I decided to make a trip to New
Braunfels to try Bonzai, a Japanese steakhouse that also serves sushi. Two of
my friends and I went together, one of which is the person who recommended I try
Bonzai. It was relatively easy to find, right across from the HEB in New
Braunfels, but located in a strip of small dining joints so you might miss it
if you are not looking for it. Driving up to the restaurant all I could see were
black windows with red trimming and a sign across one window saying “OPEN ALL
DAY.” When we walked inside there was a hostess waiting at a podium who
instantly asked whether we would like to sit at the hibachi grill or on the restaurant
side. I’ve already experienced hibachi before and decided to stick to the restaurant
side thinking I was only going to order sushi. When I sat down I started
examining my surroundings taking note of the very dim lighting which I expected
upon my arrival due to the tinted windows. I noticed the Japanese art along the
walls of the restaurant leading to the sushi bar.
Only a few moments passed
before our waitress came to take our drink order. Looking at the menu I noticed
that the drink menu was quite extensive which impressed me, but I decided to
order a sweet tea. The food portion of the menu was separated by lunch and
dinner hours. Placed within the menu was another single sheet menu of 36 of the
sushi rolls they served along with a picture and description of each roll. As I
was scanning through my appetizer options the crab poppers, which is a fried ball
of rice with crab and cream cheese stuffed inside, and fried calamari drew my
attention. Although all the other options sounded tasty, I chose to order the
crab poppers because it was something I had not tried before. 
Narrowing down my
sushi options was much more difficult than the appetizer and drink! I knew I wanted
to try something with crab because that is my favorite seafood, so I narrowed
it down to the Ebi Ebi Roll and the Sunshine Roll. Lucky one of my friends
decided to get the Sunshine Roll and I ordered the Ebi Ebi Roll along with the
Chicken Teriyaki Hibachi dinner plate. My other friend ordered 2 rolls, the
Texas Roll and Fried Calamari Roll. Along with our sushi came a bowl of clear
soup which was so simple but delicious. Our appetizer came out quickly after
our order, but was not as good as I expected it to be due to the bland flavoring. Our entries came out as
soon as we finished with our appetizer, perfect timing. The rolls tasted as
beautiful as they looked and each had a distinct flavor that set them apart
from each other. 
Our waitress was wonderful, constantly checking up on us and refilling
our drinks. The hibachi tasted amazing; you could taste how fresh the vegetables
were and the flavors of the vegetables and chicken complemented each other
well. If I had to recommend a roll to eat I would choose the Sunshine Roll,
because the roll was bursting with flavor; it was simply amazing. I will definitely
be returning to this restaurant not only because the staff made me feel
welcome, but also because the food was exquisite. The flavors were on point,
the food came out quickly and beautifully, and there is such a wide variety to
choose from, I’ll keep going until I try them all!
I like how you described the restaurant. It made me feel as if I were actually there. I'm not a big sushi eater, so what made this place better than most others you have been to? The appetizers weren't great you said, so were the rolls better than the appetizers or was the food just mediocre?
ReplyDeleteI live in the neighborhood right behind Bonzai and I eat there all the time. It has great food and the people there are super friendly.
ReplyDeleteBeing that I am not a sushi eater, I am not familiar with the different types of rolls. What is inside a Sunshine roll or the Ebi Ebi roll? Were all the options with raw meat or were some cooked? I am never sure about sushi, so I would have lots of questions about it. The pictures look great though, and I like that you explained the atmosphere so well. When I see a restaurant with dark windows, it always concerns me so knowing that it is nice inside is a plus!
ReplyDeleteIm so glad you did a review of Bonzai because I have always wanted to eat there but I never have had the chance! I will definitely get the Sunshine Roll when I go. What was your second favorite sushi and why?
ReplyDeleteI am interested how many types of rolls there are. I love sushi, but I like variety, and would probably order a few different rolls to try for the table. Were you able to tell how fresh the fish was?
ReplyDeleteOk, so here's the thing, sushi disgusts me, but the steak side of things has me interested! What were some of the other dishes that were not sushi?
ReplyDelete