BK’s Bistro

Easy ordering and good dim-​sum!
I have always been skeptical in going to dim-​sum restaurants being that I do not speak any Chinese. BK Bistro has a 2-​sided menu, one in Chinese and the other side in English.
Pineapple bun with yellow filling is super good.
Chicken feet and steamed pork spareribs are my go to!

dim sum: good
regular dishes: OK
service: below average
environment: bad

I’ve been to this dim sum place a few times before. Didn’t noticed until today just how dirty the floors and seats were.
This place opens at 9am on Saturday. I arrived at 9am with my dad and was promptly seated, being we were the only ones here. Fifteen minutes later 3 other tables were seated.
Unlike most dim sum places where food carts are pushed down narrow aisles, we order by checking off a two sided menu here (English on one side. Chinese on the other.).
After checking off what we wanted to order, I started taking a few photos of the place. Looking around, I noticed the floors were peppered with an assortment of food crumbs. A few of the chairs’ seat were also not so clean. Perhaps they were too excited to see me and forgot to clean before opening?
Food arrived piping hot and the items that arrived will be scratched off the Chinese receipt they handed us after ordering. (Would be nice if the receipt was in English.) The interior was well lit by the natural lighting from the windows alongside the wall. No background music. Instead, we hear the cooks conversating loudly in Cantonese to the waiters back and forth.
On today’s visit, we ordered chrysanthemum tea and 8 other items (see my photos).
What I don’t like:
— The teapot kept on spilling out after each refill of our teacups, causing our table to look like a sloppy mess
— No one ever checked on us while we were eating (but that was expected)
— Receipt was in Chinese
— Dirty floors and seats
What I liked
— Food arrived piping hot
— Food was good
— Parking was plentiful (business park setting)
I would recommend this place highly to anyone who can overlook the points on my «don’t like» list.

Dim sum here is good. They serve it all day and it’s made to order instead of having people push around carts. Based on preference I guess, but I prefer this style. I always get shiu mai, har gow, Chinese broccoli, rice noodle rolls, lo mai gai, porridge, chicken feet, and mango mochi. Dim sum staples.
As for the regular food, the lobster noodles are really good. And everything is cooked without a ton of oil.
Update 1÷14÷15: Came here again with family and ordered more off their actual menu. I was craving Beijing roasted duck complete with the steamed buns so we got that, one of their specials, a clam cooked with garlic and served with vermicelli, and some crab soup. The soup had a similar texture to shark fin soup so I automatically liked it. Best with white pepper. The clam dish was a 6−7″ clam (I’m bad with estimating sizes but around there) that they scooped the meat out of, chopped up a bit, cooked with garlic, then put some garlic vermicelli in the shell with the clam meat on top. We got two orders of that. Each order is one clam shell, by the way. The Beijing duck has two options, both come with the duck skin, buns, onions, and sauce to make those little duck bun things, and the rest of the duck to eat normally. The more expensive option (I’m 90% sure. trying to understand Mandarin over a loud restaurant) also comes with a duck soup and possibly something else. And I believe the set came with 10 buns. The buns are my favourite part so I just eat them plain.
Also, I don’t know who’s still reading this far, but a tip said the workers wouldn’t let them sit in the patio area but I’ve sat out there before. Probably only use it when the inside seating is filled and it’s a nice day. Sat out there end of July.

We came in for a work holiday dinner at 6 pm (the boss came in even earlier to order appetizers). We are a party of 10 (3 kids). We are surprised at how bad the service is. I saw the reviews before hand stating how bad the service is but still decided to give them a chance. It is now 7:30 pm and we are still waiting for 4 people to get their food. They brought the food in different increments, so half the table ate their food while the other waited. We are SO disappointed with how the servers responded when we asked them why it is taking so long! One server said «sorry we are busy» in a emotion less monotone voice… but mostly all the tables are empty. so that is no excuse! The other server said «there is only one chef». I have worked in the food industry, I always empathize with the workers because they work hard but clearly these servers do not know how to take responsibility for their service. I do not applaud them or empathize them for that. In customer service, the customer always come first. They should have told us before hand that they are short handed, and if anything they should be checking up on seeing how we are doing. I have not gotten a single refill on my water the hour and half I’ve been sitting here. We had to STAND UP and say «please help us» since the food is taking so long. They need to do something about their service if they want people to come back.
Now it’s been about 10 more minutes since I’ve started writing this review and finally the last 4 people got their food.
I’m only giving one star because I liked the food.

Verdict: A decent dim sum spot in Fremont — because South Bay doesn’t even have a mediocre competitor — with about 20min of wait time at prime time brunch on Sundays. It’s worth the trip if you’re feeling a craving but don’t feel like going to SF and braving horrendous parking. Still can’t beat Hong Lounge II in SF.
Note: This review is purely for the dim sum selection. Service was fast and should not be compared to a Western restaurant. They are reactive not proactive.
Hit:
* baked egg custard buns with sweet golden custard filling oozing out — this was different from anything I’ve gotten before, most places have the steamed variant
* pork and taro fried dumplings had the perfect balance of crunch and soft taro filling
* black truffle and pork shumai were very juicy though the black truffle taste was mild
Miss:
* congee was too lightly flavored as they skimped on the preserved egg
* jelly fish was watered down in flavor but the pickled vegetables were refreshing at least
Meh:
* pork and shrimp shumai was pretty standard though very light on shrimp
* hargow (shrimp dumplings) were a bit dry but passable in flavor
* bbq pork rice rolls were too ricey and light on filling but this dish is usually very skin heavy
* steamed taro buns were mild in flavor, but so gorgeous though they can’t compare to their pastry counterparts

Stopped in for a late Sunday dim sum lunch and was pleasantly surprised.
We had a handful of items, almost all of which were good. Baked BBQ pork buns, sticky rice in lotus leaves, shrimp dumplings — all delicious. The fried pumpkin with salted egg yolk was just okay. Lots of oil pooled on the bottom of the dish.
Food came out pretty quickly considering the place was nearly full and that this isn’t the wheelaround-​cart dim sum kind of place.
For a little over $ 20, it seemed like a great value and I’d happily return.

I really hate to withdraw my last rating as I really like this place.
My last visit was really bad as our orders came in almost 40 minutes after we had order. Most would expect in a dim sum place that most food will come out a little faster as I had experienced.
Don’t get me wrong as I have always enjoyed the quality of food here but service have gone bad since I had last dine here.
So after almost 40 mins (mind that we got our first order of porridge and Chinese broccoli, we stared at those and got cold) we finally got all the dim sum that we ordered.
After this experience, I now have to think twice if I want to come back here. Sad as their quality of food are really good and fresh.

The food’s not bad. I quite like the salt & pepper tofu and calamari topped with fried garlic. The tofu is cubed and the calamari’s cut into strips. However, when it’s busy, the staff will try to get you out ASAP.
I had the taro buns from here, pretty good, if not standard. My mom ordered the lobster noodles once, definitely fit for a photo op. Chicken fried rice doesn’t disappoint. They have a single serving of Peking duck on the dim sum menu. Yes, no cart, fill out the paper and flag someone down. For the most part, staff was polite until you’ve been there too long in their opinion. They actually have a sign up sheet at the register and waiting customers end up loitering along the narrow walkway on the left.
My advice? Try it out on a weekday when it’s not as busy. Early dinner or something? The restaurant is surrounded by business buildings so lunch is probably a full house.
I saw some girls with a whole bunch of desserts, egg pudding and some square jello? They looked super excited when it arrived.

Pros
Black truffle shu mai: the shu mai alone was a good. They don’t over mince the shrimp and pork so you enjoy huge chunks of shrimp in every bite. It’s even better when they top off the shu mai with soft bits of truffles. However it’s really only worth for the first time here considering it’s a $ 5.99 charge per order versus paying only $ 3.69 for their regular order of shu mai.
Crispy Fried Milk: surprisingly it was a good sweet item. The inside taste similar to a custard like texture but it really taste like hot condensed milk. I highly recommend eating this on the spot while it’s hot, I ate some leftovers the next day and it was no good.
Cons
Fried Dim Sum: their deep fried dim sum were very bland. What I didn’t like was the tempura bread crumb coating they used for their shrimp balls and mango/​shrimp rolls. I also didn’t like how they rushed through serving their deep fried items since they did not throughly drain the excess oil.
Service: The staff members must have had some interesting story cause they were all gathered at one table laughing and chatting amongst themselves. Even though there was only 5 tables occupied including my table, I didn’t like how I had to flag someone for a menu which included me having to get someone to take my order. I also had to wait awhile to get seated even though the restaurant wasn’t busy at the time.

A friend recommended this place to me as one of their favorite dim sum places but I have experienced better.
Came here on a Saturday around 11am with a party of 7 + a baby. The wait was about 30 – 45 minutes. No one was really waiting, but there was just no tables that fit us. We ended up sitting outside where the sun was shining on us for a good period of time.
The food: ordered the usual shrimp dumpling, chicken feet, and other various stuffs i do not remember how to spell. The unique thing here was that they had this shell dish with noodles and scallops. That was good. But the rest of the dishes that we got were mediocre. Some of the desserts were good — the taro bun, the sweet custard bun, and the sesame seed red bean one.
The service was terrible. The waiter never came to us. We had to bring in our order to them. We asked for water a few times but did not receive it until way later.
Just overall, my experience here was meh.

My family and I tried out this dim sum place because we were visiting our relatives who lived right in the area.
It’s located next to business buildings so it was not so hard to find this area. The parking is spacious as well. This place is different from most dim sum places I’ve been too because they don’t serve the food in carts nor its too busy and crowded. My family and I were immediately seated. We were given a menu and a piece of paper that listed the different kinds of dim sum they served and we would marked what we wanted. I found that to be unique but a little overwhelming because I couldn’t decide on what I wanted to order!
Other than that, my family order a lot of food (which I don’t remember each and every dish) and they came out fast. We ate till we were full and brought leftovers of the food we couldn’t finish.
My experience here was good. The waitresses were nice and attentive. And overall, the food was delightful.

Oh BK, where have you been my whole life… I spend 14 years of my life in Fremont… and I only find out about this place 14 years later??? Not fair. Yea yea, I have no idea how long they’ve been open, but I’m still bitter.
This place is awesome. For those who think this place doesn’t flavor their food enough– I think it’s your palate that’s lacking some sensory nodes. The flavors are balanced here, which is what makes this spot so great. Not too much of anything. Just right.

Short Story:
A better place for dim sum compared to Asian Pearl!
Long Story:
I’ve been coming here for the past 3 years and I find the prices to be very reasonable. All the dishes here for lunch, whether it’s dim sum or from the entrée menu.
I especially like the chive dumplings (pan fried), taro cake, and entrée fried rice. I wish I can pronounce or translate all the dishes I get into English, but sadly, I can’t.
The service here is somewhat spotty which is typical of many dim sum restaurants. In addition, if you get here during the lunch hour, be prepared to wait up to 45 minutes! The décor and ambiance are nice. Tall ceilings with plenty of windows and fresh air.
Verdict: I’ll be back!

Easy ordering decisions when everything is so wonderful. Lip-​smacking dim sum, soft and squishy some, and crumbly and crunchy others. I never thought a MANGO SHRIMP CRUNCH DUMPLING would rock my core, but I danced from bobbling head to hips to pelvis. I also got fiendish and chomp-​chompy over the FRIED SHRIMP BALLS and PUMPKIN. I know, I know. How about the classic dim sum? Yes PORK BUN turns me into shove it into my mouth monster, and I love CHIVE SHRIMP DUMPLING, STEAMED SHRIMP PORK, PEA SPROUT BUN, and to die for SHU MAI. Also congee, duck, chicken feet — the exotic stuff. And do the dance in your pants SHANGHAI DUMPLINGS (with broth)! Casual roomy atmosphere and grown-​up appeal, but children with precocious tastes will love experimenting. #classiceats

BK’s Bistro is the first dim sum restaurant that I’ve been to that didn’t have the push carts! Everything is made-​to-​order based on your selection (Pencil and paper of all menued items are given to you once seated.) This means everything is suuuper fresh and you have the freedom to choose everything to come out to you all at once! Love, love, love.
I tried the jelly fish, the tripe, shrimp balls (a little different than what I’m used to), shiu mai, ha gaw, the deep fried mango and shrimp goodness, and the chrysanthemum tea! Forgive me if I spelled any of those incorrectly or if I’ve left anything out based on my photos.
I enjoyed the food, the service was so-​so. After you’re seated and orders are taken, you’re basically left alone for the remainder of your meal. I also should mention, there is a $ 30 minimum if you choose to use debit or credit! You have been warned.

I had orginally given this place a 5 because the food isn’t bad and I love the Baked BBQ Pork Buns, but sadly, the service has definitely gone down.
My family and I had went on Fathers Day Weekend, on Friday to be specific to start off Father’s Day early. Service has most definitely gone down hill. all of the waitresses and waiters are new except for about 2.
The main waiter we had was really really bad. It really seemed as if it was his first time on the job. We had asked him for the $ 88 Set Menu, which was the Peking Duck Special Menu, he had brought us a totally different set menu, which didn’t have the 488 special.
Water had came right away, while getting tea took about 8 – 10 minutes…
The waiter had brought us our peking duck, while our buns that come with it are nowhere in site for a good 10 minutes… they should come together so that way you can actually enjoy it. The meat became newk warm once the nubs had finally arrived…
The same ewaiter had brought us a dish, that wasn’t ours to begin with. He didn’t even bother to check if it was the right dish, just dropped it off and left… we had to flag another waitress down and let her know, and ask her what this dish was… it certainly wasn’t what we ordered…
Service has definitely gone downhill here… it’s sad, they have decent food and the best Baked BBQ Pork Buns…

OMG. DIM SUM HEAVEN! I absolutely love this place & definitely going to come back. I came here with my business partner & we were the only ones there. The servers were friendly & emitted a great aura. It’s very spacious & everything is made to order which I thought was an amazing idea!
We ordered:
Shiu Mai, Hok Kaw, Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce, beef rice noodle rolled & salty egg custard bun.
All of these items were SO PERFECTLY MADE. I suggest them all!
If you haven’t tried the salty egg custard bun… ORDER IT! I was skeptical because of the «salty egg» but it was the best dessert I’ve had! Warm & soft. I actually would just come back to order these to go!

Yes! Finally found a spot in Fremont that has decent american chinese food AND dim sum.
Unfortunately, places in Fremont are slowly closing down, and it has been hArd to find a good spot for my family to go out to eat (chinese is our go to).
Took my picky Dad there, and he loved it!
Had the sweet and sour pork, Mongolian beef, and pork fried rice. OH! And of course the Shanghai dumplings (xiao long bao). He loved those too!
Saw that they have crispy chicken with a garlic sauce. That will definitely be the next thing to try with my family. In the meantime, I’ll continue my once a week trip here for dim sum!

Thanks to Serena C.‘s tip that they have all-​day dim sum I chose BK’s Bistro for a quick and light dinner before work.
Service was very friendly and fairly quick. I had 30 minutes to eat and was out in time without having to say anything about being on a time crunch.
We had the standard har gow and shiu mai. Both were good. The wrapper on the har gow was a little too thin/​overlooked so it fell apart with the lightest touch. The shrimp noodle roll was good. The noodle part soaked up the sweet soy sauce well.
The XLB was good but needed a little salt. It had a lot of soup inside. I liked that it didn’t break before getting to the table and that it wasn’t too oily.
The chow fun was just alright. The beef was really really good but I didn’t care for the texture of the noodles. It wasn’t very oily so that’s a plus. I wouldn’t order it again.
Overall, we had a good experience. This is a great spot to go to when heading home from Bart and don’t want something to heavy.
Their tap water tastes weird. Skip it.