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Ban Bamboo

3.9 (73 reviews)
InexpensiveLaotian, Thai
Closed 4:00 pm - 9:00 PM
Updated over 3 months ago

Order Ban Bamboo Takeout or Delivery

Ban Bamboo Photos

BAN BAMBOO ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Good for kids
Good for groups

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Recommended Reviews - Ban Bamboo

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Heather M.

I had an amazing dinner here tonight! The Thai Fried rice was great, a lot of food - I got full quickly. The chicken pad Thai was great as well! The restaurant was quiet, a little chilly, but overall quiet and intimate. It was in a great location, and the window views are great.

Laos papaya salad
Sirena W.

Yum! Authentic thai / laos cuisine. We ordered from the thai / laos specialty section and got: Laos Papaya Salad, Laos Sausage and Khao Soi. The laos papaya salad was SPICY but so so so good! And that's coming from someone who can handle spice. There's fermented crab paste in there that makes it unique and so delicious. The laos sausage was perfectly crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. If you've never had, they're lemongrass-y galanga-y flavor bombs. (My mouth is watering thinking about it). The khao soi was a bit lack luster compared to other ones I've had... but it satisfied a craving. If you enjoy spice and delicious food, this place wont disappoint.

14. Crab Dumplings and 29. Pad Thai
Michael F.

Another COVID-19 "Stay At Home" Take Out Review Only. Specific to COVID-19, I had no concerns with ordering from Ban Bamboo. They clearly kept the restaurant clean and were well organized for the current state of affairs. With the number of shops still open, I recommend giving them your business. I really had no clue what I wanted and was very happy with the conversation in guiding me to options. I ended up settling for some fried crab dumplings and chicken pad thai. The dumplings were good. Each were bite-sized and the order came with a soy based sauce for dipping. Very fair portion for the price, however, I'm not sure I would get them again. On the flip side, loved the pad thai completely and am already craving another. Again, portion was more than fair and not just in size but also the amount of protein included. Good stuff!

Roach found in my Tom kha gai.
Dana B.

Ordered take out from here. It tasted fine then I got to my Tom kha gai. Tell me that is not a roach floating in my soup I thought. Sure enough. Really disgusted and disappointed in this place. The delivery service only gave a partial refund. Be forewarned- expect dirty food when you go here I guess.

a buddha statue on a table in a store
Cindy L.

WOW. WOW. WOW. Ban Bamboo is the BEST thai food restaurant you will find in Philadelphia. The flavor and bright color of the food, the exotic decor and friendly service won my 5 stars review. My boyfriend and I were in the neighborhood and we walked in around 8:30, hoping to get a takeout order as the sign showed they close at 9. Soon as we walked in, we were greeted with appetizing aroma from the kitchen. The server offered us a menu with pictures to help with our decision making (everything on the menu looks so good!) We ended up ordering 1. Tom Yum Soup w/ Vegetables $4.95 7. Fried Wonton $5.95 53. Som Tum Gai Yang $17.95 29. Pad Thai w/ Shrimp $15.95 The server was so kind and patient. He took his time to explain the difference between Thai and Laos papaya salad, which comes in Som Tum Gai Yang. ( T is milder and L is spicier w/ more fish sauce taste) He mentioned that the BOH staff only eat what they cook, so their food is just as authentic as what you'll find in their kitchen. (the spiciness is also the same as how they like it) What came to my surprise was, even though they were closing in 15 mins, the server still asked if we'd like to dine in! He checked with the kitchen staff and they had no problem with us staying after closing time. (We did takeout anyway) Needless to say, the food was AMAZING! Soup had a nice balance of sourness and spiciness. Fried wonton was golden and crispy ( they cut out 2 holes on the takeout box so it didn't turn soggy) Som Tum Gai Yang came with a bag of sticky rice, well seasoned roasted chicken and a big portion of papaya salad. Shrimp Pad Thai was delicious and enough for two! I can't wait to go back for dine in and i'd 100% recommend this place for anyone who's a fan of flavor!

10. Vegetable Spring Roll$6.99 For The three. These were HORRIBLE. Not well seasoned and a lot greasier than they appear
Joan S.

On 6/26/22 my first time here My to go order was: three vegetable spring roll and a Tofu pad Thai. I'd definitely return for the latter (nice generous portion; Think I got 3 meals from it) but MOT the former as they were too pricey for what they turned out to be.

Waiting for my order

Waiting for my order... It's worth it. Tell yourself that! It's been longer than they said, but how great could it be? I wonder! Gee, I hope it's good... sure wish I had something to tell, but it is taking longer than they said.

the front of a restaurant
Gerald S.

Arriving at 3:30, I learned Ban Bamboo closed for two hours on Saturday afternoon and reopened at 4. So, I had a little time to wander along Ridge Avenue and take in the beautiful Spring day and the local color. The street scene was active with outdoor seating at the brewery and many open doors allowing the kitchen aromas to waft out to we pedestrians. Definitely created the aura of being a neighborhood. When BB's "Open" sign lit, I went in to discover a small dining area with lovely Buddha shrine front and center, and heavy southeast Asian decor all around. A cafe in Vientiane or Pattaya would look as good. I ordered Tom Kha Soup (veggie), Beef Satay, Red Curry (veggie), Drunken Noodles (chicken), and Kai Soi (beef), to go. It was 40 minutes to readiness, so I continued my exploration of the area while waiting, and thought about what I remembered about Lao and Thai cuisine. While both are very regionalized so that there are many distinctions even in different parts of each country. Still, there are a few generalities that hold true. Where Thai uses coconut milk in many dishes making it sweet, often counterbalanced by the heat of chili peppers and bitterness of lemongrass; Lao kitchens lack coconuts, and use more lime and fermented fish sauces for flavor. Lao is a lot saltier than Thai. So, it was easy to know which was which in my package. The Tom Kha Soup came on strong on sweetness from its coconut milk/galangal base, followed immediately by a lemongrass bite. It could have used more variety of veggies in the bowl, but the taste profile set off a riot in my mouth. The Red Curry was similar in sweetness, but lit a fire from the chili paste used to turn the color crimson. The veggies were still semi firm, adding to the texture, along with the bell pepper, bamboo shoots and Thai basil. The Beef Satay was lean meat with excellent BBQ type sauce, and on the sweeter side. Drunken Noodles were definitely from Thailand in flavor and plenty spicy from roasted chili sauce. Kai Soi, on the other hand, was more a hybrid, using thin sliced beef in a coconut milk broth, mixed with egg noodles, red onion, cabbage and lemon/lime juices. It reminded of Indian curry with its sweet/sour profile. Although travel time neutralized the higher taste amplitudes to reduce the delicate intricacies that exited the kitchen, it was still a wonderfully entertaining meal that is well worth revisiting, along with this Ridge Avenue neighborhood.

Marquise H.

Oh, how I hate to write lackluster reviews.... Initially chose to order takeout here based on the few yet pleasant previous reviews. However, unfortunately, I feel like I went to a completely different restaurant than what I'd read about. Strike one: Although I ordered & paid via Grubhub to ensure a smooth & easy transaction, I was disheartened by the cold disposition with which I was greeted when I arrived. Not everyone is warm & fuzzy, and I get that, but the employees didn't even grant eye contact. The brief visit felt transactional and dismissive. Strike two: SMALL SERVINGS. When I got home, I was shocked at how little rice & spicy basil they'd included for a price of $17.95 (to mention there were just 7 shrimp included in the entree). Hate to sound petty, but the amount of food included in a main dish was anemic and underwhelming. Strike three: The food was way less than delicious. At best, each dish (also ordered the vegetable spring rolls & tulip dumplings) was merely ok. I loooooove Thai food (see my Green Basil review for a tasty treat), but have never been so disappointed, and am unlikely to return.

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5 months ago

amazing chicken pad thai. been coming here for years, very nice people. great food. close by

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AMAZING FOOD EVERYTIME! This is my favorite Thai food spot in Philly! Everything is sooooo good. My go to is the cashew chicken

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2 years ago

This is our favorite place to eat in Philly. Such a banger. Big entree portions. We always get papaya salad, pad Thai, and mango sticky rice

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2 years ago

We get pad cashew with steam tofu every few weeks. Wonderful food. We love this place!

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5 years ago

Go to for Take out! So good and quick for take out! Large menu so there are options for everyone and everything I've ever gotten is great!

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Ask the Community - Ban Bamboo

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Kalaya - Gong Ob Woonsen (Shrimp & Glass Noodles w/Bacon & Chinese Celery)

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4.4(611 reviews)
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Came for a birthday celebration. One of the few nicer places on my short list of restaurants with…read morereservations available, so I decided to go for it. Service was excellent! Our staff were always looking out for us, and making suggestions and recommendations throughout our entire meal, and even helping us with some tips to better enjoy our meal (they saw me sweating in response to the Thai spice). Definitely made this a top-notch experience. Ambience here is great! Love places with *real* greenery indoors and a lot of natural light, like this place, and seats and tables were spread out sufficiently such that there was a nice background chatter without feel too infringed upon by other conversations. We ordered a good variety to share. The spare ribs and the glass noodles dishes were amazing! Everything came out as ready, but it was on a good cadence such that we were enjoying things as they were ready, hot and fresh. I'm no expert on legitimacy of flavors and dishes, but honestly this feels like the most legit stuff I've had in the Thai wheelhouse in a while. To boot, even though we said no to dessert because we had other plans, they came with a candle on a plate to still share birthday wishes. A nice touch! Definitely a fancy occasion kind of place in my books, but I'd definitely make a return trip on another occasion!

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Kalaya - Bar Area

Bar Area

Kalaya - Kanom jeeb nok (bird-shaped dumplings)

Kanom jeeb nok (bird-shaped dumplings)

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Xiandu Thai

Xiandu Thai

4.2(722 reviews)
6.7 mi
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We went visited Xiandu Thai a year ago and the food was delicious minus one thing we didn't really…read morecare for. However overall it was some of the best Thai food we had in Philly and we used to live in the area years ago. We decided we had to come back and see if the food was still just as good and the results are in...IT WAS! First the customer service is still really good and the server was beyond friendly and attentive. The restaurant itself is still super quant and perfect for a girls dinner or a date night! Now onto the food! We ordered the Sexy Shrimp appetizer, Pad Thai, Dan Dan Noodles! The Sexy Shrimp appetizer was good but we weren't really a fan of the dipping sauce that came with it. It was like a chipotle dipping sauce but I think the a traditional Thai Sweet Chili would have been better. But my, my, my the Pad Thai and Dan Dan Noodles were Phenomenal! Portion size was HUGE, flavor and spice was spot on and honestly, I wish I could pick up this restaurant and move it to DC where we are located! Still phenomenal and we will continue to return everytime we come back to visit Philly!

Phenomenal place! I love Xiandu Thai and they offer a good deal Happy Hour and their menu overall…read morehas some great options. Drinks are made well and reasonably priced. I love good Hendricks martini But I also do stray away from some of their original cocktails. The Chicken Pad Thai is my absolute favorite here. I always ask for spice and extra peanuts! Never disappointed. The Drunken Noodles are also a go-to favorite. Their starter options are sized appropriately so you'll have room for dinner. Bonnie & Peter are remarkable and they have an amazing staff. Xiandu is such a kind and friendly atmosphere with a beautiful ambiance both indoor and outdoor. Located right on Walnut Street you'll see beautiful views from their full bar (with two TVs) and they also have a beautiful patio with spacious seating. I would recommend Xiandu for a cute lunch, beautiful romantic dinner and a place to really come have some amazing Thai cuisine!

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Xiandu Thai - Angry Beef

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Circles Contemporary Thai - Pad Woonsen

Circles Contemporary Thai

3.5(468 reviews)
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Circles Contemporary Thai - Pad Thai Panang Curry Green Curry

Pad Thai Panang Curry Green Curry

Circles Contemporary Thai - Thai tea

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Mawn - Banh chow salad (served with shrimp and chicken however, we 86ed the shrimp)

Mawn

4.7(255 reviews)
7.3 miBella Vista, Italian Market

Enjoying lunch at Mawn felt like I had won the lottery!! If you know how hard it is to secure a…read morereservation than you know the feeling! So you might stumble across info for the best times to secure a walk-up reservation and they'll tell you to arrive at least by 10:30am Thursday through Saturday as Mawn opens at 11am. But let me tell you how I pulled up in front of Mawn at 10:40am on a Thursday and there was already a line of about 15 people!! Mind you, these people have PEOPLEZ as quite a few were holding spots in line for others in their party who could now casually stroll up to the line since their spot was secured by their people. I'm telling you have a game plan! If I knew then what I know now I probably would have got there at least by 9:30, seriously. My party got waitlisted as soon as we were just one person away from entering the restaurant and we had to wait for another 40 minutes. Fortunately it was a nice day so we just walked around the neighborhood and came back and got in. It's a small quaint place that only seats about 28 people. You'll feel like your visiting your favorite relatives home. You'll glance around at the other guest and feel like WOW i'm one of the few who finally made it into one of the most coveted highly acclaimed restaurants in Philly! Now let me see if it lives up to the hype! haha! I started out with the pear melon salad. It was light and refreshing. I thoroughly enjoyed the citrus notes and the pear slices. I would have never thought to add the pear but that really complimented the salad well. I was told that a MUST try is the head on soft shell shrimp. At first I wasn't thrilled about the thought of eating the head but said what the heck, lets go for the full experience! If you love softshell crabs you'll love this! There was nothing off putting about it. It simply taste like delicious premium shrimp in a fish caramel sauce with a hint of thai basil and chili. It was wonderful. I could have gone for a second round but I wanted to try other items. I enjoyed the seafood fried rice..this is similar to the crab fried rice but included uni roe and caviar with saracha on the side so you can regulate your heat level. I'll say this, while I enjoyed the seafood fried rice and the bonus elements of it, I was not a fan of the texture of the rice itself. Perhaps it's just my preference. The rice was light, fluffy and slightly sticky in texture whereas I prefer more of a thai fried rice which is dry, slightly firm and non-clumpy texture. But that's not taking any cool points away from Mawn. It's just my preference that i'm mentioning in case anyone else goes in expecting a different texture. I love the team service aspect at Mawn. Our waiter emphasized that we're not bugging anybody if we need anything we can stop any staff person walking by. I love that. Beef Noodle soup is delicous here. So is the yellow curry noodle soup. The fish is really good here too. I didn't realize I could have requested for it to be deboned (probably because I was talking to much lol) But my waiter was kind enough to come over and help me debone it when they saw I was struggling lol This was the first time I ever had a green thai tea! It was really a treat. Not overly sweet. Nothing but pure deliciousness here! And a super helpful warm friendly staff.

Great service and great food! The place is small so it makes sense that it's so hard to get a…read morereservation. I love a good BYO, so I can splurge a bit more on the food and not worry about the cost of alcohol. For a party of three, we order 5 appetizers and shared the all star fried rice, which was a perfect amount of food. We got the beef skewers, which were definitely a favorite - the meat absolutely melts in your mouth! The papaya salad paired well with this, as it was tangy and refreshing, especially on such a hot day. The scallop crudo was a special for the night, but I think they should add this to their permanent menu because it was definitely a standout! The all star fried rice at $54 was also well worth it. I am often disappointed by dishes like these due to the lack of "stuff", but there was crab throughout and a generous portion of roe. I was a little disappointed however that there were only 2 scallops at that price. Overall, each dish had impeccable flavor, great presentation, and a good amount of seafood for the price.

Photos
Mawn - Inside

Inside

Mawn - Fried chicken

Fried chicken

Mawn - Fried Chicken

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Fried Chicken

Ban Bamboo - laotian - Updated May 2026

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