Last night was our night out in Manhattan and driving through the city streets all signs show the Big Apple is alive and thriving. You’d never know the state of the economy by the booming activity in Soho. Every restaurant was crowded, tables were few and far between and there were lines for the bars. We were meeting up with friends at BONDST for the evening, the location of my very first date with Darren upon our arrival back from Las Vegas. We both felt very nostalgic as we walked in, remembering our date vividly.

BONDST is a modern and trendy Japanese restaurant with influences from Asia and Europe. The dining areas which are located on two floors are minimalistic in decor. The lower level is a trendy lounge where you can mix and mingle while sipping on delicious Asian cocktails as you wait for your table. We dined on the second floor at a nice table that was a little bit by itself so we weren’t overly cramped but the tables are close together. The menu is a mix of hot and cold dishes but mainly caters to sushi lovers. We decided to share a bunch of appetizers and sushi for dinner. The quality was top notch and no one can deny the freshness or the inventiveness by which the chef prepares everything. The prices do match the trendiness and some reviews I’ve read do question whether the food is worth the price. We really enjoyed our dinner however and the prices were just what we expect for dining at a top tier restaurant in Soho. The one thing that turned us off though was the rush we got at the end of the meal. Basically we were tossed dessert menus and under a minute the waiter was back to take our order. We hadn’t even glanced at it and he was back to ask about coffee/tea. It was obvious they wanted our table but we felt it was a little unfair to rush us so quickly. We were enjoying our evening and would have appreciated just a little bit of time to chat after the dishes were cleared. Overall it was a delicious experience that we all enjoyed. Too bad though our night had to end so quickly.