Restaurant Review: Bamboo Kitchen

By: Grade 12 – STEM

Bamboo Kitchen (BK) is an Asian inspired fine dining restaurant that has branches in Al-
Khobar, Al-Badi and Dammam in Saudi Arabia. We went to the nearest branch from the school,
in the Mall of Dharan, with my classmates for a restaurant review, and here is what we have to say
about it. The moment we step through the door, we knew that the restaurant was different from the
others. The atmosphere, ambiance, design, architecture, and the overall feel for it was sophisticated
and authentic to what Asian restaurants have.

According to the receptionist, the design of the restaurant or the concept was projecting
Asian culture. The restaurant's customers, in general, were about 90 percent Filipinos. When
Bamboo started, Arabs were not used to Asian cuisine, but they gradually started to taste and enjoy
the food. We decided to make a review about this casual dining restaurant because they have
mostly Filipino staff which would be easier to have an interview for our review and the restaurant
was recommended by our previous teacher.

From the moment we walked in to the restaurant, we were amazed by its unique
architectures, which compliments the name of its restaurant, the Bamboo Kitchen. This restaurant
is an eye-catching restaurant for western people since its kind of like a room full of Asian culture.
Its atmosphere gave us a forest vibe. And that is one thing that makes Bamboo Kitchen special
from the other restaurants in Mall of Dharan.

Since none of us regularly eats there and some of us were first-timers; choosing what to
order was a problem for us. We were faced with the dilemma of choosing which food to order.
The menu is diverse and has a lot of food choices. The main dishes, particularly, are inspired by
Asian and Oriental cuisine, with fusions of the different taste of cultures. Most importantly, all the
dishes are affordable compared to other fine dining restaurants.

As the food is being served, we were amazed by the presentation of every dish that comes
to our table. The portion of the food was more than expected compared to what was shown in the
menu. Most of the food tasted great with few exceptions. With every bite, we could taste delicious
Asian inspired dishes and everything that comes with it. But the beef dishes were underwhelming.
The beef was not tender, dry, and the flavor is quite bland. But aside from that, we have no more
complaints about the food.

We first had bottomless iced tea which is refreshing after a walk. The BK iced tea tasted
good after combining the syrup and the lemon extract. The price is not that expensive for an
unlimited glass of iced tea, that is why it is worth it.
 After the refreshment, we were now served the appetizer which is the Chicken Lettuce
Wrap. It is a ground chicken with waters chestnuts and shiitake mushrooms served alongside fresh
iceberg lettuce leaves. We, personally, didn't not like lettuce wrap and we wouldn't recommend
anyone to order it as well. First, the lettuce wrap was said to be good for 2 people but when we
received the order, we felt like only one person can finish the meal. Second, the proportions from
the lettuce and the chicken was not equal. The chicken flakes were gone before we can even finish
the lettuce, even when we were not using a lot of chicken for each serving. Lastly, the price was
too much for just a full head of lettuce and just some chicken. We even believe that we can
accomplish the same dish with 15 SAR of money in the grocery store. This appetizer in particular,
was not worth the money. The redeeming factor, however, that is was still tasty with the sauce that
it came with. This is probably a choice for people who are going on a strict diet.

Soon after, the first dish served among the main course was, the Classic Kung Pao Beef. It
is made of Sliced beef, bell peppers, and onions tossed in spicy sezchuan sauce. The Kung pao
beef dish was perfect with just the right amount of spiciness. With a spicy Scheuan peppercorn
and chili sauce, this stir-fried beef recipe is packed with flavor, high in protein and dairy-free. It
was delicious but was really dry.

The next dish was the Spicy Szechuan Chicken. It is made off juicy chicken wok-seared in
ginger, garlic, and chili. The Spicy Szechuan Chicken is one of the main cuisines of kitchen
bamboo. It is a sweet and spicy dish that originated in the Chinese province of Sichuan. For those
people who have a tolerance of dishes spiced hot peppers might actually enjoy this dish. And
obviously a worth to try dish for person with a fondness of sweet and spicy food. If I would have
rate it, I would give it 5/5 for it. It is a well-known cuisine not just in Bamboo Restaurant but also
all over the world. Very famous for its savory hot and spicy flavor with a touch of sweetness.
Unarguably it has a reasonable price, which is 42 SAR and good for 2 to 3 people.

The third main course was the Boo Mongolian Beef. It is a Soy glazed tender sliced beef,
wok-seared with mushrooms, onion, and garlic. The Mongolian Beef is one of the most served in
Bamboo Kitchen. Our experience with the food is mostly underwhelming. The sauce is good but
the beef itself is just bland and dry. The dish was average at best and the most mediocre food in
the main course for us.

The fourth main course is a staple of the restaurant, the Pad Thai stir fried noodle. It is a
classic Thai rice noodle dish, stir-fried with chicken, eggs, carrots, bean sprouts, and Pad Thai
sauce. This dish is finished off with fresh lime wedges, spring onions, and ground peanuts. This
dish did not disappoint. It is easily one of the most delicious dishes in our dining experience in that
restaurant. The flavors were bursting and the toppings compliment the noodle very well. We highly
recommend this dish for first-time customers of Bamboo Kitchen.

Our last dish was the Korean Fried Chicken (KFC) and is the best dish of all the main
courses. A Succulent and double fried, our sweet and spicy kimchi glazed Korean Dakgangjeong
chicken is crispy on the outside and perfectly juicy on the inside. Garnished with sliced almonds
and spring onions. the BK KFC or the Korean fried chicken is one of the many amazing dishes in
bamboo kitchen. it is usually consumed as a meal or even an after-meal snack. it is different from
the western fried chicken as it is seasoned with spices, sugar, and salt after being fried. with an
amazing perfectly seasoned dish, it is sweet and a little spicy but not spicy enough that it would
take over the sweetness of the chicken this Asian dish deserves a 5/5 with amazing texture, sauce,
and taste. We would totally recommend this dish to anyone trying bamboo kitchen for the first
time.

Our dessert is the Mochi Ice Cream. A Japanese bite size dessert filled with vanilla,
strawberry, and chocolate ice cream in a soft and chewy rice shell. The mochi ice cream is great
in taste and the quality is good but the price isn't great for the serving of 3 small pieces if they
could lower the price it would be good or add more serving

But behind all of that, there were also negative experiences that we encountered: the
manager’s approach was not that what we expected, they don’t have their own comfort room, and
some of the food and prices were not balanced.

Bamboo Kitchen can be easily recommended to first-time customers. If anyone wants a

taste near to Asian cuisine this is the place to go. As for anyone that's ever tried it here, it is worth
a shot to try again to see if there are any improvements. But looking for satisfaction, especially if
you feel ravenous then this is not a recommendation to go to. Most of the foods are in a reasonable
price and above average compared to other Asian inspired restaurants. Nonetheless our experience
there was memorable for us. Trying new and unique restaurant like Bamboo kitchen is worth it
experience. If we’ll be rating Bamboo Kitchen based from what we experienced; no hesitation it
is a three (3) out of five (5) for us.