If you’re in the mood for Asian cuisine but not the steep price tag that almost always follows, Bamboo in Hyannis is the place for you. Bamboo is conveniently located on Iyannough Road right by the rotary in the heart of Hyannis.

This restaurant is so huge that it’s hard to imagine it could ever reach full capacity, so dining socially-distanced felt very comfortable. When my friend Abby and I walked into the building, we were greeted by a large hand sanitizer dispenser and a sign-in sheet. We wrote down our names and phone numbers before we could even be seated. I assumed this was to help the restaurant with contact tracing if one of the customers were to have COVID-19.

When we sat down, we were each given a sanitizing wipe so that we could wipe our hands again or wipe the seat and the surrounding area. I felt very comfortable with where we were seated. Only one table within our vicinity was being used and it was much further than 6 feet away from where we were sitting.

Abby and I made the mistake of going out to dinner very hungry, so our meals were more expensive than most would be. I ordered miso soup as an appetizer (priced at $5.00) and Abby ordered the seaweed salad (priced at $6.50). For our entrees we each ordered 2 rolls of sushi. I had the avocado and cucumber roll ($5.95) and the “Crazy Maki” ($10.50). Abby had a California roll ($7.95) and the “Crazy Maki” as well. I was pleasantly surprised by the fresh taste of the avocado and cucumber roll. It was on the smaller side but very tasty and expertly rolled. The “Crazy Maki” that Abby and I both tried was exceptionally good. It was listed on the menu as “Shrimp Tempura, Avocado, Cucumber And Flying Fish Roe With Spicy Mayonnaise.” The shrimp tempura was crunchy and delicious and the refreshing avocado-cucumber combo complimented it perfectly. My only criticism was that the spicy mayo wasn’t spicy enough for me, but I am a lover of all things “hot” so take that with a grain of salt.

At the end of our meal, we were both still hungry so we decided to order dessert. Abby and I tend to have similar tastes and we ordered the same thing, again. The dessert we picked was a Limoncello Truffle. This was easily my favorite part of the meal. It was a ball of limoncello gelato with a crunchy coating around it. Cracking it open was actually a lot harder than it looked. The creamy gelato inside was delicious and well worth the $7 we each paid for it.

Our bill came to $64, which is definitely not cheap. However, if we had ordered a little bit less, it would have been much more manageable. We also happened to order one of the most expensive sushi rolls on the menu which contributed to the high bill. Bamboo is without a doubt much cheaper than its competitors in the area, but it’s nowhere near fast-food prices. If you’re “balling on a budget”, I would recommend the avocado and cucumber roll. At only $5, it was very good. Bamboo has a variety of Asian cuisine aside from sushi as well. The lunch menu boasted Tempuras and many chicken-centered entrees at a very reasonable price.

Overall, my experience at Bamboo was great. I felt very comfortable and safe given the current climate. I was impressed with the measures in place to eliminate the risk of spreading COVID-19 and the general cleanliness of the place. If I were to go again, I would be more conscious of the prices, but I am confident that anyone could get a full meal there for under $20.

Grade: A-