The Bonsai Menu is Rising in Popularity

When you go to a top-class restaurant, the presentation of the meals is sometimes a big deal. While some opt for a basic layout, many have glamorous decorations and icons, making the dishes more appealing. While it’s been around for a while, the bonsai menu is suddenly rising in popularity. 

No, we don’t mean you’ll have to eat branches and twigs. Most of the Japanese and American restaurants that have bonsai menus are either steakhouses or sushi dining areas. Let’s take a look at what the term means and why it could suddenly be rising in popularity.

What is a bonsai menu?

A bonsai menu is a menu with standard dishes served at a restaurant and can include steaks, starters, sushi, fish, burgers, and other items. It doesn’t necessarily offer food that has bonsai pieces in them, such as branches, needles, or flowers. Instead, it simply has a logo or images of bonsais on the menu to attract your attention.

There are a few restaurants in Japan that offer bonsai menus, but you’ll also find Japanese diners in other countries with the same offering. The trend is slowly spreading to other cultures, though, as Japanese bonsai growers realize there’s a better market for bonsais in European countries.

Where can you find menus with bonsai on them?

If you search for the term “Bonsai Menu”, you’ll see a surprising number of restaurants that have these items displaying the meals you can eat. They have an assortment of dishes, such as soup, sirloin, chow mein, steaks, burgers, sushi, and more. 

Here are a few examples of restaurants that have bonsai menus:

• Bonsai Restaurant, Manchester, New Hampshire
• Bonsai Grill, Merida, Mexico
• Bonsai Restaurant, Azad Nagar, Gorakhpur
• Bonsai Restaurant and Cafe Lounge, Northbridge, Australia
• Bonsai Bar Bistro, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
• Bonsai Japanese Restaurant, Poughkeepsie, New York, United States

Are there bonsai delicacies you can eat or drink?

While most of these bonsai menus have meals you’ll instantly recognize, there are actually delicacies made from real bonsai trees. For example, did you know that most gin drinks are made from Juniper needles? There are also some species where the bark or leaves are edible.

Our prime example is the hibiscus tree which serves so many culinary delights. You can use it in a syrup as a complement to goat’s cheese or place it on your favorite crackers. In Mexico, you’ll also find tacos with dried hibiscus flowers. If you click on the link below, you’ll see just how many recipes use elements of this bonsai tree.