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DINING A better bento at Bonsai Comment By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat MailTribune.com By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat Posted Apr. 29, 2016 at 12:01 AM By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat Posted Apr. 29, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News I never thought I'd consider Japanese cuisine comfort food, but the familiarity and care that went into my lunch at Bonsai made it just that. Some eight years ago, when I first started working at the Mail Tribune, one of the conveniences that charmed me was having Bonsai restaurant right next door. That downtown location was a lunchtime favorite with Medford police, which struck me as being much more cosmopolitan than the stereotypical doughnut shop, but mostly I remember calling in many a to-go order during those early years at the paper, and I remember those delicious lunches on days with seemingly endless deadlines. A lot has changed since then. The Concord apartment complex, currently under construction, claimed Bonsai's location next to the newspaper almost three years ago. But the project only claimed the building, not the business, which moved to 1812 E. Barnett Road. I recently found myself inside the restaurant, where the soft, traditional Japanese music gently took me to another place. A friendly hostess seated me at a clean table near the sushi bar. I knew what I wanted right away, the Chicken Bento Box ($11.50). Bonsai is where I was first introduced to bento, and there are plenty of bento choices at Bonsai, including fried tofu, teriyaki beef, chicken and spicy pork, and several seafood options, including sushi. I've had the fried tofu before, and it's worth recommending. As for sides, my choices were crispy fried potstickers or lightly fried tempura. I was glad I went for went for the light and crispy tempura, which included potato, sweet potato and a piece of shrimp next to a dipping sauce. Also included were a green salad with housemade dressing and four fresh California rolls. On a warm afternoon, the cool, crisp bed of iceberg lettuce and shredded veggies was a welcome departure from the deep green spring-mix salads that seems to be just about everywhere nowadays. The fresh veggies and housemade dressing with a little more ginger than the typical thousand island seemed to be the right combination. I particularly admired the amount of care involved in putting my bento together. After the teriyaki chicken breast was cut, the pieces all ran parallel to each other, and they put just the right amount of sesame seeds on top of the teriyaki chicken. The California rolls were pressed into squares with a sprinkling of sesame seeds before being cut deliberately off-center. Some may consider such things minutiae, but I consider it balance, and I can't think of many other places that deliver such careful presentation at the price. Everything simply went right during my visit. By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat MailTribune.com By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat Posted Apr. 29, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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