Bamboo Creek

Next to Tinseltown there once was an Asian buffet of questionable quality. Perhaps it was the garish fluorescent lights and the general atmosphere of a thrift store hastily converted into a restaurant that earned it a bad reputation. The food wasn't terrible and the price was reasonable but in leaving the place one was apt to feel a slight disgust beyond the usual buffet-inspired self-loathing for having eaten so much.

But now this place has become Bamboo Creek Asian Bistro and I'm ashamed to admit that my former negative feelings had tainted my views and prevented me from stopping in for so long. So one Sunday we headed over to indulge in some dim sum.

Bamboo Creek is a lot nicer inside than its predecessor; they really reworked the space for this one. While I pride myself on being fairly cultured, I'm ashamed to admit that this was my first dim sum experience. Sure, I've had many of the items previously but I hadn't participated in the whole affair. For those not familiar with the concept, it's similar to what the Spanish call tapas; you order multiple small plates of items instead of one big meal, like ordering solely from the appetizer menu except that there aren't any onion rings and mozzarella sticks.

There's a lot to choose from so it can be the luck of the draw if you're not familiar with a lot of the items but want to try something new. I don't remember what it was called but I got the stuffed rice rolls wrapped in a lotus leaf. Interesting, but not enough stuffing and too heavy on the rice for my tastes. The shrimp and eggplant was pretty good though. The fried sesame rolls are delicious but will turn your blood into syrup. I think next time I'll go for some healthier options.

I was fairly surprised to find bad reviews when searching for information about the place on the internet. The prices of the plates (which typically contain four of the item that you ordered) hover around the $3-4 mark so I really wasn't expecting anything too fancy. I guess I'll have to compare and contrast with the only other dim sum place in Jacksonville that people seemingly held in higher regard.

There was one slightly negative aspect to my visit. Like the buffet that came before, I left Bamboo Creek completely stuffed. My fault entirely and at least I didn't have to eat for the rest of the day.

Bamboo Creek

MOVED TO:

8532 Baymeadows Rd
Jacksonville, FL 32256
(904) 733-1188