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Monday, November 9, 2009
Sonobana Japanese Restaurant
Emily and I were starving after a light breakfast and a day full of errands around Charlotte Ave, so we decided to stop in Sonobana for lunch on a Saturday. Sonobana lives in the shadow behind the Daltz on White Bridge Road, and is about a block away from the big Target. Long term Nashville foodies will recognize the venue as on the same strip as the old Q-Zar laser tag. We noticed that Sonobana also has an affiliated Japanese grocery attached to it, but it has a separate entrance so we didn’t get to check it out.
Sonobana’s entryway carried a huge whiteboard with specials, but I couldn’t really notice any specials because of the twice-listed and bolded instructions to “Please wait to be seated.” As it turned out, this was an appropriate warning because no hostess was available. This experience repeated itself for other customers during our meal. Although we were seated almost immediately, one other party (from NY) found it necessary to wander and find the host/hostess with as much fanfare as they could muster. And who, do you think, they would be seated next to? You guessed it. Us. More on them later…
There is a slightly dusty whiff in the air – just barely noticeable – and not so bad that someone would mind. Allergic foodies, however, might want to go elsewhere. The main seating area was very large, had many booths, and expanded into a second seating area just out of view. The sushi bar was extensive and had seating for about fifteen. Also, bring a jacket. I had to give mine to Emily because she was cold inside.
Our softspoken and kind waitress greeted us and didn’t take the opportunity to push appetizers or drinks, even with ample opportunity. Emily and I had trouble understanding the visually-challenging menu, and we had to spend a few minutes asking about the Bento box options before we knew what we wanted. I discovered that the Bento box comes with a California roll but can be switched out for another sushi option for various prices. What really threw me was that the sushi selection I wanted (Crab Bomb) was one dollar more than the California roll on the menu, but would cost two dollars more in the Bento box. Our waitress explained that the Bento box California roll didn’t have smelt roe. This made sense – and that minor detail put me back on pace.
Emily ended up going with her favorite sushi orders: eel and tuna rolls. She had plenty of options to choose from; just the take-out menu had 56 sushi varieties. Prices ranged from about $3.00 for the simple rolls to $13 for the most advanced (Big John # 2 with tuna, yellowtail, salmon, white fillet, crab, lettuce, avocado, cucumber, and roe outside). Most options were $4 to $6. A couple of ones that caught my eye were: Rebecca roll – deep fried California roll, no roe, topped with baked shrimp in spicy mayo; Subway roll – asparagus, smelt roe, crab, flounder, avocado, cheese, spicy sauce, broiled, and bonito flakes.
Let’s get to the food. We were very pleased. Emily and I shared the Miso soup and orange dressing salad that came with my Bento box ($8.00). And here’s where you can tell a good place sometimes: the quality of the orange dressing. We thought the orange sauce was one of the best we’ve sampled. Similarly impressive was the Miso soup. This was no ordinary Miso soup – ours came with small slices of tofu and mushrooms and were plentiful enough to make an impression. Sometimes these things can make the meal, and we were on our way to being pleasantly surprised.
When my Bento box arrived, we were ready to set up permanent residence. I ordered the Sushi and Shrimp Tempura box. The box arrived – and the tempura must have been resting about six inches above the box. The two straight shrimp tempura towered above the rest of the meal, with a wingspan of about three inches, and came bolstered by the underlying vegetable tempura. The wingspan came from the batter which, somehow, had managed to stay on to the thin shrimp. The light batter appeared slightly off-white, not the darker yellow-brown I’ve had at some locations. The shrimp tempura became a double success upon tasting – not only was it visually appealing but also attracted the tongue. The accompanying vegetable tempura was not as flamboyant, and included a half-circle onion, green pepper, and sweet potato. Each were quite good, but didn’t separate themselves from the other tempura options around town.
The box also included double-portion sized ginger and wasabi for my California roll. Roe was not included, but they had added a layer of sesame seeds on the exterior instead. Nice touch. I noticed my avocado standing out in the taste, which is rare for me, even though I’ve had my fair share of California rolls. Orange slices, carrots, and broccoli also arrived, along with white rice.
And remember that party from NY? They had been seated right next to our small table for two, even when there was a perfectly-available table a safer distance away. They helpfully intruded and identified the last arrival in my box: a fried chicken wing! The wing was crunchy and moist, and I couldn’t believe it had come along with the rest of my fine meal. As for the interruption, well, I reacted (internally) a bit like Det. Adrian Monk reacts to a coughing child.
We’ll be back. Come check this place out. Focus on the food, and just ignore any minor ambiance setbacks.
Sonobana Japanese Restaurant
40 White Bridge Road
Nashville, TN 37205
sonobananashville.com
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KMAYS — November 9, 2009 @ 11:09 am
Sonobana is right across the street from us, and we love it! The menu is a bit confusing, but all the servers are very helpful. And of course the food is delicious. You can also access the grocery store through the back of the restaurant, near where the restrooms are.
ceeelcee — November 9, 2009 @ 12:22 pm
Really entertaining review! I haven't been to this place since it changed names years ago.
Will have to definitely check it out.
Lesley — November 12, 2009 @ 1:13 pm
Sonobana is our neighborhood sushi place, too and we really like it. My husband gets several of those large rolls and ALWAYS gets the piece of sablefish from the specials menu. He loves it and we enjoy watching the cat suck down the skin that's leftover.
As for me, I'm happy that they serve vegetarian dumplings. They're very good. And they happily accommodate my request to get "vegetable tempura" but with sweet potatoes only. And my favorite roll is the Erica roll–avocado and cucumber with crunchies.
I've never been in that grocery, either!
Marc — January 22, 2010 @ 7:11 pm
The great thing about Sonobana is their super bowl sushi buffet. We have been the last 3 years – there tends to be a pretty long wait, but the buffet is unparalleled around here. Something like $16 to $18 per person.