It's seems like Bonsai has been around like forever and I never even heard of this place until our good friends suggested a "Happy Hour" get together.
Our group of 10 came in at 5:00pm when they open their doors and had a table reserved for us. First thing I noticed was the sticky floors? I seemed like they had taken off old carpet or something..Not a problem except that you can hear yourself walking!!
I must say that the Happy Hour Menu Prices are really great! <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bonsai-restaurant-lounge-honolulu?select=htJlbtpWiof5dg16RE3SJw#fZXugx0g2raNuyUfzh01SQ">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
Ordered:
Spicy Soybeans 1x
Soybeans 2x
Ahi Poke 2x
Grilled Eggplant 3x <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bonsai-restaurant-lounge-honolulu?select=htJlbtpWiof5dg16RE3SJw#YB6hThVkxke_Arrq3XfeHA">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
Loved the shaved bonito flakes on the eggplant
Ichimi Scallops 2x (Topped with Tobiko)
Chicken Karaage 2x <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bonsai-restaurant-lounge-honolulu?select=htJlbtpWiof5dg16RE3SJw#M4vof8t9WeHOjLKhZL86nw">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
Spicy Tempura Sushi 3x
*You can see I didn't have time to complete all the pics!! As soon as the food came out to the tables (Which was pretty fast) it was Attacked and Devoured!!
I won't even tell you how many beers we drank..but there was lot of green bottles!
*Service was Friendly,Attentive and kept our beers coming!
*Parking in Restaurant Row structure. Make sure you Validate your ticket.
*Good place to get together and "Talk Story"
We came here for a wedding shower & were impressed at how nice this place is!
The food was more of a pupus style, but it was enough for all of us women. Â The spread included tossed salad, spicy karaage chicken, kalbi meat, spring rolls, gyoza, vegetable crudite, edamame & a couple other items.
We sat upstairs & had the whole place to ourselves. Â Being that we got pretty noisy at times, that is a good thing! Â Staff was pretty attentive at clearing our plates from the tables & checking on drink refills.
A friend brought me here which was fine since its location makes it difficult for anyone passing by street side to know it's there. Â Interior decor is impressive as it totally sells that Asian fusion theme. Â Staff presentation was equally clean and courteous.
I had the special which I believe was Onaga (local white fish). Â About 4-5oz of fish in veggies and broth w white rice. Â While impressive to the eyes this dish was seriously lacking. Â Certainly nothing special. Â The fish was almost rubbery and should be flakey. Â And as a bonus I had a feeling it was old and an hour later I knew I was right. Â
Ever meet a person who breaks out in a rash after eating seafood? Â Well that could mean the person is allergic to seafood in general or is allergic to a chemical that developers in old seafood (this guy!). Â So if you ever wanna know if your seafood is old just give me a bite and the proof will be the red hive like rash that develops. Â Needless to say I'm writing this review after taking some Benadryl and resisting he urge to scratch every inch of my body. Â Arrrrrrrrggggghhhhh!!!!
The broth was decent and the veggies were nearly raw. Â Rice was the highlight of my meal. Â Dude.
My lunch partner had the steak w shrimp which reminded me of teppanyakki style cuisine like Benihana's. Â flavor just about the same too. Â Steak was soft and flavorful and comes with two dipping sauces. Â
So while my $12 meal was a flop my buddies $9 meal was a deal. Â If I had gotten what he had I'm sure I would have written a much better review. Â
Overall the place is stunning, service is great, food can be a hit and miss (start with the steak), portion is good, price is good. Â While I would usually give them 3 stars I docked one for the fish and one for a tiny roach that chose to cross the counter next to us during our meal. Â I know it's Hawaii right. Â But hey if you're gonna dress it up then let's get rid of the live entertainment typically found in a more runner down establishment. Â
This place has tons of potential and I do hope their lunch service draws in more clients so that I can try it again and hopefully rate them better. Â Give it a try since its a small investment that could really pay off.
Pretty nice place located at  Restaurant Row across from Ruth's Chris streak house.
I was in town and my friend Charlene suggested this place. Bonsai (from what I'm told) is only open for lunch and then happy hour on Fridays but they take reservations for privates parties .
It wasn't busy but we had to leave by 8:00 due to a private party. All in all the food was yummy and the drinks were good. 50% off all drinks but wine and sake. Pretty good deal if you ask me.
I'll definitely be going back when I'm in town again!
what: an intimate setting that transforms into a lounge in the later hours : )
something good: i've never eaten here but i have been here for a number of private parties and events : ) it is a fantastic spot for events, because it's cozy enough for everyone to mix and mingle and big enough (with it's second floor) to escape the craziness if you want to!!
something not so good: i'll let you know if i find anything ; )
something to try: a drink~!!
Asian Fusion nestled in a cozy comfy place along Restaurant Row.
Bonsai is a great spot to choose for lunch or dinner if your taste buds tingle for teppanyaki steak and shrimp combo, ono thai chicken curry, kalbi steak and rice, and some of the best mixed greens served in a bowl finished with grilled salmon or chicken. The menu is not overwhelming which makes Bonsai a great place to go to. I go here often for business meetings and indulge in a great plate of lunch...or greens. The customer service here is super polite and friendly and the waiters and waitresses will always attend to your needs in making sure you have a great time.
The atmosphere inside is another great reason to stop by this spot. It's never too crowdy or too noisy. It's just down right comfy!
A friend who I haven't seen since freshman-year of high school suggested that we meet her there for happy hour.
It was chill for a Friday evening, which I was grateful for. Kinda hard to catch-up on  old times when it's hella crowded and loud. And, the had the LAker's/Suns game goin' on. Plus 1 star for that!
I can't tell you much about what they had at the bar since I was only drinking Guinness, but...
... the pupus (Hawai'ian: appetizers) were BOMB!! We actually reordered a couple things after the first round.
Ahi Poke, Gyoza, Fried Calamari, Ichimi Scallops, Crab Cakes, and some steak thing, and....
Ay, Jeana! Michelle! What else we had? hehe...I forget, but was ONOLICIOUSNESSEST!!
Like I said, a couple of these we had reordered.
I had a great time hanging  w/ my friends there and I hope we can make Bonsai a regular meeting spot every time I go back to visit....that is, unless Jeana got another place we can chill :)
Bonsai restaurant & lounge is separate by 2 floors. The first floor has a bar and a few tables also includes a small dance floor. Â The second floor is much bigger and spacious! Â The last time I came here, the whole place was rented out so it was very secluded and it was too much fun!!
To reserve the whole place for a private party, you need at least 25 people attending OR you need connections! When you reserve the place, it is just FOR YOU! The security really doesn't allow anyone in and it's a pretty chill place. Â The music is a bit more on the techno-y side but if you request for different music or bring your own ipod they can hook that up for you! Â Very accommodating!!! It's a full bar, so whatever you want, they will most likely have!!
If you plan on leaving before 12, MAKE SURE YOU VALIDATE YOUR PARKING!!! if not you'll pay a hefty fee and that is a serious BUZZ KILL! But if you're leaving after 12, parking is free so no worries! :) Â Also, the best thing about this place is that... if you get bored nocturna is right next door!!!! (^.-) But if you're with a great group of people you won't want to leave anytime soon!
This place has always been one of my favorite bar/lounges back then. But ever since the crowd died down and nowadays I don't go out as much as I use to, I haven't visited here for a while.
For a club, Saturdays was always one of the crazier nights especially when Oceans was still poppin....Nowadays Bonsai is more for lounges and pupu style drinking.
I will say that they have some killer pupus! Last year my work place decided to throw our yearly party here..since they are our clients and the venue was nice, hip and the food was good...I also celebrated new years night here last year (2009) with some girlfriends. When some friends use to promote here on Tuesday nights last year, I'd go to support them and to eat the awesome food!
I love the gyoza, spicy tuna roll, steaks and soy beans...Not to mention most of their pupus are super cheap for a lot! The workers are also friendly and the parking is great!
As a nightclub, I love this place! Bonsai is one of the more smaller & intimate night clubs/ lounges in Hawaii. This clubs ambiance gives off this casual vibe upstairs with lounge areas and large screen TVs and also a small dance area with pretty decent bumpin music. I you enjoy dancing but like to party without the drunken mess, yelling and drama that occurs in places like Oceans, MaiTais etc then I suggest Bonsai. Not to mention yummy pupus ranging from $4-10!
As a lunch spot at restaurant row, this place has got to be one of the more better restaurants. My fav dish is the teppanyaki beef for $10. Today, my coworker ordered the chicken karaage (spicy) with rice and edamame for only $8! I ordered tofu, $4 and spicy edamame, $5. Nice to have something other than subway or plate lunches here at restaurant row. Free parking and little/ no wait for lunch. Only bad thing: limited selection to food items!
Had my 10-year high school reunion here recently. Let's be honest, a night like that is better served with a consistent connection of booze to mouth.
Bartenders were nice and the bouncer was courteous, even after I brought two glasses of water outside for a sick friend. Their well liquors are great (Makers for whiskey) and only $5.50. Not bad at all. Thanks for making the event a success, Bonsai!
Oh, and I got awarded "Most Inspiring" ;-) without having to make anything up.
Bonsai on restaurant row..across the way from Oceans. Last time I was here I did a flyer shoot with a few of my favorite hard working event promoters out there. Please go out and support their events. Best people who always work hard to make sure you have a great time out. Music + Booze, booze & more booze. Oozing with booze. Oh, and free parking. What more can you ask for?
Review Source:Hmm...is it bad that I hardly remember anything about this place from when I went during Halloween weekend with a few friends? ;)
I just remember everything being illuminated in red...and a couple shots of 151 on an empty stomach...and next thing I knew the world was blurry, double, and moving in slow motion, and then I was outside waiting for a taxi. =P
Horrible!! Â FOOD wasn't up to what I was expecting. Â Got asked to move twice after being seated. Â Found out that the Fresh Caught Fish was Atlantic Salmon which indeed was not freshly caught. Â Salmon Entree was out of Potatoes and was given rice instead. Â I attempted to order Hamachi, but the kitchen was out also. Â The server who helped us was really friendly and he did a great job in making us feel better about eating at such a horrible place. Â
I WILL NEVER GO BACK THERE TO EAT AGAIN.
I came here for my friend's birthday. Â Its located in Restaurant Row so parking is free just as long as you leave after 10 pm. Â The drinks are pretty pricey unless your friends are paying for bottle service. Â Other than that, it gets pretty crowded but the bartenders were really quick and friendly. Â Watch out for the stairs though. Â They can be pretty steep and you can lose your step especially after a couple of drinks.
Review Source:I just had my birthday here last Saturday and it was awesome!
Burt and Bonnie are so great to work with and always got back to me on time. Â The food I ordered was only complemented on all night and the bartendars there were very nice. They have great prices on bottle service. Â The decor and lighting was so beautiful! Â It was crowded but didn't give you that sardines in a can feel. Â
I will totally come back here for another party throwed by me or anyone I know.
Don't forget to take a sake bomb!
Nice place for late night drinks and pupus. Â Great staff, great prices, great atmosphere.
I'm grateful for the fact that they have SAKE! And not just one type either.. they have a few good ones to choose from :)
They also offer different types of vodka like Crystal Head and Hangar One. MMmmm...
And thank freaking goodness for the parking...
There's usually always AMPLE parking the the parking garage. SO YAY FOR THAT!
Note: this review may be skewed by the free bottle of alcohol we scored from a neighboring party...
WOW dose this place make use of their space and location! Technically it's got 3 levels and 4 areas to get your party on.The upper bar that over looks the entrance and the lower bar, with a downstairs dance floor and an outdoor temp bar. Although the place feels cramped once you find your nook with your friends there's plenty of room to have your own contained conversation.
The promoters/owners here do a great job of bringing a theme to life in this small joint. The night my friends and i came down here the theme was Rush Hour and it felt like the scene in the casino with the waitress in 'chinese' clothing or red unfortunately minus the gambling unfortunately. The joint was nicely decorated with lanterns and to add to the theme they had a lion dance team performing around midnight like it was new years. I gave the lion a $1 and guess what i got 3/4 bottle of crown! what a great investment!
I don't know about happy hour but from 11pm-2am the bouncers certainly do put their dick faces on and try to make it as hard for a girl to get in as possible!! Not letting two chicks in 5 minutes after the guest list closes just doesn't make sense to me!
After we waited over a half an hour to get in (by making friends with the birthday boy, who I am guessing was friends with the bouncer or something) we could barely walk anywhere because it was sooooo crowded with let's be honest, "not the youngest of ages" I met this older guy who said, "hey I think you girls are gorgeous, but I don't buy girls shit!!!" It's like, okay buddy, first of all why would you say something like that, and second of all, no wonder NO girls are talking to you right now!! Any way I ended up ordering myself and my friend a shot of patron. I wanted it chilled right, but I really never knew chilled meant, with crushed ice inside!!! yes I got two mini mini shots with crushed ice inside with out a lime or salt for 16$! what a deal!! After that I got a vodka cranberry in a short glass, with about a half an inch of room! totally worth another 8$!
Stingy!! is the star I am looking for! Bonsai, maybe I was just unlucky but I can say this proudly... "I am not going there again anytime soon."
Oh and also if you are taller than 6-5 You may not be able to fit upstairs.. just an FYI. Also the dance floor is about 6ft wide and 10ft long so have fun literally dancing on each other!
Hope everybody has fun at Bonsai!!!
I'm definitely a fan of Bonsai. My first impression was that the ambiance was very nice (asian decor with lots of red details). I was a bit surprised by the size of the place. I guess I expected it to be much larger in general. I haven't tried the food yet, but I'm looking forward to it. The *only* downside I experienced was the bathroom. Maybe I was in an employee bathroom? But... why was there only one stall? It was located on the first floor all the way in the back....
Anyway! I'm looking forward to going back. It's definitely a chill place. :)
The interior is designed very well, very pretty from what I remember. Long bars, long couches, lighting that makes everyone beautiful (that and maybe coupled with a few shots does that to you). The bartenders make good drinks, and it's not expensive at all. I had a  Stoli vodka tonic in a tall glass and it cost me $4.
I don't dig the fact that when I'm drinking, I Â have to climb a set of stairs then go down another smaller sets of stairs to go to the bathroom. Geez, at least light the way for your patrons! Dance floors are okay, the DJ does keep it spinning. I only got to dance on the lower floor, so I can't judge the upper. Â It gets crowded, so if you have a place to sit, I suggest you keep it.
Came here late Tuesday night with a bunch of friends who are fans of Bonsai. It was my first time visiting. It wasn't crowded.
I really like the look and set up of Bonsai, 2 levels. 2 full bars. Dj in the mix on the lower level. They were playing old school music that night. Lots of flat screens playing music videos. Tons of seating. A small menu of good eats. My friend ordered the steak and I had the poke. It wasn't the best poke, on the hot side... but it was a good midnight snack... considering I don't drink alcohol... I'm glad they had something for me to munch on. Food came out pretty fast.
Free covered parking. Great location in Honolulu. This is a nice hang out spot if you're looking for a place to chill and have a drink with friends. They did card at the door. No dresscode.
Since I'm visiting Hawaii for the summer, this was a nice experience... something new for me.
If you're in the area, stop by and check it for yourself.
Bonsai is a great place to check out for drinks and a bite to eat. The service is decent and the quality is pretty good. There is nothing here that made me go wow, but it definitely offered a stable fare.
Ambience is really quite nice and definitely is among the better rated for me in Honolulu, however their location leaves a bit to be desired. Restaurant Row is somewhat all out on its own and its parking lot makes it a bit confusing to get to the club/restaurant.
Service is decent, although I will admit their bartenders could pull up drink orders and charge you a bit quicker. The security team is definitely first rate and I never thought I would say this, but they are downright friendly.
All in all a decent place to check out.
We've gone twice for pupus and drinks, once during happy hour and once on the weekend. Â I love this place.
Some quick negatives
- Location is a bit inconvenient
- We had one questionable piece of hamachi served with the sashimi we got once (out of the 6 plates total we have ordered).
- My friend has told me the chicken karage here is not very authentic chicken karaage. If you want some authentic chicken karaage, this is not the place for you.
As you may have noticed, I was really grasping to find some negatives. Â I really liked this place. Positives!
- Fantastic ambiance. Â Cherry finished tables and well put together place
- Great service. Â There were only a few people working front of the house, but they took great care of us - promptly refilling waters, coming back when we weren't ready to order drinks or food, etc. Â
- Great prices for happy hour or otherwise. Â The sushi prices and all the pupus are very reasonable, and the happy hour drink specials ($3 wells ? or $4, I don't remember) are decent - and very cheap considering the ambiance of the place (usually cheap booze = poor surroundings). Generous with the pours - my rum and coke was potent, same for my friends jack and coke.
- I love their chicken karaage. Though my friend told me it is closer to a sesame chicken than a chicken karaage, the flavor and texture of the chicken are excellent, whatever it is. Â And it is cheap during happy hour or otherwise!
We didn't stay late so I can't comment on how it is later at night, the music etc, but this is definitely one of my new favorite happy hour places. Â I was very impressed, and can't really find anything to fault this place. Â It was a bit empty both times we went, but I blame that on the location at restaurant row - it's just not super convenient, and you wouldn't happen to run across this place by accident. Â We only went because we saw it had good reviews on Yelp.
I have to agree with the others that this place defintiely has a great ambience. You get that chill Ohana Hawaii vibe while enjoying great cuts of sushi.
I was honestly a little skeptical in the beginning having had bad seafood in Oahu in the past. But this place holds its own and definitely knows how to shave down a yellowtail. Props also for putting real crab in the cali roll- i know iknow- not real sushi, but there's a ton of tourist whom I'm sure would love this.
Pricing is pretty typical for rolls, a little on the higher end, but I ate 2 rolls, and drank a bottle of sake with a friend for $40. I recommend this place to anyone looking for a sushi fix on the North Shore... This place makes me love Haleiwa that much more.
I don't give away 5 stars often on this site, but have to say I feel it's warranted here. The atmosphere and service are fine, but this review is mainly for the food value.
A bunch of us recently had dinner and drinks a few Friday nights ago. I've been there once but never had the food. Walking in about 7:30pm, a lot of the tables were already filled with groups. The mood in the place was chill and has all the hallmarks of a trendy lounge. The interior is a modern design with hints of asian influence, such as the warm red furniture and mood lighting. The place isn't large, but with a little outside area and second floor loft-like bar, it uses its limited space wisely.
After settling, we started with some appetizers. The Ahi Poke, Gyoza some sushi and the Edamame Chowder. The poke was good. The Ahi quality was above average and the seasoning was nice with a little spicy kick to it. The gyoza and sushi I thought was par for the course, but still very enjoyable. The the soup was great, very thick and very green, it was delicious but thought it tasted mostly like chowder with a hint of edamame - but whatever, I licked the bowl clean.
On our side of the table, we ordered four entrees: the Hot Spinach Salad ($7), Grilled Salmon($21), the NY Steak ($19) and Pork Medallions ($18). The pork, being the weakest dish, was still delicious. Very tender and tasty - a little too much mushroom gravy for me. The salad was wonderful and came with a perfectly seared scallop perched on top. The steak was a grilled to order and was well worth the money. But the overall winner of the bunch was the salmon. If you don't normally like salmon, you'll be a fan after you order this. It was this dish that was the most memorable and why I'd go back for dinner. On all the dishes, the portions were good and all the meat entrees came with rice.
Based on food alone, I'd rank Bonsai 4.5 stars, but it's the value of what you get ($19 per entree average, not too mention it's a cool place to hang out) that pushes it up to 5. It can get a bit noisy in there (it is a bar afterall) so maybe not an ideal "date" place, however heading down there on a random Tuesday night may warrant a more intimate experience.
Just food for thought. ;)
Bonsai (or should I say Onsai--somebody stole the 'B' from the wall) is a great place to hang out. Â The door guys & security are actually pleasant, the upstairs bartenders provided great service, the atmosphere is swank and the people dress well. Â Definitely a great place for pre-club hopping with a group. Â The music was good but a little loud upstairs. Â Another bonus--free garage parking.
Review Source:My friends and I (party of 9) had dinner here last night. Overall the experience was good (after 4 bottles of nigori sake).
Positives:
- nice ambiance... asian theme
- very good nigori sake
- ichimi scallops were to die for
- other dishes we enjoyed: karaage chicken, nigiri and temaki sushi
- sushi prices were reasonable
Negatives:
- busser welcomed us to "Banzai" rather than "Bonsai" and had no clue what ocha (hot green tea) was
- server did not know the menu very well. she had to look at the menu when i ordered the nigori. she explained nigiri sushi as "the kind with the rice and tempura on top". besides that she was clumsy and forgetful.
- shrimp tempura was actually breaded fried shrimp served with tempura sauce. very odd and rather disappointing.
I might go back again just for those ichimi scallops and nigori, but I won't be recommending this place to anyone.
**UPDATE**
Since my first review (above), Burt from Bonsai texted me an apology about my "rather forgettable experience" and for the server (who was new and in training). Â I was very impressed that he took the time to look up my number from the reservation and I'm looking forward to giving it another shot =)
Good ol Bartender Derek, always coming through. I enjoyed myself here last night. Good Crowd, Good Vibe. I'm raising it one star. I might not be checking in here much in the near future because I am officially on the wagon. Starting my new year resolution off early. I'll pass on the drink, thank you. I'm definitely going to check out the food though, it looked delicious.
Review Source:well, shit. i'm here 4 nights out of the week. sometimes i like cruising in chill mode at the bar drinking a super good prosecco swooning to that acoustic guy jason that used to play at bar 35. sometimes i like being in floor-to-ceiling asian men trying to peel through the crowd to get to the bathroom. sometimes i want to be told by a bouncer that i don't look good enough to get inside (then thankfully get in anyway thanks to sato). sometimes i need to cruise at a place slightly less clubby after doing seven hundred tomato vodka shots at the reopened oceans down the way.
thank god bonsai has it all.
Lot's of familiar faces here...they have a crew of experienced bartenders who have worked the Honolulu Nightlife before. Â They pour some pretty mean drinks and the vibe here is very chill.
This used to be Las Palmas, a Mexican restaurant with so-so fare. Â The new owners have spruced it up and given it an upscale Asian flair. Â The night we stopped in the bartenders were looking good, sporting black collared shirts and ties!
Three levels of lounge space, with a dining area, a cocktail lounge, and even an intimate dance floor. Â You could definitely throw a nice private party here....
I'll stop by again soon to try the food....it looked good but we were on a mission. Â Let me know how you like it!
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