Bonsai Garden-San Angelo, Texas

After my recent trip to another unnamed Tapenyaki restaurant here in town I decided I'd give Bonsai Garden a try. We came in and were seated promptly. There is a lot of etched glass at Bonsai with Far East scenes from days of old. Lots of black tile throughout with TVs at the bar. Except for the TVs this place is very elegant. My sons and I had a guys night out and they love this type of food. The waitress came over and took our orders very quickly and brought out our soup course. The soup was warm and inviting as well as tasty with a few fried onion, chives, and mushrooms scattered throughout. After this the salad came out. This salad had some iceberg lettuce, red cabbage, carrots, tomatoes and a specialty of the house: ginger dressing. The dressing also had some underlying onion flavor that I really enjoyed. Before our chef came out I noticed a chef named Bruce who was being very creative. He did the common onion volcano with fire but then he gave the room a little bonus. He moved the volcano around the grill like a locomotive while he played the harmonica. I thought this was a really interesting bit of showmanship. The Japanese chefs here really pride themselves on doing a great presentation and going above and beyond to give the customer an awesome experience. I watched Bruce do this twice during the time we were there and he even played a different song the second time. Chef Tony came out and confirmed our orders and he began his masterful presentation. He did some really great fork and spatula tricks along with catching eggs in his pockets. He cracked the eggs and began making the fried rice. It was perfectly seasoned as he announced each spice he sprinkled on it. It required no extra seasoning we discovered as we began to taste it. Portion size was great too. Plenty of food for me and the boys. After the rice he gave us some shrimp and then cooked my steak to perfection. I asked for it to be cooked medium and it was great. Very juicy and tender. Next he cut up some chicken and it was our turn to be part of the show. He started to flip up the chicken pieces and each of us at the table (who wanted to) had the opportunity to catch the chicken. I was the only one at the table who actually caught it but it was funny watching everyone else get hit on the nose, forehead, and hair. Then came the veggies. Mushrooms, Broccoli, Carrots, and Zucchini, were great right at the end of the meal. Chef Tony cooked everything to perfection and we were all quite satisfied. When you go to Bonsai Chef Bruce is probably the best for showmanship. Chefs Tony and Kevin get the salute for being the best at cooking while still maintaining a great show. Very balanced. I don't think I've had the opportunity to eat Chef Bruce's food so I don't really know about how good it tastes. I do know his showmanship is above and beyond though. Bonsai Garden has now replaced the original Tapenyaki restaurant in town as my favorite. Consistency, showmanship, food quality, waitstaff, and atmosphere are all top notch. You won't be sorry spending your hard earned money here. It is a bit on the expensive side but well worth it. Steak and shrimp or Chicken and Shrimp are our family's favorites. Go early in the week and you usually won't have to wait long to eat. On a side note, they do also beat the Asian drum when there is birthday in the house. Lots of fun for the kids. Enjoy!