BAMBU

Didn’t know they opened a shop next to Sinbala! Parking wasn’t too bad. The shop is decorated with nicely, it’s very clean and bright.
#1 Bambu special is my goto order. The drinks here are fairly healthy if you order the right thing. This drink is like an explosion of textures but with very simple flavors. Coconut juice is really light, but the longan gives it a lot of sweetness. My personal favorite is the pandan jelly… pandan jelly is better than boba imo!
Highly recommended for a hot summer drink that isn’t sugar loaded!

I love this place! I like their #1 drink. Employee was nice. It is a small place located in a plaza near a supermarket. It is also 5 minutes away from santa anita mall.

Green bean combo is the best summer lunch ever. It’s ice cold, sweet, and refreshing — like a great boba drink — but filling, like an actual lunch, thanks to the beans and taro. Lunch AND boba for $ 5? Yep. That’s what it feels like. Mmmm.
The lady who is always at the front when they open (a cute Latina lady) is seriously the most wonderful, sweet chick on the planet. Actually if it weren’t for how friendly and gracious she is, I wouldn’t come here a couple times a week for my favorite delight. The guy who is there in the back who often makes the drinks is also super friendly and always helpful when I’m trying to carry two drinks at once. They also have a five star system so you can earn a free drink after you buy about 10. Thank you guys!

First, I have no idea why they don’t turn on the A/​C when it’s been record breaking heat here in LA. Second, it smells like absolute shit in here. It smells like someone who ran a marathon in this heat’s armpit. If that wasn’t a clear sign to not order anything from here than I don’t know what is.
But because I was the only one in the store, I didn’t want to be rude and just walk out. So I ordered the #1. It was… okay. I wouldn’t ever come back here. I wasn’t really sure what I was getting myself into prior to ordering– I just wanted a cold drink, but it was just mediocre. I wanted more specificity from the cashier, but all she said was something along the lines of «all their drinks were popular». Like GrRRReeeaaattt. So helpful. I won’t be back.

Very tasting boba tea. Love the taste with chewing stuff. Will be back. Very packed parking lot. Still busy at night

I tried the Che avocado, Bambu special, and fruit addict.
The star was the Bambu special for me. I love coconut and I loved the basil seeds. Thought this drink was well balanced.
The Che avocado wasn’t bad, but reminded me a little bit of a sweet, icy guacamole drink-​a guacasmoothie.
The fruit addict was okay, a little sweeter and with more variety of fruits inside. Probably wouldn’t get it again since I did enjoy the coconut heavy drinks better.

This location is much closer to me than the San Gabriel one, yay. The parking lot is easy to navigate and there’s no trouble finding parking. It’s in a popular plaza with a yogurtland, super market and a one of my favorite Taiwanese Restaraunts, sinbala!
My favorites are #1 and #10. Their drinks/​desserts consist mainly of coconut milk to juice with toppings like grass jelly, green bean, Mung bean, pandan jelly, coconut meat, etc. there aren’t a lot of Vietnamese dessert establishments in the 626 unlike the OC so for someone that really enjoys Vietnamese cuisine, I can definitely appreciate that there’s a Bambu in my area.
I don’t really like how they have a bunch of cups already pre-​filled in the fridge. I like to think that my food/​drinks are being prepared fresh when I order it but a girl can dream.
They have an online loyalty program that you can sign up with using your phone number. You can accumulate points for your purchases which can give you cool things like a free large upgrade on your drink. Service is super friendly always and the interior is cute. They also have some limited food options like noodles and grilled corn. The best part is they offer 2 free add-​one to your drink like rainbow jelly, lychee jelly, grass jelly etc.
Will be back, especially with that loyalty program!

This is not in my hood but I went 2 days in a row because I was so excited to have it a second time.
The ingredients are all very good. The taro tasted fresh, the coconut was fresh, the jellies were great, and the coconut milk was amazing.
It *is* a bit pricey, but it’s very filling and I think you kind of get what you pay for in terms of quality.
I got the #1 the first time and I was so full couldn’t finish it. I got the Taro Lover the second time and I LOVED it, but again, I couldn’t finish it. It’d be nice if they sold half (baby) sizes for cheaper.
I can no longer tolerate milk and too many tea/​drink places have limited menus (or none at all) when it comes to dairy-​free, so it’s really nice to find a place that will do dessert/​drinks with coconut milk instead.
I thought the service was good (the cashier was super friendly), but I went at a time when it was not crowded.

Located inside the same shopping plaza as the Arcadia supermarket, this Vietnamese inspired beverage franchise is popping up all over the San Gabriel Valley. You can find fresh and exotic fruits such as lychee, jackfruit, Palm seed, and longan inside these culturally hailed dessert styled drinks. My favorite is the #6 Fruit Addict which has coconut milk with jello and a mix of fruits and coconut meat. It’s the perfect pick me up when I need something cool and refreshing, and not to mention fun to drink!

ehhhhh. this place is just OK. I was super excited to finally try it out and I was pretty disappointed.
Drinks have way too much jelly in them and the flavor is just ok.
Skip!

Since I wasn’t anywhere near Banh Mi Che Cali today, I’ll drink my desserts, and I’m glad that I’ve stopped by! :) It was a hot day, and these drinks definitely helped cool me down! :D
Unilocal Check in — 10% off drinks, woohoo! I also have the rewards card, and so I had a buy one, get one half off deal too, woohoo! The lady, who served me was a sweetie, and said that they were only able to charge me for the full price of the first drink ($ 4) since the other drink is already half off. In total for two drinks was $ 7.
Each drink comes with a large chunk of snow cone like ice in the middle. Let the ice melt a lil bit, mix it with the fillings — so yummy!!!
Here are the drinks I got:
Drink #1 — #1 Bambu Special $ 4 (took off 10% for full price drink) — coconut, pandan jelly, longan, basil seeds and coconut juice. Super sweet in the beginning, but once you let the ice melt down, it was delicious! Generous fillings :)
Drink #2 — #10 Bambu Favorite $ 4 ($ 2 for Half Price of the Second Drink) — red tapioca (fun crunchy texture), grass and pandan jelly with coconut milk. Less sweeter than Bambu Special and generous fillings too!
This place is located in the same plaza as Arcadia Supermarket and located right next to Sin Bala restuarant. Clean and spacious — nicely organized with dessert drink pictures plastered on the wall to see what each dessert drink description is. They also have snack foods there too. Even the restroom is nicely kept — but you need to borrow the key to use it.
Worth the comeback — definitely! If I’m too lazy to go to Che Cali for che, I’ll just come here to drink it instead, lol!

I had my first taste of Bambu goodness when a parent brought me a drink as a thank-​you gift. I’ve heard a ton of good things about Bambu, and even tried to get a drink at the San Gabriel location (but the lines were way too long), but haven’t actually tried one — until recently.
My favorite drink is their Bambu Special, which comes with coconut, pandan jelly, longan, basil seed, and coconut juice. This was such a refreshing drink, and I personally love each ingredient that came with this drink, so it was a treat to get the overall sweetness of this particular drink and enjoy the ingredients that came with it. But actually going to the restaurant and seeing the price — more than $ 5.00 I believe — made me do a double-​take and question whether or not I wanted it or get boba instead. But with all the ingredients inside, I do think the price is justified, it’s just not what I prefer since I am more of a boba fan.
I came back and decided to try the Coconut Lover. I don’t remember what it had inside, but there were these big beans inside that I really did not like. I thought this drink would be similar to the Bambu special, but sadly I was wrong. I’m not a fan of red tapioca, mung bean, red bean, any type of bean in my drink, so I had a difficult time finishing this. The coconut inside the drink was tasty, but it wasn’t as sweet as the ones I had from the Bambu Special. Overall I was disappointed with this drink.
I also tried the Awesome Trio (red, white, mung bean; taro, pandan, and coconut milk) and unfortunately this is not a drink I’d try again. I didn’t like any of the ingredients inside, and while it was moderately sweet, the drink was packed with a lot of ingredients I don’t like, that I couldn’t finish it.
I’ve tried the Thousand Eyes (basil seed and grass jelly) and really like this drink. It appeals more to my taste, and with just the basil seeds and grass jelly (ingredients which I like), it’s like eating a sweet dessert. I would try this again.
Overall, a good place for Vietnamese dessert/​drinks. They also have a variety of teas and smoothies. I think you’re able to add boba to any drink free of charge, but when I ordered it, they had run out. I decided to get grass jelly with the Bambu Favorite and they forgot to add it into my drink, but still gave it to me on the side.
tl;dr — Definitely know what types of ingredients you like in your dessert/​drink before ordering. Drinks are pretty good, although I’ve tried a few things that I personally don’t like. Service is nice and there are a few tables for customers to sit and chat. Located in a busy plaza, so best time to visit would be after the market closes.

I used to think Boba was king of all drinks. Nothing else in this world mattered but those tapioca pearls bathing in the sweet caresses of milk tea. But I was wrong. There is more to this world, and it starts here at Bambu.
I had never heard of any of these concoctions that they offer here – pandan jelly, red tapioca, mung bean jackfruit to give a few examples. But the result is amazing to say the least.
I’ve come here multiple times, but my favorite drink has to be the number 3, the awesome trio. The pandan jelly, if you have never had it before, is just meant to be in a smooth dessert drink such as this one. I’m not kidding, it really is a great experience to chew it. Just give it a try.
I feel like I’m betraying my one true love, boba of course, whenever I come here, but I can’t help it. It’s extremely refreshing and will finish your day on a positive note.

Came on Thanksgiving with the family after having Jazz Cat.
Drinks are mostly $ 4 each, some a slightly less and some will be slightly more. They also serve Durian Smoothies
We ordered
1 — #2 Bambu Combo
2 — #3 Awesome Trio
1 — #9 Che Twin Jelly
#2 is basically just having all the toppings in a cup topped off with coconut milk
#3 is a Che Ba Mao
#9 is like a Che Banh Lot with Grass Jelly
The #9 was mine and the Pandan Jelly was hard in the center and extremely chewy. I felt like it mine have been an old batch, the Grass Jelly was great though.
I’m glad that they were open on Thanksgiving too.
I probably wouldn’t be back though.

Friends introduced me to Bambu, and I’ve gone back so many times since! Yes, they have so many different desserts and fruit drinks, but the only one I’ve tried and keep coming back to is Avocado Signature Dessert (#5). This dessert comes with a good amount of avocado, combo jelly, and tapioca pearls. I guess it’s growing up in a Filipino household which always made desserts out of avocados made it the easy choice for me. Have introduced it to my Filipino family, and they rave about the Avocado Signature dessert also!
This Bambu is located in a shopping plaza with plenty of parking so parking will never be an issue. Staff at this location has always been friendly. They also take phone orders for pick up orders, making my wait time minimal when ordering 5 to 6 avocado desserts for family. No more reward cards as of Fall 2015, but replaced with the FiveStars app. All you have to do is download the app on your phone and input your phone number when you order. This is much more convenient for me since I always seem to forget to bring in the old fashioned reward cards!

Cute spot for vietnamese style drinks/​desserts. I’ve been to the one down in Garden Grove and this location is pretty on par with that (albeit less crowded).
My dessert/​drink (Longan Sunrise) was perfectly balanced… not too sweet, had just the right amount of everything. The only annoyance is the mound of shaved ice on top that you have to break through to get anything. I spent a good minute or two trying to break apart the ice and then mixing before i could start enjoying my drink.
The boyfriend got a jack fruit smoothie and he said he pretty much tasted like a jack fruit… although as soon as the ice started to melt, it got too bland.

If you like asian (more on the vietnamese side) desserts, than you will love this place! They have so many different options and combination of drinks you will never get sick of. They have milk teas and teas with many options of toppings. I tried the jasmine milk tea and it had a really strong tea flavor. In this case it was more tea and less milk. I would’ve liked it better if it had an even milk to tea ratio. However, they don’t give you that much of a topping. I got it with grass jelly and it seemed like so little… I think I ate all of it within 3 sips. As for the dessert drinks, any of them are good! It really depends on what you want in it. PANDAN JELLY IS A MUST! The dessert drinks aren’t that sweet either.
Parking: Its in the same plaza as the Arcadia Supermarket along with a lot of other restaurants and dessert places, so be prepared to look for parking and beware of the drivers. LOL This plaza parking/​driving here is seriously the worst! It doesn’t help that Sinbala is right next to it because it can get pretty crowded.
Ambiance: Its a nice place to catch up with friends or family. They have a couple tables and chairs. Its bright and they have music playing and music videos playing on the TV. The noise level is between quiet-​average.

This place is right next door to Sinbala and being that it’s new at this location, the place is super clean. I ordered their #1 Bambu Special which is a coconut juice dessert that comes with pandan jelly, longan and basil seed. The drink was not sweet and very refreshing. It did, however, catch me by surprise because I didn’t know that the drink was just young coconut juice. I thought it was some type of slushy. I ordered this based on the suggestions from other fellow Unilocal reviewers and being that it’s the most expensive drink on their menu ($ 5), I thought it was going to be GRAND!!! Don’t get me wrong, I love coconut juice but I think the toppings that are included in this drink was rather excess for me.
I’ll have to be back again to try their regular milk teas to get a better judgment of whether their boba drinks are good compared to Honey Boba or Half & Half.
Also, I’m not sure if it was just a special going on because they are still fairly new in the area, but any additional toppings is free… or at least at the time when I visited. You should ask the employees about that because there’s a sign posted outside indicating free toppings at no additional cost.

I’ve always been intrigued by Vietnamese drinks but haven’t tried any before. The color, the ingredients remind me of halo halo and Thai slush which I’ve had before. Unilocal check ins and photos recently made me curious. I was in Arcadia area an noticed there’s one at the Arcadia Supermarket plaza.
Quite a menu to choose from dessert drinks, smoothies, cold & hot drinks, milk teas, and coffees. Their dessert drinks have concoctions of Southeast Asian ingredients from pandan, jello & jellys, taro, basil seeds, assortment of sweet beans, lychee, logan, palm seed, jackfruit.
I opted for the Bambu favorite which had red tapioca which taste like sweet corn, pandan jelly, grass jelly with coconut milk topped with ice. The line was very short and drink came quick. Very refreshing. Love this drink. For drinks between $ 4 – 5, it’s worth a try.
Definitely coming back.

I’m so excited that there is a Bambu in Arcadia. The girls here are very nice and friendly. I really like they way they decorated this place, considering it use to be a Bin Bin Congac. I like the leather seats that the place has, perfect to hangout with friends.
I ordered the #1 special, it looks and tastes delicious!!!