting to eat here if your in the area and just need a quick Pho fix. However, this last and FINAL visit dropped their rating... I walked into Bamboo Song and, as usual, waited for a server to guide me to a table and hand me a menu. However, there was no server to be seen, only the few occupied tables, so I assumed it would be fine to seat myself. As I did, the waitress shot-out behind the kitchen doors and rushed over to serve one of the tables, then glanced in my direction, and I smiled hoping that cue would be good enough to say, without saying, haaaaayyyy, customer hereeeee. Instead she continued to walk towards the kitchen. Hmmm, thats different. Yeah I suppose I could have walked my happy ass to the front and grab a menu, or just be satisfied with the menu they have displayed on the wall...MMmmm No. I want plastic menu-ness all up in my face. Ok ok, so lets just say they ran out of menus and the server just assumed that I would use the menu on the wall to choose my meal... I waited for her to come to the table for about ten minutes and still, I was left server-less. What REALLY popped my bubble was this, a group walk through the door and the server nearly SKIPPED her way to the group and then proceeded to write their order! ::gasp:: oh. hellz. no.
(1)
Louis N.
7/6/08 For the Pho alone, 2 stars. No Pho satisfaction overall even after adding the sauces. For the money there are better places. 5/28/08 update: I had a beef Pho here last weekend. The Pho was not bad but it was on the light and bland side and led me to add Hoisin sauce and chili to liven it up. The rest seemed average. It had a clean aftertaste and clean appearance. Ok Pho from a place that sells it on the side sort of speak as they also make fast food sushi, teriyaki and tempura plates among other things including Udon. I see... (I see what? I see nothing, but I see..., I often don't make sense, ha ha). 12/11/07 I've only had their Bibimbap here so far. It was good. The lettuce makes it. The lettuce slices in it makes the whole thing crunchy and slide smoothly in mouth, very enjoyable and delicious. I wasn't crazy about the beef bits (too much fat on some of the bits). Their Pho looks pretty good (next table's couple was having a bowl each, I have to try these the next time). Overall impression is that this is a well run place and fairly new (the banner sitting by the corner indicating 'grand opening' was the give away)."
(2)
Tracy G.
I just ate here yesterday =). I love this place and have been going there since it first opened. Before it use to be a boba place lol. Anywho I like there pho and korean food to. Udon is ok. I also like there honeydew slush boba drink yum. I go here at least once or twice a month =). You should try there korean bbq's to. I still haven't tried the crepe. I always say I'm going to get it after I eat, but I never have room for it =P. Also the owner is nice and I really like one of the girl servers there. She is super nice. Also there are tables outside, but I'm not sure if they let you eat outside. I don't see why not??
(4)
Jason J.
I'm just now starting to get my "Pho" on. I've never been one for soups and I guess that's a real big thing in some Asian spots. So time for me to broaden my horizons and see what's going on with this stuff. Bamboo Song has officially become my measuring stick going forward. The Seafood combo noodle is the truth. There is a grip (large quantity) of seafood in that thing. I've had it twice thus far and still have not finished it all. I'm still not exactly sold on being a soup man, but this is a welcome rotation in my Torrance lunch adventures. I wish I could expand more on the "Pho" but like I said it's new to me so I can't say it's not as good as so and so, but I can say it's very good TO ME. Contrary to some of the other reviews, the place was very clean. The staff or should I say the one woman was very friendly and quick. The place was pretty packed, so I'm not the only one that is feeling it.
(4)
Paula L.
You know...I'm not usually the type to give very many places 1 star, but this place truly deserved it. We had ordered the spring rolls, pho, and the korean bbq beef dish. The first thing that came out was the spring rolls. I took a bite of it and to my surprise, it had a funny texture to it. I didn't think much of it and continued to eat the spring roll till I took a bite out of something chewy. I pulled it out of my mouth and it was a white looking piece. I started to unroll it and it was a plastic piece from a plastic bag! The little piece that comes out from the handles of a plastic bag!! I was shocked and grossed out at the same time, thinking I might've eaten more of it and it would start to clog my stomach like the poor animals in the ocean. I decided to tell the waitress, in which her response was "oh, sorry", as she took it away and didn't say anything else after that. The owner was also there, but he didn't even come over and explain what had happened. I decided to stay, just to give the place a 2nd chance on their food... I received my plate of Korean bbq and the lime that was on my plate was OLD. It was brown and all wrinkled up. I took a bite of the beef and it was the most horrible korean bbq I have ever eaten in my life. The beef was slimey with a sweetish taste to it. I've never had beef bbq at a korean restaurant that was ever sweet. It was awful. I am not kidding. I even chose to get the korean bbq cause I noticed that the people working there were korean and I believe the owner was too. You would think they would know how to make korean bbq!!! My BF's pho was ok, not bad, but just average. It was definitely WAY better than my dish. My eyes started to water cause I had been so hungry and what a disappointment. I have NEVER had a restaurant make me teary eyed before. NEVER! If I could give the restaurant negative stars, I would.
(1)
Ariz G.
Fusion on a budget for me.
(4)
Jeannie M.
the pho is yummmilicious! the soup base is good, done without MSG, which says a lot about its soup base. the noodles are never over cooked. perfect
(5)
Erik P.
ive only ever had the pho here, but its really good. ive had pho at a number of places and bamboo song rates amongst the top of the list. the ingredients are always fresh and delicious, which is very important for good pho. i cant wait for the colder months to come so i can warm myself up with a big bowl of pho!
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Nikki S.
Decent pho with no frills. Small shop with a variety of dishes but I only come here for their chicken pho. Their broth isn't oily and is pretty good. There is 2 sizes to choose from small and large. The small being perfect. The fresh spring rolls are just okay. It's chicken and shrimp with noodles, pickled carrots and radish, and lettuce with a peanut hoisen? dipping sauce. 3 large rolls for $7. The boba is passable but not the best and I think all the drinks are powdered even the coffee and Thai tea. Their quick which is great if your hungry. If your total is less than $7, to use a credit card is I think a $.50 or maybe $.70 charge.
(4)Kevin C.
Short Story: Like mother's delicious home cooked meal with amazing service in clean and comfortable dining environment. Wonderful experience. Long Story: HUGE sigh of relief to get my pho fix on Labor Day after beating the crowd returning home from the holiday weekend. Kindly greeted by the owners and my eyes went immediately to the pho section of the menu. I had the Bamboo Special Pho with everything on it, just the way I like it. My better half ordered the Pho with rare steak and we decided to celebrate the day by ordering the Korean BBQ (Galbi) after both falling deep into the menu's picture. We were surprised by the abundance of selection on the menu, but without a doubt knew what we were here for. We performed our typical ritual of getting table ready with mixed hot sauces on the small dish and soup spoons ready to devour upon arrival. Before we knew it, the food was delivered for consumption. Unlike some of the other pho places where the moment that you see the bowl of pho in front, the first thing that you see is a layer of fatty oil floating up top, but Bamboo Song's pho was free of all that with surprising amount of meat/toppings that said hello. It was quite welcoming to say the least. Without much remembrance from then, we both went in for the kill. The broth tasted authentic and comparable to my other favorite pho place in Little Saigon (Garden Grove). Soon later, I heard the sizzling skillet and smelled the oh-so-sweet scent of galbi at our disposition. Before we knew it, the table was left with nothing but empty plates, crumpled up napkins, and sighs of satisfaction. Since I did not mention it before, it is worth noting that the owners were constantly going in and out of kitchen, still finding the time to kindly check with the guests how everyone was doing. We struck a short conversation at the mid-term and one of the owners showed warmth of like our mother's. It was nice to see despite my face half enthroned in my bowl of pho. Tables and utencils seemed to be kept clean and dry, which I always look for in a restaurant, and service was, of course, good as it can get despite how busy the restaurant was during our visit. Quite surprised to see a mediocre overall rating as of today, but from the looks of it, they were mostly from the past. I can definitely see it level up in no time. Bookmarked to share and will definitely come back again.
(5)Shyann C.
Food was tasty. Service is mediocre and overall cleanliness in gross. First time going to a Vietnamese/Asian fusion (it was different) but their pho was good. Bf got a bento box and he waited half hour for that.. I was almost done with my "large" pho by then. After the other patrons left, their used tables weren't cleared until we almost left. There were several tables that needed to cleaned up, it was attracting flies. There seems to be only 2 workers here until the owner came. Plus: free ice cream, good quality food Negative: loud machines for making drinks, cluttered tables, long waits, overall disappointing service We may not come back at all.
(3)Kim H.
Good portions-not bad for the South Bay. Being a chain, there isn't much to say about this one in particular and its menu. Compared to other pho restaurants, I would have to say this chain in decent because they're very generous in their dishes. Everything is large here, and even though I ordered a small bowl, I was unable to finish it! My favorite is the rare steak soup as the meat isn't as fatty as tendon and tends to be very fresh. Service is very friendly here, but it can get crowded as it's a rather small restaurant. A great and trustworthy local! 22/100
(4)Paul T.
Not worth a half star!!! Worst Asian food ever. 1st off, don't market "Vietnamese" unless you at least tasted edible pho. On our first (and last) visit, realizing the staff was NOT Vietnamese, we ordered a grilled dish and a pho thinking it would be safe; anyone can grill meat...WRONG!!!
(1)Kathy K.
The owners are super nice and friendly, and the food is great. I always go with the pho, but they also have salads, teriyaki, spring rolls, udon, and sushi. The seafood pho is a must try! They give you SO much noodles, and don't skimp on the toppings either. The broth isn't oily at all, and is still flavorful. Also try the Bamboo Song salad! It's definitely one of my favorites, and we always share it at our table. The dressing is really good and the salad tastes very light and fresh bc it has mandarin oranges :3
(4)Mike R.
This place is super good! Definitely in my top 3 pho spots. The 1. Saigon special was amazing and i added chicken made it even better and more filling. The free ice cream for dessert was out of control good! My nee regular spot.
(5)Daniel L.
Second time here. Excellent both times. we've had soup, ramen, tempura, spring roll, sushi, and a shaved ice ice cream dessert. absolutely wonderful. I don't know her name but the lady who does the cooking also came out and help explain the dish and talk for a little bit with us and with other customers. she is absolutely adorable. very kind. regardless of how nice she is, the food was excellent. highly recommend.
(5)Jeff L.
Always looking for a decent pho spot near me so I decided to try this one out. According to Yelp, the best pho around my location is pho consomme but bamboo song has that place beat for sure. Smaller location, mom & pop type joint. I ordered the Pho combo 1A (which only comes in large). Broth was a bit salty but definitely more tastier than Pho Consomme. Portions were bigger and meats were fresh. I usually ask for a extra side of sliced onions when I get pho but am almost every time given a tiny portion. Here they just piled on any extra veggies I asked for. Also ordered the chicken katsu combo and egg rolls. Both very tasty. Received a complementary shaved ice/ ice cream desert. Ice cream was good, shaved ice was literally just crushed ice but no complaints, its free. Price is more than reasonable, will be returning.
(4)Seram L.
Though by day I am a mere staff member at a school, by night, I am a noodle soup enthusiast with a personal mission to find the best noodle soup restaurants in my closest vicinity. When it comes to pho, I pledge my favorite pho restaurant as Bamboo Song. No other pho restaurant gets the broth right: The crisp, sweet, yet refreshingly deep flavored broth is not only a delightful cuisine, but it is the cure-all for all illnesses and rainy days in my life. It has the perfect balance of oil and flavor that just goes well with any pho dish you order. The noodles are also cooked to its tangy, chewy perfection. The meats and seafood are always tender, juicy, and fresh, and I never had a disappointing moment with Bamboo Song's ingredients. Great food is often hard to describe, and Bamboo Song's phos are no exception. The best recommendation I can give to all pho lovers is to challenge themselves to try Bamboo Song and compare it to pho noodles from any other local pho restaurants. I guarantee that Bamboo Song's phos will meet, if not beat, the taste, quality, and flavor. And the service is fast, friendly, and great. :)
(5)Jenn G.
Not bad but not the best either. My friend and I went to Bamboo Song one Friday. It was fairly early in the evening so there were not too many people there. We decided to split a large Saigon Special pho and one order of egg rolls. The large Saigon Special is $7.29 and comes with slices of steak, well done brisket and flank. When the pho was first brought out, the meat was pretty rare and had to be mixed in the pho broth in order to be cooked. There was plenty of long rice noodle. Taste wise the pho was just ok. The egg rolls is $6.29 and comes in four pieces. I'm normally a big fan of egg rolls but like the pho, I just found these ok. It came with dipping sauce that I decided to not to dip in because it tasted a bit too sour. The one thing I did like was that these egg rolls came out freshly fried and cooked. One of the nicest things about this meal, is at the end, the waitress offered us free ice cream. The complimentary ice cream was nice. It was vanilla ice cream with some flavored shaved ice. This dessert was tasty and refreshing. In addition to the free ice cream, I did get another freebie during this meal thanks to the yelp app. When I checked in, I got a free soda. Service here is friendly and I am thankful for the freebies. As for the food, it is ok if you are in need of a quick pho fix.
(3)Hans J.
This is the only pho house I go to. I've tried out many pho places around town but none beats Bamboo Song. The broth/soup is to die for.. the first sip to the last warms your heart. The noodles consistency is almost perfect and so much is given. Service is great and the workers are friendly :) You get offered a scoop or two of free ice cream mixed with flavored shaved ice at the end of your meal~ how nice! Give this place a try!
(5)Kyung E.
Bamboo song is another Korean owned pho joint, but NOT just a pho place. Their Vietnamese menu is limited to the big hitters: bun bowls, pho, spring/egg rolls. The rest is sushi, udon, and teriyaki. Overall the quality was A-OK, and the service was friendly enough. I ordered: Medium pho w/tendon plus extra rare steak. It's not a combo that they offer, but when I asked they obliged very nicely. The medium bowl is a good portion; the medium here is like a large pho hana bowl as far as noodles. The tendon was cooked to a gooey consistency. I prefer a little more chew, but it was fine. The only downside was that the extra rare steak I ordered was spartan and not worth the additional cost, IMHO. My friend ordered: Wonton noodle soup, which is a large pho (one size only), with a lot of little wontons...I tried one, they were good. Had a little fishy flavor so I think they were pork + shrimp wontons, but I'm not too sure. She enjoyed it. We also ordered a beef teriyaki for her son. He seemed to enjoy it, and it looked passable, though he wouldn't touch the salad that was doused in thousand island dressing. The hallmark for bamboo song is their complimentary dessert which is a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and some flavored syrup on top of shaved ice. It was a nice end to the meal. Seems like no matter how many people are at your table, they will bring one bowl with many spoons. Not a big deal though since the food is so filling, who wants ice cream! Anyway, it was a nice lunch, I'm glad I tried it. Not a lot of pho places in this area around Skypark, definitely will be back.
(3)Moses L.
The pho here is simply the best I've ever had in the Los Angeles area, and that is no exaggeration. Whenever I am craving pho I can depend on Bamboo Song to hit the spot every single time. I live on top of the hill in the Palos Verdes area and even though there are Vietnamese joints less than a stone's throw away from me, I am always willing to make the 20 minute drive to Torrance just for this place. Yes, it's that good. Service is prompt and friendly, and the restaurant itself is impeccably clean. The food is always served within minutes of ordering. The food is deliciously aromatic and plentiful. Unlike many pho joints that skimp on the meat, this place always gives me generous portions of everything. It's awesome. I am heartbroken that Bamboo Song had to move out of the Palos Verdes area. I hope that one day they decide to reopen on the hill! Until then, I will be frequenting this location like it's my second home. Thank you for your the delicious food and great times, Bamboo Song!
(5)G A.
Good customer service thats why i gave it a 3star. Unlike the other vietnamese pho spots in OC. I got the hanoi special. Noodle was chewy and soft. Broth was bland so i had to add siracha and oyster sauce. & free ice cream dessert at the end.
(3)John T.
Decent pho. I took my daughter here for here first pho experience and she loved it. There are so many good pho houses popping up that you really have to do something to set yourself apart from the competition - unfortunately, nothing unique about Bamboo Song.
(3)Molly H.
Boy, that rating really needs to go up to reflect the food. Great pho as stated in other reviews. Rich broth, perfect noodles, delicious, juicy meat. Im pretty picky when it comes to pho noodles, some are doughy tasting, some over cooked and flat tasting, these were great even after a car ride home. I'm a bit biased as I paired this with a rainy night and it was a great pairing. Also friendly and quick to-go service.
(5)Kit H.
I love the wide variety of selections of food here.... Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese, and Japanese. One if my favorite is the Bamboo song salad. The dressing is home made. Another favorite is the tempura crunch roll. And their pho is really good too! Yummy all around.
(5)Scott C.
Was looking for some good Pho and found this place. Not only was the food good, but the service was excellent. Dinner came with a complimentary desert. I'd recommend to anyone looking for good pho at descent prices.
(5)tae k.
I have the bamboo song pho special which was good. They give you a generous portion of soup, noodles and meat. It is not greasy. They have free wifi which is nice. Friendly service. It is a small family operation.
(3)Lisa F.
Not a honest business. They ripped us off. Our bill clearly showed that we owed $24.__ in big black permanent marker writing. They brought our credit card receipt for us to sign and they charged us $25.___. I even saw the waitress crossing out the amount we owed with her permanent market. If it was an honest mistake and they charged the wrong amount they should have at least told us the truth instead of being so shady. Needless to say we are never going back there. What a shame because I use to always go here and enjoyed the food.
(1)Paul C.
I've been here plenty of times and always receive the great quality pho you can expect. The flavor is consistent and the food is not bad for being Korean owned. The broth is very flavorful and the egg rolls are delicious. The couple who own it are very nice, but aren't really able to engage you in conversation (strong accent) :-) . The decor has changed a lot since they opened. Lots of room for a quick lunch or dinner. Don't forget to get your free dessert it's incredible...
(5)Rachel S.
Best Pho in town! A large portion of flavorful broth, they give plenty of meat/veggies. Pho doesn't get better than this. Mango-Avocado Salad: very generous with the mango/avocado, and it's ripe and delicious avocado/mango as well. Complimented with a very tasty salad dressing. The grilled chicken option makes this a good all around dish, and healthy too. Tempura is perfectly crispy/crunchy crust and nice chunky pieces of sweet potato/squash. Very clean restaurant, easy parking lot, friendly staff, with the nice ice cream/shaved ice at the end of the meal. They have a wide variety of food on the menu. Definitely worth a visit!
(5)Rio S.
They are not vietnamese owned vietnamese restaurant but korean owned vietnamese restaurant.. The Pho was good but it seemed like people were ordering bibimbap and korean BBQ more than the vietnamese food. I give 4 stars for the waitress!! So cute and great service!!
(4)Paul D.
I went here after a terrible experience at a Vietnamese restaurant in San Pedro. This made up for it 100 fold. AMAZING pho and the BEST ice cream dessert to ever grace my tongue. THANK YOU
(5)Eddie S.
Pretty good Pho as I ordered the Bamboo Song Special. Lots of meat - more than any other place I've been to. The egg rolls were okay and the peanut sauce wasn't that flavorful. I also received good service and got free ice cream at the end of the meal. SCORE!
(3)James C.
This is my favorite pho place. The food is really good and And so are the prices. They have a good selection and I have tried a lot of things from here. I honestly have not tried a single item that I do not like. Plus the owners are always very nice! I really like support family businesses like this one.
(5)Shay L.
BEST PHO IN THE SOUTH BAY!! I have tried a ton of different places in Torrance, Gardena, Carson, Long Beach....all over the South Bay and this pho is by far my favorite. The broth is super tasty. And the owners are so nice!!
(5)Lily A.
I work down the street from Bamboo song and I'm always picking some pho up for lunch I brought some back to work and now the whole office is stuck on the food . Always good and hot ! The owners and awesome and very nice . They remember our order too lol I'm always happy with my order thanks bamboo song
(5)Leon A.
Been coming here for 2 years and they are great. Good food, service, environment. I come for the Pho but almost everything else is delish. If someone don't like it, it's probably just a culture thing. It's not for every one, but no other place is. 50% off Pho on Tuesdays and Thursday( I think its those days) woot! Their free desert is very good, sometimes its Mochi ice cream. I have to give it 5 stars as they deserve it.
(5)Simon Y.
This is the best pho place ever!!! They use the freshest ingredients. The service is also exellent!!! The best!!!
(5)Sarah K.
After reading a great reviews and craving some good pho I decided to try this place out with the hubby. After reading such good reviews I was excited to learn there was a decent pho place in Torrance but my experience left me sorely disappointed. Both of our pho's had a strange, strange taste. The only reason I didn't give this place a 1 star was because the service was very good and the waitress and owner were very friendly. I could not stop myself from writing a review because I felt mislead by all the other good reviews of this place and was sorely disappointed.
(2)Shirley B.
The broth is light yet tasty , prices reasonable and portions generous . I can't get enough of the beef tendon pho; I think its my new hangover dish ;) The service is always quick and friendly .
(4)Joshua D.
my family and I love this place. The food is good and the service is great.
(5)M K.
I was really needing a pho fix and had to check out Bamboo Song from all the good reviews. And I wasn't disappointed! I ordered the shrimp pho large, and food came out about 5 minutes later. Yup fast. Yum. Large amount of noodles. Tasty soup. And at the end of the meal, a complimentary ice cream on top of shaved ice! What a lovely way to end a lovely meal! Definitely will be coming back here!
(5)Karen F.
A decent place to get pho. Place is clean. A bit pricey. But won't hurt your pockets. They have sushi too. They gave us free icecream after we ate, which is a plus coz Im with my daughter. CONS: The parking is too tight. It's hard to get in if youre coming from lomita and making a left to the parking lot specially on rush hours.
(4)Karina G.
Always always so friendly Best pho place I've ever tasted it's a little drive to get there but worth it... I honestly haven't even tasted anything else they have but I might one day haha for now pho is all I get...
(5)Dawna B.
Good food and service! Very casual atmosphere so you can take the whole family. Portions are large enough to share. Food is tasty and the staff is very eager to please. When asking for hot tea, you may need to emphasize very hot. Otherwise, your tea will be lukewarm at best. On the whole, a cozy place to eat.
(4)Subu N.
I've been here a few times and enjoyed the food. I stick with pho and haven't really tried anything else on the menu. The food is good and relatively cheap. Plus I think the locality make me a fan of the place. For a quick pho fix i usually come here instead of driving 20 minutes to a fantastic pho place. Service is average but the man who works there is really nice. You order, they bring food, you pay you go home. its not a place you linger. The place is clean and usually have open tables so there isn't a wait to get you pho on.
(3)Gloria J.
EVERYONE CHECK THIS PLACE OUT! Very well cooked meals. Its a MIX of vietnamese japanese and korean foods. kind of like a cuisine. Their foods are always amazing. They serve boba noodles kbbq bulgogi crunchy rolls sushi rolls and always gives free ice creams after meals for service! The pho there is to die for! The owner might seem a little scary but honestly she's the nicest person ever once you get to know her! She is amazing and she's really caring. She's always looking for suggestions to make the food taste more appealing and they finally remodeled the place a bit! It has a homely feeling and I love going there :)
(5)Charles C.
The restaurant looks clean. The servers are nice. They have a interesting menu. Its not your typical Vietnamese place. They have a blend of Korean and Japanese dishes. I ordered the chicken pho. It was a good portion for its price and for the area. I would say one of the better pho places in torrance. They have crepes which look delicious from the pics, but I never seen anyone order one, maybe one day I will try it. The boba drinks are decent as well.
(3)Kelly K.
Wow. I really think this is my first one-star review anywhere. And I'm not one of those peeps who rant about bad places/experiences but this one really tops it. Wanting to support a local business, decided to go check it out. Everything about this place is thumbs down. Service (or lack of), cleanliness, ambiance and the food. You'll have better luck eating anywhere else than here. Dig: Set in a strip mall in Torrance, it's a confusing mishmash of japanese, korean and vietnamese. It made me a little queasy to be here. Floors, table, chairs, even the tray that the food was brought in looked dirty. And for your reading pleasure they had ULine box catalog. Hmmmm... Food: Ordered a vegetarian bibimbap thinking...I can't go wrong here. No mystery meat to worry about, right? wrong. All the toppings were wilted and sad-looking accompanied by clear broth with few sprouts floating on it. Looked like water. The best (worst) part? The korean gochujang sauce. It tasted spoiled. Not it's got vinegar and therefore may taste spoiled but like it's gone bad. I brought it to the attention of the owner and he looked at me angrily and said, "fine - then cancel" and refused to take the bibimbap away. Which leads me to service... Service: The girl who took the order was totally checked out. She was constantly on her phone surfing the net and I finally had to ask the owner to take my food away because I wasn't going to eat it and didn't want to see what is apparently a rotten dish at the table. I think he thought that I was trying to scam him and eat for free. Really dude, taste it! It angered me that customer feedback was not only dismissed but that he refused to listen. Ended up eating the spring rolls and left it at that. Verdict: Save your $ and eat elsewhere. Can't believe that they actually serve food here and are able to look at themselves in the mirror.
(1)Sunny T.
Giving this place 3 stars because of the To Go Order I placed. It was $13.25 for an order of a MEDIUM Rare steak Pho and an order of Spring Rolls (3pcs). The spring rolls were ok but didn't taste fresh. Bleh. The pho broth was great but came with a small portion of noodles and literally 3 small pieces of meat that were sliced in half to make 6 tiny pieces. I was SO disappointed! I felt wayyyy over charged for what I recieved! Definitely won't be going out of my way to eat here again!
(3)Roman A.
I'm rating 2 stars not because the food because the food is great! The pho is delicious and they give good portions and the prices are fair but because the service is horrible. I've ate here twice because I like to give things a 2nd chance before I totally bad mouth it but the girl that works here is not present, unfriendly, always on her phone, and there was 0 customer service. It's a shame when a place has great food but is lacking customer service, makes the customers not want to come back..I definitely won't. And I don't suggest this place to anyone
(2)Caroline W.
Use to come here a lot and they do have a pretty decent tasting pho, especially for the South Bay area. However, the thing that kind of grosses me out and started turning me off is that every time I leave this place, everything - meaning my clothes and hair just smells like pho or like the restaurant. And trust me, it's not pretty or yummy. I now have to plan when I eat here and will never eat there after I've showered and am all clean. If you don't believe me, next time, you'll see.
(3)Michelle M.
The owners are always there and super friendly and accommodating. I have been coming to Bamboo Song since I was pregnant and they've always been great. The pho is the best in the South Bay. Recently, I noticed they have a happy hour special..50% off pho M-Th 2-3. Awesome place.
(5)Tina M.
I went to this place because this was the only place near me that I could find on Yelp that serves Banh Xeo (crispy and savory viet crepes with meat inside). Their Banh Xeo is generally good. Though it looked burnt it didn't taste burnt. I liked that there was no mung bean (not legit, I know but I don't like mung bean). I felt really confused inside though since unlike the original Bamboo Song they also had Japanese, French, Hawaiian, and Korean. Side story: haven't been to BS1 in a while... I used to frequent Bamboo Song in PV when it was owned the original Viet husband-wife team (i.e. like ~2003-2004.) who sold the restaurant to a Korean family around 2005 and went on to open Pho 26 in Carson/Gardena in 2005... they ended up selling Pho 26 (the quality tanked after they left) and I dunno where this couple went... they cooked amazing pho. Amusingly, btw the Korean couple who bought BS1 was one of my friends' parents from high school. LOL. I don't really talk to anymore though. I dunno if BS has been sold since then because they didn't have this stuff on BS1's menu. Anyway... my point is that the banh xeo was really good despite lacking some obvious herbs. I have not yet tried the pho and I will write about it next time.
(3)Jenny T.
This place has a pretty large variety of decent Asian food. They literally have something for everyone- from japchae to chicken teriyaki to pho... I won't say that this place is my go-to for Asian food, but it's pretty decent and if you and your friends can't decide on which cuisine to eat, this might be a nice compromise.
(3)Martin S.
I love their chicken pho! I don't know of a better bowl of pho in the area. Living in San Pedro there are zero options. I've tried a few of the LBC places but the broth here so much better than the others I've tried. Plus the basil, sprouts etc. are always fresh.
(4)Sean O.
Great pho, good rolls and free dessert! Ordered a large pho and crunchy roll, which was perfect for two. Pho broth is light but complex. Place is casual, but a solid place to come in for a quick bite. Owners definitely put pride in their food.
(5)Gina C.
i come here because it's convenient. Nothing more, nothing less. Their pho is decent, and they have a HUGE menu that covers anything from squid balls to kalbi to boba , crepes, and tempura. Basically anything that an Asian restaurant can possibly cook up and sell. But be aware that not everything is always available! I've had several times when some of their odd menus were not available. I don't mind coming here for a quick fix of pho after a rough night, but I do have to say... When I order it for to go and dump it in my bowl, the noodles NEVER EVER EVER ease apart. They always fall off into little chunks of short noodles and i HATE that!!! And they can't blame the distance because I live literally three minutes away from this place. If you are used to authentic vietnamese pho and looking for a GOOD bowl of pho, this is not your place.
(3)Charlene S.
When I crave Pho, I usually have to make the 15min trek to lawndale/edge of torrance for a good bowl. Sadly, my laziness got the better of me today and instead of driving past el camino college from costco, I decided to save myself the trip and stop a few blocks away. Well, instead of cutting my trip short for a good bowl of pho, I cut my flavor buds short. The bowl of pho I had was mediocre at best. I will probably not return despite their array of asian style food, korean, vietnamese and japanese (bbq, bibimbap, pho).
(2)Nate S.
Give me a break. This is not what I'd call shrimp and chicken fried rice. Dry, clumpy rice with 3 cooked-to-death shrimp and tiny pits of cut up chicken that have also been killed. No way no how! To top it off I ate about a 1/3 of it and feel sick to my stomach. There's better ways to waste your money!
(2)Kevin P.
Come here pretty often and I get the same thing each time "Saigon Pho", you can't screw that up and thus the staff is friendly and order is ready within 5-6 mins tops...
(4)Adam M.
I try to go here whenever I can. The waiter is nice and quick and the food is always great! What else can i say? It's GOOD!
(4)Max X.
Im am a Pho-natic. This place satisfies my cravings. I usually get the #1 with extra tendon...nom nom nom! I haven't really tried anything else here so my rating is only applicable to the Pho...Big portions, great broth, fresh bean sprouts, mint leaves, and juicy limes! Best of all I don't have to drive all the way down to the OC or the valley for some legit Pho! w00t w00t!
(4)Toshiyuki U.
Love this place for weekday lunch. There is plenty of spacious seating. The service is great and the workers are really nice! I like the #2 Pho or the Chicken teriyaki plate(#50 ?). The teriyaki plate come with a nice portion salad w/ special dressing and rice. The food is very good! Great cooking!
(4)Tracy S.
Came to this place with a massive hangover on a whim, as my co worker suggested a nice hot bowl of Pho would make me feel better. First off, even if I wasn't hung over the Pho here would have been awesome. But, as I described to my co worker, each bite was like putting more life into me. At the end of the meal I felt like a million bucks. I had the Saigon Special, large. The meat is well done but not chewy and the broth is very fresh. Be sure to put in some fresh herbs and Rooster sauce ( cant spell the real name... sorry ) if you feel as dead as I did on that day. It was DELICIOUS. I couldn't stop eating, and before you know it, my appetite was so worked up that I wolfed down a few of their fried dumplings, which were crispy and not overly greasy, My co worker had the plain Pho, and she seemed to enjoy it quite alot. There was a single employee from what I could see working that afternoon. He was a very attentive and nice elder Asian man. To be honest with you, he sort of reminded me of my Grandfather! Lol. This meal really put the life back into me. And boy was it tasty..... and the best part was the price! You really cannot get much better than this.
(5)Jansen R.
I have been coming to this place for the past 3 months and so far the food is average. The service is ok but when it does get busy it tends to be slow... And today i went during lunch to try a BENTO Box lunch and OMG!!! me and my co-worker were the fist people there (no one was in there) in the place and then a few other people came after that (maybe within 5 to 10 min. of each other). We were the 3rd to be waited on even when we were first there and seated. She ordered a chicken PHO and it normally doesn't take long to make but it took them 25 Min. for t to come out. I ordered the bento lunch (teri beef/tempura) and it took about 40 min. to come out... And when it did come it the beef was over cooked and was drenched in teriyaki sauce. The tempura was cooked perfect but was really greasy like they didn't give it time to let the excess oil come off. So I ended up taking the breading off the shrimp and veggies. Plus it made me late to come back from lunch... =( I really didn't care at that point when the food came out because i was sooooo hungry... I think after this point im going to find a new spot for lunch... And to a previous review I agree that when you leave the place you smell like the oily odor from the restaurant and it is not a pleasent smell after you eat...
(2)Linda A.
Just went there for my first time. Haven't tried the Pho or other stuff but they make some darn good chicken and shrimp fried rice!!! I'll be back for more of that! :)
(5)Tim W.
Dear Food Beings, Bamboo Song can become an addiction. I frequent this place often for a nice bowl of Chicken Noodle soup (Pho). In my opinion, this Pho is much better than many other Pho restaurants as the soup broth lacks the fishiness taste. Some of you may like the fishiness...but I myself cannot stand fish (yes, I'm weird)! Each dining table includes sauces to spice up your soup to your own liking. For those who breathe fire like myself, your bowl of soup is destined to look like a blood bath (very red from all of the chilis). WARNING: Be prepared to smell like fried foods the minute the front of your shoe enters the restaurant! I have no idea what causes this but without fail, each time I eat here, I walk out smelling like a human-size egg roll! The greasy stench seeps deep through your pores and in your hair consuming any fragrance or odor that you may have smelled like before you entered (for some, that may be a good thing if you had bad b.o. to begin with). But aside from the lingering stench, the noodle soup is great. Enjoy!
(4)Emily C.
Not the best food you will get, unfortunately, but they have a good service and the portion is big. I wouldn't get their Pho, it may give you a headache from all the MSGs you can taste afterwards...But their salad is pretty good and very large! if you are into big dishes..
(3)Eric K.
Spur of the moment decision to eat here. Was heading to get some pollo tacos at Amigos Tacos which is a few doors away...but decided to get my lunch with rice instead of tortilla, teri instead of salsa... I got there at about 11:30am, by myself. Sat down, handed a menu. After I ordered, I started to play with my iPhone, the connection was really slow, so I give-up. As the food still hasn't arrived, I started to pick my nose discretely, rolling the boogers between my fingers, and flicking them across the room...then the food arrived while finger half way into my nostril... no, this is a made-up story, I played with my iPhone the entire time I waited. Really. Got the teri chicken plate with sauce on the side - applied my teri-dip eating method (see my reviews on the Flame Broiler and 3 Bros). Not sure if it was all white meat or mixed with dark meat. I prefer white meat. There isn't really anything that stood out for me to write about, it was more or less your standard teri chicken plate. If explained from the perspective of statistics, it fits on the center of the bell-shaped curve, just average.
(3)Michael K.
Wow!! I can't believe that this place has a 3.5 star rating, along with many 4 star reviews. This place is dirty, the food is mediocre and the service is horrible. The only reason I can see someone going here is for a cheap meal or if they were forced to at gunpoint. Never never NEVER again!!!
(1)Terry I.
I've tried this place twice. The first time, I had the pho. The second time, I had the bibimbap with beef. The service is very good. The staff is friendly. The price is very reasonable. It's the food that's the problem -- very underwhelming. It's just dull and bland, so unexpected for Southeast Asian cuisine. I feel bad giving a bad review, but they need to raise the bar here. There are too many GOOD Asian restaurants in the Southbay for any establishment to be mediocre.
(2)A K.
I've been here several times with my boyfriend, and we both are fans! The pho is delicious and the portions are huge. I can never finish a whole bowl of pho (so my boyfriend does). I'm thankful it's super close to my house, so I can always get there quickly when I have a pho-craving!
(4)Edith C.
Decent!! I was in a quick Pho fix and stumbled to the closes place near my casa. I have honestly tried better. But the pho was decent i have been here twice in the last month and had the Saper and saigon Pho. they were both delicious. definately need to come back and try something different. the service was fast and setting is more a casual then anything. they give bif portions mm and i got sald with my order which was delicious.
(3)Edwin L.
Convenient place for a good value bowl of Pho.The tendor is good, soft and chunky. I ordered a take out, the broth tasted good, but it did not solidify in the frig, which means it is not made naturally from beef bone. I may be expecting too much?
(3)Lisa M.
Not a bad spot when you want some pho. I personally think this branch is a lot cleaner and nicer-looking than the one in PV, same food though. Their egg rolls are yum, both fried and the rice & shrimp ones. I like their pho too, though some others said that it was more cilantro-y and garlic-y than other pho places. Their service is really friendly, and I'm always full halfway through the regular sized bowl!!
(4)Bernard C.
you can get the food else where for same price or cheaper, just go here if you live close. the boba is good though, although it tastes like other places.
(3)Elise P.
I've been to this Pho place multiple times and each time there was slightly something off... One time i came here and the milk tea i ordered had sour boba in it. No not like sour skittles. more like went bad sour! I didn't say anything because i don't really like to make a fuss about things but regardless, it wasn't pleasant. The portions are decent and the broth is relatively good for such a small location. It's a small shop but has good pho if you are in the area. Parking is a bit of a hassle sometimes because the lot is small but nothing crazy.
(3)win h.
I liked the tempura. The taro bobs was good. The boyfriend ordered beef teriyaki and It was very small and tasted worse than yoshi noya. He was still hungry so we got a pho.. Ewww. Don't recommend this place at all. Giving three stars for the cheap taro an tempura that tastes good but still made me feel awful the next day!
(3)Lia C.
This location of Bamboo Song is preferred for me, it's more open, cleaner, and not as sweaty.
(4)Daisy Y.
My second time here. I got #2 which is pho with flank and brisket. The noodles were surprisingly not mushy. Sometimes, you get pho and as you try to loosen it up, they all break... Yeah, this one did break in certain places, but the texture wasn't mushy at all. It was chewy in a good way. I also ordered egg rolls. I'm wondering if they made it fresh or it was a different brand than what I'm used to, because the egg rolls were really hot, and remained hot until I was finished with my noodles. (and I eat pretty slow) But the outside layer was very thin, and it was about to break at any moment. Also, the lettuce they gave was not fresh. There were the brown lines and other signs of age. Overall, the noodles were chewy, but it wasn't anything more than that. The egg roll stayed warm for a while, but the outside layer was too thin for me and the lettuce was old. So I want to give 3.5 stars but I guess I can only give 4, so I'm rounding up for you.
(4)Robert and Tammy A.
I'm sure there are better Pho places out there, but this one is close to home and hits the spot. It's cheap and fast and the employees are nice. I always order the Pho with chicken and spring rolls. It never disappoints.
(4)Joshua P.
I've been to this place several times and their pho is quite good. I heard that Bamboo Song in PV is better but this place is good for quick lunch or dinner. I liked their egg rolls.
(4)Christina H.
The pho broth was pretty bland and the noodles were too soft. Service was very friendly. There are definitely better pho places nearby. Will not be back for the pho but the bibimbap looked good.
(2)Cris I.
This location is not as good as the 1st location that is located in P.V. The service at this location is not as good and i have found pieces of sponge in my drink, and hair in my Pho. Honestly if your in the area there are better Pho places around that don't offer you pieces of cleaning utensils and Hair in your food. When it first opened it was better but that's probably because they put most of their efforts into this location but not that its been open its taken its true form. Because it wasn't always horrible i'll give them 2 stars but honestly they probably deserve 1 star. Your not likely to find me here again.
(2)Gil K.
I like this place. I have been looking for a "pho" house that I could count on, and this is it. Got the meatball pho, chicken and shrimp banh xeo, and sumi salad. Save yourself $6 and don't get the sumi salad. I thought it had ramen in it, from the picture, but it doesn't. It's cabbage, tomato (3 slices), cucumber (3 slices) and peanuts with some sesame/vinegar sauce. The pho was good, didn't fall asleep after, which means no MSG (i'm sensitive to it) and the banh xeo was really good. I have found my Pho house.
(4)D D.
I've been here quiet a few times for their pho. Its a Korean-run restaurant which aside from pho, serves a hodgepodge of Asian-themed dishes: a little selection of KBBQ and bibimbap here, a few choices of sushi or teriyaki there, etc. I say Asian themed because none of their offering appears to be truely authentic, but rather lean towards a more fusion take on Asian food. Food: As far the pho, it's average at best. The portions just keep on getting smaller and smaller every time I go. Sure, you get enough broth to fill your stomach, but like the famed 80's commercial slogan from Wendy's, I have ask literally- "where's the beef?!!" The broth itself is okay- doesn't have the depth of flavor as some other pho places, and sometimes you'll even find an adventurous piece of sponge who has made your bowl its new swimming pool. The taro smoothie with tapioca bubbles is really worth a try though. I've tried other flavors there, like mango and melon- but taro is definitely the best! So smooth and creamy... Service: While its definitely not the worst service, its not nearly the best either. If you speak Korean, your chances of getting good service are much higher. Overall, 3 stars for some passable food, and average service.
(3)Jenni L.
Hard to find a good pho spot in the south bay. Around here, the pho joints serve pho that is either too oily, too salty, doesn't taste like pho or all of the above. In addition, the interior is filthy/seedy/unkempt. Bamboo song has decent pho. The prices are a buck+ higher than other joints. Interior is kept fairly clean. The rare steak- aka pho tai comes out w/ hard, cooked meat . The staff are not too friendly and sometimes hard to communicate with- language related but they're speedy and get the job done. Beyond the pho, their menu also includes teriyaki, sushi?!, bibimbap, boba, crepes... and the list goes on. A bit odd, with no rhyme or reason- but I guess they were trying to reach out to all taste buds. To fill the pho craving, this spot will do- without traveling very far.
(3)Yess M.
Oh HELLZ no! I visited Bamboo Song twice before and would have given this place 2.5 stars for the simple tasting Pho and possibly suggesting to eat here if your in the area and just need a quick Pho fix. However, this last and FINAL visit dropped their rating... I walked into Bamboo Song and, as usual, waited for a server to guide me to a table and hand me a menu. However, there was no server to be seen, only the few occupied tables, so I assumed it would be fine to seat myself. As I did, the waitress shot-out behind the kitchen doors and rushed over to serve one of the tables, then glanced in my direction, and I smiled hoping that cue would be good enough to say, without saying, haaaaayyyy, customer hereeeee. Instead she continued to walk towards the kitchen. Hmmm, thats different. Yeah I suppose I could have walked my happy ass to the front and grab a menu, or just be satisfied with the menu they have displayed on the wall...MMmmm No. I want plastic menu-ness all up in my face. Ok ok, so lets just say they ran out of menus and the server just assumed that I would use the menu on the wall to choose my meal... I waited for her to come to the table for about ten minutes and still, I was left server-less. What REALLY popped my bubble was this, a group walk through the door and the server nearly SKIPPED her way to the group and then proceeded to write their order! ::gasp:: oh. hellz. no.
(1)Louis N.
7/6/08 For the Pho alone, 2 stars. No Pho satisfaction overall even after adding the sauces. For the money there are better places. 5/28/08 update: I had a beef Pho here last weekend. The Pho was not bad but it was on the light and bland side and led me to add Hoisin sauce and chili to liven it up. The rest seemed average. It had a clean aftertaste and clean appearance. Ok Pho from a place that sells it on the side sort of speak as they also make fast food sushi, teriyaki and tempura plates among other things including Udon. I see... (I see what? I see nothing, but I see..., I often don't make sense, ha ha). 12/11/07 I've only had their Bibimbap here so far. It was good. The lettuce makes it. The lettuce slices in it makes the whole thing crunchy and slide smoothly in mouth, very enjoyable and delicious. I wasn't crazy about the beef bits (too much fat on some of the bits). Their Pho looks pretty good (next table's couple was having a bowl each, I have to try these the next time). Overall impression is that this is a well run place and fairly new (the banner sitting by the corner indicating 'grand opening' was the give away)."
(2)Tracy G.
I just ate here yesterday =). I love this place and have been going there since it first opened. Before it use to be a boba place lol. Anywho I like there pho and korean food to. Udon is ok. I also like there honeydew slush boba drink yum. I go here at least once or twice a month =). You should try there korean bbq's to. I still haven't tried the crepe. I always say I'm going to get it after I eat, but I never have room for it =P. Also the owner is nice and I really like one of the girl servers there. She is super nice. Also there are tables outside, but I'm not sure if they let you eat outside. I don't see why not??
(4)Jason J.
I'm just now starting to get my "Pho" on. I've never been one for soups and I guess that's a real big thing in some Asian spots. So time for me to broaden my horizons and see what's going on with this stuff. Bamboo Song has officially become my measuring stick going forward. The Seafood combo noodle is the truth. There is a grip (large quantity) of seafood in that thing. I've had it twice thus far and still have not finished it all. I'm still not exactly sold on being a soup man, but this is a welcome rotation in my Torrance lunch adventures. I wish I could expand more on the "Pho" but like I said it's new to me so I can't say it's not as good as so and so, but I can say it's very good TO ME. Contrary to some of the other reviews, the place was very clean. The staff or should I say the one woman was very friendly and quick. The place was pretty packed, so I'm not the only one that is feeling it.
(4)Paula L.
You know...I'm not usually the type to give very many places 1 star, but this place truly deserved it. We had ordered the spring rolls, pho, and the korean bbq beef dish. The first thing that came out was the spring rolls. I took a bite of it and to my surprise, it had a funny texture to it. I didn't think much of it and continued to eat the spring roll till I took a bite out of something chewy. I pulled it out of my mouth and it was a white looking piece. I started to unroll it and it was a plastic piece from a plastic bag! The little piece that comes out from the handles of a plastic bag!! I was shocked and grossed out at the same time, thinking I might've eaten more of it and it would start to clog my stomach like the poor animals in the ocean. I decided to tell the waitress, in which her response was "oh, sorry", as she took it away and didn't say anything else after that. The owner was also there, but he didn't even come over and explain what had happened. I decided to stay, just to give the place a 2nd chance on their food... I received my plate of Korean bbq and the lime that was on my plate was OLD. It was brown and all wrinkled up. I took a bite of the beef and it was the most horrible korean bbq I have ever eaten in my life. The beef was slimey with a sweetish taste to it. I've never had beef bbq at a korean restaurant that was ever sweet. It was awful. I am not kidding. I even chose to get the korean bbq cause I noticed that the people working there were korean and I believe the owner was too. You would think they would know how to make korean bbq!!! My BF's pho was ok, not bad, but just average. It was definitely WAY better than my dish. My eyes started to water cause I had been so hungry and what a disappointment. I have NEVER had a restaurant make me teary eyed before. NEVER! If I could give the restaurant negative stars, I would.
(1)Ariz G.
Fusion on a budget for me.
(4)Jeannie M.
the pho is yummmilicious! the soup base is good, done without MSG, which says a lot about its soup base. the noodles are never over cooked. perfect
(5)Erik P.
ive only ever had the pho here, but its really good. ive had pho at a number of places and bamboo song rates amongst the top of the list. the ingredients are always fresh and delicious, which is very important for good pho. i cant wait for the colder months to come so i can warm myself up with a big bowl of pho!
(4)