Bamboo Plaza

Used to be nicer when it had a lot of shops. Hopefully now that Empress Pavilion is back, things will get better. Parking garage is good. Free parking with purchase.

It’s sad but this plaza used to be much better. Empress Pavilion isn’t there anymore, and most of the shops that were here have closed down.
I’ll echo what others have said — just park here. It’s really convenient when you want to eat at Full House right across the street.

I park here just to go to Full House. Flat $ 3.75 after 4pm. Woot woot. But if you get validation from Full House, it’s practically free.
Overall, this place is all kinds of sketchy. The elevators look like they’re gonna break down on you any time and smell like urine.
The stores here are nothing special, and overpriced. Ever since Empress Pavilion closed down, this place has continuing to go down the dumps.
I’m always a little wary when I come in here and park and I’m by myself, but parking here is just way too convenient.

No more Empress Pavilion.
No more Super Home Mart.
Empty stores.
At-​most, half-​full parking lot.
There really isn’t anything to do here. There’s Robocon, Neotype, Happyland. All gift shops with novelty animé movies, dvds, manga. All touristy things really. The elevators are pretty old. Escalators break down rather often. *shiver*.
The one redeeming quality is the parking lot. If you’re ever in need of a parking space in Chinatown (or near Chinatown, at that), there’s always Bamboo Plaza. I’m not sure the prices, but the entrance is between Hill and Broadway.

Now they’ve forced Empress Pavilion out, there’s absolutely no reason to go to this ratty, dirty plaza. The escalator never works, the elevators are dirty and rickety. I feel bad for the cheesy vendors because now that nobody will be coming around to by their goods. This landlord is an idiot.

Great place to eat dim sum at the restaurant inside & shop various boutiques from Sanrio products and gifts to small home décor.

THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE GARAGE. Though I appreciate Bamboo plaza for it’s down trodden Logan’s Run meets Blade Runner (in daylight noir). My gripe is with the parking garage only. I am married to a lovely Icelandic woman and even though we’re you typical starving artists we can sometimes afford to travel back and fourth to the lovely little volcanic isle of peace. I recently left for a trip in haste, and knowing some fellow boheme’s who are known to use thier monthy parking option, and figured i set my trust in them. For a cool 55.00 I got a month long space a nd predcedde tpo park my sad busted ford. She and ZX2, and though she may be a crusier, she sure aint a looker. In the midsst of enjoying the midnight sun I’m informed form my roomante that she was walking one of his various lady frinds back to her car after a night of wine and roses, I was sadly informed that my car had been towed by the garage. From Iceland I had to dail the garage and plead my case. Why was I being towed if I paid 55.00 for a months work of parking? I could nebver get a clear answer form the garage. Friends, lovers, niegbhors. I urge you not to park in the Bamboo Plaze Parking lot!

I only use this plaza for the parking. Since the parking sucks on the street and I’m gonna eat at one of the restaurant on Hill st. Why not use it. Most restaurants validate so your good. They have shops here but I’m not a there to buy since I can go to Santee or in china town stores and buy it cheaper.
So what can I say but if your gonna eat at Full house, Master Chef and Empress why not.

Are you ready for some dim sum?

Sunday mid-​morning, i would expect a bustling plaza. but nope… just something very lifeless, almost deserted.
Broken escalators leading to the second level and an assortment of gift-​like shops with only the workers in each shop.
Where is everybody?
As Ken C. pointed out — how do the places here stay in business?!

This mall just sell some stuff like gift shop and some specialty stuff that you could find around Chinatown. Otherwise not much to see here beside Empress Pavilion..

Was a weird sort of shopping center that was very quiet. We went in a couple stores, were hounded by venders in the walkways, and I wasn’t very comfortable.
the few stores we went in were very cramped and the clerks followed us around like we were going to steal something. I smiled at the clerk when we were leaving and she just gave me the evil eye. UGH!

This Plaza has been here for years, and i always drive by and never noticed how much it has to offer, i really go to Chinatown only to have a meal or to a dive bar near here, but this place has alot to offer the local community.
The Wells Fargo i needed to stop at is just off the main street, so i had to chance to walk by the small shops that offer small to large items of all sorts, nice sitting area and about 3 floors of space.
Parking is very convenient and i did notice 1 of 3 elevators working, but there are stairs, so i am sure it is not that bad right.
So if your ever in Chinatown and want to buy a few things on the local culture, step in and see for yourself.

Good for tourists.

Been here a couple of times over the years, and have eaten at the restaurant inside the plaza which is alright. This plaza also has liquor store and it is pretty much whatever. As for parking, they have their own parking lot, and it can get packed at certain times, so make sure to not go during Dim Sum

I’m not sure how any of these places stay in business. On weekends theres a good amount of people here but they don’t appear to be shopping, just hanging out after or before they enter Empress Pavillion.
I’ve been here a couple weekdays after school and it is just stone-​cold dead. The two animé stores Neotype and Happyland seem to be the only places of interest among the other gift shops.

A tourist spot indeed, most the stores are dead in the plaza. All i see is a buncha people hanging out, not shopping!
Come check it out if ure in town, i did.

I’m so sorry for giving this a pathetic two stars, but this place definitely needs to improve its infrastructure! To me, it’s just becoming a run-​down building. I’ve grown up going to this place so I used to think that this place was really majestic ten years back. Now, tiles fall off the staircases, their parking structure is really inefficient in terms of its compact design, and even the elevators are sort of out of date.

I love Bamboo plaza. The parking is kind of convoluted and cramped, but the plaza itself is a nice assortment of different shops and stores offering a good amount and variety of items at somewhat cut throat prices. In fact, I did the majority of my Christmas shopping last year in Bamboo Plaza, and it hardly cost me anything.
The stores all face inward to a three or four story courtyard lined with giant bamboo that goes up almost all the way. Plus, when you’re done shopping, or before you start, you can grab Dim Sum at Empress Pavilion… and any food/​shopping marriage like this is destined to be great.
Recommendation: go get Dim Sum and check out the Chinese home wares stores on the ground floor. It’s like Chinese Pier 1 or something plus pots and pans and stuff.

Interesting when I was passing by. In all my years, I never gave this place a good look until I came here for lunch.
It’s all the way on the other side of Hill St., very close to end of Chinatown. Very unassuming of a plaza because when you walk in, there’s very few place you can shop.
The first floor consist of a market where you can shop for Chinese bowls and dishes. You can shop for all the usual Chinese utensils in this shop with some little items to buy. Usually those items you can get at Ranch 99 market.
On the other side of the first floor is Happy Land. That was a cool place to shop for DVD, VCD, and CDs of Chinese imported movies and animes. There’s also some toys collectibles you can shop for.
The big draw to this location was the Empress Pavilion. I think more than the majority of the people who parked here was going to go to that place. It wasn’t much of a big shock because the other shops on the second floor were gift shops/​arts & crafts store. All were tourist traps that is capturing the fallouts from the dim sum crowd.
Overall, the stores in this plaza is not extraordinary. I had the feeling that unless it’s your first time in Chinatown or you never seen what a Chinese Tea pot looks like, this would not be interesting to look or places you want to shop.
Parking note: if you dine at the selected surrounding restaurants like Empress Pavilion, you can get your parking validated.