With Sister Restaurants Coming to Miami and London, Get Acquainted with NYC’s BONDST

Known for its modern interpretations of Japanese-inspired cuisine since 1998, BONDST still has what people want, and the reason is clear: This place delivers style with discreet knockout elegance for beautiful people out to see and be seen and those who frequent BONDST for its delectable and consistent fare. Artistic presentations are well imagined, fresh spices introduce bursts of flavor, and the addition of sauces departs from austere Japanese tradition, allowing BONDST the universal acceptance it enjoys today (sister restaurants are coming soon to Miami and London).

Because of the extensive menu, the star dishes at BONDST are many. Through the years, I agreed to agree with everyone else that the BONDST version of bigeye tuna tart is like no other. Unbelievably crisp with a spread of creamy ponzu, it is draped with translucent slices of tuna, artistically placed micro shiso, and a drizzle of white truffle oil. Gigantic Hokkaido scallops with uni, brimming with seawater freshness, are sliced and arranged with slices of cucumber, while serrano chili and a delicious citrus amazu sauce add a silky bright spice. Simple cha soba—green tea noodles with quail egg and cold dipping broth—feels like an elevated version of a comfort dish.

Shrimp roll / Photo: Courtesy of Ellen Silverman

Anything that features crispy rice is part of the restaurant’s DNA, and unlike other places, BONDST offers four variations. Favorites remain the tuna crispy rice with Korean gochujang sauce and the avocado crispy rice with yuzu, chili threads and toasted sesame.

For foie gras lovers, the seared tuna and foie gras, served as an appetizer, marries tuna with a rare bright-red center with a lobe of quickly seared fresh foie gras. Asian pear chutney complements the foie, as do a yuzu sauce, Thai basil and spiced cashews (to create the perfect morsel, these ingredients should be gathered together in each bite). “Crispy holiness” is one way to describe the short-rib foie-gras gyoza, filled with juicy melt-in-your-mouth slow-cooked short rib with thimbles of foie gras, accompanied by sour cherries and chili oil and glazed with sake.

Other popular staples include the Thai-style black sea bass carpaccio, spiked with refreshing seasonal fruit (often grapefruit), daikon sprouts and chili lime tosazu, and the sake-steamed black sea bass with king trumpet mushrooms, shishito peppers and baby bok choy alongside a delightful reduced black bean broth. If one manages well, one can have dessert. The Fuji apple tarte tatin, a safe bet, sits in a pool of Japanese whiskey crème anglaise, while the green-tea mille crepe, a heavenly light temptation, is drizzled with plum wine caramel.