Bamboo — Restaurant in East Whiteland Township

Right, listen up, because this place needs to hear the hard truth. Calling this an authentic Vietnamese restaurant? Not a chance. I get why they’ve toned things down—probably catering to local palates that can’t handle the real punch of Vietnamese flavors. But, as someone who’s grown up on true Vietnamese cuisine from San Jose, Houston, and Dallas, I know what proper Vietnamese food should taste like. We’re a proud food culture, and we demand the best. Sadly, that’s not what’s happening here.

First off, everything on the menu here is overly sweet, like they’ve dumped sugar in every dish. And don’t even get me started on the portions for what they’re charging! A grilled platter “sampler” set us back $17, and what do you get? The meat is so skinny it’s practically see-through, and they rely on noodles to fill up the plate. The marinade? Too damn sweet, like syrup. Sure, the rice noodles themselves are alright, but this isn’t a noodle shop, is it?

Then there’s the pho. That broth is a sugar bath! The noodles aren’t fresh, the meat portions are skimpy, and the balance is all wrong.

And don’t even get me started on the clay pot catfish. $23 for what? Some sad little chunks of fish in a syrupy, thin sauce that was more sweet-and-sour than anything resembling authentic Ca Kho To. They didn’t even bother with a proper clay pot! Instead, it came in a Korean stone bowl. I mean, if you’re charging $23, at least bring the right equipment! This wasn’t rich, caramelized catfish; it was like dessert gone wrong with fish thrown in. Absolute robbery, and completely off the mark for what this dish should be.

The spring rolls were no better. Skinny, with a ridiculous amount of rice noodles and barely any protein. It’s like they’re rationing flavor. Paying for this? You might as well throw your wallet out the window.

Now, the one saving grace? The Banh Beo. Steamed rice cakes with a few toppings and some nuoc mam. It’s hard to mess up. I enjoyed it because, frankly, I can’t get that elsewhere.

So, if you’re into this, go ahead. Keep eating here. But make no mistake—this is not authentic Vietnamese food. Real Vietnamese cuisine is all about balance: a dance of sweet, salty, sour, and fresh flavors, with textures that hit every note. This place? It’s just...

I’m surprised this place is still open. I think it’s quite an insult to pho and other Vietnamese dishes. I never thought pho could be bad, but boy this place proved me wrong. The food here is absolutely atrocious. The pho broth does not taste like beef broth, more like watered down broth with some sauces… actually I’m pretty sure it is not actual beef broth. The pho has way too much rice noodles and too little beef. The chicken dish was not good at all. The vegetables were not marinated well… the chicken was not cooked well it tasted like microwaved chicken. Honestly… so so disappointed. I’ve had pho in countless places and never had a truly bad pho experience until now. Btw I came “post Covid” so I don’t know if the chef changed or what since there were good reviews in the past here. Either that or the reviews were written by people who have never had authentic pho before. I recommend going to Pho Ha Saigon at 575 Adams Ave, Philly if it’s not too out of the way for you or Pho Street in Bryn Mawr. It’s worth the extra drive TRUST. The dishes are expensive compared to dishes in Philly, and definitely not worth it for what you get.

TLDR: Absolutely bland food that feels like a scam after you’ve eaten it.

On a side note, the waiters were great and...

Restaurant: 3/5 Service: 3/5 Food: 3/5

First impressions

The place seemed crowded (but it is on a Saturday evening). We got seated pretty quickly when we arrived. The dining area looks pretty clean. The tables are tilting though, so beware.

The bathroom setup was 'Quite odd" there's 2 entrances, one from the dining room and one for the kitchen staff that uses the same bathroom, it is as if they didn't want to pay for extra bathroom.

We ordered one original Pho with everything and one Seafood Pho. The portions are on a bit of a small side for the price (Comparing to Pho places in Philly). But that doesn't matter, what about the flavor? The broth needs some work, it is rather bland. The main ingredient to a great Pho is always the broth because that is what most people goes for first, you should not have to add any sriracha or the hoisin sauce to boost the flavor. They also seem to skim on the amount of protein, not bad just could be better.

Service was OK, the staffs just seemed very robotic, doesn't want to be bothered. Provide only bare minimal like the buffet restaurants.

All in all, this is good (OK) place to go if you crave Pho really badly. But not something I would drive in the rain or snow (or out of my way)...