Bamboo Restaurant & Gallery — Restaurant in Hawaii

We came here in 2019 on our second trip to the big island. (My previous review is below.) Probably would have been back sooner, but covid and....

Anyway, made it back last night and we were so glad we did. An amazing meal with great staff. Just loved it!

Currently, they are only doing dinner service on Thursday and Friday nights, open for lunch Tuesday-Sunday.

We started with the Chicken Satae pot stickers. Let me say honestly- I could have eaten 3 or 4 orders of these and gone home happy. That Thai peanut chicken flavor brought omg moments from both my wife and I. Really- if you come here and like Thai peanut flavor, get these. Mic drop.

Second we split their house salad with a papaya dressing and candied Mac nuts. Another omg moment. So good.

I got fresh Ono Thai coconut Hawaiian style with sour cream mashed potatoes, which came with broccoli. Another omg moment. Similar flavor profile to the pot stickers, but with coconut. Perfect, and different from the other Ono we had while on the Big Island.

My wife got a ribeye. Once again cooked a perfect medium rare with the same mashed potatoes and broccoli. Seasoned perfectly with a red wine demi glaze. BTW, the mashed potatoes were bomb. Tasted like a perfectly baked potato with sour cream and butter. Probably in the top 2 or 3 restaurant mashed potatoes we've ever had. We agreed on this.

The broccoli was cooked till tender without being over cooked. Most places don't get the balance right. This was perfect!

They also offer dessert bites for 2.00. We got four. Our favorites were the lillikoi cheesecake and the mocha cheesecake. All were good though.

The staff were all friendly and helpful. This all made to a perfect last dinner on vacation! Excellent job! I honestly can't give enough superlatives.

If you're in Waikoloa- the drive is spectacular and is totally worth it!

Really enjoyed our dinner here tonight! The drive from Waikoloa was refreshing, even in the rain. We found a parking place on the street outside as it's in a street storefront. The art and decor fit the vibe, very country Hawaiian . We had the potstickers, which were unique, chicken and a sweet chili sauce, really good. My wife had coconut shrimp and a side salad, both of which were delicious. I had the Yellowtail tuna with a lemon caper cream sauce with artichoke and polenta cakes. Excellent! The desert was lilikoi cheesecake which was lite and perfect. My wife had a small bite of the mocha cheesecake. Great too. Worth the drive and will cone back! (Staff was friendly and...

Can I get the food without the politics. Food was ok, prices were ok, service was ok. everything was ok, until my wife came back from the bathroom a little agitated that there was a derogatory sign of political nature posted by the establishment. Although it was a joking context I come their to eat and enjoy Hawaii not to push my political views on them and I wish they could extend me the same courtesy.

Had I seen the sign first I would have extended my patronage to another restaurant that could keep their politics to themselves. I would not say it ruined our vacation, that would be dramatic but it did kill the mood. where had intended to stay in this quaint little town and probably drop a few hundred bucks on the local shops we just packed up and left. Judging by the owner's lack of grace in the responses to other negative posts I would not expect this one to do anything but add fuel to the fire. It doesn't matter how old a recipe is, this does not make it good. The beauty of this country is that we are entitled to our opinion and freedom of speech. So goes it for this establishment's owner and you if you choose to eat somewhere that that doesn't try to encroach on your belief systems and focus their attention on good food, service and value...

Update: Too Funny. Can't wait for tomorrow's response. I never said which side I associate with, either way I don't need politics forced into my leisure time. I'm not asking you to take it down, I believe in your freedom of speech and it's your establishment. The purpose of the reviews is so other can have some foresight on what they might embrace or reject about an place or service. Just because we don't agree doesn't make me a bully. I have critical reviews in what I do too and I always try to respond with at least some level of dignity and civility as it pertains to that person's perception of the matter. Fortunately we still live in a country where we are entitled to a...

We've eaten here probably half a dozen times, and normally I would give 3 or 4 stars, but last night we (2 people) were turned away despite having reservations for which we showed up on time. When we arrived the hostess initially asked us to wait briefly while our table was being prepared, but then just moments later a different woman (who looked like she might have been a manager or owner) told us that they wouldn't have any seating for a while, so we left.

It's a good thing that we were staying nearby and hadn't come all the way from Kona, and that we found good food at another place nearby - Hawi is a small town far from where most tourists stay, with limited eating options esp. at night.

This likely all happened because this was a Saturday night and they had live music and were pretty full - but what bugs me is that several days earlier we specifically asked when we should reserve considering the performance, and we were told 7pm would be fine. Oh well.

When we have eaten here it's been fine - most recently we've had the Kahlua pork and the meatloaf, both were really tasty! The service is friendly, the atmosphere is nice since it's a cool old building filled with Hawaiiana (we once saw an impromptu hula performance). Prices are in line with what you would expect to pay for good food in a touristy place (i.e. high). Drinks are good too. There's also a store in the lobby that sells a lot of nice handcrafted souvenir type stuff and an art gallery upstairs.

Overall I would still say that this place is worth a visit - but if you plan on coming at a potentially busy time, I guess keep in mind that a reservation might not ensure you get to eat here - so make sure you have a backup plan!

P.S. Regarding the owner's reply below, thank you it's appreciated! I'm sorry if you thought I was really angry but I was not - just kinda ticked off - and I hope that didn't come across in my review. And I know I wasn't angry when we actually were...