Sonobana Japanese Restaurant — Restaurant in Nashville-Davidson

I had a friend who had been begging me and our group of friends forever to go to Sonobana instead of our normal sushi restaurant, and last night, we finally gave in. Most of us in our party of six who had been there before hadn't eaten here for over a decade. While I didn't have bad memories of this restaurant, I didn't have any stand-out ones either.

We were sat in the back, and the atmosphere, while nothing remarkable, was cozy and relaxed. Well-loved would be describing the interior nicely with smudged walls and duct taped upholstery. This would all be easy to over-look if the food and service had been worth our time.

Our waitress came by to take our orders in good time, but she was mostly absent for the majority of the meal. I asked for a soda which she brought back a glass filled to the top with ice and the open bottle of a 20-oz Sprite from which she filled the glass. This itself isn't really a big deal, but the soda was flat, and the glass having been filled with ice watered my drink down a lot. During the meal, I was able to catch her and asked for another glass with less ice, but the waitress must have misheard me because she brought back another glass full of ice. Whomp-whomp.

I ordered the steak Bento box and some nigiri from the sushi bar so that I could try as many things as possible to get a well-rounded experience for their offerings. First, the salad, which had more-runny-than-other-restaurants ginger dressing at least had a fresh, crisp spring mix of lettuce instead of just iceberg. The miso soup looked promising with mushrooms, scallions, and tofu floating about, but at first sip, I had my first, "What is THAT!?" moment. Something about the soup immediately tasted off, and this was a precursor to the rest of the meal.

My Bento box came next, which contained steak, cold-on-purpose broccoli, carrots, and bean sprouts, an orange, vegetable tempura, and an avocado maki roll. Then, the fresh salmon and tuna nigiri came. I had to wait a while after receiving the Bento box for the steamed rice and the dipping sauce for the tempura. Everything with the exception of the maki and nigiri was underwhelming with small portions, under-seasoned, and all lukewarm to cold when they shouldn't have been.

The maki and the nigiri were the only saving grace of the whole experience. All pieces tasted fresh and were prepared well.

Should I ever be dragged back (kicking and screaming), I'll stick strictly to the sushi, and I'll bring my own cold,...

Sonobana, formally known as Benkay, is my favorite restaurant in the world. 30 years ago, a few weeks after I was born, the first place my parents took me outside of home was Benkay. I have been going and eating here ever since. May it be a bias conceived in my upbringing eating at Sonobana, or something else, I believe Sonobana is one of the best restaurants in the world. If you asked Gordon Ramsey, he would probably tell you there are too many items on the menu at Sonobana. However I have had every item, and nearly all of them are exquisite. I am fortunate to have traveled more and eaten more good food than many people my age, yet I stand by my statement; this place is one of the best. I am sure if you read the negative reviews on here it'll be about the wait/slower service, even when restaurant isn't full. This place wasn't always this busy. Only recently, within the last year or two, has the secret gotten out that this place serves pristine food. But just as the recipes or quality haven't changed for the last 30 years, the restaurant feels no need twist out of shape to conform to a needier, less respectful, and impatient customer base. Now there is consistently a 30min wait, and food of this diversity+quality takes time. So it feels fitting. I personally don't think anyone not willing to wait 30min should eat here anyways. Sonobana isn't going to hire an army of people and expand its seating just to see how fast it can get customers in and out like some Nashville hot chicken place focused on profits. This isn't a quick meal you get on your lunch break. Come here if you have both the time and capacity to appreciate it. This restaurant is about the honor that comes with serving consistently incredible...

I drove to Nashville from Oak Ridge to catch a flight out of town and needed some food before my flight. Fortunately, I found this japanese restaurant in a strip mall not too far from the airport.

I arrived at the restaurant around 11:30am and found decent parking out front. However, by the time I left around 12:45pm the parking lot was packed with ppl driving around looking for spots. Not sure if this normal for a Friday, but it was a zoo leaving the shopping center. Just keep that mind if you are coming during peak hrs.

The service here was quick, and my server was very attentive. I didn't have a reservation but I was immediately seated when I arrived. Sonobana has an extensive menu of Japanese food. I decided to order the chicken bento and order some sashimi on the side. A good staple to compare with other places.

The sashimi and bento were both very good. The serving size was excellent and the flavors were what I'd expect from a traditional izakaya.

Overall I really enjoyed my meal. It was fast but not fast food. The flavors were good, and the portions were generous. I'm always a little hesitant when ordering sashimi in the south, especially TN. Being a land locked state and in an area known more for their bbq than raw fish, I moderate my expectations. However, if you are craving some good sushi/sashimi, I'd definitely...