Bonzai — Restaurant in Kirksville

TLDR: Try the sumo roll, the Truman roll, the spider roll, and anything tempura. Lunch is take-out only. Get a reservation for Friday or Saturday evening.

MENU: Bonzai has an extensive menu, complete with most of the things you customarily find at a sushi spot.

Let's talk about how confusing the text of the menu itself is. If I were to mention "orange sauce", what would you think that is? You might assume it's a sauce made with orange juice, maybe something like Americanized Chinese style orange chicken. But it isn't. It's actually spicy mayo. Likewise the "white sauce" is plain mayo, and the "brown sauce" is some sort of teriyaki glaze. They insist on giving rolls quirky names that don't tell you anything about what the dish actually includes, so if you're new to the menu, you're going to spend an hour reading and re-reading a dense list of the same dozen or so ingredients in very slightly different combinations. Look at the menu online and decide what you want in advance.

COMPETITION: Now that we have two sushi places in town, I can't help but compare them. IMO, both are good, and are both worth visiting for different things, depending on what you like.

Go to Bonzai: for OMG tuna or OMG salmon (both are better than the tuna lover/salmon lover versions at Mizu); for unagi (grilled eel); for masago (flying fish roe - better than it sounds); for soft-shell crab; for anything tempura, including whole deep-fried rolls; if you like seaweed salad but don't want it watered down with iceberg lettuce (otherwise, it's the same restaurant supply product at both places). Overall, Bonzai has a much better diversity of options.

Go to Mizu: for the yum yum sauce, that alone is worth the trip; for fried calamari; for gyoza; for their seafood salads (the tuna mango tataki it my favorite); for escolar or anything with smoked salmon; and for larger portions in general. IMO, the dishes at Mizu tend to have a fancier presentation, if you dine-in. Overall, their sushi options are kinda same-same. They're also open seven days a week.

FOOD QUALITY: Can't complain, except that it seems clear to me that they have gotten more stingy with filling ingredients in the last year or two.

MENU FAVORITES: When it comes to sushi, standouts for me are the Truman roll (unagi and California salad), the fried Philly, and the spider roll (fried soft-shell crab) - my personal favorite roll is the sumo roll. I highly recommend any of the tempura items, and I especially love the seasoned dipping sauce that comes with it - they give you a generous portion, and I always save about 2/3 of it to use in a homemade meal such as scrambled eggs; same with the extra soy sauce, I haven't bought a bottle in forever because I have so much of it from this restaurant, because I usually get food to go.

MENU FAILS: I just think it's odd that the sign outside describes the restaurant as a steakhouse... I mean, steak is the first thing on the list, and maybe that was true in ancient times, but in the eleven years I have lived in the area, I don't recall ever seeing steak of any kind on the menu.

FRONT OF HOUSE SERVICE: The main staff are (I suppose) a husband and wife team. Both are cordial and efficient. No complaints. The restaurant itself is small, and on more than on occasion I have seen a line queuing up before they open at 5:15pm - if you want to be guaranteed a place, especially on a Friday or Saturday evening, get a reservation. Lunch is take-out only.

KITCHEN SERVICE: I have to say, they are superb when it comes to consistency, on the whole. There was one occasion when I ordered the OMG salmon and it came covered in a PILE of chopped scallions, but I chalk that up to training a new hire. Overall, everything I have gotten here has been well prepared, and accurate to what was ordered (which isn't easy, given the dozens of slightly different variations of rolls to choose from.)

ATMOSPHERE: The restaurant is always dimly lit, which I find a little annoying, especially with the black walls. The decor is nice, if a little plastic. A+ for really...

I had a fantastic dining experience at this establishment with my lady!

The ambience of the space is inviting and supremely tranquil. Flickering candles and splendid art line the walls, filling the space with fresh and interesting things to look at. The sushi bar is decorated with many items including a floating fireplace! The service was superb! We were welcomed by the owners, Kristen and Peter, (two amazingly kind and hard-working people who care about their customers and treat them like friends) and immediately received the fountain drinks we ordered. The menu was easily accessible through a neat QR code they have at every table. All the food looked delicious and the choices for vegetarian options were clearly presented and numerous. Our first course was the delicious miso soup and salad with a mighty tasty dressing like I’ve never had before. We then ordered the Gyoza appetizers. They came out fast and fresh with a lovely crispy outside and tender pork middle, accompanied by a tasty dipping sauce that elevated the flavor immensely. Our main course was what everyone comes for: the sushi! I ordered the crispy crème roll and my lady ordered the sho-mi roll. Bonzai is the first sushi restaurant I’ve been to where they coat a select number of their rolls in a lovely tempura batter and dip it in a fryer until it has a beautiful golden brown outside. Both of our meals were perfect thanks to the skilled and dexterous workers on the sushi bar and in the kitchen. Overall, our experience at Bonzai was outstanding and we both would recommend it to anyone who hasn’t been. If you live in Kirksville and haven’t been to Bonzai,...

If you're coming from a big city and expecting an ornate and fanciful sushi experience. Bonzai is the wrong place. However, if you're looking for good sushi, at a decent price (for sushi... remember, sushi in general tends to be a bit on the pricey side), or some really tasty alternate items, then you've found the right place!

Bonzai is to sushi as Glenlivet is to Scotch. You can do better, but it's definitely palatable, relatively affordable, reliable, and never a bad choice. Coming from a big city with MANY different sushi restaurants ranging from the unmatchable to the deplorable, Bonsai's quality is solid especially for a town like Kirksville. At first I was skeptical a landlocked, small-town sushi restaurant could logistically dish trustworthy sushi, but I have been pleasantly surprised at how well they do!

The menu is full of wide variety of options extending beyond just sushi. If your budget pinched but still craving something delicious, try one of their teriyaki bowls... you won't be disappointed.

Heads up, the only other two places in town that serve sushi are the Nurachi grill and HyVee's pre-prepped section... both of which I wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pole. Nurachi's has a fantastic grill, but offers sushi only as a sad, over-priced after-thought... but I digress.

In summary, if you don't like the place, you're probably expecting a bit too much from small town sushi (and a small town in general). However, if you go in looking for a friendly face, a tasty meal, and a gem of a small-town find, you'll leave happy. I highly...