Local Food Review

While Shoko and I have been planning on starting this website for over a year, I decided to do my first couple of reviews while I am on travel. Traveling like I do gives me a chance to see how restaurants treat single diners as I often eat alone. This first review is by far not a positive one yet, I want to make it clear from the beginning that this site will be fair to all eating establishments that have good food, service and value.

Being I live in Hawaii it is tradition for my family to eat Dim Sum every Sunday. Today being Sunday I decided to try Bamboo Creek Asian Bistro in Jacksonville Florida at 8532 BayMeadows Road.

Upon arriving at 12:15  pm I was seated promptly and ordered Tea. Upon receiving the Hot Tea $2.00 I waited poured a cup and it was clear as water. Checking the pot there indeed was tea in it so I decided to wait for it to darken up or at least get some flavor. I am not sure what the deal was, but even after my 60 minute stay at the establishment the tea color only improved by a slight degree. So for a chinese restaurant epic fail on there tea.

Second I told the waiter I wanted dim sum and one item of menu. The item off the menu that I ordered never arrived, even with a nice reminder twice to the waiter his excuse they were backed up in the kitchen.

They had one lady with a Dim Sum cart for nearly 40 guest tables. It took her 21 minutes to get to my table. With only 4 items left on the cart, I took a spring roll and ordered three other plates.  The other three plates took 27 minutes to get to my table, and when the arrived two of the items were cold. I ate the food and asked for the check which they were very fast to bring me and cash me out. Total bill was $15.20 and I left no tip. Only 3 times in my life have I never left a tip.

I was not the only unhappy customer. The hostess was apologizing to everyone saying they were so busy. I saw what appeared to be kids clearing the table and the owner was heard several times yelling in the back. Who knows if this is the way they operate everyday but they were not ready for customers and seemed surprised at the number of people showing up to eat.

Personally I will never ever go back to the Bamboo Creek Asian Bistro in Jacksonville Florida.