Our latest trip was to Bonbori, right off New York Avenue in Huntington. The restaurant does outdoor garden seating only in the summer. The garden area is very scenic, with a great ambiance. It is decorated with wrought iron tables sporting large umbrellas and decorative fountains and plants. We snuck a peek inside as well and the space is very large. There are plenty of tables upstairs and even cool booths where your legs can freely dangle. We are seated by our lovely server Gem who easily mingles with other customers during the night. We can tell there are a few tables with regulars, an encouraging fact.

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  Banzai (Drink) After settling in, Gem brings us a Sapporo and drink called Banzai. The Sapporo, a favorite of ours, goes down easily. The Banzai is a mixture of plum wine and sake. Plum wine is very popular in Asian cultures. The fruit used to make plum wine is not the same plums you would find in America and are often referred to as Chinese Plums or Japanese apricots. The drink is sweet and smooth. It has a great, rich flavor and the perfect drinking for sipping outside in the crisp summer heat.

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  Tuna Tataki Our first appetizer of Tuna Tataki arrives. It is Cajun seared tuna with tataki sauce. The fish is delicately sliced and perfectly seasoned with a nice spice. The tataki sauce is light, with a wasabi aioloi base. It is one of the better tataki dishes that we've had.

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  Tom Yum Soup Next we are brought a soup from the Thai side of their menu. It is Tom Yum. The soup consists of a hot and sour lemongrass broth. Lemon grass is a tall perennial grass, native to the Philippines. It's typically used as an herb and has a subtle citrus flavor. Our lemony soup is then filled with mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, scallions and shrimp. The soup is spicy and light, with a smooth finish. It is strong tastes of pepper and citrus. The vegetables are tender and the shrimp is very succulent.

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  Summer Spring Rolls We are brought another Thai starter, Thai Summer Spring Rolls. These rolls are shrimp, lettuce, celery, onion, carrots and mint leaves wrapped in rice paper. Rice paper is a thin, clear sheet made from white rice flour, tapioca flour, salt and water. Rice paper does not have a strong taste and is very smooth. The rolls are accompanied by a light tangy sauce mixed with ground peanuts. At first bite the rolls are light and crunchy and you definitely notice the mint and celery. They are super thick and have a great flavor. The sauce is on the thin side, which is nice since it does not ruin the lightness of the dish.

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  Another angle.

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  Tuna Tartar We finish off the appetizers by switching back to Japanese and digging into a Tuna Tartar. The dish is a pile of spicy tuna mixed with tempura flakes neatly places on a bed of sliced avocado. The dish is topped with tobiko and spicy mayo. It has a clean taste and is not covered in mayo. It is also not overly spicy, but still enjoyable. It is the perfect portion and a great dish for two to share.

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  From the top.

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  Mango Thai Curry Mango Thai Curry comes next. Bonbori has plenty of Thai dishes to choose from. They are all available with your choice of tofu, mixed vegetables, chicken, beef or jumbo shrimp. We order ours with chicken. The dish arrives and the smell hits us immediately. It is a mixture of red curry, coconut milk and mangos. There are different types of curry and red curry is primarily composed of garlic, shallots, red chili flakes, peppercorn, lemongrass, galangal, shrimp paste, salt, lime peel, coriander root and seeds, and cumin seeds. Our dish is also generously full of peppers, bamboo, string beans, carrots and onions. The dish is incredibly flavorful, with a nice smooth spice. The mangos and coconut milk add the perfect touch of sweetness. The combination of spicy and sweet is one of my favorites and we keep coming back for more.

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  Pad Thai We sample another Thai dish of Pad Thai. Pad Thai is pan fried rice noodles, served with ground peanuts, egg, bean sprouts, scallions and tofu. Again it is available with your chose of mix-in and ours came with shrimp. Pad Thai usually has fish sauce, tamarind juice and red chili pepper, mixed in though ours was not spicy. I have never had this dish before and I instantly fell in love. The noodles are soft and light, the peanuts give it a great crunch and hint of salt. The tofu is fresh and firm and the shrimp is very enjoyable. Overall this dish is absolutely delicious and I'd recommend you order it.

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  Kiwi Kemma However it is time for us to dig into some sushi. Our first roll, Kiwi Kemma arrives. Gem shares this roll is very popular in the summer, which makes sense. Kiwis are ripe during the summer months and these were soft and delicious. The fruit is also super healthy, full of potassium and vitamins. Hard to describe in taste, it is a mix between the seedy and sweet strawberry, with a texture somewhat like a banana with a slight citrus taste like a pineapple. Besides being topped with kiwi slices the roll is stuffed with a mixture of shrimp and crab inside. The roll is super light and pure. The mixture of shrimp and crab is fantastic and is found in many of their rolls. The pieces of shrimp are large and the crab is nicely shredded. The kiwi on top is juicy and a nice, unique twist. It is very enjoyable and grows on us with each bite.

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  Orange Dragon Next is the Orange Dragon. It is a mix of spicy tuna and tempura flakes inside and is topped with spicy salmon, tobiko and crunch tempura flakes. The spicy fish mixes are very soft. We were expecting more spice to the roll and use a little bit of the spicy mayo on the plate to give it more flavor. The salmon stands out more than the tuna does.

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  Louisiana Roll The Louisiana Roll provides more spice. It is broiled Cajun tuna, cucumber, crab meat and scallion on the inside. It is topped with a dab of mayo. This Southern style roll packs some zest. The Cajun tuna is perfectly seasoned, but well balanced by the clean tasting crab and cucumber. Cajun styled cooking is named after a French speaking immigrant who found his way to Louisiana and with Cajun seasoning it is guaranteed that you will taste ground cayenne, paprika, and pepper. If you don't like a little spice, this is not the roll for you.

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  Hotate Roll We order the Hotate Roll. Hotate is Japanese for scallops. The roll has eel, cucmber and avocado inside and it is topped with spicy scallops and drizzled with spicy mayo, eel sace and tobiko. The roll is spicy, but has an understated sweetness. The eel is tasty and the scallops on top are super, super fresh. Scallops are white and meaty and ours goes down smoothly. Very enjoyable.

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  Sashimi We are brought a platter of sashimi next. It is sliced tuna, salmon, bass and white tuna.
  
  Tuna The tuna is fresh and strong.
  
  Salmon The salmon is a little tough, but retains a good flavor.
  
  Bass The Bass is fresh and delicate, with a clean flavor.
  
  White Tuna The White Tuna is our favorite. It has a great texture and a nice slick oil coating.
  
  

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  New York Roll New York roll is next on tab. It is a mixture of shrimp and crab, with apples inside. It is topped with Japanese mayo. The apples, cut matchstick style, provide a nice crunch and a crisp juiciness. The fish inside is pure and light, mixing well with the fruit. Simple and delicious.

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  Fire Engine Roll - Custom We ask about custom rolls and Gem informs us that they happily make anything upon request. We love the shrimp and crab mixture so much that we try a roll with that inside and fresh scallops on top. We ask for some sriracha sauce to accompany it. The roll arrives and it is a hit! All of the fresh is wonderfully fresh and seamlessly blend together for an incredibly taste. Instead of sriracha sauce we are brought a marvelously spicy sambal sauce. Sambal is chili based and made from a blend of various chili peppers, ranging from cayenne to haberno, which can alter its spiciness. We lovingly refer to this roll as "The Fire Engine" and suggest you try it ASAP.