Last weekend the four of us ate dinner at a restaurant, near Rengstorff Avenue and Central Expressway, that recently changed hands. With Bamboo Garden featuring Shanghainese cuisine, we ordered the obligatory shao lung bao, each of which was too large to be considered authentic but was hot and loaded with soup. The crab shao lung bao did not have the distinctive crab flavor that was expected. Moreover, Jenny actually liked the standard pork shao lung bao more than the crab. Otherwise, both dumplings were good. The skin was robust enough to keep the soup inside but wasn't overly thick.
The fish fillet in wine sauce was a slight disappointment. The fish was tender but overall the dish was far too salty. The wood ear (or moo shu of "moo shu pork" fame) in the dish was served clustered and came off big and clumpy.
We offered to options to the kids. The Shanghai fried noodles were adequate--the kids enjoyed them--but not chewy. The other dish for the boys was the Shanghai fried rice. Perhaps a healthier option than standard fried rice, the dish can also taste bland. However, at Bamboo Garden the Shanghai fried rice was flavorful. It helped that they loaded the plate with bacon.
The service was fast and cheerful. As is often found at Shanghainese restaurants, Bamboo Garden provided a window through which one could watch a cook process dough and make dumplings. Our search for the HC Dumpling of 2006 continues, though. Bamboo Garden certainly doesn't meet that standard. However, we'll probably likely return out of convenience.
Bamboo Garden
108 N Rengstorff Ave
Mountain View, CA 94043
