Those driving down 163rd Street may pass by an unassuming strip mall and think nothing of it, but within the humble North Miami Beach strip mall lies a small treasure: Bambú. The newly-opened kosher pan-Asian restaurant is quite easy to miss, being located on the very left edge of the strip mall and marked by nothing but one bright green sign. Although the inside shows promise, patrons will find that this little lunch spot is anything but forgettable. Once inside, the welcoming hostess seats the party within the cozy dining area, leaving its members to acclimate to the calm, casual atmosphere. The room is dimly lit and devoid of windows, with warm-toned, gorgeous decorations and a standout floral mural spanning one entire wall. The buzz of conversations and the catchy rhythm of the modern pop songs playing in the background add a layer of comfortable informality to one’s dining experience.

The menu is of reasonable length, offering a variety of soups, dumplings, rice, noodles, vegetarian, and protein dishes. While the options are a tad on the pricier side, that is to be expected.

The menu lacks explanations for the more unrecognizable dishes, but they can be explained upon inquiry. A basket of fried dough and dipping sauces are promptly brought out when seated, followed by a kind waiter ready to take orders.

Now for the meat and potatoes, or in this case, the chicken and rice of the review: my party ordered the vegetable spring roll and chicken pan-fried dumplings as appetizers and vegetable pad thai, vegetable lo mein, and curry lemongrass chicken as our entrees. The appetizers came out swiftly and were steaming hot. The roll of crunchy, flavorful veggies wrapped in a crispy and flaky crust paired with perfectly filled, bouncy, and snappy dumplings only raised our high hopes for the evening.

After a little bit more of a wait, our main dishes finally came out, and they were quite a sight to our rumbling stomachs. The plates were brought out visibly hot, sending a pleasant aroma wafting towards us. The Pad Thai was the highlight of my meal, mixing textures with flat, perfectly cooked rice noodles in a deliciously creamy, nutty sauce, crunchy pieces of bok choy, and bean sprouts sprinkled throughout, not to mention a gigantic spoon of ground peanuts to match the nutty undertone of the sauce. The veggie lo mein was a great take on the familiar classic. With a rich soy flavor coating firmer, thinner noodles and an assortment of green and red vegetables, the dish maintained its well-deserved spot on the universal comfort foods list. Finally, the curry and lemongrass chicken, a new pick with a fresh set of flavors for me, was a pleasant surprise. The chicken was aromatic, tender, and bright with an enjoyable, savory flavor somewhere in between spicy and pungent that lasted on the tongue. Paired with the crunchy peppers doused in sauce and rice on the side, the chicken was a wonderful choice. The portions were all share-sized, definitely leaving dinner with leftovers to devour the next day, and though the food is delectable, it’s pretty heavy, so it works best on a leisurely, no-rush day. As for dessert, upon asking my waitress, I found out there is but one: deep-fried ice cream. I regretfully did not try it, but we were, fortunately, left with fortune cookies to end our meal. 

Altogether, the meal was nothing short of fantastic. The waiters paid excellent attention to detail, checking in on us multiple times and keeping the water flowing without fail. My family and I certainly left fully satiated after our satisfying, tasty meal. Bambú is an excellent restaurant to expand one’s palette and try new, unique pan-Asian cuisine. After all, there’s a reason there was a consistently long line of takeout orders waiting to be sent. So, next time you pass by a modest strip mall without a second glance, give it a chance and check it out, because you might just find another diamond in the rough.