I’d like to start with my review of Sonobana Japanese Restaurant and, more specifically, the market. I have been going to Sonobana for probably close to 8 years now, back when it was Benkay, and it is still my favorite Japanese food restaurant in Nashville. Located just off White Bridge Road in the Lions Head Village, Sonobana consistently offers high quality, authentic Japanese food and sushi, as well as fun, creative, and customer-inspired sushi rolls. I am a huge fan of the Rebecca roll, a deep fried California roll with baked shrimp and spicy mayo, and I love the Hiroshi roll, a vegetable rice-free “salad” roll wrapped in radish instead of seaweed. On the more traditional side, their Udon soups, tempura combos, shabu-shabu, and much more, are all of excellent quality, portion and value.

The only, only, negative I could give Sonobana is that on busy nights, it can take a long time to get your food, especially from the kitchen. I may be more sensitive of this because I love the food so much, by the time I get to the restaurant, I feel like I’ve ordered it hours before because I already know exactly what I want. Despite the wait, the food always comes through and it is worth the wait. TIP- you can also order for take-out and their packaging of to-go sushi is expert!

Oh wait, I said this review was about the grocery store next door, but I rambled on about how much I love the restaurant. And I JUST realized I reviewed this place back in 2007…with pictures that no longer link to the right place, so I’m going to have to go back and get pictures again. Darn. But I didn’t talk about the market…

I’ve been in the market a few times, but always just to browse, never with a goal in mind. This past weekend I hosted a Japanese food party at my home and I traveled all around Nashville looking for supplies and ingredients. I went to at least 5 different international markets spread out across town before I remembered to check out the Sonobana market. It was my last stop the day before the dinner and I was kicking myself when I left. They have EVERYTHING you could possibly want to make any authentic Japanese dish you’ve ever had. Every sauce, curry, noodle, sushi supply, prepared dumplings, gyoza wrappers (so you can make your own), candy, Pocky, drinks….you get the idea. They even have Pocari Sweat, a refreshing drink I remember with fondness from the hot days I spent touring Japan. They have sashimi grade fresh tuna, frozen eel and other fish, salmon and smelt roe, dried shrimp, etc., etc. They have the best selection BY FAR of anything your heart desires. All packed into a small space no larger than 300 square feet. And all for prices less than you’ll find in other Nashville stores. Now I know I don’t need to shop anywhere else the next time I want to cook my own Japanese food.

But seeing how good the food is next door, I don’t imagine I’ll be spending much time making it myself again anytime soon.

Falling in line with McDougal’s, Dog of Nashville and Savarino’s Cucina, Zumi faces Belcourt Avenue just down the street from the historic Belcourt Theatre. Like most of their neighbors, they have taken advantage of the porch/patio style setup and have one of the best front porches on the street. The entire facade is sleek and trendy, perfect for this area. Upon entering the restaurant, you soon realize you are to order at the counter, much like a Pei Wei or Tossed. You can peruse the menu at hand or by the giant menu on the wall. The menu itself ranges from common Japanese appetizers like Gyoza and Edamame to fancy sushi rolls to noodle bowls and entrees. I’ve been by enough times to sample a number of their fancy rolls and highly recommend the Black & Gold Roll as well as the Spicy Tuna Roll. The Basil Mango Curry is a treat for the senses because it not only looks pretty and smells fantastic, but it has just enough bite to awaken all your tastebuds.

Prepared fresh for your order, the generous portions are delivered to your table which displays the numbered disc you were given at the register. One suggestion I’d offer to Zumi is to bring silverware/napkins, etc., to the table when delivering the food OR make it obvious that the customer needs to grab these on the way to the table. I noticed a few people get up to get these items after food was delivered and I, myself, have forgotten this once or twice. Even if the customer has already picked them up, at least have them handy in an apron or the like.

The selection of sakes was about average, although they do have a few of the lesser known kinds, like unfiltered. The prices for sake seemed a little high, but otherwise the prices seemed on par with similar style restaurants. I certainly do enjoy it enough to spend the few extra dollars and Zumi is already a favorite of mine. Especially since one of the cute workers recognizes me when I visit now. Sushi with a side of cuteness, please.

Well, charm is a great word to describe Samurai Sushi. Hidden between a pizza parlor and another italian restaurant on Elliston Place, Samurai Sushi is a small sushi bar that can seat about 18 people, max. It reminds me of the sushi place we ate at in Tokyo in the fish market at 7:30am. Except….

The “sushi”, as delicious as it is, is as far away from “traditional” as it comes. But that’s where the charm of this place lies. Can you picture sushi rolls made with mango, strawberries, kiwi (not all in the same roll), asparagus, peanuts, and a few other very unique ingredients? Well, imagine the most delicious fruity dessert you’ve ever had, and add the heartiness of sushi rice, and you’ve got one incredible meal from Samurai Sushi.

Between two people, which is the usual size of my party, three rolls is plenty to suffice even a strong appetite. Of course, we always order too much, usually four rolls, and have a few pieces left over. By “left over”, I mean we’ve eaten as much as we possibly can consume and, as much as we hate to see pieces of delicious sushi go to waste, we must, for our own well-being, stop for the evening.

If you’re into Seafood Salad, you’ll love the seafood salad here. It is the most generous and diverse seafood salad I’ve ever encountered. Large pieces of fresh fish over lettuce, drizzled with spicy sauce. Really, you have to experience it to understand.

For one of the most surprisingly unique sushi experiences in Nashville, go to Samurai Sushi.

Of all the sushi restaurants in Nashville, Ken’s sushi is probably the simplest I’ve seen. Except for maybe Taste of Tokyo, which I’m pretty sure is run by Chinese people who know there’s more money in selling sushi than egg rolls.

Anyway, Ken’s Sushi is run by Ken from Japan and you can find him most nights behind the sushi bar. The sushi is always fresh and you can be sure to find nightly specials on the board by the bar, ranging from King Crab to Salty Squid. There’s nothing too special about their sushi rolls, although the tempura rolls are some of the best I’ve had.

Located conveniently within walking distance of Vanderbilt University and the Division/Broadway hub, Ken’s is a small nondescript restaurant squeezed between Mario’s Italian Restaurant…and something else. Parking is not easy to find on busy nights, but we’ve never had to walk too far. Sometimes we can even park right outside the front door.

So far, Ken’s is the only place in Nashville I’ve seen that serves cold Soba noodles with the traditional dipping sauce. This wouldn’t normally stand out as a special dish except that I had Soba noodles for the first time in Tokyo and it always takes me back a little bit. Their Una Don is also very good, a generous portion of eel on a bed of rice.

A good starter is the seaweed salad, and unlike some other Japanese restaurants, its under $3.00. Ken’s Fingers is another good appetizer, although its really just chicken fingers with a really yummy sweet & spicy dipping sauce. It also takes significantly longer to arrive than salad, or even Gyoza.

If you asked me what is special about Ken’s, I’d be hard-pressed to nail something down, other than that it is dependably fresh and the service is surprisingly attentive, even during busy hours. There’s a familiar feel to it that makes it easy to return,without any fancy atmosphere or gimmicky promises.

Sonobana is one of my favorite Japanese restaurants in Nashville (their website is a little lacking, but has a pretty decent listing of their food choices). It is located in Lions Head Plaza on White Bridge Rd, near Anatolia Turkish Cuisine and Dalt’s American Grill. The main reason I like it so much is because they offer a unique and vast assortment of specialty sushis as well as authentic Japanese cuisine. Their menu is quite extensive, but each item is accompanied by a picture that usually does a good job of accurately representing the food selection. They have a traditional American dining room, with a sushi bar, but also two tatami mat rooms where you sit floor level and eat around a large table. I haven’t tried that yet, but would love to go with a group some day.

I usually start out with some Wasabi Shumai, which are pork dumplings whose wrapping has been infused with wasabi. Add some spicy mustard and its one kickin’ way to start off the meal (click to see a larger picture):

My usual companion opts to start with the Chicken Negima appetizer, which is basically chicken wrapped around cheese and some kind of steamed veggie (scallions, I think):

Then for the sushi! Not only do they make all the traditional nigiri and typical American sushi rolls, they have some pretty fancy ones too. This one is called the Rebecca Roll and it is a tempura fried California Roll that is topped with baked shrimp in sweet sauce.

Mmmm…makes my mouth water just describing it. Its quite a dish and could satisfy one if they’ve already had soup, salad, and an appetizer. Of course, we always order too much, so here’s some more:

The long one on top is a Snake Roll, which includes cucumber, crab and roe on the inside, then eel and avocado on the outside. The eel is always delicious and the roll is a reliable favorite.

Under the Snake Roll is the Dynamite Roll. This one has tuna, yellowtail, burdock (a root vegetable), mayo & wasabi. Can you tell I like wasabi? It was…okay…not the best roll I’ve had.

The lone shrimp nigiri was me attempting to be brave and it was actually pretty good. After we’d finished our sushi they brought out the fried head of the shrimp, but I didn’t get a picture. And I didn’t eat it.

Lastly, there is the Hiroshi roll. This is otherwise known as the “salad” roll because it is all veggies except for the cream cheese. Even the wrapping is a veggie, radish actually. There is no rice in this roll which makes it quite different and surprisingly light. It was a nice smooth balance to the other, more spicy spicier, rolls.

We don’t usually get any dessert because we are too stuffed to even think about it, but they have a good selection of ice creams, including a fried ice cream, which I should really try someday soon. They don’t serve Mochi, a traditional Japanese dessert, but they do sell it in the adjacent market. They also have somewhat of a large selection of Manga and Videos for rent, if you’re able to read Japanese.

Prices are pretty fair for the selection and freshness. Sushi rolls range from $3.00 to $12.95, but most of the specialty rolls are around $4.50. They have a nice selection of wine, beer, sake and liquor, although I usually stick with Diet Coke.

On a busy night, service can be a little slow, but not as bad as some. Dishes like Sukiyaki and baked Sushi rolls can take a little longer, but its worth the wait in my opinion. All in all, I am very fond of Sonobana (formerly known as Benkay, but has new management). I just found out, from their website, that they have an all-you-can-eat buffet on Super Bowl Sunday! I know where we’ll be February 3rd!