This Williamsburg located Japanese cozy place is fairly popular and I am sure many of you have had a chance to visit. Its Grand street entrance is not marked well, but that is a part of the style they represent. As soon as you enter the restaurant you know exactly what kind of food is served here. There is no confusion, little red Japanese style doll heads, bottles at the bar and staff scream Japanese.

The candle light makes the venue very cozy and casual, it could be great place for a romantic date; however, the tables are very tiny and close to each other so if you want to have an intimate personal conversation you may want to keep it for later. The menu is extensive; there are many options that can satisfy everyone. If you want raw fish you will find sushi and sashimi, if you like fried food, they have many fried options, they have meat, fish, veggies, you name it. All of it is served as modern Japanese style small plates. The general idea is that you order many small dishes and you share them all. We got total of five: Kinipra (lotus root), Betty Pork, Fried chicken - Miyazaki Style, Deep fried brussels sprout with curry spice and Spicy Una Bomb.

Kinipra was delicious, light and soft with very distinctive flavor, I highly recommend this snack/appetizer. Betty Pork was the best out of all 5 dishes we ordered. The meat was so soft, it was melting in the mouth, it almost felt like jelly. On the top of that the flavors were there. Fried brussels sprouts were very good, crispy, warm and curry spice was a great addition. Una Bomb was exactly what you expected, small rice mounds with marinated eel and mayo on the top, wasabi on the side. The least exciting dish was fried chicken, although the menu said it was marinated in garlic soy sauce for two days, the flavors were not strong enough. I think frying the chicken took away from the marinate that was supposed to make the chicken tasty. The desserts (chocolate mousse and pudding/creme brûlée) were very good, no surprises here, they were exactly what they were supposed to be.

In summary the restaurant is a great place for a dinner. The ambience, decor and cuisine are consisted with what the restaurant stands for. This place is on a verge to be very special, they have the tools, they have the skills, the only thing I am missing is the surprise element. I think it is interesting when you order food, you think you know what you are getting but once you put it in your month you are surprised with unexpected flavors. I suspect the chef at Bozu wants to do that, thus fried chicken on the menu which I assume is supposed to be completely different than fried chicken you can get on every corner. Will I come back here?Probably. The specials change and who knows maybe I will get surprised one day.

Cuisine: Modern Japanese

Avg price per person: $40, all major credit cards accepted

Attire: Casual

Overall Rating: 4 plates