Bonsai Plant Kitchen — Restaurant in England

I’ve been here twice so far with my boyfriend and we’ve now made it a tradition of ours to go whenever we get our student loan. The workers are always helpful and kind. Service is quick. There is not one dish on the menu that has left me disappointed. Everything we’ve had there is so scrumptious. And for how good the food is, the prices aren’t bad at all. We usually end up paying £20-25 each but we leave with our bellies full and happy. I recommend this restaurant to everyone, especially if you’re not vegan.

EDIT: After 2 years we finally returned to Bonsai for my birthday! Yippee! To start, they were so understanding when I had to move my booking and add an extra person on late notice. We let them know we have a sesame allergy in our party and they were so accommodating. They made us a special menu so we can see which dishes are suitable.

I love the atmosphere at bonsai, a little hip, not pretentious, and great music. Perfect for a dinner before a night out. The food was the star, though. We tried A LOT of dishes, but my absolute favorites were the Hanoi “Pork” Spring Roll, Crispy Tofu Malaysian Satay, and Spicy Tempura Cauliflower. The Hanoi “Pork” Spring Roll was incredible - the flavors were rich, and it had this crispy texture on the outside with a perfect balance of spices inside. And it really did taste like pork. The Crispy Tofu Malaysian Satay was another winner. I loved the way the tofu was cooked; it was crunchy on the outside and tender inside, with a satay sauce that was so spicy and nutty. And then, the Spicy Tempura Cauliflower... it was addictive! Perfectly fried with a kick of heat, each bite was packed with flavor. Each dish was so texturally satisfying too.

Oh my god and the cocktails? OUT OF THIS WORLD! They really went all out with creative, refreshing, cool flavours. My favorite was the Kaffir Lime Rum Punch - it was super refreshing with a nice, tangy flavor, balanced perfectly with a hint of sweetness. It’s the kind of drink you just keep wanting more of. The garnishes of each cocktail really stood out to me, the way they’re placed on top of the glasses so that with each sip the scent captivates you.

Bonsai Plant Kitchen really made the night special, and we left feeling so happy (and full). Definitely going to be thinking about it for the...

My partner and I were genuinely excited to dine at a fully vegan restaurant (and he's Vegan), and we truly appreciate the mission behind offering plant-based versions of beloved Asian dishes. While we admire the creativity and concept, we found the execution a bit overwhelming in terms of seasoning and preparation. Here’s what we tried: Mushroom Karaage: The coating was quite heavy and overly salty, which masked the natural flavor of the mushroom. Even with a high tolerance for salt, this felt excessive. Kimchi Pancake: This dish strayed far from the traditional version. Kimchi pancakes are inherently vegan and delicious when kept simple. The version here felt overcomplicated, saggy rather than crisp, and lacking the familiar tang and texture. Tempura Cauliflower: Again, the batter dominated the dish, leaving little room for the cauliflower to shine. The flavor leaned toward artificial, which detracted from the freshness we were hoping for. Char Siu Skewers: These were enjoyable at first, but toward the end, the coating became noticeable again, slightly diminishing the overall balance. Dirty Rice: This arrived last, which felt culturally out of sync, especially in Southeast Asian dining, where rice is central and typically served alongside mains. We were hoping for a neutral base to offset the richness of the other dishes, but the rice itself was heavily sauced and continued the theme of excess. We did notice that the seasoning (particularly MSG and salt) was quite dominant across the board. A lighter touch might allow the ingredients to speak for themselves and create a more harmonious experience. As someone from Southeast Asia, I couldn’t help but notice the lack of diners from the region, which made me wonder if the flavors are resonating with the communities the cuisine draws inspiration from. A few suggestions that might help elevate the experience: Consider offering a plain sticky rice option to balance out the bold flavors. Reassess the use of MSG and salt to let the natural ingredients shine. Simplify where possible, sometimes less truly is more, especially with dishes that are already well-loved in their traditional form. We’re always rooting for innovative vegan dining, and with a few tweaks, this place could...

Have to go against the grain and say that while the food was great, the experience overall was very disappointing.

Positives: Beer and sparkling wine were delicious. The chicken skewers were delicious and had a very nice charcoal, Smokey flavour. Mushroom Karaage was very good with a great batter and seasoning.

Negatives: The prices were outrageous - we were recommended ordering 3 dishes per person, which we did, and we left famished. 6 dishes (only one of which was marked as a “small plate”) and two drinks and our bill was over £80. The £7.50 bowl of “dirty rice” was barely bigger than an egg holder. £11.00 for a half an aubergine with miso and maple is a rip off. While the chicken skewers were delicious, two skewers was £9.50 - way too expensive. Similar for the mushroom karaage - really well prepared with a delicious batter and seasoning, but £9.50 for 6 pieces of fried mushrooms is crazy.

On top of all the prices above, they’re subject to a 12.5% service charge.

For the price they’re charging you’d expect it to be nicely done up inside but it just feels like a generic, slightly drab vegan cafe with an izakaya aesthetic.

I should also mention our entire dining experience lasted 45 minutes.

Honestly I feel like I got suckered in by Instagram marketing by influencers who get to go there and eat loads of food for free.

£7.50 for a few spoonfuls of rice with teriyaki sauce, mayo and crispy onions - madness.

Really sorry if this review is offensive to anyone there - I honestly think if portions were 50% larger, my opinion would be totally different. I.e 3 skewers per order instead of 2, 9 pieces of mushroom karaage instead of 6, an actual good size bowl of rice to fill you up.)

Edit Responding to Owner's Comment: I have no issue paying a 12.5% service charge, I know its industry standard, but what I'm saying is the food is too expensive, which isn't helped by this service charge. Obviously I'd never omit this as I don't think staff should pay for the portions they're serving being too small. An "8 course" tasting menu is quite the stretch, its 8 "plates", 3 of which are small snack plates - I wouldn't consider being served 3 small plates of edamame, kimchi and...