The Bonsai Restaurant and Cafe Lounge - http://www.the-bonsai.net/
Cuisine: Japanese Fusion
Address: 30 -36 Roe Street, Northbridge, Western Australia

I always seem to walk by the Bonsai Restaurant in Northbridge but never got around to dining in there. It was one of those places you put on the never-ending list of “Things to try” which BF and I have finally ticked off. Even from the outside, I thought that the decor is really something. Very spacious and open due to the high ceilings, and gives a warehouse feel due to exposed brickwork and a/c duct. It seems like a relaxing place to just chill.

We arrived about 8:30pm with no reservation, it was quite busy but thankfully there was still a table available.

Unagi Sushi and Prawn Tempura Sushi

Chilli Crab Claws

Our Order:

• Unagi Sushi and Prawn Tempura Sushi: It wasn’t bad but nothing too exciting, I would rather go back for Tansawa Tei’s much tastier sushi.
• Chilli Crab Claws: The dish reminds me of the crab claws you get in Chinese restaurants but with more texture in the stuffing. I think you can get similar ‘Crab Claws’ in the frozen section of Emma’s Seafood and fry it up at home. This isn’t really “Chilli Crab” Claws but “Crab Claws” with Chilli sauce.
• Fried Chicken Tosazu: This is basically crispy fried chicken, but in all honesty I think KFC is tastier. Recommend you dip in the sauce provided as it adds a lot more flavour to it.
• Takoyaki: Although BF prefers it without, I prefer my Takoyaki with bonito flakes. These were ok, not undercooked on the inside although I thought it was a bit on the small side. I would much prefer the ones found in the Singapore Ion shopping complex food court which you can select egg topping.

Teri-Angus Steak

Mango Cheesecake

• Teri-Angus Steak: Call me lazy but I loved the fact that it was pre-cut. I thought it was a little odd that they didn’t serve it with a steak knife, but was pleasantly surprised to see it all pre-cut. The Teriyaki sauce was ok, but nothing compared to the one we had from Ha-Lu. I’m not a big meat lover, so like the Chicken Tosazu, I thought it was nothing special.
• Mango Cheesecake: This was served with cream, chocolate vanilla sauce and Green Tea ‘Makaron’ topped with some chocolate flakes. I do like my desserts and this slice wasn’t too bad. Personally I would have liked it to be less cheesy and more mango (though BF seemed to like it), and it could have been served a little more chilled. The base could have been a bit more crummy – it seemed like it was extremely dense, and the macarons were a bit too much on the sticky side.

The service was very good despite our waiter not putting through one of our orders even though she verbally confirmed the order. The drinks were promptly served and plates cleared efficiently, so efficiently that we had to ask for another set when the main came. I would have liked my tea to have been refilled a lot more throughout the night, instead I alternated between green tea and still water. The bill totaled to just under AUD$45/person which was okay though I think Ha-Lu was a much nicer and filling meal.