What a disappointment
Introduction:

My friend and I went down to Bonsai restaurnat in Menlo Park hoping for some decent but not too fancy Japanese food. The menu was full of such standbys as chicken terriyaki, sukiyaki, california rolls, nigiri sushi... We ordered what I considered "safe" menu items, the dishes which are common to almost every Japanese restaurant in America: sukiyaki (hot pot with thinly sliced beef, clear noodles and vegetables), an extra bowl of rice, maguro, california roll and hamachi (yellow tail.)

The food:

The nigiri sushi and california rolls were pretty large in size. The hamachi and maguro were cut three or so inches long, one and a half inches wide and a quarter of an inch thick. They were each placed on a huge mound of rice, which didn't taste much like sushi rice, usually a subtle and pleasant mix of vingear, sugar and wine flavors. Unfortunately, the fish was also somewhat bland and unspectacular in taste, but I am a bit picky when it comes to sushi. My friend seemed to think it was acceptable, so you may be able to eat it.

Then the sukiyaki came. Even my culinarily easy going friend had to agree that the sukiyaki was terrible. The first thing I noticed was that the beef was in small, thick slices which were tough. Normally sukiyaki comes with very thinly sliced beef which will get somewhat tougher with cooking but the thinness keeps it at a chewy and delectable consistency. The same could not be said about this beef. The broth was non-descript other than being slightly sweet. There were no leafy green vegetables such as shigiku (daikon leaves)... only sliced green onions sprinkled on top. The other ingredients included onion and tofu, which were not particularly well flavored. After a couple of experimental bites on both my and my friend's side, the whole $13 or $14 dollar (!) dish was abandoned.

The service:

The waitress and sushi chef seemed nice, but didn't seem to speak English or Japanese very well. After our order had been taken and the food arrived, we didn't really see the waitress until we flagged her down after waiting about thirty minutes. She never bothered to check up on us and ask if we wanted the check (which we really did!) We told her that we completely disliked the sukiyaki, but she did not bother to offer us other food or a refund.

The atmosphere:

This is probably the best thing going for the restaurant. It has a bright and clean feel about it. It would feel homey and welcoming if the food and service were better.

Conclusion:

The restaurant was fairly empty and now I can see why... this was a truly disappointing dining out experience. Don't throw away your money at this restaurant unless mediocre to bad Japanese food is what you want to eat. There other excellent alternatives in the Penninsula.    [28 Dec 2003 00:11:37]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: None

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