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Categories: Sushi Bars, Asian Fusion [Edit]
Neighborhood: Williamsburg - South SideMarcy Ave (J, M, Z)
Metropolitan Ave-Lorimer St (G, L)
Mon-Thu. 6:00 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.
Fri. 6:00 p.m. - 12:30 a.m.
Sat. 12:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Sat. 6:00 p.m. - 12:30 a.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Sun. 6:00 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.
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One of the best sushi experiences I have ever had. The ambiance, decor and authentic feel that bozu has makes it a hidden GEM. My roommate lived in Japan for 6 years, and claimed that this was the closest to authentic Japanese sushi that you could find in NYC. On that note, I thought I'd give it a try.
I had passed by Bozu dozens of times, and had no idea what it was, or what it looked like inside. Once I discovered what an amazing little place this was, I was totally stoked. At one point, my date and I pretended that we were actually in Japan, and it felt like we were, because we have awesome imaginations... we didn't lose them at 12 years old like all the soulless, young republicans. Ah... I love working in hatred for republicans into all my reviews.
Anyhow, if you're wondering: Blue Fin-O-Toro!! AMAZING. I believe it was on special, so they may not have it every night. I also tried a few sushi bombs, I can't really remember everything I had, because I had so many things.
The service was perfect, the bathroom was clean, there was music that sounded like Japanese Santana playing, and... I came in with total anxiety, feeling like hell for no apparent reason, and left feeling like a million bucks.
The prices are fair for what you're getting, and there are ways to enjoy the Sushi Tapas and not break the bank.
All my food came out quickly, and tasted great. Damn, I can't wait to go back.
I love Bozu. The food and service are consistently good and the atmosphere is perfect. Try all of the sushi bombs - especially the white tuna that melts in your mouth - in a good way (cuz i know that can sound gross).
Also a big fan of the spicy scallop app - their fresh wasabi will change yoru life.
3.5 stars....
4.5 for service
4.0 for venue
2.0 for food
This place is actually pretty nice as the service was friendly, the venue was trendy but the main pitfall was the food. My friend said cause it was a sunday night and only foodies know not to eat sushi on a sundays... (we can debate this forever) but the party bombs that we had there did not taste fresh at all. The fish was soaked in some sauce or had a slight smell.... Overall its a great concept to have those sushi peices set up as bite size hors d'oeuvres.
The prices were relatively cheap compared to the city but I will definitely give this place another shot
Really the best restaurant I've been to in NYC yet! OHMYGOD! I want and would go again tonight! I was searching for a b-day place for my man and wanted sushi, great atmosphere and FUN!!!
Bozu met and exceeded my expectations! Phillip our server who is also opening up his own restaurant soon, treated us just old friends. We sat in the back patio area in this Zen like magical hide away. The spicy mc. bom was a must! And well, we had Phillip decide for us and he was perfect every time! It is a perfect place for b-days! My boyfriend said it was the best b-day he had ever had!
Thanks BOZU! I hope you get to read this:)
This place set us up with pretty high expectations for being as highly yelped as it was - and it mostly met them.
Great decor, beautiful play of the lights off of ceiling hangings - we sat at the bar, which was a good move on this quiet Tuesday night.
The menu looks super cheap, but we were wooed by the alluring specials this night and a pricier app, the Oo-toro bomb. I would probably not order it again. The amount of fish for $12 didn't seem worthwhile, but I'm no sushi expert, so I can't comment too much on quality aside from it had a much mellower flavor than most tuna I've had.
The Pink King kind of summed up our night: great presentation and very refreshing, but small portioned, little flavor and surprisingly costly. The dish was king crab and pink grapefruit served in endive, $16.
The Pork Betty was over the top, with thin slices of gooey fat stuck to dry meat. My friend, a regular belly eater, liked it, but I wish I had tried the Miso Marinaded Steak instead. After being introduced to pork belly as a sous vide delicacy served in a big thick slice, this just seemed quaint. (Damn you, Blue Hill) A couple of beers, 3 small plates, a roll and belly later our bill was $70.
I'd definitely come back to explore more of the menu and the great specials. The food was fresh, attractive, and new to me so I'm giving this one another shot. The space and service were solid enough and the new barmaid is cute... so that's a plus.
4.53 stars
i think this was good practice for thanksgiving! lawd a mercy i am still full! it's only fitting that we came here to celebrate the oldest unlucky kid's birthday. just like i waddled into saint margaret's hospital very pregnant, all those years ago, after eating here i waddled out.
here's the not so skinny:
service? adorable.
tasting menu?
exceedingly tasty, the tastiest of the tasties were, in particular, the lotus root, and the sushi bombs!
tastier- pork belly and steak
tasty but not as wowing: the fried chicken, perhaps because the sushi bombs are a hard act to follow, and the risotto thingys.
the mango mojitos? fabulosos!
the ambiente was laid back and simpatico, we were able to dawdle and linger.
they kindly plated my lovely mother-in-law's* famous chocolate cake,and last but not least,
we may even appear on japanese television!
groan, moan groan oh the pain, oh the waddling!
*she really is lovely!
Woohoo, Mari's rec didn't let us down! Yum Yum Yum.
Really like the space. especially the "outside" loft section, open enough for an early fall night but still covered in case of bad weather. I had to try the pork belly, per recommendations on Yelp. Definitely delivered. Melt in the mouth tender.
Love the idea of the bombs. Hard to keep them together long enough to get them in your mouth. But hey, not the first time I've been a sloppy eater :-P
It's great to have some really fresh, interesting sushi options in the neighborhood. I'd definitely take more friends to Bozu. Or out of towners. Or parents.
Our typical order:
-party bombs
-1-2 orders of takoyaki (bozu and otafuku have the best in the city)
-pork betty
-rotating 4th item, sometimes tuna tataki, extra sushi bomb, roll, shrimp kataifi, or rice croquette.
Everything is delicious. The takoyaki is only $5 an order and is perfect barfood when stopping in for just a snack and a drink rather than a full meal. The only so-so things are the maki rolls; they just taste like maki rolls. They're fine, but noticeably lacking in wow-factor as compared to all of the other delicious food.
Also, I love that they serve brunch but I wish that they did a better brunch fusion. As I mentioned in my Gen review, I love brunch and my gentleman friend doesn't; he loves sushi. One of his fondest dreams is to eat sushi at breakfast time. I'm willing to suck it up and take him to sushi for brunch occasionally, but it would be ever so nice if Bozu would take a cue from Kyotofu and Cha-an and offer some Japanese fusion brunch dishes that satisfy my American cravings for pastries and eggs; if they did we'd be there almost every weekend pairing french toast with chirashi.
I went here a months ago and just found their business in my desk, and now compelled to review.
This restaurant serves excellent food. Go for the pork belly, Japanese fried chicken, Japanese curry rice and any of the bombs. If you live nearby or willing for a short commute, try this place at least once.
Will return for seconds for sure.
Being spoilt by a plethora of delivery sushi operations, it makes a nice change to make an effort to go out and eat sushi.
My wife and I ate here recently on a very rare "date" night made possible by our lovely downstairs neighbour looking after our 5 month old.
Hell Yeah. This place is astonishing. The sushi is absolutely top-notch. The cocktails are well made, and everything is affordable in a nice "not in manhattan" sort of way. Sushi bombs all the way !
My 2 friends and I had dinner here a little while back and sat outside in the back upper level. I love the decor, the bathrooms were clean and smelled good and our server was amazing.
I think he is the manager there(?) but he sat and talked with us and told us everything about ever dish on the menu. He suggested we get the Pork Betty - AMAZING. It was the most tender pork I've ever had. He was like our 4th dinner guest - it was great.
Thank you.
what hasn't been said after over a hundred reviews? *shrugs* all i know is each time i've been to bozu, i walk out (okay tumble out) smiling and satisfied.
ryoan, pork betty, sushi bombs, tuna tartare, o-toro + infused drinks + shiso mojito PUT EM ALL IN MAH MOUF!!!
nom nom nom nom nom
This place is great. It's in a great area with lots of bars, shops, and general neighborhood feel. I ordered the fried chicken and it was very good and really cheap. They give you a lot of pieces too. They have a very tapas-like menu with generous portions. The mushrooms with spinach were pretty good as well. The staff was friendly and the ambiance is cool and can be fun and intimate. Great date spot.
i love the divider they made with the daruma dolls!
the sushi bombs were good but not great. i did notice that they don't use as much rice as some other restaurants- i really appreciate this as a lot of sushi places tend to just stuff you with rice when you order sushi. i also liked their variation on the takoyaki, but they got a bit too overwhelming at the end since they're fried.
service was quick and attentive.
What a cool spot... The vibe reads 'come hither' in a seductive way without saying 'please, please say I'm cool'.
The $7 pork betty is mmm mmm fatty. Usually when you get pork belly at a restaurant, it comes in several huge chunks which makes it hard to tackle sizewise, especially with chopsticks. But at Bozu, it comes bite size yessss and it's juicy.
I enjoyed the $18 Party Bomb; it's a new interpretation of regular sushi rolls, minus the seaweed. Ah, who needs it anyway, that stuff just gets stuck in my teeth and all it does is keep the roll intact. My sushi pet peeve though is when the rice doesn't hold together, so it falls apart at first bite. Sadly, the party bombs crumbled under my teeth.
I really appreciated the music - chill reggae. Can't stand it when restaurants play top 40 songs from two years ago, so distracting! Thank goodness it's in Brooklyn instead of Manhattan where the wait would be atrocious and menu prices higher equalling an overly hyped status! The bf also noticed some hot waitresses.
Bozu is the the Squab's and my favorite BK Japanese places (out of Zenkichi, Hibino, Blue Ribbon Sushi, and Bozu). It has a nice izakaya feel and is open late. It's not sheeshy, so you don't need a reservation.
The sushi bombs are novel and the fatty pork was good.
Bozu's bombs are what foodgasms are made of.
The recommendations I got for this place were right on. I had a Mc Low Bomb, which, combined with a touch of their spicy wasabi sauce, vies as the most singularly delightful sushi experience my mouth has ever experienced.
I also tried their special seafood miso soup, a Spicy Mc Bomb, and a guacamole salmon roll, which were all pretty damn awesome in their own right.
As far as ambiance, it is sectioned off in a way that makes every corner of the place feel cozy and charming without being cramped. And as to the expense, sushi is never cheap and it's not overpriced by any means. My dinner was $20 plus a $5 beer (yay for forgotten Visa gift cards!).
I will be back for a foodgasmic brunch this weekend. Trust.
Just a note: I'm vegan, so my review is based solely on veggie dishes. I wouldn't know a good dragon roll if it bit me in the ass... or whatever...
Anyway, went to Bozu on a Friday evening about 45 minutes after they opened so we were the first folks there. We were greeted warmly by the attentive staff and chose to sit in their lovely little backyard. Our server/maitre d'/manager was this genial, big, white guy who, at first, seemed out of place amongst the rest of the Japanese staff. But he knows what he's talking about when it comes to the food as was spot-on with his descriptions of dishes.
Vegan Japanese options can get a little redundant so I was excited to try something different and Bozu delivered. First off, a Campari cocktail because I've never tried Campari and wanted to give it a shot. The server warned that it was bitter -- and he was right. The taste was akin to grapefruit, of which I am not a fan, but I'm glad I tried it. Next up was a veggie roll with tofu-wasabi cream -- our server said it was so subtle I'd barely taste it. Again, he was right -- no heat but still that wasabi smoke. Lastly was inari with pickled vegetables, which was done very well. And we also got an order of edamame, of course, which was infused with a salty taste, not crusted in it. It was really delicious!
I give Bozu an 'A-OK' because I didn't love my meal -- I learned I don't like Campari or even a hint of wasabi and even a couple pickled vegetables are too much for me. But, that's my issue, not Bozu's. Everything was fresh, cooked well, and the staff was knowledgeable. If I do return I'll just try something else.
So, if you're in the area and are a sushi fan, I'd recommend hitting up Bozu for sure.
Oh Bozu, what's not to love?
The decor is excitingly frenzied. The sushi is unusual and wonderfully inspired. The cocktails are delicious. I only regret not being wealthier, otherwise, this would be my favorite haunt.
I don't really care how this makes me sound: from the charming garden, to the adorable decorations, to the tiny little menus with customer illustrations randomly thrown in, right down to the sweetheart of a waitress who was so delighted that we took her up on all her suggestions...Bozu is really freaking cute.
Seriously, our waitress was so excited about the blood orange mojito on special that I briefly forgot that I don't like drinks with mint, and I ordered one to start. And it was damn good, actually.
We started with the tofu salad. Let me tell you, I've never seen my girlfriend as excited as when she first tasted the tofu. (This says something about me, but I'm not sure what.) Apparently it was silken tofu, which is the best kind. I genuinely enjoyed it. Not just tolerated it; I really LOVED this tofu salad. Who knew it wasn't all tasteless crap?
Next up was the Party Bomb. Bozu's "bombs" are little, round bites of sushi. I don't know why other people haven't done this before...it's just a more convenient, manageable bite than most nigiri. Bozu, you are a bunch of pioneers.The eel was the best of the lot, but it was all fresh and tasty.
We also shared an AB (ebi) Crunchy roll, and the stuffed mushrooms as well. There was some sort of confusion with the mushrooms, and they were delayed in the kitchen for some time. No matter, and our waitress brought us edamame to make amends. And I even enjoyed that too.
I loved everything about this meal. And between the edamame, the mojito and the tofu, Bozu was 3 for 3 on making me love things I generally don't care for. They've turned my world upside down. Who knows what else I'll like? Even if they start serving Mounds bars, yogurt, Dane Cook, WNBA basketball, racism, train delays, bad punctuation, erectile dysfunction,* Stuart Scott, mosquito bites and unnecessary abbreviations, I'm going to be first in line.
*How'd that get in there? I, uh, don't feel one way or the other about that.
Everything from the moment we were warmly greeted at the door was just sooooo good.
As I've posted before, I take my responsibility of restaurant-choosing very seriously, so when friends from Boston, San Francisco, and Chicago were all in town simultaneously, I relied on you, dear Yelpers, to help me make the call. All I can say is THANK YOU!!!!
Our server, Philip, was so cool and full of useful recommendations that we wanted him to just sit down and join us for dinner. He made the fantastic suggestion that we choose a made-to-order chef's tasting service (not listed on the menu.) All we had to do was let him know our preferences and what we'd like to spend and he and the chef would put together a selection that allowed everybody to try everything. They even made special courses for the vegetarian in our party.
We started with cocktails, and though not included in the tasting menu, we all shared anyway. Each one seemed better than the last! I loved my fresh and summery Yuzu Ranbotan martini (also recommended by Philip) and a pleasant surprise was the "milkshake" made of some kind of alcohol, soymilk and toasted sesame seeds. It sounds kind of weird, but it was a frothy, almost marzipan-flavored delight. I also have to mention the truly special shochus, brewed there in the restaurant. People in our group loved the grapefruit but I was a big fan of the strawberry, which had been apparently distilling for four years!
The tasting menu created for us was absolutely out of this world and we had more than enough to eat. The plates ranged from more traditional Japanese dishes like stir fried taro root; to Euro-influenced bites like hot, gooey, delicious, fried sushi-rice-risotto balls; to unique flavors like a tofu salad with basil-infused tomatoes. As others have written, the "bombs" were really the bomb. I still can't even believe how delicious these bites of sushi were. Just perfectly textured, very fresh, not overwhelmed by rice, and complimented with tiny dallops of other flavors like wasabi cream.
I've never been to Japan, but I did live in San Francisco which I believe contains the largest Japanese community in the U.S. and I've eaten Japanese in many of the world's renowned "food towns." I say without hesitation that this is the best Japanese meal I've ever had.
I would most definitely visit this place everyday if I live in NY. As everyone has talked about, the pork betty (aka pork belly) and part bomb were the two most awesome izakaya dishes I've tried.
The softest pork belly ever WOW. the party bomb, i've never seen sushi shaped round and cute, with different ratioed wasabi-soy sauce in different containers placed beside it. we have to pour it on each sushi bomb, with their mini metal spoon, and the first bite of the tuna bomb was very delightful.
The hohopot was mediocre, don't bother ordering it cause i'm pretty sure you can cook it yourself.... unless you're craving for some hot soup with wheat rice thingies.
OH BOZU...!
The food here was alright, but the West Coast will spoil you with fresh seafood.
I like good, fresh octopus.
No Umeboshi in any form.
Not as much sashimi selection as I am used to.
Spicy Tuna wasn't spicy.
The "McLow Bomb" was the best food we had there.
The place has a decent vibe, and I would come here again based on everyone else's food ratings to see what I may have missed.
I always enjoy sitting 'outside' on a warm summer night with a big bottle of unfiltered Sake and drinking with friends.
Thanks yelp! it was really good. Its definitely tapas style and the drinks are so good. We tasted almost everything on the menu since we have a huge group.
Just visited bozu at 11:13, and they intercepted me-- said they were closed. All their signage says 11:30, and we walked there thinking their hours were fixed. Pet peeve that restaurants change hours on the fly. I know they're tired and want to go home. But if they post hours, I expect them to keep the hours...I pay the prices without complaint, and try to tip well. I consider that part of the compact. Think restaurants shouldn't feel that they can change hours because it's been a tough night... It's a good enough place that I'll go back, though.
This place is hands down awesome, and I'm jealous that Manhattan doesn't have anything like this. The few lucky times a year I actually get to hang out in Williamsburg, I am amazed at what this hipster town in capable of.
From the outside, the chic look feels like it belongs alongside all the other restaurants in meatpacking. The minute you walk inside you're greeted by a beautiful wooden facade, with Japanese decorations hanging on string curtains. The place is dimly lit (of course my camera doesn't do justice), and you feel warmth from the bar that stands in the middle of the restaurant, with colored saki bottles at the bar and lining along the edge of the restaurant. Having an all Japanese staff just adds to the genuine feel.
How cute is it that their menus are in little opaque/red cd cases? With random anime drawings and surrounding business cards thrown inside? Very creative.
My bf and I ended up ordering the fatty blue tuna roll, the party bomb (assorted sushi - pink bomb, mclow bomb, spicy mcbomb, una bomb), and yellowtail bomb. First of all, the presentation of each roll was spectacular. Not your normal seaweed wrapped maki roll, but each roll was a small mound of rice toppled with the freshest fish you could imagine, with the sauce perfectly decorated on top. Party in your mouth. So good.
I left wanting to try everything on the menu, money and time permitting. The food came out quick to say the least, we were in and out of there in less than 40 minutes. The service was excellent.
Kudos to Bozu. Everything about this place is great! Before you come here, make a reservation, it'll save you time and hassle.
if i lived in the neighborhood, i'd be a regualr! it's not crazy expensive, the drinks are good (lychee and rambutan martinis were great), and it's laidback and fun with that izakaya feel, but still potentially romantic.
-- party bomb: very tasty and pretty but the rice is packed a little too loose. i'll be back to try more bombs...
-- razor clam dish: kind of a soupy mess -- found some sand in the sauce too.
-- scallop sashimi app: reminded me of tako wasabi (raw octopus bits marinated in wasabi sauce) in a good way
-- bozu salad: great, but all the veggies are diced so small, kinda hard to eat with chopsticks... gimme a fork!
really solid meal overall.. i'm not raving about it, but i'd definitely come back!
Went here Saturday night with a friend and had a great time. I made reservations and although I was 10 minutes late, still got seated right away and with a smile. Our waiter was made of win, he was portly with an Aflec t-shirt on and made some strong Lychee Martini's for us. I was bombed after one. we had the pork betty which was moist and delicious, the party bomb and the guacamole tuna roll. The guacamole roll was a bit disappointing, we were expecting it to really deliver. The party bomb had its moments, the tuna salmon and veggie rolls were good but to our surprise, the eel was a bit bland. We also had the razor clams in brown sauce with mushrooms which I didn't care for but I didn't order, so whatever. All in all, For the price, the atmosphere, the service and the portion of the meal that was good, I give this place 4 stars. A really good value.
This is my favorite place in the universe.
Phillip the Manager is a delight.
I love Shiso Mojitos.
Scallops with wasabi stems? yes.
Guacamole Roll? the most bangin Tuna? yes.
Sweet atmosphere and back deck? hell yes.
I limit my visits to once a month to keep it special.
Don't need to beat a dead horse, but this place is rad.
Sushi bombs are super fun and delicious.
Waiter was really friendly and engaging.
Wonder if they deliver...
Williamsburg and I had a somewhat rocky start. But after Seiji invited me to some post-inauguration festivities on Grand Street, I decided to give this Brooklyn nabe another try.
Bozu went a long way to endearing me to this stretch of the BK. Japanese food (which is so much more than sushi!) is far and away my favorite cuisine type. Bozu left me especially pleased after sampling their spicy mcbomb - think spicy tuna roll with cucumber but so much more! I also enjoyed their cold preparation of kabocha (Japanese pumpkin), pork betty (thinly sliced pork belly cooked in sake and sweet soy) and hamburger steak (served on a sizzling platter with cabbage).
Definitely take Veronica R's advice and get a mango mojito. I'm exceptionally glad I did!
I loved the izakaya vibe of the place - just the sort of low lit drinking den atmosphere that makes me want to sink right in. The space is anchored with lots of wood - an element that lends an organic feel to Bozu.
What to eat? we thought.. as we tanned on Ocean Beach,
"Hurry, I'm SO starving.." I started my speech..
Let's go to Bozu.. suggested Ankur n Jane,
"The Burg!" I said.. "Our bill will be insane.."
Reservation at Ten please.. party of six,
Outside it said Bozu.. on a wall of red bricks..
Menus are CD holders.. with drawings cute n odd,
Sit on the patio, and see the building's facade..
I smelled good cooking.. maybe better than mom's,
Let's start with Sapporo.. and three Party Bombs..
Jane ordered Tofu Salad.. smooth like cream cheese,
Ankur & Jard, Pork Betty.. it's the bee's knees..
"Tsukemono's my choice... Yeah-Yeah," said Ann,
Japanese pickle.. for all you sour food fans..
"Japanese Fried Chicken.." for my good friend Jeff,
I pick Grilled Salmon.. compliments to the chef..
Wasabi soy sauce.. came in three little tins,
Spicy, mild, and regular.. each with a spoon in..
Thirty minutes later.. not a morsel remained,
Then the check arrived.. and no one complained..
We ate heartily.. everyone was content,
Only $40 each.. it'd be a sin to lament..
For this was one truly joyous event!
I thoroughly enjoyed this restaurant and gorged myself on sushi bombs and a bit of shrimp.
I had initially ordered one bluefin otoro bomb, the shrimp katafi and the party bomb to share with my boyfriend.
He got the king crab roll and miso Chilean sea bass for himself.
The otoro bomb was so good I had to order a second helping even though I shouldn't have.
I took pictures of everything, as usual, and left with a happy tummy full of delicious fish.
I had a banana colada and it was quite strong, but not what I was looking for. I'd pass on this next time.
I forgot to take a picture of the bf's roll, but it was delicious nonetheless.
They have these three little containers of soy sauce from regular to very spicy and I enjoyed mixing the first and the last drop by miniscule drop atop my sushi bombs.
The kataifi left me wishing there was a vinegary sauce to dip it in.
A few of you were a bit offended by a Californian (me) visiting New York (you) and telling you why I didn't like your food. I understand, which is why I'm including more reviews of my trip. I hope this tasty hot dog of knowledge is hard for you New Yorker's to swallow!
Bozu or Bozo? For the prices, I'd go with the latter. I don't like seafood and my Chinese friend/host knew that, but he promised me a beef plate that would rock my world. I hate too have to keep saying it, but the Chinese only know Chinese food! Once again, my very nice friend misled me into a place that was supposed to be good but ended up horrifying me.
Now back to my disdain for seafood. I don't understand the prices they give. It's one thing if you farm the fish yourself and pay for the water, food and tanks you need to farm them. That makes sense. But dropping large nets into the ocean and scooping up mature fish in a matter of minutes doesn't equate to how that fish should cost that much! Maybe it's because of such harvesting techniques that fish is so scarce and the price rises. Naughty naughty fish eaters!
OK, my preamble is ample and I'm ready for the restraunt now. Bozo, I mean Bozu. New Yorkers: WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS THINKING? Every other restaurant is some kind of new-age, weird sushi restaurant! It's just ridiculous now because how much Sushi could there be and dead, raw fish is the same from place to place (even though I never tried sushi. I did once and I threw up over the table)
So this place already eggs me on. First order of business is my shrimp appetizer. I like fried, breaded shrimp but that's pretty much the only seafood (besides NEW ENGLAND clam chowder) I will eat/order.
Have you seen the shrimp pictures? Laughing my ass off, those things looked like effing Yeti's! I didn't know whether to eat the shrimp or shave it and make an Afghan rug! Shrimp's are NOT good looking creatures to begin with. They have many legs, weird tentacle things coming out of their head and a poop vein. So why try to make shrimp even uglier is beyond me! Must be why they keep the lights so dim in this place.
Moving on to the main course, I of course picked the steak. I don't remember what came with the steak because I was so engrossed in self hate at the size of the steak. Ok, Japanese restaurants are not Texas Steak Houses, I know that, but when you give me a cube of meat and charge an arm and a leg I get pissed. Charge me 5 bucks and give me a little cube of steak and I won't complain. I'm getting what I paid for and the deal is fair. Charge me 30 bucks for a little cube and I regulate- CALI STYLE!
Oh manager! Here he comes. 'Where's the rest of my steak?'
'Excuse me sir?'
"My steak, you only seemed to have brought out the teaser plate, where is the real dish?"
So there I am, three little strips of beef. I estimate that as many as 400 strips could be got in a cow, so 1 cow would be worth almost $10,000. With all that money you'd think the cow would be as happy as California cows instead of walking knee deep in it's own filth and sh*t.
....Fine, give me your small penis steak, I don't care! I never cared! Maybe dessert will make things up for me.
My weakness, my kryptonite, is green tea ice cream. I had green tea ice cream at the cheapest of shacks that tasted bomb and I had green tea ice cream at 5 star restaurants that sucked balls. So I was heartbroken when this place didn't offer any green tea ice cream.
It's just....why be weird and different for the sake of it? Why should I be impressed at a place that takes bold new directions but cant even pull them off? Yes, let's all quietly respect the Wright Brothers for their airplanes but should Delta use their Kittyhawk prototype instead of what they use now? Hell no! Respect things but don't act on them.
I've had it with fusion asian cusine. It's alll the effing same anyways. Weird crap that only wealthy blow hards that don't know anything will order and eat.
So how did I give it three stars instead of 0 or 1? Hehe, you'll love this, i went next door to the 7-11 and bought a pint of ice cream (they don't sell green tea ice cream there) and brought it BACK to the restraunt where I asked for a plate and spoon. They were pissed and showed it in their body language. Funny thing is, the couple next to us asked if they could have some also, so they got plates and spoons too! Hell I should have gotten a discount since I was feeding others and evolving the customer experience.
But instead I quickly got a bill and a request from the manager to throw my ice cream away. Sure, you can throw it away, along with any tip!
Being in New York for that 1 horrible week taught me 1 thing, New Yorker's don't deserve tips. They are cold, uncaring, uninterested (uninteresting) and think they are super humans because of the city they live in. Hate to break the myth but you all are pieces of sh*t just like the rest of us. (Maybe the excepting being Detroit)
5000 word limit reached =(
A bit expensive, but totally delicious. The outdoor patio is fantastic.
Had a plateful of sushi (including their house "bombs" which are GREAT), the pork belly (which melts in your mouth), and the Tako balls - while I am not a huge fan of Octopus/things with tentacles in any capacity, these are AMAZING - just be careful not to burn your mouth (if you do, it's still worth it.)
I roll with a crowd of foodies that is pretty hard on sushi joints in NYC (we're all seafood-spoiled west coaster) but they all loved Bozu.
The only negatives I've got are that you pretty much have to have a reservation to get seated without a wait (I've called a few hours before and gotten a res, so it's not a HUGE deal) and that if you're not paying attention as to how much "Japanese Tapas" you're ordering, it adds up SUPER fast.
Whenever I travel somewhere I try to go to at least 1 sushi restaurant. So when I went to NY i did some research on where to go for some great sushi and I found this place. I was so happy with the choice. We came here without any reservation and were able to be seated at the sushi bar immediately. Everything was really good but their sushi bombs are absolutely delicious. It's so great to go to a sushi place and see something OTHER than rolls. These bombs were so pretty and so creative. It was great! And my friend who lives in Brooklyn who had never been here and hadn't heard about the place before told me before we went, "this place better be good' and im like, "it will be, yelp said so" and sure enough at the end of the mean I asked him what he thought and he said he was really happy and that he really likes the place and will totally be coming back.
My boyfriend told me "bozu" means "baldy" in Japanese. Sweet.
Anyways, we heard about this place from a friend, and I'm a sucker for out-of-borough experiences. We made reservations for 8:30PM on a weeknight. Though the restaurant was pretty empty when we showed up, it filled up a bit throughout the night.
In true fatass fashion, we ordered eight dishes: the pork betty, scallop and white tuna and toro bombs, fried chicken, smoked oyster special, ryoan with hamachi, and uni/salmon sushi.
First of all, prices must have gone up, because I'm looking at the website now to jog my memory about what we ordered, and I know the prices are different.
Generally, the sushi was nothing special. The rice was on the coldish side and the fish didn't do the melt-in-your-mouth trick. I was disappointed by the toro, and the bombs were rather ridiculous in my opinion. Come now, there's a reason why traditional sushi is the way it is: practical, compact, and conducive to one nice cut of fish per rice portion. The little slivers of fish cut to wrap the bomb slide off, and the texture of biting into several thin layers is not the same as one thicker layer. But the "bomb" thing is novel, so I guess it has kitsch-value.
The uni was delicious, though a little odd when paired with the salmon, so I ate them separately. The fresh-ground wasabi that came with the toro was great, as was the pickled red cabbage that came with all of the sushi plates.
The oyster was nothing special. I'm sticking with only raw and fried oysters from now on. The fried chicken was dark meat, but not crispy or flavorful enough.
BUT the pork belly was freaking awesome. ohmg. Silken, fatty, swimming in tasty-tasty broth. AND accompanied with cilantro! I'm in heaven. I liked the ryoan as well, though next time I'd probably order it with scallop instead.
We were too stuffed for dessert, so skipped it. But we left happy. Including tax, the bill came out to about $100, which isn't cheap, but isn't bad given the quality and excellent service. I would return, but would stay away from the sushi bombs for sure, and stick with the hot foods and ceviche-type-stuff.
Yummie and fun, if a little uneven.
We enjoyed drinking sake out of square plastic glasses and the look and feel of the place is very fun. Some of the food was fantastic--namely, the pork betty was just out of this world, worth a trip back just to have this melt-in-your-mouth meatiness again. Some of it was very good--e.g. the lotus root. But some of it wasn't so great--the toro was a bit tough even though we ordered the more expensive "oo" toro. Also, avoid the fried octopus balls. Overall, however, we had a lot of fun and really enjoyed about 2/3 of the food. Not bad.
Wow what a wonderful birthday gift my friend gave me. I had my birthday din din at Bozu. The bombs are the bomb. The staff is nice. The place is so cute with those old 70's ish chairs. Everything we order was awesome. The steak skewers were amazing. The draft beer selection is great. I want to go back there again. For those of you that have been to Megu in Manhattan Bozu is much much better. Quality is great. Don't go to Megu go to Bozu. I want to go again...maybe tomorrow.
Amazing sushi! Very pleasant atmosphere and service. We were lucky to be seated in Philippe's section of the restaurant and we went with his recommendations. You cannot go wrong with rice croquettes, sushi bombs, tuna tataki...were all delicious! Will come back for more.
Neighborhood: Williamsburg - North Side
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Williamsburg - South Side
Category: Lounges
Neighborhood: Williamsburg - South Side
Category: Japanese
Brooklyn, NY
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Williamsburg - South Side
Category: Asian Fusion
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