Bill Lee’s Bamboo Chopsticks is one of the best restaurants to eat out at. Whether it’s a nighttime affair or just a casual lunch date, Bill Lee’s Bamboo Chopsticks provides excellent food while maintaining a clean and authentic atmosphere.
Bill Lee’s Bamboo Chopsticks, located in downtown Bakersfield, attracts many business people who work near the restaurant. At noon, the restaurant was very busy as all of the parking spaces were completely filled.
I imagined that I wouldn’t be seated for at least ten minutes. To my surprise, I was greeted and seated immediately.
The restaurant lighting was dim and very mellow and featured large statues and actual artifacts from China. There were informational cards that were located next to the various artifacts that described what it was and where it came from, much like a museum. There was also a statue of Buddha that is believed to give good luck if its belly is rubbed.
The ceilings were high and featured little squares on the top that light came out of. The walls had more Chinese history on them, including portraits, carvings and paintings. This was not your ordinary Panda Express.
As I was seated, my waiter left and returned with a hot pot of black tea and traditional Chinese teacups. As I looked through the menu, I decided to order the specialty of the house, which consisted of barbecued spareribs, pineapple chicken sticks, pork fried rice, fried shrimp and special Cantonese pork chow mein. The meal also included egg flower soup, which consisted of egg whites in a light yellow broth served in a traditional Chinese bowl with a traditional Chinese spoon.
My food took about 15 minutes to arrive, but I wasn’t waiting impatiently. I passed the time by looking at the Chinese zodiac, similar to the Greek zodiac. This paper placemat was at the table and gave a reading of certain personalities and the animals they correspond to. I discovered I was a Tiger and read my personal description.
When my food arrived, it was hot and smelled fresh. My shrimp was crunchy and the rice was soft. The chow mein was hot, fresh and not dripping with grease (unlike most chow mein, to me this was good) and the spareribs were easy to eat and soft.
By far the absolute best dish was the pineapple chicken sticks. Similar to sweet and sour chicken, this dish consisted of crispy chicken that was covered in the most delicious sauce I had ever tasted. There were also large pineapple chunks in the sauce that gave the chicken an even sweeter flavor.
My waiter always came at the right time to refill my drink and asked if I needed anything else. It was altogether a great dining experience. The food, the service and the décor were an experience in restaurant dining that I hadn’t had in a long time.
I recommend Bill Lee’s Bamboo Chopsticks to everyone. It’s a nice place to go on a romantic date or a casual lunch. Bill Lee’s Bamboo Chopsticks knows how to serve up 100 percent customer service and great food.
Bill Lee’s Bamboo Chopsticks is located at 1203 18th Street.