The Bistro At the Strand

Sushi was extremely good. Quality was amazing. BEST FOOD EVER.

Ah the legendary bistro. As a sixther, coming out all the way to the village is basically reliving the Trail of Tears.
The place was pretty packed out. But soon, we found seats for 5. Our server was amazing and made sure we were comfortable. He served some pretty good jokes with our meal.
The Stack (3.5÷10). A delectable sounding entrée. Layers of poke, avocado, black rice, tomato, edamame, and microgreens served with taro chips. The poke was overly salty and the rest of the layers weren’t even seasoned at all. It was actually quite interesting to eat at first, but soon the novel aspect of eating overly salty tuna with bland vegetables wore off. The black rice was a hard and loose and the «stack» soon turned into The Mess as the layers slid down on each other, falling victim to the wondrous force named gravity that exists on earth. It wasnt good :(
Rainbow Roll (⁶⁄₁₀). Some good news in the midst of the sadness. The roll was decently made and held together when I picked it up to eat. Pretty standard rainbow roll, but ⁶⁄₁₀ cause dining dollars.
Green Tea Ice Cream (⁵⁄₁₀). It tasted exactly like green tea ice cream. Which is a good thing.
Mango Sticky Rice (³⁄₁₀). We had our boy from Thailand try this dish out. It did not please his palette or any of ours. The «sticky rice» was more of a cold sad brick of more sadness. And the mango purée they put on top, barely had any flavor. It was surprising awful. Like I knew it wouldn”t be good, but dam that was awful. :(im sorry
Lemongrass Crème Brulee (⁷⁄₁₀). This was actually quite tasty. Subtle lemongrass flavor and the top was nicely bruleed and caramelized. Had a satisfying crunch when it was cracked opened. It wasnt overly sweet. This one was alright
³⁄₅ cuz dining dollars

The Bistro is pretty fancy considering it’s college campus food. It can get crowded, but you can make a reservation if you’re worried about not getting a spot. They also accept dining dollars. The prices vary, but the most expensive dish is the short rib ($ 19).
I ordered the soy-​gingered salmon cake salad, and I have to admit I was impressed! I thought it was a generous serving for $ 8. However, if you’re a huge fan of ginger, don’t expect to taste a lot of it in the cakes. The dumplings are a safe choice for an appetizer. They also serve phở and sushi here, but if you have a car, I wouldn’t order them because you could get much better phở and sushi off campus. The tempura roll was good, but a little too dry for my liking. Overall, it’s worth a try!

Service can be slow at times but they’re friendly and try their best. Way better than the new on-​campus restaurant in revelle, 64 North

Meh, could have been better if Lincoln didn’t forget that he had a table in the corner. The 4 of us just sat there and stared at him until he decided to make eye contact with us.
Waited 15 minutes to finally get our order taken.
Asked for extra chips, and the he said «yes». Waited 10 minutes, so we asked AGAIN.
«We’re running low» he said.
Cool Lincoln, but you could have told us that BEFORE you said yes 10 minutes ago and I just saw you dropping off wonton chips to other tables who obviously asked for more too.
The other servers seem to be on top of things, so maybe we were just the unlucky ones.
Food was okay, but there was a 15 minute gap between when the two of us received our food and when the other two did. It was probably because the sushi side of the restaurant was slammed, so it happens.

The Bistro is okay. I kept hearing how great it was, but I ended up being a little disappointed. It’s not bad, don’t get me wrong, but as a native Californian, I would rather pay the same price and drive off campus to a little sushi joint down the road. That being said, I have been spoiled with great sushi, so my expectations may be higher than most.
If you’re on campus and craving sushi, it’s better by far than what is sold in the markets, but if you have a car and want cheap sushi, the Ralph’s down the street has awesome grocery store sushi that you can take home and eat in bed…

My friend from SDSU came to visit UCSD today. Just when i am thinking about which restaurant should be most appropriate for her first UCSD try, my friend highly recommend this restaurant to me. This restaurant did not disappoint me. It’s fantastic and i do like it. very much. of course it is the best in UCSD campus. Not only the food surprise me but the whole environment and atmosphere also amaze me. I highly recommend it.

Best place to eat on the UCSD campus that takes dinning dollars!
The sushi here are all pretty good! Some of the meat entrees are good, but definitely do not order the ramen or phở!!! The ramen is way undercooked; the phở is tasteless.
My favorite thing about the bistro is its free appetizers! Fried wonton skin with Asian sauces– what I look forward to whenever I eat here.

To be honest, the bistro sells their sushi slightly more expensive than other places where it might even taste better than it does here. But of course this is an on campus place so maybe that’s different in its own way.
The a
Pint of product they put into one roll is less compared to other areas too. They slice their salmon so thin that it’s see through.
Ice cream is good cause the flavor isn’t usually found everywhere.

I’ve been here countless times… and I’m surprised I have not written a review for the Bistro yet! I remember fondly during my first year at UCSD, I ventured out here with my roommate during week 1 to try out this «specialty restaurant»!
Over the past three years, I’ve tried almost everything on the menu. I love that when you come in, you are treated with the delicious cup of fried wonton chips… it comes with sweet and sour sauce and an edamame hummus! YUM!
I’ve ordered:
–New York Steak with Wasabi Mashed Potatoes /​/​A CLASSIC. YUM.
–Hoisin Glazed Chicken with Broccolini /​/​MY ALL TIME FAVORITE IF YOU LOVE CHICKEN!
–SunGod Roll /​/​Pretty small for the price (only 4 pieces?) but super flavorful!
–Dragon Roll /​/​Sashimi is not super fresh, but it will suffice.
–Potstickers /​/​ERR… good appetizer, but not good for a meal.
–Tri-​tip salad /​/​YUM! Generous pieces of tri-​tip, with a yummy sauce on the side!
–Seared Ahi Tuna with mashed potatoes /​/​OH YES! This was introduced in 2014– not sure if it is still on the menu for 2015 – 2016. A tad bit too salty, but still seared perfectly!
–Sauteed salmon /​/​A small portion of salmon, but still delicious if you are looking for a healthy protein alternative!
–BBQ pork loin /​/​YUM! The meat was a bit tough but the portion was great.
–Phở (both vegetarian, and pork) /​/​AVOID AT ALL COSTS. This is the red siren that goes off if you mention «Bistro» to anyone on campus.
–Crème Brulee: They once had an original flavor of crème brûlée, but then they «upgraded» to mint flavored. Interesting, but still yummy! Super «fresh»! (Warm on the inside.)
–Red bean/​green tea ice cream: reasonable price for the delicious scoops!
…AND THE LIST GOES ON!
Pros:
–Amazing service! Some busers are student workers, some are hired from outside. They always greet you with a smile, and make sure your meal is great when you are dining!
–Great atmosphere! I heard the seats were specially designed to avoid phone usage, and produce more conversation. (How so???) Either way, everyone gets super excited coming here and the architecture is classy and modern!
Cons:
–The nutrition facts on the HDH website is not accurate…
Tips/​Observations:
–Triton Cash gives you 10% off!
–You can call ahead to reserve tables for parties large or small since it does get pretty busy the beginning of the year, the end of the quarter, end of the year and around special holidays!
–They now have new hours on Friday’s! Instead of closing at 4 PM, they now close a bit later! Check the HDH website to verify.
Best place to eat on campus if you consider all the dining halls. If you have extra dining dollars to spend, or even if you have Triton Cash, come here for once! It is pretty far from the central campus (ie: walk 15 – 20 minutes before you get to Center Hall) but you can burn off the calories or burn more calories!

Plating is always really fancy, but the food is mediocre at best. I’ve been here a few times and its never really blown me away. Although it is «classier» than other dining halls at UCSD, I’d have to say the food is almost on par with other places. Especially now with 64 Degrees over in Revelle. The salmon I got was extremely overcooked and very dry. The veggies that came with it were way too salty. Not the best place to get food on campus.

I was pretty impressed by The Bistro considering that it’s college campus food. When I went to college, there were definitely no restaurants with cloth napkins, let alone actual glassware. From what I was told, UCSD students can use Triton Cash and Meal Plans at this restaurant.
The restaurant itself is located in a modern building and is very clean and well maintained. It has co-​ed restrooms in the back, so you can use either one. The only downside for the public is that the parking situation can be a little confusing as I didn’t see a nearby parking structure or parking lot. My parents have a campus permit so we didn’t worry about it, and students in the area can walk over.
During the summer months, the menu is extremely reduced to help cut down on food costs. They keep all customer favorites on the menu. When we walked in, we were warmly greeted and seated immediately. The service was friendly and attentive, and the food was decent.
Wonton Chips, Edamame Hummus, Sweet & Sour Sauce. This is a complimentary snack that is served when you are seated. I’m definitely a fan of the hummus — it’s packed with garlic flavor and tinted green from the edamame. This itself was very filling as our waitress refilled everything for us again.
Hoisin Chicken. I was startled by the large quantity of food given with this entrée. For $ 13, you literally get half a chicken. The brown rice was not very good and the sauce was a little too salty, but the broccolini was a nice touch of vegetables on this huge dish. Honestly, I could do with more vegetables and no rice. It was also a little difficult to eat, so I suggest to agree to the fork when offered. The chicken was definitely moist and was almost to the point of falling off the bones.
Overall, if you find yourself on UCSD’s campus, this is not a bad place to try out. During the school year it can get pretty busy, but they take reservations which can help out.

Love this place! Food is always fresh and a great selection. The sushi is on point. Reasonably price and affordable. Love the tofu curry and the vegetables it comes with. The appetizers are yummy. Customer service is excellent and they are always attentive to your needs. They take dining dollars and triton cash as well as credit cards.

Such a nice convenient spot with such good food! Nice and quick too! I really like the sushi but on a day when I’m really hungry, the curry is everything I need!

Best place to spend your dining dollars! The interior is so pretty, you get waiter service, and they don’t accept tips.
FAVORITES:
— Hoisin chicken ($ 13)! Deliciously moist with tons of favor — although the brown rice isn’t very good.
— Pork potstickers ~ five delicious little potstickers for $ 9, very pricey, but it’s so good. Can be quite oily sometimes.
–Banana turon with green tea ice cream ($ 7) is a great way to finish a meal! They give you three banana turons that are fried in wonton wraps, and a little cup of ganache with green tea ice cream.
–Sauteed salmon ($ 16) is also very delicious. It comes on a bed of mashed taro potatoes. It’s a small piece for the price tho.
–BBQ pork loin ($ 12) is delicious if not overcooked! Also served on a bed of mashed taro potatoes.
The wait can be long (even though there are a lot of empty tables) which can be annoying and sometimes it takes forever to get someone’s attention to give you your check.

«Who died?»
«Nobody died. how can you kill an idea? How can you kill the personification of an action?»
«Then what died? who are you mourning?»
«A point of view.»
Neil Gaiman — The Sandman, Vol. 10: The Wake
So nice… Modern décor and great service are as good as it gets at UCSD.
The scent of fried goodness teased me. Delicious complimentary won ton strips. Crunchy with a light flavor.
Potstickers to prime me. Nicely charred bottom with a bit of crunch. Excellent flavor from the pork and the wrapper.
Market Steak with porcini mushrooms to fill me. Cooked a bit past medium well. Very good beef flavor mix with the tasty mushrooms. A little chewy. Better than Denny’s or Coco’s. Not as good as Black Angus.
Red bean ice cream to complete me. Frozen solid the way I love it. Rich and dense like my fav high butterfat ice creams. This is my first red bean ice cream and I really love the flavor. You get actual beans.
Things have changed since I went to school here. Back in the day there was the Pub or the cafeteria’s which were to be avoided. Things have changed…

A few of my co-​workers love this place. They’re constantly raving about the noodles and the appetizers and the service. The fact that they’re within walking distance of the office and very rarely crowded are also points that are made in favor of this dining establishment.
Fueled by the rave reviews and eager to try something new, a couple co-​workers and I decided to hit this place up for a late lunch one day. Now, when I say «late», I mean closer to 1:30/1:45, so, you know — later than your typical lunch meal, but not so late as to be dinner.
Despite the «late» hour, the dining room was still pretty packed, but we were shown to a table right away. The first thing I noticed upon sitting down was that the chairs — modern and sleek as they are — do nothing to help those of us who are vertically challenged. I felt like a little girl playing at the big girl table. Some higher seats or maybe a cushion or three would be tremendously helpful.
Our waitress came to our table almost directly after we sat down, bearing a serving of the crispy wonton noodles and a couple dipping sauces, Though she seemed friendly enough, she lacked vocal projection, and it was difficult for any of us to hear her. That’s partly due to the fact that she seemed to be a soft-​speaker, but mostly due to the fact that the dining room is one big cavern, with lots of metallic surfaces for noises to bounce off of. We had a grand old time trying to read her lips, and comparing notes as to what she actually said when she walked away from the table.
We took some time to go over the menu, and I was immediately struck by the fact that though the above-​mentioned co-​workers speak of this restaurant as though it were a noodle house, there were only three different noodle dishes on offer. Not a big deal, but none of the proffered noodle dishes appealed to me that day, so I chose to go with the Baby Bok Choy meal (with sauteed vegetables over brown rice). One of the girls ordered the salmon cake salad and the other made a meal out of the chicken spring rolls and the crunchy sushi roll.
The food was delivered in this order: chicken spring rolls, salmon cake salad, Baby Bok Choy. Where was the crunchy roll, you might ask? Great question. We asked that, as well, and were told that it was on its way. Problem with that was, it really *wasn’t* on its way. We finished our meals and were ready to cancel the sushi order by the time the waitress came by with the plate, and by that time, the girl who ordered it had to immediately ask for a to-​go box. The thing that irks is that there was no apology for the huge delay, or even the slightest hint that the waitress understood that a wait like that is just not cool.
Oh, I forgot to review the food. So, my meal was decent, but certainly didn’t blow me away. I felt like the «star» of the plate — the baby Bok Choy — was conspicuously absent. It was mostly rice, other vegetables, and two small Bok Choy stalks on the sides, like a garnish. Plus, it was swimming in what I think was a teriyaki sauce, and there were these incredibly overpowering orange rinds on top. Maybe I wasn’t supposed to eat them?
The other girls said their food was good, as well (at least the one enjoyed her spring rolls), but again, I don’t remember either of them making yummy noises on first bite.
When we got back to the office, we were approached by the Bistro-​loving co-​workers, who were keen to know what we thought. We all said pretty much the same thing, at different times — food was okay, but the service was terrible. The joke was, «Maybe you got the ‘B’ Team», since we went so late, but going closer to 2 pm than 12 pm does not give a waitress a pass.

Super nice. Every things look clean beautiful and colorful. Servers are very kind. Sushi isn’t bad. Rice is too dry to swallow. Beef hamburger is great. So does the salad. No tip requests. Love this place

I live at UCSD and this is the best place to get sushi on campus. You can never go wrong with The Bistro or the Dragon roll. The rolls are fresh and tasty. I like the fact that we can use our dining dollars. Good people and great service.
The menu has changed so they no longer offer the ahi tuna appetizer which I’m bummed about but they have a new dessert menu. Try the pineapple w/​crème anglaise.

For a dining hall, I’d have to say the food is really good, but I’m not a HUGE fan of it. I really enjoy the desserts, but the entrees are mediocre. Sometimes I crave «real» food but being a lazy college student, this is as real as it gets on-​campus.
The Bistro is an Asian fusion restaurant and I’m not exactly sure what it’s fused with. They offer decent sushi, salads, noodle entrees, and even salmon. I’ve been here a few times and tried the udon noodle dishes which I found too salty, but I LOVE the desserts! The panna cotta tastes AMAZING and the crème brûlée is so creamy! However, the caramel on the crème brûlée was hard (not crunchy) when I tried it.
Overall, I think it’s worth it if you have dining dollars as the food here is pretty pricey for the portions you get, but if you’re craving restaurant food, this is the place to be.
The place itself has really cool architecture but the seats are made out of plastic and it reminded me of cheap IKEA furniture.
I’d recommend getting a reservation if you’re coming at peak hours (lunch/​dinner rushes)
TL;DR:
Food:
Entrees: 3÷5−− Udon dishes were salty for my taste, but the overall flavor was good.
Dessert: 5÷5−− try the panna cotta & crème brûlée!
Price: $$
Service: it can be really slow during peak hours (~20 minute wait time)