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    Le Bambou

    4.1 (364 reviews)
    ModerateVietnamese, Seafood
    Open 11:00 am - 2:00 pm, 5:00 PM - 9:30 PM

    Order Le Bambou Takeout or Delivery

    Le Bambou Photos

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    LE BAMBOU ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Quiet
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Le Bambou

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    Chicken claypot
    Christine M.

    I have heard about Le Bambou for a long time but never got a chance to visit until recently. And the reason that we went there was because my friends' kids like it. That's a good enough reason for all of us adults. Overall, a restaurant with table cloths, nicer than a typical Vietnamese restaurants. They were busy and food came out pretty slow but we were there to hang out and were not terribly hungry, all was good. Food wise, it was passable. Really nothing to write home about. We got a few dishes to share, chicken claypot, chicken on a skewer, the make your own spring roll thingies and a few more dishes. Food was not bad, just not memorable. I'm trying to think about it a month later and my brain is blank on what else we ate. But overall, food was okay. The chicken claypot which I ate the most was okay. There was quite a bit of chicken in it. A tad on the sweet side but not too sweet. I don't mind eating it again but I won't get out of my way to get it.

    51. Shaking Beef
    Mara K.

    We had dinner at Le Bambou in Del Mar and walked away with mixed feelings. The place was bustling, and it looked like there was only one server working the entire restaurant. Poor guy--he was incredibly sweet, apologetic, and professional despite being clearly overwhelmed. Service was understandably slow, but he really did his best. Now for the food: the shrimp, crab, and pork fried eggrolls were hands down the best part of the meal--crispy, flavorful, and easily some of the best I've ever had. Highly recommend those! My chicken and rice in the clay pot had a beautiful presentation but was a bit underwhelming in flavor. I added hot sauce to kick it up a notch. On the flip side, my husband enjoyed his steak pho and said it was delicious--rich broth and full of flavor. And a pleasant surprise: my kids absolutely devoured the shaking beef and kept saying how good it tasted--definitely a hit with them! The ambiance is cozy with low lighting and candles, and there's some outdoor seating available too. Overall, it's a busy spot that could really benefit from more staff.

    4. Simmered Fish in Clay Pot
    Natalie G.

    Some of the best Thai food I've had in Del Mar! Cornish hen was on of the most surprising pleasing dishes, cooked perfectly. For sure coming back

    Beautiful flowers and candlelight on tables
    Caitlin D.

    Love this Vietnamese restaurant tucked away in the corner of a Del Mar "shopping center." (Not sure if that's the correct word!) While the sign might be small, they have a good amount of seating inside. And two tables available outside as well. The lighting is warm, a bit dim some times, and the interior is tastefully decorated. Unlike your usual Asian restaurants that have emphasis on red. Le Bambou has a theme of grey, white, and green-- every so often they have flowers in vibrant colors on the table. At night, they have candlelight which adds to the atmosphere! I like the relaxing piano music that they play as well. Today, for lunch I had the chicken curry with white rice. It came with a side salad and 2 fried wontons (and nuoc mam aka fish sauce for dipping). I love how much chicken they gave and how soft the chicken was. It wasn't rubbery and overcooked like some places. You could taste the coconut milk and a bit of sweetness. Next time, I'll ask for a bit of heat or add some chili sauce. I personally felt that the carrots could be cooked a tad bit more, since this was curry-- it would be tastier for it to be softer rather than have a fresh vibrant crunch to them. The side salad was a great and refreshing touch. I had it with the rice and curry! Overall, I'd give this plate a 4.5/5! Other times, I've ordered the (lunch special or dinner): - Charboiled Pork Skewers. This is served with rice and a bed of fresh greens. I recommend taking the pork off the skewers and breaking it down in smaller chunks to be eaten with the rice. The flavor is delicious and the pork wasn't too fatty. I really enjoyed the marinade on the pork, sometimes I wish for the pork to be a bit more charred but overall pretty solid! 5/5 - Shaking Beef: I've had this a few times here, and the most recent time-- it was unlike other shaking beef I had. I think it depends on who is cooking it, but the most recent one was more saucy than I'm used to. It lacked black pepper and garlic oomph, and was a tad too sweet for me! The meat was really tender and delicious though. They serve it with rice. 3.5-4/5 - Crispy Shrimp Wontons with fish sauce and lettuce: these were delightfully crispy and filled with plump shrimp mixture. When wrapped in lettuce and dipped into the tangy sweet fish sauce-- it's such a delight! 5/5 - Traditional style fish soup: with sole, it is a tangy tamarind soup with tomatoes, bean sprouts, pineapple and celery. I make this at home and usually love it! --While I enjoyed the components in the soup, I think it was too much pineapple...as the soup was more sweet than tamarind flavored. Eaten with rice, it's nice. But not a soup I'd order again. I'd try maybe a different soup off the menu. 2.5-3/5 - Iced Vietnamese Coffee: sweet and strong, what more could you ask for? 10/10! I've also had the flan-- which is made by Nghia the owner. It was so smooth and creamy. It was lightly sweetened (not too sweet) and the caramel was so lush! I wish there was more caramel, I licked that plate clean. Would come back just to order the flan. 10/10 Overall, a great spot for Vietnamese food (especially in Del Mar where there isn't much Vietnamese restaurants). They are open lunch and dinner, but closed on Mondays. Price is pretty spot on for what it costs to eat out nowadays. A notable mention for the some people, they don't use MSG -- as written on their website. I think it's perfect for solo eating, with friends, on a date, or with family. Come and try their extensive menu and see if it can be your new favorite restaurant.

    Tempura shrimp
    Bonnie F.

    First time trying this restaurant. It good, and they had a nice selection. I ordered off the lunch menu. I ordered the fried sole, which had a nice light coating but I don't think it was sole. It was also supposed to have a ginger or lemongrass taste, which it did not. It was supposed to have chicken wontons, which it did not. Maybe because it was fried? The soup eggdrop?? Had no flavor I added spice and soy. I will say my dining partners enjoyed their food. Two ordered clay pot and two had curry shrimp. The appetizers looked good,with lots of veggies. The coconut ice cream was refreshing. I would order something else the nexttime, the plates looked light and fresh.

    "The Birthday Cake"
    Arocel F.

    We had a surprise celebration here at Le Bambou yesterday, for my husband's birthday milestone with 23 family & friends and it was a huge hit!! Thanks to Neil & his staff, for the exceptional customer service, delicious food, & beautiful ambiance, we all had a memorable & happy occasion!! My sister & I taste-tested the menu two weeks prior, meeting up with Neil (owner), and he helped us pick the food which was the following: 1) crispy pork imperial rolls for appetizer, 2) combination salad (no nuts because a family member has allergies); Main entrees: 3) shaking beef, & 4) chicken curry. I also requested for vegetarian dishes: vegetarian rolls, vegetarian salad, and eggplant with basil for a family member. We decided to ask each guest to order his or her drink, soda, wine & beer, coconut water, etc & Neil generously offered a 25% off discount on the drinks. One half of the restaurant had enough space for 36 people, so we had more than enough & comfortable seating for all of us. Neil & his staff offered to serve the ice cream birthday cake from Baskin-Robbins with no additional service charge (again, thank you, Le Bambou!). All in all, everyone had a relaxing dinner; we were able to enjoy each other's company, socialize, lots of hugs & laughter. Do not hesitate to plan your next milestone here, be it a birthday, anniversary, or even just lunch with your best friends & family! Can't wait to go back & taste their other wonderful dishes on the menu! I can't say enough about how beautiful it was! It was well worth it & the best part? No dishes & clean up afterwards! Thank you, Le Bambou!!

    #8 Clay pot rice

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    1 year ago

    It's 2025 and they still use white tablecloth and linen napkins for lunch and dinner and still have real wax candles burning on the table!!!

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    Ask the Community - Le Bambou

    Would you consider the food to be on the sweeter side if we're comparing to Chin's Chinese? Also in Del Mar.

    The food is less sweet than the food in Chin's Chinese. To me, Chin's Chinese is more of a fusion place compared with Le Bambou.

    Which items are gluten/soy free?

    View All 4 Questions

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    Xin Chao Eatery - Tofu Spring Rolls

    Xin Chao Eatery

    4.1(282 reviews)
    0.9 miCarmel Valley
    $$
    Family-owned & operated
    Kid friendly

    Still our go-to place for delicious Vietnamese food. Love…read moretheir Vermicelli noodle bowl. Lettuce and noodles very refreshing on a hot day. Lots of grilled pork. This dish fills me up. They have the best Vietnamese iced coffee around!! Our server Maya is very friendly. We like that she recognizes us and says hello when we come in. Great service! Restaurant always clean. Love open feel. There is outside seating also.

    Visit April 2026…read more Located in the Del Mar Highlands shopping center in the upper lot from Sky Deck. Tiny but popular little pho shop. Came here on a Saturday night and all the tables were in use so we settled for bar seating. I've never eaten inside truth be told and we had only stopped here for egg rolls to munch on whenever we head up to the OC or LA lol. Their fried egg rolls are really good so of course we started off with them, an order of 9. I do wish they had given more lettuce to wrap them in. More of a kitchen prep issue. There menu is fairly small, at least compared to other Vietnamese spots I have been to. I was torn between "The TCN", tai chin nam, which is rare steak, brisket, and flank, and the "The TNG", tai nam gau, which comes with rare steak, flank, and fatty brisket. I'm a nerd so TNG caught the attention of my Starfleet tricorder but lost me at fatty brisket. I liked my dish. The portion size to price ratio was fairly good. I've had similar size bowls at other places and they were $20+ while this was less than. Broth was bright and not too greasy. Tender pieces of beef. A good stop when you're in the area and craving pho.

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    Xin Chao Eatery
    Xin Chao Eatery

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    Flower Child

    Flower Child

    4.2(726 reviews)
    2.1 mi
    $$
    Healthy dining
    Gluten-free friendly

    Saturday, 3-25-2026: After trying FC in Las Vegas, we had to try this one in Del Mar. We stopped…read morefor a late lunch here before continuing to the San Diego Home & Garden Show at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. When we first arrived, we noticed it had the same artsy, loft vibe & decor as the one in Las Vegas. At first glance it seemed like it had a small interior but then we noticed the stairs to get to a lower level to the left of us. This led to a very spacious room! Love the decor and the layout. There's more seating outdoors, which we attempted but it had too cold of a breeze so we decided to sit indoors. We were greeted warmly by a nice young man at the counter. My hubby told him we had eaten at the FC in Las Vegas and he told us he was going to train as a manager in Las Vegas. I ordered the Chicken Yakisoba Bowl and hubby ordered the Chicken Entree with brown rice and sweet potato fries with dip. We easily found a table in the lower level as there was hardly anybody down there. But, as the time progressed it became full with young soccer players and their respective families. Apparently, the soccer games ended in the nearby fields & they all descended upon FC. Our food came out quickly. I savored my Chicken Yakisoba Bowl chock full of crispy vegetables and flavorful chicken. It was huge so I had to take leftovers to go. My hubby loved his meal, too. We look forward to returning here where they serve delicious, healthy offerings and friendly customer service.

    The service here was terrific! Emily kindly went through the menu and pointed out her favorite…read moredishes. I went with the Tofu w/ Sweet Corn Quinoa and Parmesan Broccoli. This was the tastiest vegetarian dish that I have ever had! The ambiance is very artistic & open with plenty of indoor & outdoor seating options. Also, there is plenty of parking, and this location is right off the freeway near the Via de la Valle exit. Thank you, Flower Child... I will definitely be back!

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    Flower Child
    Flower Child
    Flower Child

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    Boto Sushi Del Mar - Lobster claw tempura

    Boto Sushi Del Mar

    4.1(321 reviews)
    0.0 miTorrey Pines
    $$$

    This is the spot for fresh delicious sushi! Perfect for date night, family dinner, or grabbing…read moresushi to go. Quality fish, generous rolls, and such a great deal! We tried: * gyoza *spicy cucumber * Ninja * beef teriyaki * Yellow tail *Chirashi sashimi bowl

    I came here with my daughter this past Tuesday evening. She ordered the chirashi bowl (for her) and…read moresalmon belly sashimi (a starter for me until I could figure out what I wanted) as I was getting ready to leave the office. Shortly after I arrived, the food was delivered. She was happy with her chirashi bowl ($36), but I was extremely disappointed with my salmon "belly" sashimi. It was not salmon belly, and they charged me $24 for 4 skimpy pieces that were not fresh. It smelled and tasted fishy. The pieces were the same cut as what she got in her chirashi bowl, only her pieces were noticeably larger! I don't mind paying $6 a piece, if it were fresh and the cut slightly larger. After the disappointing pieces of salmon, I ended up just ordering agadashi tofu. In hindsight, I should've just had my daughter order that for me and skip the so-called salmon belly sashimi. This restaurant is very close to my office, and it's a convenient location to meet with my daughter after we both get off work, but given the low quality and high price of the sashimi, I'll have to find another place for us to meet after work when we want sushi. For me, this was an extremely disappointing experience, but since my daughter enjoyed her chirashi, I would give it an average score of 3 stars. It's definitely no longer a 5-star establishment. I think other people may have also caught on, because the restaurant was empty. At 7pm on a Tuesday, there were only 2 other tables, a party of 2 and party of 4 on either side of us. No one new came in while we were there ....and for good reason!

    Photos
    Boto Sushi Del Mar - Left side of the restaurant

    Left side of the restaurant

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    Mango pana cotta

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    Le Bambou - vietnamese - Updated May 2026

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