BAMBU

This place always hits the spot. The bambu special is always #1 drinks for my nieces and as for me, I’d get the Coconut meat with shave ice. This place tends to get busy at times but the line is quick esp on a hot day

A great place with good no of different flavours, I’ve tried mango and chocolate which tastes really nice. They sell coconut sweet sticks and waffles which are must try items.

Came here for the first time a few weeks ago and was blown away by the wide arrange of dessert drinks. Ended up getting a #4 which was so yummy. Def coming back.

Great addition to the Richmond area. And they have a lot of interesting drinks besides the pearl milk teas. You can get pandan jelly, tapioca a, red and green beans and grass jelly drinks that are more like desserts.

I ordered a smoothy from there — the like strawberry smoothy. It tastes just like Jamba Juice but more fruity rather than that. Another nice thing is that you can add free toppings. I took a sip of the iced green tea. It was not bad. I don’t have particularly much to say about this place vs my other reviews for places.
In terms of parking it’s a bit hard to find parking there. For décor it’s less like your modern boba places and more traditional.
Tip: checkin for a free drink.

Consistently gets my drink right, service is excellent and friendly, and I love the lime berry smoothie! :)

Was pretty disappointed to see that they weren’t open at 12:30 even though the door states 11:00am. I’ve been here before and tried their milk tea and boba. It was okay and wanted to try a different drink.
They have a sign that says OPEN next to their door. Cool. I try to open it. No luck. Anyways, a gentleman unlocks the door and greets me and says «We opened a bit late today. Please give us 10 minutes.» That’s good and all. So, I’m waiting outside.
Soon after, a lady comes around the corner and opens the door… Okay. I thought they weren’t opening for a bit longer. Nope. She comes out with a drink.
Granted I’m only one of their thousands of
customers and one that doesn’t live here either– I just hope that they have better service in the future.

I come here for the tapioca tea. The milk tea is petty solid. They also got me hooked on their green waffles (coconuts and something). The colorful desserts look interesting, but I can never get myself to give up my usual order to try these.
Just recently discovered you can request 50% sugar on the milk tea and it tastes the same. Haven’t tried the sugarless yet.
I used the order ahead feature through Unilocal!And was disappointed that I saved no time because they hadn’t started on the order 10 minutes later when I was there.

Bambu is my FAVORITE place to get Vietnamese desserts! I usually order the number 6 and add on taro! I’ve been here many times and everything that I’ve tried has been great! They also have a great selection of milk tea and smoothies! If you want a snack, you must try the PANDON WAFFLE ! They make it fresh to order and it had a really good flavor! Not too sweet either!

Everything I have tried is pretty damn good here! I feel like you can’t go wrong in this place. I especially adore #10 because there are so much goodness and chewiness inside. I can’t name everything inside but I absolutely love all the different texture in the drink. It’s not too sweet but definitely not bland. However, I do wish it has less slushy though.

I’ve been meaning to try Bambu for a while and finally got around to it! For me, when it comes to dessert drinks, the more toppings the better, so Bambu’s free add-​ins policy was a big plus. I don’t know much about che, but I appreciate that this place offers something different from the boba places popping up everywhere.
I ordered the #10 — coconut milk, grass and pandan jellies, and red tapioca. I chose to add in regular boba and palm seed. Half sweet was perfect for me. The boba was softer than I’d usually prefer, but still a little chewy and sweet. This was my first time trying red tapioca, which I found interesting — it’s a small piece of water chestnut or something similar in texture wrapped in the tapioca casing. I still prefer regular tapioca, but this definitely added more textural interest to the mix.
Overall it was a very filling and refreshing dessert for $ 4! My order was taken and received fairly quickly. I’ll plan on coming back to try out some more of their interesting combinations!

Yea, I’ve been a fan since it opened. Been to other locations, but this one is still my favorite. I feel like their drinks have more flavor/​less watered down.
My favorite is #1 and #6. I love that you can order additional toppings at no additional cost and change any coconut milk drink to coconut juice drink for additional $ 0.50!
Did you know that their pandan jelly is made in house? So at least not everything comes out of a can or package! You can also ask for no sweet, which is my preference.
** If you have a Five Stars Card, you can earn points and receive seasonal offers/​promotions. Currently, they have a ‘buy two drinks get one free pandan waffle free’ until 2÷7÷15. Also, if you check in on Unilocal,you get a free upgrade to large size drink! **

I’ve tried this place first in San Jose which got me hooked! I was so excited when they open a location because San Jose is just too far just for dessert. I have to say this location beats all the other locations.
I usually order #5 and add red tapioca and jackfruit. #5 is mashed up avocado with coffee jelly, rainbow jelly and boba mixed with condense milk and ice (so delicious). I know; I mention avocado and you must think guacamole and say yuck! It’s definitely an Asian thing but you gotta try it! I love how they’re so generous with the avocado and how they do not charge extra for toppings! I also alway get the pandan waffles to share with my bf.
In fact you should go today and try it for yourself! Highly recommend this place!

I came here craving a smoothie so I ordered a Pina Colada smoothie. When I received it, it seemed more like a slushy with the excessive amounts of ice chips. If it were a hot day I’d say bring on the ice chips. But when you’re expectations are for something SMOOTH, you don’t expect that at all. Also, they had huge chunks of raw coconut which would be good if I were eating this like halo halo, but when trying to drink through a straw, it tends to block the straw. It was nice to get the free upgrade to a size large via the Unilocal app but just wish it was more of a smoothie and not a slushy.

Love this place! My 7 year old and I love stopping by here whenever we get a chance. Quinn, the owner, is awesome. Great drinks, snacks, and wonderful customer service!

I stopped by en route to drop off my friend, had the boba cravings that occur altogether too often, and thought I’d try this place out.
I was sooo excited to find a place that makes their tea with real tea and not powder or syrup! (I go to college in Portland where good boba is a rare find.) So, I of course had to take advantage of this quality and tried red bean milk tea boba – something I’ve been wanting to try for ages. It was so yummy with real crushed red bean at the bottom and perfectly textured tapioca
They also have bar seating and nice vibes to chill for a while – for me, a spot to escape the onslaught of rain. Highly recommend!

I love this place. It’s such a cool place that mixes Vietnamese traditional Che with a modern twist. So many options you can choose from. I love number 5. It’s not really Che, but more like an avocado smoothie with Asian jelly and tapioca. It’s really good. But if it’s your first time, I definitely recommend number 1 or 4 or 10. Number 1 is really refreshing due to the coconut juice. 4 and 10 are like Vietnamese Che.
Cool place to hang out with friends! I’m super happy I found Bambu in SF. It’s such a popular place in Texas and the drinks are still as a good.

I loooove boba. Thankfully my husband discovered this magical place.
You walk in and there are big photos of their signature drinks and their menu. It’s so hard to decide sometimes because the drinks all look pretty and yummy. I’ve never been to a boba place with so many cool choices. And another plus is the staff is always friendly. Another high five is they accept credit cards.
The tapioca balls are always so soft and they have so many other cool stuff you can add to your drink: pandan jelly, real taro, jackfruit, red beans, and so much more!
I love how their drinks are so good and very reasonably priced. You get what you pay for.
You can chill in this café. There’s a nice big flat screen TV and updated magazines. You can sit on a couch, some bar stool tables, or some regular tables.
Seriously, you got to try one of their drinks.

Coconut pudding!!! They take a young Thai coconut and they must use some sort of powder to transform the coconut water into a jello-​like pudding. It’s $ 6, but worth it (until I figure out how to make this magical pudding on my own).
They have fancy Asian drinks with unique mix-​ins. Pretty exotic; definitely worth trying.

Second time coming here, first time it was quiet and my lychee tea with boba was made in minutes.
This time we waited at least 5 – 8 minutes to order our drinks and it seemed very disorganized. Once our drinks were ordered we sat down, and waited. We watched a whole family get drinks, and waffles, and a few other couples get their drinks. Finally after about 20 – 30 minutes it was our turn, but we still waited. Finally they called out our Almond Mochas, but told us the machine was broken so they could not make them. No other hot drinks were available so we had to get our money back. My boyfriend left without a drink at all, and I left with my boba tea which was ok. We are disappointed we waited so long and left empty handed. We will not be returning.

I love Bambu’s coconut taro with boba. It’s like a thick ice cream coconut taro smoothie with decent boba. I make the drive out here from Russian Hill from time to time because yes, it is that good of a dessert.
Enjoy :)

I came here on a Friday night around 9. I was surprised by the number of people in here, as we were only able to find seating on the couch. I ordered the #6, which had coconut milk, Jackfruit, grass jelly, red colored boba, and a few other things in the combo. I loved the flavors! It was not too sweet, which by the way, you can choose: least sweet, semi sweet, normal, very sweet, etc. The regular sized drink itself can be quite filling, pretty awesome. I’ll come back here for a late run again soon, and try the blended mocha or Vietnamese coffee.

I was boring and ordered vietnamese coffee with boba but my friends got really good creative drinks. Service was super quick and seriously this place smells amazing from a few blocks away! Definitely coming back to try more of their dessert drinks.

Legit Vietnamese Pandan Waffles in SF is a rare treat indeed! Very happy to have stumbled into this spot by accident. Also enjoyed a Jackfruit smoothy (sans milk). Seating area is clean and airy and a good spot to settle into for a break from your usual milkteaboba spots.
Why only four stars then? Well perfection is only a banhmí away. Bring that to the table and we’ll talk.

I came here on my friend’s recommendation and I’m so glad we went here! It’s so goooood. Why don’t they have this place in NYC? It’s more unique than the average bbtea place and you can get a large array of «toppings» in your drink. I played it safe with this soft squishy bean and grass jelly? (#12) Yumm. :)
My friend got the super colorful one and it was way sweeter… so yummy.
NOTE: IF you check in you get an upgrade! :)

Vietnamese desserts are not my thing. Sorry.
I had #10, and it was a cup of syrup with green chewy things, red chewy seed like things and canned longans/​lychee.
That said, alot of my indonesian friends and my fiancé were pleased with their dessert.
I just wish that fresh fruits were used, and something with more texture and less syrup was in the dessert. Maybe I’ll try the bubble tea next time. Since it is probably a safer choice. Or maybe, there will be no next time! ;)

The smell of pandan waffles on the corner of 25^th & Geary… ahhhhhh, makes one want to follow this wonderful scent. We make this our final stop on a Sunday night. The staff are kind and gracious. There’s never a massive line like Purple Kow, and all the ingredients are made fresh and healthy.
If you’re not sure about an item on their menu, they kindly offer you a sample taste. For example, not everyone’s palate embraces durian. I love durian, so whatever durian drink they make me I’m content. Not everyone may like cold drinks, and if you ask them to make a #3 hot, they will kindly do so. There are the usual hot drinks to choose from (Vietnamese coffee, hot chocolate, mocha, chai tea, etc.). Some nights are colder than others in SF (most nights); therefore, you may want something warm to sip on.
Comfortable seating, clean restroom, and friendly staff who always make our night when we come in 10 minutes ’til closing. Make sure to show them your stamp card. See you tonight, save some waffle mix for us latecomers.

Welcome to the south east Asia heaven for desserts.
If you’re from south east Asia, you grew up with these shaved ice desserts and this is the only place in America that has come close to tasting like the real thing.
You can add on anything FOR FREE. You can basically custom make your drink.
I also like that you can adjust the sweetness level and ice.
There’s restrooms. HOLLA!
Five stars point card make it more rewarding to come here often!
And once i ordered to go and drove up to marin county to deliver it to my friend. They bagged the ice separately and it was still in tact an hour later. Amazing.
Also: PANDAN WAFFLES.

Can’t stop going to Bambu! They’ve memorized my order now :)
The people working there are super friendly and welcoming. The desserts are super yummy and well made. I recommend #3, #6, the mochi ice cream and the cold vietnamese coffee.
Also love that they have some board games to pass the time!

I call this place «Happiness in a cup». The Southeast Asian girl in me is so happy with this place. Yes, it is chock full of sugar. But I get taro and sometimes mung beans. Ok, I know that doesn’t necessarily make it healthy.
I normally get the coconut milk, taro (mashed and pulverized to be sippable), and pandan. I just adore this drink/​meal. There are so many choices on the menu and you can try one different each day for a month+.
Also, try the pandan waffle. Sweet, green waffle goodness. Green waffles to go with your green eggs and ham.
They have some HH offerings and I believe a frequent buyer card.

I love Bambu and it’s a good break from all the regular milk tea spots for a sweet drink. Whenever I come here, I always get the avocado smoothie with tapioca pearls. But I’m Unilocaling because the most recent time I was there, the avocado smoothie was really bitter and gross. I went to purchase another drink and he noticed I had barely touched my smoothie and when I told him the problem, he offered to switch my drink immediately at no cost. He was very very nice about it! And then when he got my new drink, he brought out another avocado smoothie! The lady in the back accidentally used the wrong avocados it turns out. The new avocado smoothie was delicious :)
This place is delicious and it offers wonderful customer service which can be a rare find these days. Oh and their pandan waffle and coconut with pandan is AMAZING. Very nostalgic of the Filipino snacks I ate when I was younger :)

Didn’t even realize this place was Vietnamese until I saw «chè» on the menu, and I got excited. I’ve had chè in Hanoi, Danang, Saigon, and elsewhere — it’s one of my favorite desserts in Asia. The combination of shaved ice, coconut milk, and a variety of different fruits, jellies, and sweet beans is an incredibly delicious part of Vietnamese street food culture. Usually you can get a good sized cup for about $ 1.50-$ 2 there, so you always get 2 to try.
So I came in and ordered the ‘sampler’ — #6. This one had the most variety of toppings (and I just didn’t feel like a load of beans at 9pm). After seeing the Unilocal check-​in offer of a free large upgrade, I went back and got a hot Vietnamese coffee (after confirming it wouldn’t be made with powder).
SIDEBAR — If you ever order Vietnamese coffee, always make sure they are brewing it fresh! I’ve encountered the bait-​and-​switch of paying $ 3 – 4 for an instant G7 powder mix too many times. Really amnoyed when that happens and no drink should be made «fresh» with a powder mix. But they don’t do this so they’re cool =)
The chè was nice, but not far above average. There was a good amount of jelly, and a little bit of fruit. The ice ran out of flavor as I drank it with a straw, and I had to let it melt to catch up. It just wasn’t as rich or flavorful as I’ve had so many other times. Maybe it’s not fair to compare to Vietnam, but that’s all I’ve had.
The coffee was decent, albeit a bit on the expensive side. I did enjoy the flavor of it and could tell it was a fresh brew.
Interior is cozy, bathroom is clean… Overall I’m giving it 3.5 stars and will update when I try something else on the menu. I do love me some shaved ice desserts.