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LBCC Bistro

4.8 (36 reviews)
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Cheese Arancini
James A.

I'm so happy I was able to snag a reservation as I've always wanted to try LBCC Bistro! I felt like a Top Chef judge in restaurant wars haha. Parking was the most challenging thing for me but once I found the parking structure off Clark I was fine. It cost $2 for the whole day and you prepay with a QR code located near the stairwells/elevator's. Once you exit the parking structure walk towards Carson and the bistro and bakery are right on the corner. The food was delicious and today was Italian day! The crostini and cheese arancini were delicious! We bother ordered the Salmon with Salmoriglio sauce. The desserts were delicious as I love tiramisu. I didn't get to try the cannoli since but was told they were very good. Service was at a good pace and we didn't wait too long for anything and we were checked in on several times. The interior was welcoming and casual with some nice background music. It was nice to watch the prep in the kitchen on the TVs as well. Be sure and bring some cash for the tip so it goes directly to the students. If it goes to a credit card it will go to the school.

Dining area
James A.

If you can get in, the best lunch you will eat for the price in Long Beach. Ever since my wife forwarded me an article about the Long Beach Community College's culinary program having a restaurant open to the public, serving meals prepared by students, I've been wanting to go. I knew it was only open for lunch on Tuesday and Wednesdays (from 11:30 - 1:30), and took mandatory reservations via email. Well...we couldn't make it last semester, so as soon as the new fall semester started, I tried for a new reservation. That's when I was told that OpenTable was now being used to take reservations, and after some trial and error, realized that they only take reservations 2 weeks in advance and they fill up quickly. So exactly two weeks ago, I placed a reservation for 4 people (two of them being long time LBC residents) at 11:30 on a Tuesday. Per OpenTable, I got reminder emails that had the address of the restaurant...unfortunately, it was the generic address for Long Beach College. Instead, one should use the exact address on Yelp for LBCC Bistro which will get you to the right side of Carson Street (southside). You would need to park in the large parking garage south and walk back north to the small building that houses the cafe and bakery. Parking is confusing...it's clear that the residential streets in the area are to be only used for residents...and parking in the garage had signs stating that it was only for faculty and students. But we saw no other choice and it worked out OK. (It looks like in the past, the garage was paid parking, but it was free when we came in). There are signs indicating where to check-in. After finding our name in the printed out reservation list, we were escorted to a table for four. The space is very modern and clinical, with plenty of space between seating....reminded me of a college cafeteria. There are also 3 large monitors displaying real-time actions of the culinary students in the open kitchen (you can see when your food is being prepared). Our server (Sage) greeted us warmly, gave us ice water and directed us to the paper menus. The menus change frequently, and this week's theme was Italian. Between the four of us, we were able to order everything off the menu. I got to sample all of it. Stuffed calamari salad - first time seeing this on any menu. I love squid, but if prepared incorrectly can be rubbery (at best) or just dirty (if not cleaned properly). This rendition was excellent: a baby whole squid, cleaned and stuffed with a rice/mushroom mixture. It came with endives and dressed arugula. I would eat this dish over and over again if I could. Aracini - a risotto ball, served over an excellent marinara sauce. I'm not a fan of risotto, but this preparation was really good and very filling. Chicken Cacciatore (spelled 'cacitorie' on the menu which I think is a typo) - my wife liked this dish. It used chicken tender loins, served over al dente spaghetti, with the same homemade marinara sauce. Sea Bass - A very small filet of bass, accompanied by orzo, asparagus. Eggplant Parmigiana - might be the first time I liked eggplant. It was three eggplant cutlets, expertly breaded and deep fried, topped with melted fresh mozzarella and marinara sauce. It came with a side of carrots. Cannoli - two cannoli, one stuffed with chocolate mousse and the other being the traditional vanilla ricotta with mascarpone. Loved this too...the pastry was crunchy and sweet and the filling on both were very good. Tiramisu - I thought this was a showstopper dessert. It was layered in a martini glass, and looked beautiful. It had six distinct layers, with liberal use of cocoa powder. The flavors played off each other so well...would have been great with a little dark rum (no alcohol is served at the bistro), but the coffee extract was just fine (there is espresso available for $4 and I'm thinking it is probably excellent considering how good this dessert was). The fixed prie was $20 per person, including tax. Payment was powered by Toast. There was no place on the credit card receipt for a tip amount, so thinking it wasn't expected. Yes, everything about this was tightly controlled, but this program wasn't meant to train students in the hospitality sector where solving unexpected dilemmas is part of the training, but instead was meant to train chefs who would work in a real kitchen out of school, and hopefully dream and fulfill their desires to open their own place. And hopefully by getting real experience various cuisines, they would learn what cuisines they were most interested in (or just very good at), and focus on those in their career. Usually when leaving a restaurant thinking "Dang, the food was good. But how are they turning a profit at these prices? Are they going to be able to stay open?"...I feel disheartened. But for this experience, we all felt proud that our community has something like this...and that the students are being taught so well.

Salmon entree being prepared.
Julie M.

Three of us had reserved a table online for their prix fixe luncheon (offered Tuesdays and Wednesdays 11:30-1pm during the school year). The culinary students prepare and serve the dishes in the little Bistro restaurant. The kitchen is visible along one wall and you can also watch the "chefs" cooking on the tv monitors in the dining room. We were thrilled that it was the Italian menu this week, and ordered all the items to share. (The menu changes every few weeks, and it may be Asian, Mexican, American, etc. ) The servers were friendly and professional, and they timed the arrival of each course well. Our warm bruschetta appetizer was very flavorful though tiny. The fresh basil and cheese with the little roasted tomatoes packed a punch of salty flavor. The Arancini was well prepared- they are not easy to do well. The marinara sauce was a bit too salty but still complemented the blander, starchy rice ball. We would have liked more peas, but it was a rich, filling appetizer overall. The vegetarian gnocchi dish was actually the star- very herbaceous, flavorful sauce. The gnocchi dough (also not easy to do well) was a little thick but well prepared with a good chew; the vegetables added a lot of flavor and texture. The chicken piccata, though tasty, could have used a little lemon and more capers. The chicken meat was not very seared so was a little chewy, and the sauce was invisible under the pasta so we missed it when taking the first bites. The pasta was perfectly al dente, and when mixed with the sauce was tasty. The salmon was cooked perfectly, moist inside and well seared outside. Pasta and asparagus were al dente. The desserts were delightful. Tiramisu was served as a parfait, creamy and beautiful. The little cannoli - one chocolate, one regular were crisp and tasty. The pastry cream filling was smooth, we could have eaten a bowl of just that! We each ordered an espresso to enjoy with the desserts. Overall, a very good meal, with lovely presentation, delicious flavors and portions not too big or small. $20 a person + drinks and tip, you can't beat it! Their bakery is also a delight, though it closed at 1pm and were sold out of most items by the time we arrived at the restaurant. My daughter scored a Caprese sandwich though to eat later! Parking is available in the campus garage for $2 all day. We hooked up our Prius as well and got some electric charging for $1.50 while we dined. We'll be back next semester!

Chocoflan
Mary T.

My first time checking this place out and it was delicious. It's a prix fixe menu for $20 (please don't forget to leave a gratuity!) and includes an appetizer, entree and dessert. If you go to the website they tell you to email for reservations but you can go to OpenTable now. Previously they only took cash but now take credit cards. No alcohol but offer coffee and water choices. BTW the affiliated bakery next door is busy with savory and sweet offerings plus Baquettes. My bad I forgot to take pics of their bakery offerings! The pappas rellenos were crispy on the outside and warm inside. Not a super flavorful dish to begin withper se but exquisite presentation. The salmon was exquisite though with a crisp skin that was light. The accompanying vegetables were nicely done and again kudos to the presentation! The Picarones were very good. The light sauce was sweet but not overwhelming. I'm not a dessert person per se but I polished them off. I tried the Chocoflan but more like chocotapico to me. Service was outstanding. I parked over at LBX to work the lunch calories off! Only open Tuesday and Wednesday and limited times throughout the semester. Kudos to the leadership for establishing this and kudos to the students for a great job!

Pumpkin bisque
Barb Y.

Such a hidden local jam! This is my first time dining with LBCC Bistro. They're not only delish, friendly and great service. We had the prix fixe menu for $20 for the French cuisine today: Baked brie with cranberries, Pumpkin bisque, Salmon in caper cream sauce (cook, seasoned & seared perfectly), Beef Bourguignon (with rich red wine sauce), Crepe and Apple tartin for dessert along with a refreshing basil lemonade. Menu switch out every week. Each 2 weeks falls within same cuisine but different menu items. This is quite a treat. The dining student team works hard and checks on you constantly. We're thrilled and looking forward to future dining experiences. Thank you for your hard work. We really appreciate you! The students at LBCC should be very proud of yourselves. Great job.

Inside
Natalia E.

Wow! LBCC knocked it out of the ballpark with this one! This is a restaurant where culinary art students practice. It is very great service and they have tvs that display what's going on live in the kitchen. It's very cool being able to see the student chefs cook the food in real time. The menu changes weekly and it seems almost exclusive eating there because reservations are so limited. The roasted pork belly was absolutely divine. I wish I could come back just for that! The lava cake was also soooo delicious with the raspberry sauce and dragon fruit slice. The tofu udon was just ok, but I loved that they ask for feedback at the end so they can improve the menu for the following day!

Short ribs
Melanie L.

Tried out the price fixe lunch amd it was solid! Can't beat 3 courses for $20 these days. Had: tuna tartar, short ribs, lava cake. Cake was awesome, perfectly sized and not too sweet. Tuna was good and the short ribs were so tender! They were mismatched with udon noodles but that's the only negative. What an excellent way for these students to learn, practice and show-off their skills! Note: Tipping is cash only and parking is dodgy.

Vegetable Udon Bowl
Jessica P.

This was a new and interesting experience for me. My friend was finally able to get us a reservation because they are booked out so far in advance. The menu is switched out weekly so you technically don't know what they're serving until the week of your reservation. I think this is cool because you get to try out new cuisines. This week's theme was Asian Culinary. My favorite dish was the appetizer and dessert: Roasted Pork Belly/ Asian Spiced Lava Cake. The entree was interesting and I felt like it was missing a little something. While you're waiting for your food, there are multiple TVs set up so you are able to see your food cooking in action! More notably, they give you a little survey at the end so you can give helpful feedback on things they may need to improve on for the following day. Overall, this was great and I would definitely recommend it if you're up for a new dining experience.

Timmy S.

I stumbled upon this student-run restaurant while browsing yelp reviews and decided to give them a try. It's located on the Long Beach City College campus in Building V. Parking can be found in the structure next to Building V for $2 for the day (it is rigorously enforced so make sure you get a parking ticket at a nearby machine). It's best to make a reservation for the Bistro by emailing them via their website but some days - as in the day I visited - a reservation clearly wasn't necessary. They are only open a couple days a week and only for lunch while school is in session. As this is training ground for culinary students in operating a restaurant, the students in the kitchen and serving will vary daily so your experience will be dependent on who is there on a given day. Same with the menu - it constantly changes so it's advised to get on their mailing list for weekly menus. I was promptly seated when I arrived. The interior is cafeteria-like with nicely set tables, one wall being a huge window looking into the kitchen. My server was attentive throughout my meal and, although he was pleasant and efficient, was still working on social interaction skills. There are two choices for appetizer, entree, and dessert. Flat fee is $15 which is an incredible bargain. I chose, as an appetizer, yuca tamales. For entree I chose lamb chops with churros as dessert. The tamales consisted of yuca, queso fresco and scallions served on corn husks. Absolutely delicious. The lamb chops were cooked perfectly and were tender with mild flavor and the mole sauce gave a nice taste accent. The rice pilaf, spinach and mushrooms served with it were all wonderfully done. Two churros with a ganache were my dessert. The churros were crisp and sweet on the outside but a bit too doughy on the inside. The chocolate ganache was fantastic for dipping (but the menu labeled it as "spicy" which it wasn't...which was great for me since I don't care for spicy chocolate). The horchata I had to drink was not so great, lacking any cinnamon flavor and mostly just tasting "milky". An iced tea turned out to be a much better choice. This was a superb meal especially considering the cost. My critiques are minor and I definitely plan return visits and encourage other yelpers to gamble and give them a try.

Yam Cake Appetizer
Kamisha S.

You must go! A $20 three course lunch that was amazing. Service was excellent and dishes were beautiful. So impressed and hoping to come back!

French Potato Salad

AMAZING FOOD AND SERVICE. These students at Long Beach City College should be extremely proud of themselves. French potato salad, Coq-Au-Vin and Creme Brulee. Wow

Stephanie Z.

Decided to stop by for a quick lunch and I was wowed by both the quality of food and atmosphere. These student chefs are practicing but they seemed well prepared and helpful. The food was tasty, one had chicken and the other was more of a vegetarian option. The dessert was sweet and soft. One of my least favorite items was the potato salad but I am a bit biased since I'm not a big salad eater... but besides that I would definitely come back and recommend this place! :))

spanikopita
Melissa S.

Where else can you get three courses and a drink for $15, while helping students to get valuable on-the-job training? And the food was great! Bring cash to tip, as there is no option on the credit card slip to add a tip.

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Ask the Community - LBCC Bistro

How do you sign up to get the Bistro menu?

Send an email to bistro@lbcc.edu. The last day to eat here until September is tomorrow, May 30.

View All 2 Questions

Review Highlights - LBCC Bistro

The culinary students prepare and serve the dishes in the little Bistro restaurant.

Mentioned in 3 reviews

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