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    Restaurant Review: Bonsai Japanese & Korean Bistro

    Bonsai Japanese & Korean Bistro set up shop in Kingsdale Shopping Center a few months ago, bringing, as the name surely implies, Japanese and Korean fare to the scene. The restaurant is traditionally appointed, replete with a requisite sushi bar, along with tables and a photo menu for dining.

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    Admittedly, things started a little oddly on the first visit, as no one seemed to be minding the front of the house. After more than five minutes of self-consciously standing around, trying to be obvious, the attention of someone in the kitchen was achieved, a server emerged, and things were entirely pleasant thereafter. It just took a small measure of patience to get things rolling.

    In terms of appetizers, something on the lines of the house tempura is an excellent choice. The Shrimp Tempura ($9.95) features good-quality shrimp in impossibly light, hot crackling sweaters of crunchiness. It’s got a primal appeal, well-executed and universally likable.

    Less love, though, for the Seafood Pancake ($13.95). It’s not that the kitchen scrimped on the seafood part, or that the pancake was somehow not pancakey. In terms of execution, the ginormous, tender round was probably on point. That said, the seafood used was primarily squid and mussels. One lone tiny shrimp was identified during the eating process. That means the dish is best for people who really like squid and mussels in pancakes. As that is a limited segment of the population, it’s worth knowing that hopes for other seafood will not be realized.

    The menu features a robust selection of noodle soups to explore, including one described in the online menu as holding an entire chicken stuffed with ginseng. For less ambitious diners, there is the Japanese Miso Ramen ($11.95). It features the requisite collection of treasures: bean sprouts, fishcake, corn, a nice egg, thin slices of pork and ramen. The base is a pleasantly briny miso broth. With its traditionally eclectic elements, it’s one of the few soups that works just as nicely in cold weather as it does in warm.

    There is an opportunity to order Bulgogi ($17.95), and you may already know that such an opportunity (although increasingly common) should never be rejected. Bonsai does it in pork and chicken variants too, but beef is the traditional vehicle for the uncommonly addictive combo of sweet and salty, here with julienned veggies in the mix. There were a few un-chewable, wiggly, fatty bits, but for the most part, the bulgogi scored high marks.

    Over on the sushi side of things, the menu offers a good selection of choices. You can do pretend stuff with cucumber rolls, or you can hit the shrimp again with a spicy shrimp tempura roll. The straight-up Salmon ($2.75) on a finger of tightly packed rice, features silky soft, mild fish flesh, made more fun with a good dredge of salty soy sauce. There’s lots to experiment with on the expansive sushi menu.

    Bonsai is open Mondays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. On Sundays, it’s open from 12 to 9 p.m. You can find it at 3108 Kingsdale Center.

    For more information, visit bonsaicolumbus.com.

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    Miriam Bowers Abbott
    Miriam Bowers Abbotthttps://columbusunderground.com
    Miriam Bowers Abbott is a freelancer contributor to Columbus Underground who reviews restaurants, writes food-centric featurettes and occasionally pens other community journalism pieces.
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