Hot Bamboo - Chandler

Today was my first visit to this charming little restaurant that my fiancé discovered while searching for a place to satisfy my dumpling cravings. Although the venue is quite small, the staff was incredibly cheerful, attentive, and made our experience truly enjoyable. A special shout-out to the team working on the evening of August 20, 2021! The food was absolutely delicious, and we were fortunate enough to arrive just as they were about to serve some fresh cha siu buns, which were adorably designed like Hello Kitty! Everything about this place—the wonderful service, the charming khoi wall, the fun mini gift shop, and, of course, the tasty food—will definitely bring me back, even though I live over two hours away! I highly recommend this spot!

I keep noticing the incredibly long lines at festivals, and I really wish people understood what they're waiting for. It's unfortunate that some food is only being sold for Instagram photos. If you missed it, those buns are barely edible. They are overly salty and taste like wet Play-Doh with a bit of ground meat mixed in. There's really no flavor beyond the saltiness. You're just waiting in line for a handful of soggy bread-like substance. I suggest stepping out of the line now and saving yourself the trouble!

We visited this restaurant during the Chinese New Year festival at MCC, and we found the siu mai and bao to be excessively salty.

I've been eager to try this restaurant for a long time, but unfortunately, my experience was disappointing. I visited their stand at the Tempe Arts Festival this weekend, and while they certainly had a steady stream of customers, the service fell short. We ordered two bao buns: the Japanese-style ground pork and the teriyaki chicken character bao. After placing our order and paying (including tip), we were informed that we would have to wait 15 minutes for the teriyaki chicken bao. Had I known this before ordering, I wouldn’t have chosen it. They didn’t offer a refund, but suggested we could select something else instead. My companion opted to swap it for the tofu bao to avoid waiting, but to our dismay, the tofu bao was just a regular one, not a character bao at all. This was quite disappointing, especially since we were told that what we had ordered was unavailable only after we had already paid. Sadly, neither bao was enjoyable, and we ended up throwing them away. I wish I had been offered a refund; as it stands, I won’t be returning or recommending this place.

I really appreciate the unique character of this restaurant. The service was excellent. While I agree that the buns might not be the most delicious, they are quite good for Arizona. It's really challenging to create authentic steamed buns (bao) and dumplings when you're in an area that doesn't have access to the right fresh ingredients. Food is an art form, and this place truly excels. As an Asian family, we've made this one of our favorite spots to eat!