Bonsai Korean Cuisine

Been sitting here for over half an hour since I ordered. The restaurant isn’t busy at all, can’t get a water refill. I’m at the point of I just getup and leave. Once the one server asked a table if they had received their appetizer or not, I knew I probably wouldn’t see my food for another hour. They were there seated long before I got there. I feel bad the table next to me with two little kids. Hope they get their food soon, but they might leave too after they saw me cancel my order and leave.

All the food I had was really good. The Bonsai chicken wings were great, not too spicy. Seafood pancake was wonderful, highly recommend. The sautéed squid was excellent, get it spicy. Bring friends and order lots of dishes, good times.

Went on a Sunday for dinner with my husband. The waitress was sweet, and the chef was such a kind woman. The food was amazing, and the portions were very large. I had the galbi and my husband had the fried rice. The plum wine was very good also. Will definitely make the drive again. Highly recommend.

First time here the other day and it was great. Will return more often, now that we know Bonsai is near when we crave Korean food. Everything came out hot and fresh. Our favorite had to be the Bonsai chicken wings - sweet and savory sauce tossed with the crunchy chicken - to die for! The dolsolt bibimbap with beef was great - I would have liked to have more zucchini and shiitake mushrooms than the carrots. Overall, still good. My favorite side dish is the fish cake - asked for another small serving of it and they refilled. I can just eat this with rice! Service was great from the two women the night we came - it was empty when we arrived at 7ish, but obviously became busy when we finished our meal with people coming in to get seated and orders being picked up by door dashers - you know this spot is popular right before closing! So glad we found this spot. Thank you!

Honestly I really good Korean place to eat at. The food was delicious and the service was good. I'm happy with what I received - not many people in the restaurant (2 families not including myself), ate about 10 minutes after ordering. Thank you for the food!

Date of Service: 09/25/2022 Time of Day: Dinner 6PM I recently went here to have a Korean meal. The drive from Shakopee, MN to Chaska, MN is not too bad! Usually I have to drive 25+ minutes. The side dishes were disappointing. Portion size, lack of side dishes. Wish there were more options. Appetizer: We got the cream puff. The sauce was spicy Mayo. I personally think cream puffs are great with sweet and sour sauce. It was interesting and I say interesting because I would never consider spicy Mayo with cream puffs. My boyfriend enjoyed it, but I don’t think I would order it again with that sauce. Meals: Soondubu: I got a spicy level 4 and overall I thought it was good! I wish it was spicer. I thought they would be added more seasonings to make it spicier but they just added green peppers which it fine. I would definitely order this again 10/10 Yukgejang: spice level 3. My boyfriend said that he enjoyed it. He was choosing between Yukgejang vs Korean Spicy Noodles and he is glad he choose this one. He would order this again. Service: it can be somewhat slow during busy time. I think we arrived just before the dinner rush. Their menu is somewhat small. They did run out of Kimbap and Galbi for the day, but that just means on how popular the place is! I have no complaints. Overall I think we both had a good experience and would definitely recommend our friends and family this location.

The restaurant is light and bright and clean. Service was friendly, patient, and quick. The menu captures some of the more popular Korean dishes but I hope in the future they could expand it.The Galbi and Bulgogi were so tender, with great flavor. Maybe offer a few more Banchan than the three that came with our meal.

This was my first time having Korean food. I loved it. I was traveling for work by myself, and Nicole was very sweet and wanted to make sure I enjoyed the experience! I had the 'Dolsot Bimimbop' with shrimp and my egg sunny side up. It came out sizzling 🤤 Nicole also brought out a little appetizer board. There was kimchi and 2 other items that were delicious. The atmosphere here is very nice and calming, and also nice to admire! I highly recommend you try Bonsai; I will definitely return here.

It's hard to find Korean food in Minnesota. I have been looking for a place for a while. I'm happy to have found Bonsai Korean cuisine. It's a bit out of the way for me, but it was definitely worth the trip--the menu immediately reminded me of the restaurants I used to go to when I lived in Seoul. The restaurant is unremarkable as far as ambiance goes--it's clean and bright, has comfortable booths, and is small enough to that it stays quiet even when there are plenty of parties present. (Speaking of which, this is definitely family-friendly. It is also a good spot for a pre-show meal. It doesn't read as romantic, but it would be fine for a casual date for sure.) The food was good for sure. There are options for vegetarians and non-vegetarians. There are spicy choices and non-spicy choices. We started with the vegetarian joon mandu, which were perfectly fried and came with a most delicious sauce that took me back to my favorite restaurant in Seoul. I got the dolsot bibimbap, and it came out sizzling in the traditional hot stone dish, with a sunny side up egg, bean sprouts, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, and sesame oil. I got mine with tofu, which was crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. The kochujjang came on the side, but I put it all on because yum. It was such a wonderfully filling and comforting dish. (Insert contented sigh here.) As is the case in any good Korean restaurant, we received banchan--in addition to the traditional Napa cabbage kimchi, we got pickled daikon and some steamed broccoli with sesame. They were all tasty--I love the bright yellow daikon especially. It's perfect with a spicy dish (or on its own). For dessert, we tried the mochi ice cream. We got the mango flavor. It was a nice, refreshing end to the meal--not too sweet. Overall, a very solid meal with great service--if you're craving Korean, give it a try! If you've never tried it but have always wanted to, this is a great place to start. They have tons of traditional Korean dishes, and your server will help you figure out the perfect dish for you.

Great service! Everyone was very nice. Food representation was very nice and surprising based off other local restaurants. Ordered ramen and fried squid and everything was delicious!

We have eaten here before and i came back, so obviously i think it is good. The ambiance is basic but not bad. The service is fine. We had a few Vegan friends with us and the restaurant was accommodating to their questions and request. Unfortunately not a lot of choices for Vegan, but at least they had something. We had called earlier to ask if they had Vegan options and the restaurant said they do, however what they meant that they have 1 Vegan option. The beef was exceptional and their pickled sides I can eat all day. Will come back again.

I had a simple pickup order. It was on time, and hot. The kimchi fried rice was great. I really like kimchi fried rice, and it seems to be hard to find it done right.

This is a typical strip mall style restaurant. It has a nice decor that is nice and welcoming. We were seated immediately and the waitress was really friendly, she explained things about the menu and was very amenable to our substitutions. The food was very tasty and the heat was perfect. They have a 0-5 spicy scale. I went with a 3, We will be back.

I love their bibimbap. Bulgogi is good, too but I prefer the other. Very nice interior and very nice staff. Watch out for the wacky steps outside.

Sitting there for almost 1 hour to get our orders. The food was ok but the portion sizes were really small. Not worth the time and money!

The staff were friendly and seated us promptly. Ambiance is of what you would expect in a strip mall restaurant. I ordered the chicken fried rice and it was packed full of flavor. They really know how to make an excellent batch of fried rice. I would highly recommend.

Server was excellent, so friendly and gave us a lesson in eating Bibimbap correctly! Food isn't too colorful and the jobchae seemed very bland but all in all, everyone agreed the food was good and that we all want to come back! My companion claimed the fried rice with shrimp the best she'd ever had.

The Korean food is amazing! They have the best Bibimbop, ramen, and Soonbudu. They are amazing people and the service is fantastic.

The chicken bulgogi and vegetarian Mandu was on point! This was also my first time trying rice wine and its so good it is dangerous. We have been here a few times and it has been wonderful every time.

Yummy Korean spot!! The unassuming facade & interior contrasts the flavor of the delicious dishes offered. Got the kimchi pancake as a starter which was more then enough to share & came with dipping sauce on the side. We received a serving platter of small sides dishes, including kimchi & pickled cucumbers (unsure what the third was, but it was good), great palate cleanser. I got the dolsot bibimbop with shrimp which was amazing and I would 100% recommend. The service was great and overall a very enjoyable experience. Portion sizes were generous & reservation was not needed.

After seeing so many 5-star reviews on this place, we decided to give it a try. We had our kids out to our place to celebrate one of their birthday's and ordered takeout. When I stopped to pick up the food, the lady working the front was very friendly and accommodating. The service was great. We gathered and enjoyed visiting, but agreed the food did not seem to match the volume and level of the reviews. Once in a while I run in to this type of situation and wonder if the owner is actively involved in the reviews being posted. Impossible to know, that is for sure. But I felt it important to add my review to express suspicions of authenticity.

Overpriced, not very good food, not very good atmosphere, and server argued with us when I tried to politely tell them my meal was not very good. I'm not typically one to complain. We won't be back.

Makguli (mild Korean rice wine) and japchae TOO? I'm in Heaven here, people!

Fresh FRESH sashimi!! Everything we hate was delicious. Service outstanding- clean, cool vibe- happy hour Saturday is from 12:00p-4:00pm people, on Saturday. I truly felt I was back in the bay, San Francisco. Priced reasonably for the quality. Did I mention FRESH grade sashimi? Let's keep this one people! Location is perfect- totall wine , lakewinds RIGHT there! Glad my daughter turned me on to BONSAI.

Definitely the best Korean food in the cities! Super cute restaurant and very good service. I gave up on trying to find authentic Korean here, but Bonsai is it. Everything we got was on point, can't wait to go back!

Go in person so that you can get the dolsot bibimbap. SO good! Chicken is my favorite protein option. They have a good menu for our family members who require gluten free food. I saw another review suggesting that the restaurant was somehow involved in the reviews. I can assure you that I have no affiliation with the restaurant!

My friend and I tried this restaurant over the weekend, and it was wonderful! The food was outstanding and the server very kind, and the owner went out of her way to make sure we loved our food. Will be back.

It could be because we did take out but the portions were very small and price was quite high. Food quality was OK but again, very small portions.

What a gem. I know very little about Korean food, but, had zero interest in eating Culvers with my husband and prefer to support smaller businesses when at all possible through this time. A fantastic woman (that I think could have been the owner) talked me through the house favorites and something my daughter and I would like. We ended up with the steamed dumplings and the Bibimbop (beef) and I just can't say enough how great it was! The sauce with it was amazing and she even gave me a couple of Kimchi samples and they all were oh so tasty. I'll be back, and I'm bringing friends.

Bonsai has quickly turned into our favorite take-out place in the area. I got the Ramen with Chicken, and it was by far the best I have tasted. My husband got the Jeyuk Bokkeum, he is not easy to please when it comes to eating out, but he couldn't get over the flavor of his food and also loved the bites he took of my soup. We have tried several appetizers that we have loved as well, but my two favorite have been the Goon Mandu and the Bonsai Chicken Wings. Don't hesitate trying this place and help support a great small local restaurant, you won't be disappointed!

Disclaimer: I'm ethnically Chinese, and I'm still learning about Korean food. This place was recommended by a Korean coworker, who claimed that this was the best Korean restaurant in the Twin Cities metro area. I was kind of suspicious, since the restaurant is allll the way out in the suburbs, and Bonsai has more of a Japanese connotation than Korean, and their menu is fairly limited (and has cheese puffs). Anyway, I dropped by here after a trip to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum during the COVID-19 pandemic. So, a few things for the current times: Despite restaurants reopening, the owner has opted to be takeout only and has decided to be extremely conservative on how much she reopens to protect her staff and her community, which I completely agree with and completely respect. As political as the pandemic is (which I find absolutely ridiculous), sorry if this comment offends the pandemic naysayers. That said, a really nice and genuine owner. We opted for several basics. Hameul pajeon, korean fried chicken (spicy sauce), ramyun (4/5 spice, with shrimp), soondobu (mild, with seafood). Because we couldn't dine in, we drove about 10 minutes away to a local park in Eden Prairie, so we really didn't dig in until about 15-20 minutes after receiving the food. A lot of people will say that the food tastes best when you eat it immediately after being served. I completely agree. However, despite this long delay before we were able to eat, the food was still absolutely delicious. The hameul pajeon was incredibly flavorful, not just from the seafood, but the batter and the scallion added in just makes the hameul pajeon just so much better despite losing the fresh crunch from steaming in the container. It's good by itself, and doesn't really need the dipping sauce. Even then, the dipping sauce took it to the next level with the heat from the gochugaru, sourness of the vinegar, saltiness of the soy sauce, and a hint of sweetness. I was tempted to just drink the dipping sauce straight up. It's that good. The ramyun had a beef-based broth, mixed with egg, shrimp, a few veggies. I'm going to admit, this is the first time having home-made ramyun, having had only the instant Shin Ramyun in the past (and I regret eating the instant version every single time -- it just doesn't agree with my stomach). This ramyun was absolutely amazing. The broth had such a clean beef flavor, and the spice was just enough to get the sweat and nose going and the flavors just work so well. I can easily see myself coming back just for the ramyun alone. It honestly has ruined the Shin Ramyun for me, and also for my companion, who has eaten it as a staple in the past. The soondobu was similarly excellent, but the spice level was unfortunately ordered a bit on the lower side. The broth was also very clean. The only criticism I have is that the egg was cooked to a hard yolk (I prefer my egg with a very thick yolk), but it can't be helped due to the takeout situation, and the tofu was a bit more firm that I would have prefered. However, it was still a great soup. As for the fried chicken. Oh my god, this is the best Korean fried chicken I've had in the Twin Cities to date. It's way better than Bonchon, and even better than K-Bop bistro. The batter on the chicken is super crunchy, and the spicy sauce on the chicken wings was just amazing. Possibly could use a little more sweetness, but it's just a small detail, as the gochugaru-based sauce is just absolutely amazing. The bonchon were also very good (radish and kimchi). According to the owner, the kimchi is made in-house, and had a very crisp flavor to the spice and the cabbage itself. Despite my initial judgmental opinions of this restaurant, I was extremely impressed with how good the food was here, especially after delaying eating the food for 15-20 minutes. I would love to return to try other dishes. More importantly, I would love to return and dine in and to really enjoy the food fresh from the kitchen. I wish all the best for this restaurant.

Chicken was in no way crispy at all. The meat was dry and I have doubts if this was even chicken. It was a darker meat. Won't go back there ever. This is the one in Eagan.

This is really good Korean food! My step mom has spoiled me because she cooks such good Korean food and this place was impressive. I will definitely be back with the family.

Great food and friendly service. This was my family's first time eating Korean food and the manager/owner went out of her way to recommend and explain the food options

Finally tried this place after seeing it across from Lakewinds a number of times and glad we did. Was able to be seated right away. Staff is very friendly and courteous. The main lady is very helpful in explaining the food and what is done in traditional eating of the dish. Started with the egg rolls and Jjin Mandu (steamed dumplings). The egg rolls are small but come 6 to an order. They are crispy on the outside with tender veggies inside. The dumplings also are an order of 6. They are cooked well with a nice pork filling. The dipping sauce is flavorful with a bit of sesame oil. My daughter ordered the adult size chicken fried rice. She said it was tasty, although said she missed the egg she is used to. My wife ordered the beef ramyun. The broth was very flavorful, with nice spice to it. The beef was thinly sliced and quite tender, and there was a good amount of noodles and vegetables. She ate all of it, including almost all of the broth. Nicely spicy and very good. I ordered beef dolsot bibimbop. The owner explained how its eaten and they provide a chili sauce so you can determine your own spice level, personally I used most of it. The dish is nicely balanced amount of meat (nicely prepared), veggies (cooked but still crisp), rice, and an egg. Definitely recommend trying it. We ended the meal with Mochi and Tempura banana. I only got to taste the vanilla mochi but the tempura banana was crispy outside, warm inside and topped with whipped cream and chocolate sauce. If you haven't had Korean before this is definitely a place to try it at. Value for the meal is good.

I highly recommend this restaurant to any lovers of Korean or Japanese food. To someone who has been to Japan and knows what real Japanese food tastes like, it's difficult to find Japanese cuisine in America that reaches my standards. This is why I absolutely love Bonsai. It's one of the few places in the area where you can find true Japanese food. The Korean food at Bonsai is equally outstanding. I'm a huge fan of Korean food, so it makes me very happy to eat all the dishes that I love. Being Korean owned, the Korean food at Bonsai is very authentic. The owner, Nicole, is so friendly and kind. I feel very lucky to have found such a wonderful restaurant so close to home. The 30 minute drive is definitely worth it. With so many unique menu items and such good service, you won't be disappointed!

Came with the family on a whim. Ordered 4 different items and loved them all. The staff was fantastic to my kids, and offered us an appetizer to start. We will be back.

This food is wonderful. The portions are large and well priced, and there is a good collection of Korean beer. The staff are also very friendly!

Local spot with great food and service! We had the Bulgogi and Dolsat Bibimbop, both of which were excellent. We will definitely be back!

First time having Korean, the waitress was very helpful and knowledgeable. Very nice clean place. Food was very fresh and tasty. Got the wings and bibimbop

We came in for an early dinner and were greeted by the nicest server that walked us through the many Korean dishes available. The reason we selected Bonsai was due to the fact that they had Korean (for a few of us) and Sushi (for others) on the menu. The food from both selections was good, fresh and authentic, but our server made all the difference as she was happy to explain the ingredients and customs behind some of our food selections. I'll be back because I believe in supporting independent business owners who really do care about their customers.

Great food and friendly people. We started with Jjin mandu and Bonsai chicken wings, then finished with bibimbop, Korean ramyun, jopchea, and Korean fried rice. SO GOOD! Definetly recommend! Happy we came!

Let's start this off the right way. Yes one star. Harsh a little but they do not take great care of their take out/ To-go order guest because unfortunately I was a victim of receiving wrong food and no refund. I will not name her. Hamachi Kama dry and raw. To cook hamachi Kama correctly it takes more than 15 minutes. I don't mind waiting so I can have good food. Secondly I also ordered a few things with tofu and got some type of meat in my dishes. Yeah this place has high ratings but must be only for dine in. Very deceiving. To even make me upset that I had to write this. They weren't even busy!! To have no one in the restaurant and still received over price food I wouldn't feed to my dog. I spent over $70 for what?!! Bad service and food. The food that was correct was just ok. Not traditional Korean food. Really lacks flavor and quality is definitely not here anymore. Would never recommend this place to anyone. Happy eating somewhere else.

We really enjoy the Korean ramen from Bonsai. We've tried some of the starter dishes (fried rice, gyoza and dumplings) and those were ok. But the ramen is delicious every time! Highly recommend giving this place a try.

Bonsai is a a flavorful oasis amongst a sea of Chanhappenin's chain restaurant mediocrity. Every dish was spot on--we did spicy Korean wings, chicken bulgogi, and Korean ramyun. All fantastic. The wings were cooked to perfection and well coated with Korean red chile sauce. I've samples among the best Korean wings across the country and these are in my top 2. Chicken bulgogi was very tasted and vegetables super fresh. We will be back!

I was relieved to find that there is a Ramen place close to Shakopee Minnesota. The staff was very friendly and even volunteered to show us how to mix things although not necessary but very hospitable. The Korean Ramen was very good. The dolsot bibimpop like a little flavor but needless to say it was still good meat and good presentation. The Jjin Mandu which is their appetizer was also very good. They could be a little bit more generous with their sides like the kimchi and the bean sprouts and the pickled radish. All in all a good place!

Fresh food...best Korean place in Minneapolis area. They really give my bulgogi a run for its money. I always have an excuse to eat here all the time.

the food was awesom, very good, my family comes there very often so we're regulars, we love this place so much, the owner is wonderful and we give special thanks to her and her staff

Will definitely return! Tried the Kimchee Stew and enjoyed the spicy flavors and rich broth. It was my first time eating the dish and really liked it. Also had the calamari which was good. Thanks for adding Korean food to my take out options!

Bonsai is a hidden gem in Chanhassen and is the best restaurant in the city. I'd even say the food is some of the best I've ever tasted in Minnesota. I can not recommend this place enough. The Galbi (short ribs) is the best I've ever tasted in this state (including Hoban). You will not be disappointed with that dish! We went on a Tuesday evening and we were the only ones there and our server even cut up our meat for us. She also gave us tips on how to cook the meat (in a Korean BBQ setting) and how to cut the meat to ensure it doesn't dry out. And she also advised us the meat around the short ribs were the best and sometimes thrown out by newbies who don't know. Our server was awesome, extremely helpful and nice. The service is great, the restaurant clean and the food extremely good

I've been craving korean food and it's hard to come by living in Excelsior/Chanhassen area. Very surprised to find this place and very skeptical about the food, especially since it's pricier than most korean food. They also do japanese food as well. I did try a few nigiris and the fish was fresh so no complaints there. The korean food definitely hit the spot! It is legit korean food. Flavoring was spot on. I've been twice and had the soondubu, kimchi jigae, and kimbap. They do have lunch specials for japanese and korean food. The meals comes with about 3 banchans per meal ordered. This will be my go to korean place in the area. Downside is the price, which is understandable since they hold the monopoly right now for korean food in the area.

Amazing service, and amazing food. This is the best sushi I have eaten in the area. The sushi chef is amazing and the whole staff is personable and fun. Since it was our first time we were excited to try, and we will definitely be coming back!

Excellent food, presentation and service. Weekend happy hour too. There should be a line out the door. I challenge you to find better Korean food, presentation, and service! Love this place!

This is a great place for Japanese and Korean Cuisine. I have come again and again here with my family . I liked their Korean Raman and Chicken Fried rice but they have some much more. It is a small but very nice restaurant and the service is very good.

I ordered the chicken bulgogi. It lacked flavor. Usually when I order Korean at other restaurants I get the traditional sides with it (kimchi, soybean sprouts, cucumber salad, radish...)and for $17 a small bowl of flavorless chicken and a side of rice really didn't satisfy. I'll stick with the other Korean restaurants around Eden Prairie.

Got take out, loved the bipimbop, and bulgogi. Excellent food, great price, everything was fresh and delisious

First time ordering here for take out. Food was hot and ready to go on time. The food tasted great and they had the perfect level of spice as requested. Highly recommend.