Banzai Sushi & Cocktail Bar

I caught the chef red handed picking up a dumpling he had dropped on the floor, rinse it and return it to my soup. He turned purple as I was watching him. I got mildly sick. Never returned.

Update: my boyfriend wanted to try getting take out to see if the miso soup would be hot. But nope on a Saturday night they were fresh out of miso soup. This place is a joke!
Don’t order any rolls with «real crab». Dinner took ages and the soup in my bento box was cold. The sushi was warm the rolls should feel semi chilled no one likes room temp raw fish. Service was slow and drinks uses cheap booze for a 9 dollar cocktail. will not return. also a man who came from the kitchen to check the rushing water smelled like straight up weed!

Came here about a month ago with my fiancé. As soon as I walked into this place I knew it wasn’t good; why I didn’t walk out… I’m still wondering. We are new to Rochester but VERY familiar with sushi and have gotten used to all of the fabulous sushi restaurants that the capital district has to offer. So far Rochester has been extremely disappointing in the sushi department… This is NOT a sushi restaurant. It’s a bar that makes sushi. This is probably the dirtiest place I’ve ever eaten. It smelled like body odor throughout; I don’t think it was any particular individual. My fiancé and I each had a draft beer… They were warm, it can’t get much worse than a bar that serves warm alcohol. The sushi was poor quality; you could tell by the white spots on the fish. The taste wasn’t much better. I didn’t finish my dinner in fear I would get sick. DO NOT EAT OR DRINK HERE!

I was introduced to Bonzai by my sister while visiting my hometown for a few days. The new building is very nice and the food was great. We sat at the sushi bar and our sushi chef, «Amazing Michael», was kind enough to give is a brief lesson while preparing our food. We had an excellent time!

Summary: The sushi and soup were decent, but the service was lacking. (My review is based on one visit to Banzai).
My wife and I went to Banzai on Valentine’s Day. There was a snowstorm going on that day, and the restaurant was not even half full. However, we were not allowed to sit at a table, because we didn’t have a reservation. We agreed to sit at the bar.
We ordered vegetarian sushi rolls, mushroom miso soup, soba noodles, and French fries. The order took a long time to prepare, which was all the more surprising, given the relative emptiness of the restaurant.
The sushi rolls were good, especially the kimchee roll. However, we were given only a tiny amount of pickled ginger with the order. And when I asked for more ginger, even the extra amount was not enough for the amount of sushi that we had ordered. However, there was more than enough wasabi paste.
The soup had a very good flavor. I wish I knew how to make it at home. The French fries were just OK. They were a bit soggy and needed salt (there was no salt shaker on the bar). The fries came with a small side of sriracha ketchup. The ketchup tasted good, but there was not nearly enough of it for the fries. The soba noodles were decent but a bit bland.
The barstools were uncomfortable and gave me a backache. Also, we were hit with a huge blast of cold air every time someone opened the door.
The bartender (who also served us the food) was friendly to a fault. My wife and I wanted to have a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner together, but he kept coming over to tell us little stories about the restaurant business, his dogs, his relatives, how he got engaged to his wife, etc. It wasn’t a real conversation, as he did all the talking.
Having said all this, I did enjoy the sushi and the soup.

Banzai is quaint and surprisingly refreshing with its contemporary ambiance. A small place with a very chic menu. They have their own twist on the steamed buns which look more like a bun taco. Super delicious. Definitely try those. We went in for a appetizer and sake meal so we ended up ordering pretty much the entire appetizer menu. The Tempura Green Beans were accompanied by the most divine Wasabi Aioli I’ve had in my life. Staff is super friendly and the chefs do a neat job in creating a modern angle to the dim sums. All in all a perfect weekend dining experience.
Oh and, did I mention this place turns into a nice little lounge past 10 pm? The DJ sets up while we have dinner and he spins a nice mix of electronic music to go along with the ambiance.

I haven’t had their sushi, only have been here for brunch. I’ve been impressed so far with the quality/​taste of their food, along with the display of the food when the servers bring out the dishes. Highly recommended, the food’s delicious!

We finally stepped into Banzai and gave it a try. What really brought us here is how many Sushi restaurants in Rochester have gone downhill. Its frustrating on how hard it is to get really good sushi in Rochester.
When we were there, it was pretty empty for a Thursday night. We got there at 7:30pm, expecting it to be packed. This was not the case. Sat at the bar, ordered up a beer and some cocktails. Cocktails were poured right.
We did a couple rounds of food. Sushi was solid and pretty fresh tasting. I like that the chef that night rolls loose rice, not mashed. He was classically trained and knew what he was doing. Service was great, bartender girl was overly excited, but was refreshing. The chef checked in on us as well, which all restaurants need to take note on. Even if busy, Chefs need to step out of the kitchen from time to time and ask the customers how they are doing.
I give them a 4 out of 5, because they are in Rochester. If this was in a major city where culinary is at a higher caliber, they would be a 3 out of 5. If your a sushi restaurant inland from the coast, take notes from Sushi Sasa in Denver, they do it best inland.

I’m sad that hardly anyone was there, and no brunch special. Still loving it though. It looks like the Banzai benedict has brothers and sisters. Sometimes it’s a crispy wonton, sometimes an english muffin, today a potato pancake. The potato pancake was a bit oily but the crispness made me not care.
It was delish, the pork belly wasn’t overly fatty and had a hint of 5 spice powder to it. Eggs cooked perfectly, hollandaise light.

Wanted to try this for brunch, but instead made it for lunch. Had a bunch of sushis, all were delish. Still salivating over the pork belly. Chef did a good job, thanks!

As a connoisseur of brunch, there are a few key components required in any self respecting brunch: strong coffee and/​or morning-​appropriate cocktails, quirky ambiance to compliment quirky conversation, and baconful brunch specials. Banzai’s brunch delivers.
My comrades were skeptical: brunch… in a sushi and cocktail restaurant? Hells yes! I reserved a table for 3 at 11 Valentine’s weekend: I ordered the Banzai Benedict, a delicious take on the brunch classic with crispy pork belly, wasabi Hollandaise, and pickled onions for garnish. My fella ordered the omelet of the day, which included mushrooms and more crispy pork belly. Our companion couldn’t pass up the pecan waffles with fruit compote. We split two press pots of coffee, which was dark and rich and delicious. We weren’t offered alcoholic drinks, however: we didn’t ask, either, as the coffee was great.
We left thinking that Banzai just might grow to fill the Sunday morning niche left in the Southwedge when Jon’s quit the brunch scene. Do yourself a favor and head to Banzai for brunch. Consider reserving a table after noon: the place was filling up as we left.

Wanted a nice light dinner on Sunday, so decided to check Bonzai out. Nice little place. The staff was very friendly.
Ordered the tofu steamed buns and pork belly steamed buns. The fancy pants box which was some fried shrimp, cream cheese rolled in avacado with some tomato.
Everything was really good. Good flavors. Would of liked a liitle more seasoning for the shrimp and a little more cream cheese but overall I was happy with everything. I enjoyed the tofu steamed buns. Flavors were great. I’ll be back to try other things.

My boyfriend and I did an impromptu dinner date this weekend and I have a Banzai Living Social deal so we deiced to get some use out of it before it expired. Now, I am not 100% sure about the owner and the relation to the owner of Piranha. I thought they were owned by the same people, but I over heard the sushi chef telling diners something different… but my point is, i never went to Banzai because i had a bad experience at Piranha and never went back.
I kept hearing rave reviews about their brunch, that is why i got the living social deal, but I am super happy I went for sushi instead.
The staff was super friendly and our waitress urged us to get the Pork Belly Sliders since there was only one order left. I swore it said there was 5 to an order, but i must have read the description wrong because we only got two. THESE THINGS WERE TO DIE FOR!!! After one bite i was like «Where are the other three!!!» Best way to start the dinner. My boyfriend and I then split the Big Kahuna Roll, Spicy Tuna (My Fav) and rainbow roll. The Big Kahuna Roll was amazing. I really wish we would have gotten two of those. There was soft shell crab, spicy tuna and i think something else. I don’t remember that much because i scarfed it down so fast that I didn’t really even stop to see what was in the roll.
The spicy tuna roll was delicious as well, and the rainbow roll was super fresh.
The drinks were reasonably priced also. I am always on the hunt from great sushi since I left california, and I have to say, Banzai, by far, is one the best in the city.
The only thing i was bummed about is they were all out of banzai wings… they sounded so good!
Sorry I didn’t post any pics, I ate too fast and before I knew it the food was gone… there’s always next time!

Huge fan of their brunch! My friend and I tried it out last Sunday and we had a great experience. I love that they serve half or full presses of coffee. This was brand new to me, but perfect for my friend and I. Since we both only drink 1 – 2 cups each, the half press was perfect, delicious, and only $ 3. While we were waiting for our food, they served us a complimentary plate of fresh fruit and assorted pastries. I thought this was so classy!
For our meals, I ordered the banzai benedict ($ 9). It’s an asian fusion take on the classic eggs benedict, using won tons in place of the english muffin and pork belly in place of the bacon/​ham. The stand out of this dish was the wasabi hollandaise sauce! I am a baby when it comes to heat, but this sauce delivers just the right amount. The portion of the meal was small, but perfect for me. I left comfortably full, but not feeling like a beached whale. My friend ordered the daily special, which was the tempura green bean benedict ($ 9). He loved it and so did I as I sneaked in a delicious green bean here and there.
I am obsessed with the whole asian fusion brunch idea. If you are looking to stray away from the typical diner breakfast food, this is your place. Everything was beautifully plated and the service was great. My friend and I came around 10:30 for brunch and there was plenty of available seating, but as time passed the place filled up quickly! I will definitely be back here for brunch again and I need to try the pecan waffles topped with ice cream from Hedonist Artisan Ice Cream next door. When I saw it on the menu, my mind was blown! That is seriously a match made in heaven. I also need to come back for dinner and try their sushi and cocktails!

The special yesterday morning was a savory bread pudding with fantastic herbs in it, plus apple fennel sausage and other amazingness. It was served like an eggs benedict, with the bread pudding replacing the english muffin, and then the awesome sausage on top of that and then the 2 poached eggs on top of those, and then hollandaise (appropriately portioned, not swimming in the stuff). It was so flavorful, unique and delicious. Literally some of the best breakfast sausage I’ve ever had! The bread pudding base was the real winner though, so fantastic, creamy, fluffy and perfect. My husband got this and I wish I had. He thankfully let me have several bites! The only downside to this dish was that it wasn’t described correctly — they made it sound like «bread pudding with sausage and eggs with hollandaise on top» (I thought the sausage and eggs were in the pudding and was totally confused). It really was a take on an eggs benedict and they should have conveyed that better. I would have ordered it had I realized the way the dish was going to be composed. Better explanations of specials would be awesome. =)
I had the bahn mi breakfast sandwich, which was very good. I really liked the cilantro and the veggies on top. The pork belly was cooked perfectly, as I had expected based on others’ reviews, and it was fantastically crispy and delicious. The bread was a bit too thick, so I took off the top piece and ate it open face. I felt like it could have been softer bread, but it was still good. I would definitely get this again, after fully assessing the specials first. =)
We also ordered a side of loaded home fries with awesome caramelized onions, peppers and cheese. They were delicious! The sriracha ketchup only enhanced them. I wish they gave me the option to «load» my home fries that were coming with the meal for $ 1 or whatever, rather than order a totally separate side dish. We will ask about that next time.
We also got 2 mimosas and the glasses they were served in were cute (little short wine glasses). However, I kind of missed the champagne flutes and I felt the quality of both the sparkling wine and orange juice could have been better. This place is making gourmet breakfast — they should have gourmet drinks to go with it! I also hope they add a gourmet hot chocolate to their menu (maybe with seasonal variations? cinnamon spice for the holidays, anyone?!).
Can’t wait to go back and bring friends!!! This is an awesome breakfast offering.

Most recently I stopped into Banzai for their much-​talked-​about brunch. This review will focus on that.
We arrived at the beginning of Banzai’s brunch service to an empty restaurant and had our choice of seating and a very attentive waitress. We browsed the menu while she brought us tea and coffee.
I had a hard time deciding. Several items caught my eye including the blueberry vanilla pancakes, pecan waffles (with bacon peanut ice cream from Hedonist), and the breakfast Banh Mi. Deciding to go for something only slightly less rich/​heavy, I settled on the bacon Benedict.
At first I thought the portion looked small, but I barely finish the two heaping biscuits. They were dense yet fluffy, piled high with a poached egg, hollandaise, and crisp bacon. The description also says cheddar but I’m not remembering this element. Two words to describe the dish: savory and satisfying.
My friends were generally happy with their food. We realized too late that ordering a short stack was a bad idea. You literally get one waffle cut in half. Good thing they each ordered an egg to go along with it, and that my Benedict and our fourth tablemate’s dish (two eggs, home fries, bread, and fruit subbed in place of meat) were large enough for sharing. We were also treated to a small plate of sweet biscuits with marmalade, fresh fruit, and butter.
The only major complaint was the coffee. My friend is a serious coffee drinker and complained of its watery quality. We asked for a fresh press but it didn’t improve. This meant a trip to Starbucks soon followed.

Warning: this is a brunch review. I have not tried their sushi yet.
…But… Brunch is where it’s at!
Sunday brunch most always should include a breakfast cocktail whether that is a mimosa or a bloody mary. In my case, I often opt for the latter as I prefer the savory things in life. The Asian Bloody Mary at Banzai did not disappoint. Just enough heat, not overloaded with horseradish (thank goodness!), some cilantro, and it’s the size of a fishbowl. This lil lady was happy. Tip: They give you the tiny coffee stirrer type straws, which got clogged with the cilantro so ask for a regular one.
As for my breakfast dish, I had a really difficult time deciding as everything looked good — bacon benedict, pork belly, the daily specials — what to do? Well, then I saw biscuits and gravy. This is a thing in my family. I’m not from the South and have no idea why this was my dad’s specialty breakfast, but it is. He makes some killer B&G and I’ve perfected the recipe in my home too. So, that’s why I must order it when I see it on the menu. Just to compare, I suppose. This version of B&G were wonderful. A soft, fluffy, flaky buttermilk herb biscuit (believe it was sage tossed in the dough) topped with the perfect portion of homemade sausage gravy. What I loved about this is that the gravy was different than my dad’s, in a good way. It was thick enough to coat your stomach and seasoned perfectly with a hint of herbs, which made it lighter in flavor than other’s I’ve tried that taste fattier. I guess that’s the best way to describe it. Either way, I loved it and was pleasantly stuffed by the end of the meal.
My friends and I also shared a side of home fries. You can add cheese. ALWAYS add cheese. I almost didn’t. I don’t know why, I love cheese. So glad I did. It’s extra sharp cheddar from First Light Creamery. Such savoriness and with the home fries, which are crisped to perfection, dipped in their spicy ketchup, you can’t go wrong. Mmm mmm good.
I might start coming here every Sunday.

Their sushi and rolls are more American style sushi than traditional Japanese sushi, it’s not the best sushi in Rochester, however it is not bad at all.
I would give them three stars for it.
But then, there’s the other things.
Their handcrafted drinks are inventive, and for the most part, lovely. I only had one that was not very impressed with. However I do expect a miss when someone is trying to be inventive and try things out of the box, so kudos for doing things differently!
Their appetizers are delicious! Really well made and honestly the highlight of our meal there. I would go for their drinks and apps, any time!
Four stars for that!
Their brunch menu is amazing, honestly near the top of my list for inventive, delicious and beautifully executed brunches! I am surprised they are not busier (although, the selfish me, is kind of happy I can easily get a table there).
Five stars for that!
Their service has always been friendly and efficient, and made me feel welcome.
All in all a great place to visit!

I had their Crab Cake Benedict today. Holy crap. So good. Fried crab cakes — crispy on the outside, chockabock full of crab meat inside along with corn and black beans, topped with poached eggs, on top of an English muffin. My only nitpick is that they drowned this beauty in a remoulade inspired hollandaise and it was just way too much mayo-​y flavour for me. It is the only thing that made me take off a star.
My friends also tried their banh mi and absolutely loved it. They said something about how the pork belly was cooked perfectly and the green sauce was delicious but it is hard to hear when you are stuffing your face with some crab cakes. The homefries were even more crisp and flavourful today than they were on the last visit. The service — friendly and responsive as always!
But the Arancini Benedict eludes me again… I shall enjoy your deliciousness someday, Arancini… someday.

Loved this place for brunch! We’ve never been to Banzai to eat off the regular menu, but now I’m eager to get back and try.
The brunch menu is super interesting with things like blueberry vanilla pancakes, pecan waffles topped with Hedonist ice cream (!!!), and pork belly benedicts. With prices all hovering around $ 10 a plate, it’s a good deal.
The atmosphere in Banzai is sort of «modern aquarium,» with large glass-​blown and metal sculptures of sea creatures adorning the walls. It’s relaxing. Our server was beyond friendly and guided us through the specials. We ordered a coffee press for two. Nice touch to offer a Bodum french press to the table. Great coffee! I got the bacon benedict and my husband got the pork belly. We split a side of home fries.
Verdict? Awesome! Bacon benedict was my fave because I’m a sucker for buttermilk biscuits. Poached eggs cooked to perfection — upon piercing the center, a nice ooze of the yolk, not too runny. The Banzai benedict of pork belly on crisp wonton was delicious as well but a little too rich in the morning. If you’re looking to minimize carbs but maximize cholesterol, look no further! Hollandaise was a little on the watery side and needed some salt. Home fries were great, slightly crispy with some mild chilies that I loved.
The chef came around to inquire how we liked our food. I kind of liked that hands-​on approach when time allows. Overall a very good brunch experience. Add this to your list!