Even as I write this entry I struggle to form an opinion. There is a great place that I just discovered, but as with all new ventures, there are a few glitches. Unfortunately service seems to be the primary one (yikes!). However, in the interest of eternal optimism and the possibility that I might just have gone on the wrong night, I will focus on the positives.

Banzai! by definition is Japanese for "cheer of enthusiasm or triumph". At the moment I think the name is slightly exceeding the actual experience. Banzai! is a swank modern cocktail lounge with full kitchen service. The reason I prefaced it that way is that for the moment it is a better place to hang out than to go to for a great meal. Located at 134 Peter Street, it is definitely an atmosphere you might want to check out. The modern decor is extremely upscale with brushed blue suede booths equipped with flat screen plasmas for menus.

My main frustration was the trend of menu items being unavailable. Our less than accommodating waitress repeated the same line over and over again "I'm sorry, we've actually run out of that". Half a dozen attempts later a bottle of wine that was in-stock was secured as was a platter of sushi. Needless to say there were no cheers of triumph from me as I walked out of there. As it has only been open for just two months I'll keep my fingers crossed that things will get better. The prices are reasonable, and you really do feel like a million bucks while you're sitting there.