Aku Eats Oahu : a closer look : Bozu, a closer look

Bozu, a closer look

--- As of late '09, Bozu restaurant has now Closed! ---

Happy Fourth of July!

7/4/08 - And what better way is there to celebrate Independance Day in America than by going to a Japanese restaurant?...

Blasphemy!!! Easy, brah... Yeah, I'm bringing this page to you on the fourth, but only because I try to get a page out at least every other day (though I can't say I have a perfect record!), and my current every-other-day just happens to fall here. It also takes a day or two to prepare an entry, so like most of my pages, keep in mind that the visitations usually occur a day or three previous to writing.

The bummer on this day is that I gotta go to work tonight! Aaargh! The positive is that it is the Fourth of July, and we live in the greatest country in the world! And not just in this current age, but in the entire history of mankind! Yeah, yeah, I know there are a lot of America-basher's out there who don't believe it for a moment, including a disturbingly large number of Americans themselves, but I'll bet you anything you can't name me one other country on the face of the earth that has done more good, brought more freedom, upheld more human rights, and served the cause of individual justice more than the United States of America. No other country in the history of the world even comes close, bar none. Period. End of story.

Anyone who doesn't believe it is simply not taking an objective look around and have become blinded by, of all things, too much freedom and too many rights! Personally, I think all these babies crying about our personal privacy being eroded and of us somehow turning into a police state should try living in Russia, China, Africa, or the middle east sometime. They have no idea what they're talking about or how lucky they really are. Makes me ill. If they all just wake up each morning and thank God (or whoever's, or whatever's it is!) for having the opportunity in this great country to pursue any field, any business, any interest, or any dream they want without having to pay off a government official or mob boss, I gaurantee you they'll stop whining about how hard life is altogether.

Actually, maybe a Japanese restaurant is a good thing to write about on the fourth of July - after all, isn't Japan a perfect example of the greatness of America? After teaming up with Germany, Italy, and a few other lesser states to take over the entire world by force and unleashing some of the greatest examples of human barbarity ever known to man, what did we do when we beat them back? We accepted their unconditional surrender, not by subjugating them to us or exploiting our dominant position, but by helping them re-build and get back on their feet until they were soon able to become the second most powerful economy in the entire world! And now we are friends living in peace and no longer enemies. How great, please tell me, is that?

I know we are not perfect and have committed our own fair share of terrible deeds, but when you look at the whole picture we have a whole lot to be proud of.

Just my ode to America on this fourth of July, is all. I gotta pay tribute somehow. But I also gotta eat!!! So,.....

Bozu is located in the Atrium Shopping Center in Kaimuki, next to A Taste of New York Deli, but like this purveyor of giant gourmet sandwiches, you can't see it from the parking lot. Look for the Song produce and mini-grocery entrance and follow it through to the back. This is the same lot that houses Kim Chee 2, Verbano, and Big City Diner, and has received a lot of press regarding the crowded conditions during lunch and dinner, mostly because of employees violating the rules and using the stalls but also because there are many good restaurants in the area. Conditions, however, have been better since they recently put up parking attendants and gated entries to prevent employees from taking all the spaces. At 75 cents per hour, it is still cheap, and remember that you have to pay for it at any of two walk-up pay machines on either side of the lot. When leaving, all you do is plug the pre-paid ticket into a machine and the arm-gate lifts to let you out.

Here are a couple of shots of the restaurant after you pass through the entrance next to Song Produce and mini-grocery store (7/23/09 up-date note: Song Produce now closed).

Wifey was working today, so mom and I stopped by just as they opened at 11am. I gotta say, the guy there just inside the store entrance was a very un-welcoming sight, indeed, not even bothering with greetings even after I said hello. He just kinda mumbled a single word I could barely hear in a highly indifferent manner, gesturing with his hands slightly and saying "anywhere..." I guess some people don't rate common courtesy very highly. No worries. I surmised he was probably one of those guys with the gruff exterior but softer interior that you can only see if he likes you. Samurai, maybe. He actually did soften up a bit later, even comp'ing us a small sample of home-made ice cream for dessert!

I was thankful for the treat, and even more thankful that this guy was finally opening up a little bit, but the ice cream was, uh, not-so-good. I'll try any house-made ice cream, but these azuki and green tea-flavored versions had noticeably large chunks of ice still left in it and there was a slightly chalky consistency instead of creamy. I don't know, maybe a lot more milk and a lot less ice and these frozen scoops would turn out just fine. And c'mon, I'm not diss'ing him because he didn't say hi! I actually give him lots of kudo's on the other dishes, you'll see.

Between him, the hide-away location, and the entire interior of the restaurant, one term hit me as we sat there waiting for our food - Japanese mountain inn. The faux-stone floors, large, wooden beams, bamboo screens, and warm-colored lanterns all brought an earthy, village-like attractivess I found pleasantly surprising.

The screens brought added appeal to this restaurant and brought some privacy as well, although they didn't use them to separate off every table - that would kinda be overkill on the overall design.

While visiting another Japanese restaurant, I rudely asked the next-door neighbor how the miso butterfish was. She said it wasn't the best, and recommended Bozu, instead. Hmmm... You know me, I gotta follow every lead!

The butterfish at Bozu was, in fact, very good. The taste of miso or shoyu was very light, walking a perfect balance that really highlighted the taste of the fish in a way not always seen. And of course, you gotta use quality fish if you even attempt something like this, so the guy must know what he's doing! I can't say I don't also like it when they just about drown it out with a strong miso marinade and glaze, but this particular fish was a welcome departure from this approach, coming with a simplicity, quality, and delicate nature that grew on me with each passing bite.

This is mostly a teishoku (set meal) restaurant. My butterfish came with rice, tsukemono (salted or pickled vegetables), a single piece of shoyu pumpkin, and a delicious miso soup that seemed to follow along the same simple, very traditional, and time-tested path as the butterfish.

The dressing was also very interesting, being another obviously house-made product. It was almost alarmingly thick and made primarily from fresh orange or tangerine. It wasn't too sweet, wasn't too salty, wasn't too acidic, and wasn't too bad at all. At a reasonably-priced outfit like this, you gotta give them credit and the benefit of the doubt for being original and creating their own dressings (or ice cream) from scratch, at the expense of the time and/or money they could save by bringing in pre-made stuff.

Mom ordered the shrimp tempura and ahi teishoku set. The side dishes were much the same as mine, so I'll show you just the two main items together for this next shot.

The tempura here came with a slightly heavier, but still-light batter that I thought turned out really well. Sometimes one of the gauges of a good tempura is an airy-light coating, but the slightly heavier batter turned out to be a plus on this day, at least according to my sometimes daily-changing taste needs. The added thickness and density actually helped to carry the flavors through in a stronger way, and in following a pattern that seemed to be developing, those flavors were excellent, coming with a simple, down-to-earth goodness that both of us enjoyed.

Alongside the tower of shrimp were tempura green beens, pumpkin, and zucchini, or Italian squash.

Meanwhile, as expected, our friendly host did warm up to us a bit, even recommending the ahi, saying they had some really good cuts that day. Sure does look good!

Bozu restaurant is a bit of a hole-in-the-wall, with reasonably-priced dishes that offer good value and quality in comparison. The "unorthodox" customer service we received only served, in some twisted way, to add more charm to the whole experience. I, personally, was also pleasantly surprised to find the simple flavors and qualities of both the dishes and the ambience in this low-key place very appealing, indeed. The house-made dishes didn't always hit the bull's eye, but like I said earlier, you gotta love those that try. It just lends so much more depth and character to a place, is all.

And so, as we leave after a satisfying meal, I wish you a safe and happy Fourth of July, even though I gotta work!

Take care and see you in a couple days! Watch the roadblocks!

Aku

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