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Vegan Chinese food heaven!

5 Posted on 05 / 05 / 2013

It is ALL about the sweet and sour chicken. And the lemon chicken. I love these dishes so much that I can't bring myself to branch out much farther because I have to have them when I go. The Buddha Basket is also good and it is fun because you get to eat the basket, which is made out of fried taro. The service is fast and it is reasonably priced. I try to go every time I visit Seattle.

Pros: Excellent food, Fast service
Cons: Location a bit out of the way, Fortune cookies not vegan

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So Sad But I Won't Be Going Back

2 Posted on 02 / 05 / 2013

It was pretty flavorless and there was hardly any sauce. I hope it improves!

Pros: Mostly Vegan, Convenient
Cons: Flavorless

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oily

2 Posted on 09 / 16 / 2012

Note to self: this place goes big on batter and oils. I've dined at many a Taiwan style Chinese vegetarian establishment and this one is the oiliest by far. I ordered the salmon (a common standby item which I've had at several other places) but never seen it battered as it was done here and again, extra oily. I also ordered the almond chicken which came as several sausages of thick deep fried batter not unlike a (soy) hot dog on a stick. Inedible. I will come back and try something else.

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Great food

5 Posted on 07 / 24 / 2012

We ate there several times and were really pleased with the food and service. Food was highly varied, with plentiful portions. The brown rice was delicious, which is something we usually don't take big note of because we eat brown rice everyday, but at Bamboo, it was unusually flavorful with great texture. We loved the hot and sour soup, although it was missing some of the sour that we anticipated. The spicy eggplant was rich and delicious. We also had a number of vegetable dishes, all of which were great, including one that included giant, thinly sliced giant oyster mushrooms.

Pros: flavor, good value, service
Cons: missed onions and garlic a little

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Great food, fooled a meat-eater

5 Posted on 07 / 11 / 2012

This place has great vegan versions of what you'd find at a typical Chinese restaurant.

Unfortunately, the fortune cookies keep them from being an all-vegan restaurant.

The food was so good that my friend said he wouldn't have known it wasn't meat, if I hadn't said it was a vegetarian restaurant beforehand. The food quality was that good.

If you're in town, I definitely recommend this place.

Pros: All-vegetarian, Fools meat-eaters
Cons: Can't cut the 1 non-vegan item out??

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Mediocre vegetarian Chinese

3 Posted on 04 / 09 / 2012

The service was good and, of course, it has a huge selection for vegetarians. The food I had was good, but far from the best example of vegetarian Chinese food. It's a fine restaurant for a lunch or simple dinner, but I wouldn't go far out of my way for it.

Pros: Service, Selection
Cons: Mediocre food

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Pleasant vegan restaurant

5 Posted on 04 / 07 / 2012

A nice pleasant place to have a vegan meal. Ours was gluten free. There are a lot of gluten-free choices. We had the hot and sour soup, which was good but a tad sweet. Overall excellent.

Pros: excellent food, efficient, friendly service, family friendly

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Great food - and right next to Seattle Center

4 Posted on 01 / 21 / 2012

Offers dependably-good vegetarian food. I've eaten there for decades and only once or twice had a dish I didn't like. Most often, it's delicious and reasonably priced.

It's just a block away from Seattle Center (closest to the opera house and theaters), making it my pre-show favorite dining spot.

They have some free parking in their lot - but not always enough.

Pros: Good food, Near Seattle Center, prompt service, Reasonable prices
Cons: Good, but not as good as it used to be, Heavy on oil

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So good!

5 Posted on 01 / 19 / 2012

Love this place. Great food. The atmosphere is meh--kind of like a cheap/chintzy Chinese place, but the food is great. Favorites are the sweet and sour pork, crispy beef, and Stewed Shiitake and Oyster Mushroom with Potato and Carrot in Satay Peanut Sauce. Great place to go with a group of friends and eat family-style.

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Wow.

5 Posted on 10 / 28 / 2011

I am new to this "vegetarian" thing, but....WOW. If this is what it is gonna be like, count me ABSOLUTELY IN. This was phenomenal food. I had the orange/mandarin "chicken", spring roll, broccoli and green beans. sooooo good. not a fancy place, but clean and yummy!!!!

Pros: tasty, tons of variety, huge portions

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Good stuff

4 Posted on 10 / 02 / 2011

I was so surprised to find a completely vegetarian chinese restaurant. And the food reminded me so much of the dishes I had in childhood - sweet and sour "chicken" for instance. Service is fine and the place is decorated oddly, but the food is so good, I'd return.

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You Must Eat Here

5 Posted on 08 / 26 / 2011

Eat here, you will like it!

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Luxury menu for veggies!

4 Posted on 04 / 24 / 2011

Oh my god, it was SUCH a treat to eat at Bamboo Garden. We're not used to having such an extensive list of options to choose from - it took us a long time to select our order, and we over-ordered thanks to our enthusiasm! Huge variety of mock-meats as well as tofu, soups, exciting rice and starters. The menu is written as though it's an omni-restaurant, which was a little disconcerting at first, but fear not: it's totally vegan.

Not the best atmosphere - think bright lights, pale decor - but good value and great menu. Also, the staff aren't amazingly helpful. My brother ordered a fancy rice, but I just wanted brown rice. The server didn't think to tell us that the fancy rice only came in servings suitable for four.. thanks for that! Despite that, it was still good value.

Pros: extensive menu, good value
Cons: crap atmosphere, unhelpful staff

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My childhood restaurant

5 Posted on 03 / 16 / 2011

I've been eating at this restaurant with my family of 8 for over 10 years. We're all vegetarian and we've come to know the staff as family. They have seen us all grow up and they all know we are 100% vegetarian. I bring my friends there whenever I can and even bring the best item on the menu home for my brothers at times: Sweet and Sour Chicken Balls!

The whole menu is awesome. For me growing up Vegetarian, this place was a retreat to try something new. Gluten Puffs are awesome! The noodles are great, their Corn Chowder (Daily Soup) is hands down my comfort food. If you want a great experience in a great area of Seattle, this place will stuff you full of healthy yummy food. Even if you eat some of the deep fried stuff, it's still better than the alternative Chinese restaurant! I would highly recommend to anyone!

Pros: Vegan, Variety, Parking
Cons: Can't, Think, of any

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Love this place

5 Posted on 02 / 07 / 2011

When I lived in Seattle (Okay, Renton...) we used to dine here at least once a week.
Back for a visit, had to go there and it is still great!

Pros: Food, Service, Parking!

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Good Vegan Eats

4 Posted on 01 / 26 / 2011

If I could I would give this place 4 1/2 stars. I've been a couple times and have enjoyed myself. Nothing overwelming but pretty good Vegan Chinese food. I had their lunch special once and it was a great deal for the location and they have parking and let us leave our car there as I showed my sister around Seattle, which is nice concidering the locataion in downtown Seattle. This is one of the main vegan places in Seattle and you really should go and check it out especialy if you're doing something nearby at the Center or the Key, it's the place to go.

Pros: parking, location
Cons: food can be greasy

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Very nice place.

4 Posted on 09 / 23 / 2010

Attentive staff....nice decor...warm welcome and good food at moderate prices...in the Seattle Center area within walking distance of the EMP and Space Needle...definitely recommended.

Pros: Staff, Decor, Not rushed to finish
Cons: Prices a little on the high side

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friendly service, bad food

2 Posted on 09 / 10 / 2010

This is just straight up not good, and my standards are pretty low. The chicken nugget appetizers were gluten in about half an inch of soggy deep fried crust, and the mongolian beef was just chewy and gross. The wait staff was lovely, though! You can definitely eat better vegan food in Seattle.

Pros: Friendly Staff, unlimited iced tea
Cons: gross food

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what an awesome place to have

4 Posted on 09 / 03 / 2010

This is really the kind of place where you want to go get food if you can't be bothered to cook. The food is very good and it was cheap as well. What stuck me as odd was that rice didn't come with every entree.
I can imagine it getting boring after a while, though, but I didn't stay long enough to get that far.

Pros: good, cheap
Cons: not very special, order rice separately

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Nice people, food not so much

2 Posted on 07 / 28 / 2010

The staff was very nice and warm. They have parking.

Other than that, the food was not very good. They put cilantro in everything first of all. There is no need for it in Hot & Sour or dumplings. The soup was syrupy, making me wonder if it was from a mix. It was neither hot nor sour, and not a note of black pepper, which is the traditional theme for it. The dumplings were air puffs, that is to say there were only a few pieces of very fine tofu and otherwise mostly dough.

We were glad we ordered two apps before continuing to entrees. We cut our losses and will not be back.

Pros: Nice staff, parking, clean
Cons: food was lost

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Excellent food and affordable

5 Posted on 07 / 15 / 2010

Excellent food and affordable.

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So many vegan choices it's hard to choose one!

5 Posted on 06 / 28 / 2010

I don't know how meat-eaters do it when they have a whole menu to choose from. Where I come from, there aren't any vegan restaurants, so eating at Bamboo Garden was awesome. Not only did they have a ton of vegan choices, but the food was super good and very reasonably priced. If I lived in Seattle, I would definitely go there all the time.

Pros: many choices, good prices, friendly staff
Cons: fortune cookies not vegan

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Heaven on a plate!!

5 Posted on 03 / 29 / 2010

So, I ate at Bamboo Garden for the first time approximately 2 months ago and I was BLOWN AWAY. I wasn't a fan of the sweet and sour pork or the general chicken (tastes kind of like a fritter, or doughnut.) Too greasy, but I fell in love with the almond chicken!! The service was spectacular, the staff was friendly and helpful. If you are looking for a variety, definitely get the combination plate. They don't require a 2 person minimum, so I got one thing and my honey got another and we shared. FANTASTIC. The free parking is also a great bonus. I'm telling you - this food is so good, I think about it when I need a good "junk" food night - or snuggling and watching a movie. You will not be disappointed. My mouth is watering just thinking about it now. ALSO, I got some to go the other day and the food was just as good. I reheated the almond chicken in the oven and it was fantastic and crispy. YUM!

Pros: GREAT food! , FREE Parking, Fast service
Cons: Fortune cookie not vegan

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Great Chinese food!

5 Posted on 11 / 10 / 2009

I love this place, and while it's not the healthiest with all the deep fried items, they're good and vegan! I brought 6 non-veg friends last birthday and they all enjoyed it!

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Not Bad At All

4 Posted on 06 / 02 / 2009

I initially tried Bamboo Garden because the menu looked good, and it was only a few blocks from my hotel. I have to say that the food is pretty dang good here. The tofu was good, both times that I went. The second time around, the tofu was a LITTLE mushy, but still tasty. Everything but the fortune cookies are vegan. I would definitely recommend the tofu!

Pros: Wasn't ever too busy, Good location
Cons: TINY bathroom stalls, but who cares

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Great Vegetarian Restaurant

5 Posted on 05 / 29 / 2009

I love Bamboo Garden and eat there every couple of weeks. They have a very large menu which is mostly vegan and has lots of variety. Lots of parking space, easy to get to, lots of other things to do in the neighborhood (theaters, movies, IMAX, Seattle Centre, bars, etc. Friendly staff, tasty, fresh food. Try the chowder, General Tso's Chicken and the vegi Salmon. Good value set meals let you try a variety of dishes for a reasonable price.

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Okay

3 Posted on 05 / 23 / 2009

Four of us ate here while visiting Seattle. It was a bit pricey for lunch and the portions were rather small. The fried orange chicken were large battered balls with a little meat substitute in it. Not very impressed. The non fried meals were tasty enough, just not much food.

Pros: Vegan
Cons: Small portions, meat substitute

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Good Chinese Food

4 Posted on 04 / 23 / 2009

Good tasting food when your looking for good ol' fashion fried Chinese food. Love the General Tsoa's... Service is always fast and friendly.

Pros: Free Parking

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superb

5 Posted on 04 / 20 / 2009

The best Chinese food, excotic, AND it's veggie!

Pros: great food, use well known brands, excotic
Cons: price, only in Washington

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Wow

5 Posted on 01 / 26 / 2009

I've been here twice (once for dinner and lunch) and both times have been fabulous. The service has been fast and friendly and the food has been excellent. I had to drag my non-vegitarian boyfriend here and he absolutely loves it too. We both have particularly enjoyed the fried rice (any kind) and the mandarin chicken. The corn cowder they serve is a little odd but still good. If you are looking for a low-fat restaurant look elsewhere. This is your typical fried fare.

Pros: Friendly Service, Excellent Food, Good Value

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Meh...okay

3 Posted on 01 / 23 / 2009

I am totally spoiled by awesome vegan asian restaurants in Philly, so I was a little disappointed by Bamboo Garden when I visited last year. The food was okay but definitely not the best. My dining partner loved the corn soup, but I wasn't a fan. I probably wouldn't go back.

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Crunchy, Crispy

3 Posted on 01 / 18 / 2009

The Bamboo Garden is great when you're in the mood for heavy Chinese food. I don't expect dinner there to be particularly good for my body, but sometimes it just hits the spot. I doubt I'd go there more than once a year if I lived in the area.

Pros: tasty, reasonably priced
Cons: heavy

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awesome

5 Posted on 10 / 26 / 2008

wow, this place is good! the service is friendly enough and the food is really good. i haven't been keen on any vegetarian chinese food, but this has changed my ways.

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Favorite Vegetarian Restaurant

5 Posted on 07 / 14 / 2008

Hands down this is my favorite restaurant. Living in Asia now, I have been to many chinese vegi restaurants, but this still tops my list. Every meal I've even had here has been fabulous. We take ALL our non-vegi friends and family here and they love it. This is really good chinese cuisine. Not just your classic greasy chinese dishes, but a lot of variety and excellent quality. No, they didn't pay me to write this. :)

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Good but not Seattle's Best

4 Posted on 03 / 23 / 2008

Seattle has a lot of great vegan options, so I can't say that Bamboo Garden is "The Best" but..... they are very, very good nonetheless.

First, they have so many options, you're sure to find SOMETHING that suits your style.
Second, everything (that I know of?) is vegan, how great is that.
Third, the service is so VERY great, quick, quite, courteous and accurate.

This is just regular, reliable Chinese, the same stuff you grew up with, only now it's vegan!! no 5-star Thai spices or new-fangled Pan-Asian combinations. Most everything is fried, some things can be a bit greasy, but the vegetables are always crisp and the mock-meats (of which they use plenty!) are flavorful and creative.

Nice place to take Grandma :)

Pros: Large Menu, Mild food for those who don't like spice, PARKING!
Cons: A wee bit bland for me, Bit greasy

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Petite place, BIG menu

4 Posted on 02 / 26 / 2008

Great food! Huge menu! It was difficult to pick with so many options Everything we had was very good. Great, quick service. Highly recommended!

Pros: Quick service, Nice staff, Great selection

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Fabulous

5 Posted on 02 / 21 / 2008

This has been a place of choice for me and my husband for quite some time. They have the best vegan corn chowder! I have gone there for the chowder alone. They also have the best chicken and broccoli hot pot. I would recomend this place to anyone. Yum

Pros: friendly staff, great food, great portions
Cons: pricey

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Bamboo Garden

4 Posted on 02 / 19 / 2008

I really enjoyed this restaurant. The service was excellent and I was seated very fast. The prices are reasonable. Hope to visit again sometime.

Pros: Friendly staff, Healthy

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Fantastic

4 Posted on 10 / 11 / 2007

I loved Bamboo Garden the last time I was there and didn't have a single bad meal so I'm surprised there are so many mediocre reviews on here. Maybe I just got lucky?!!

Pros: Great food, Fast service, Brown rice served as standard

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good but not great

3 Posted on 10 / 08 / 2007

I haven't eaten at Bamboo Garden in a while.. Their is competition in Seattle when it comes to all Vegetarian restaurants and this one is sorta disappointing at times.. I have eaten there when it was great and I have eaten there when It was terrible.. The last time I ate there it was busy so when we got our food it was all halfass it looked like someone took 3 minutes to make our dishes it was floverless, unpresentable. Also everytime that I have eaten there.. I try to order something new and everything new that I try is pretty bad.. My fav is the sweet and sour pork or chicken.. other than that I dont like any of the other dishes.

Pros: sweet and sour pork, great parking, all vegetarian
Cons: lots of the food has an odd taste, all fried, possible MSG, small place with odd seating

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Try the Mongolian Beef!

4 Posted on 10 / 01 / 2007

We were so pleased to be able to park in Bamboo's parking lot for free in this crazy busy part of Seattle. When we came in, the staff immediately cleaned a booth for the two of us, even though there were plenty of empty tables, and we hadn't even asked for a booth!
The Mongolian beef was amazing - sweet and flavoured with cilantro, yummy and chewy, it beats my former favourite ginger beef dish from Buddha's in Calgary. We loved this dish so much, we're still craving it. It's always pleasing to be able to get brown rice instead of white at a chinese restaurant.
The Stewed mushrooms with stuffed Vegetable roll in Satay Peanut sauce was not so good - the mushrooms were rubbery, there were a few peanuts in there but it didn't taste very peanutty. We ordered this "hot pot" dish to get a healthier choice to go with the fried and sweet mongolian beef. Now I'm sorry I didn't have the lemon chicken instead.
As an appatizer we had the crispy fried taro root patties - the menu says they are "spiced", but they were bland, squishy and uninteresting, a waste of $4.95
Service was good and our dishes came quickly, we were there for dinner late around 8. If I didn't live so far away, I would go there again for the Mongolian beef alone and try some more dishes.

Pros: free parking, delicious food, fast service
Cons: Taro root patties - bleh!

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Terrible Dining Experience

2 Posted on 08 / 25 / 2007

I was shocked to have such terrible food when I ate at Bamboo Garden in August 2007 because of all the wonderful reviews I read here. Our fried bean-curd nugget appetizer was undercooked and the tofu inside was completely liquidy. My husband's entree was equally as terrible - the soy sauce had no flavor, and his bean curds had the same undercooked problem. My mock chicken left a lot to be desired. As far as vegetarian Chinese places, I thought this place was awful and I wouldn't go back.

Pros: Friendly staff
Cons: Undercooked food, Too many choices

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I Ate at Bamboo Garden

5 Posted on 08 / 18 / 2007

I had the Golden Fried Chicken Nuggets and Spring Rolls as appetizers. They were delicious. I ordered the Mandarin Chicken as my entree, also delicious.

Pros: good food!
Cons: soda in cans

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Good food, sweet neon guitar

4 Posted on 07 / 29 / 2007

I had the Fried Potstickers, Chicken Lo Mein and the Wonton Soup. I loved the lo mein and potstickers but I wished there was more to the soup. My water was kept full and it actually tasted good. My jasmine tea was great and the dished my friends ordered were well liked. I'd go back!

Pros: Good food, sweet neon guitar
Cons: Small, weird bathrooms, portions could be bigger