Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 2/15/20 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 2/15/20

Bonsai Sushi on Carnival Panorama

Excellent Sushi and a great value.

In my opinion, Bonsai Sushi is the most underrated restaurant on Carnival ships. On our recent Carnival Panorama sailing, we dined at Bonsai Sushi two different evenings. And, we did the same when we sailed on Carnival Vista in 2017. The restaurant is conveniently located right in the middle of the ship (Deck 5 Midship) across from Alchemy Bar. We never found Bonsai to be overcrowded and have never had to wait for a table. Reservations are not needed to dine here and they are open for lunch and dinner.

Bonsai Sushi has an àala carte menu and the prices are very reasonable. The à la carte menu is perfect for those times when you are a little hungry, but don’t want a four-course meal, or when you need to get in and out in a hurry. Service has always been very efficient and the wait staff are always very pleasant.

The edamame with sea salt and togarashi makes a great appetizer (below) for only $2 and is enough for two people to share. However, the next time we visit Bonsai and order the edamame, we will ask them to leave off the togarashi (spicy powder).

We were hoping for Sapporo beer, but instead we had the Kirin Light (regular Kirin also available) and found it to be an acceptable Japanese beer alternative to Sapporo.

On our first visit, Rickee ordered the Shrimp Tempura (below) with tempura vegetables and dipping sauce. We were surprised to see five large, lightly battered and delicately-fried shrimp for only $7.

My favorite is the Spicy Tuna Roll (below). This may be the best bargain on the ship, or in the world of sushi. You get eight large pieces for only $5! I have had Spicy Tuna Roll on at least a dozen different cruise lines (including Crystal) and Bonsai Sushi has the best. I love the very thin layer of rice-filled fresh spicy tuna topped with a small dollop of spicy mayo and potato straws. A delicious bargain!

On our second visit, we were not very hungry, so we decided to each have one of the Noodle Bowls ($7 ea). We both chose the Udon noodles. I ordered mine with chicken and mushrooms and Rickee ordered hers with egg. The rich vegetable broth was brimming with delicious and toothsome Udon noodles and the selected ingredients. Both were served piping hot and were delicious.

*Udon Noodle Bowl with Chicken & Mushrooms*

Of course, there are many other choices available at Bonsai Sushi, and I am confident that they are equally as delicious. Double-click on the menu above to see the entire selection. The friendly, service-oriented Bonsai Sushi chefs and waitstaff make dining here are real joy.

Your next Carnival cruise should include a visit (or two) to Bonsai Sushi!

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 3/13/18 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 3/13/18

JiJi's Asian Kitchen on Carnival Vista

A standout Asian restaurant on Carnival at a reasonable price

Carnival has expanded its cadre of alternate dining choices on Carnival Vista with JiJi Asian Kitchen. The restaurant is located on Deck 11 aft, across from Cucina del Capitano, Vista's Italian restaurant. Both restaurants carry a $15 per person cover charge (plus 15% gratuity). And, reservations are required to dine at these venues. We made reservations for JiJi through the Carnival website a couple of weeks before the cruise.

When we arrived at 7:00pm, we were greeted by the hostess and escorted to a very nice table for two. The restaurant was nearly empty on our visit, perhaps because it was embarkation day. A cocktail menu and dinner menus were already present on the table when we were seated. We ordered two Kirin Light (Japanese) beers.

Our waiter greeted us with an amuse bouche of pappadam with four dipping sauces ranging from hot to sweet.

Our waiter advised us to order one appetizer each, one entree each and one side item each. I ordered the Nanjing Style Duck while Rickee went with the Jade Shrimp Har Gow.

The duck was a glazed and roasted leg of duck served with three fritters. The duck leg was tasty, but somewhat overcooked and dry. The Jade Shrimp Har Gow consisted of three beautifully constructed shrimp dumplings that were delicious. This dish left us each wanting three more!

The dumplings were served with a variety of dipping sauces. For our main course, I ordered the Peppered Beef and Rickee selected the Sweet & Sour Fragrant Shrimp. We also ordered a side of Fried Basmati Rice and Wide Noodles.

The Peppered Beef was a large serving of very tender, flavorful beef that paired well with the Himalayan Basmati Fried Rice. Rickee's Sweet and Sour Shrimp was a bowl of delicately deep fried shrimp coated in a light sweet and sour sauce. Both entrees were delicious. The Wide Noodles were good, but not as good as the Basmati Fried Rice. I doubt if I would order the noodles on my next visit.

Notwithstanding the dessert, we were extremely pleased with our dining experience at JiJi. The food, service and atmosphere far exceeded our expectations and is a bargain at only $15 per person.