Restaurant Review: Botan Sushi Japanese Restaurant

by Barbara Lopez on October 21, 2009 · 3 comments

When it comes to lunchtime, I firmly believe Rancho Cordova has an incredibly wide array of restaurants to choose from. Have you noticed that a lot of lunch spots in town are now offering more and more lunch specials, not only offering patrons discounted prices (appreciated these days!), but also faster service? As a busy business owner, I usually have less than an hour to grab some lunch, so I look for those faster service options.

Japanese food is a favorite in my household, and when we first moved to the Stone Creek area of Rancho Cordova in 2004, we were delighted to see Botan Sushi Japanese Restaurant just up the road from our new home. It was one of the first places we visited, but unfortunately, we were very disappointed. Again, this was five years ago, but the night we went in to visit, there weren’t any other customers (an ominous indicator?), and the staff was just sitting around watching a basketball game on TV. Service was surprisingly slow, and the food was unremarkable. As we left, we agreed we wouldn’t be returning.

Recently, we had heard from several people that Botan was a great lunch venue, and we decided to give it another shot.

This time, the restaurant was full, almost to capacity. We were quickly seated and given a lunch specials menu (lunch specials are served Monday – Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.), as well as a regular menu.

There are three main types of lunch specials: meals that are served “bento box” style with usually a meat option, and a choice of tempura or California rolls and served with salad, rice and gyoza (similar to a pot sticker); Sushi and Sashimi options served with salad and steamed rice; and the Botan Lunch Deluxe Combo Box which allows you to choose one item each out of three lists of items and served with salad and rice. My husband and I both decided to go with the Botan Lunch Deluxe Combo boxes, and our order was taken right away.

First up was miso soup, which wasn’t hot at all, in fact it was lukewarm. Both of us had sushi options in our lunch boxes, and we agreed that while the sushi tasted fresh and the portions of fish included were good sized, the presentation was a bit sloppy. It was clear that the chef was rushed in preparing the sushi – perhaps the downside of serving lunch quickly.

My husband ordered chicken katsu, and while it was plentiful, he said that the deep fried breading tasted a bit stale, as if they needed to change the oil in their fryer. The Deluxe boxes are quite large, and neither one of us could finish our meal. We were impressed with the amount of food that we received for the lunch special price of $9.25 – a very good value.

Our impression of Botan changed, they had definitely stepped it up a bit in the last few years, and were drawing quite a crowd. We’re curious to know if dinner service is just as good.

Botan Japanese restaurant offers a wide array of traditional Japanese dishes and an extensive list of sushi and sashimi. You’ve got to love the local flare they added to naming their rolls – there are Zinfandel, Sunrise, and Folsom rolls on the menu!

Have you been to Botan Sushi Japanese restaurant? Do you have a favorite dish or roll? Please share with us your Botan experience in the comments section.

Barbara’s review rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Botan Sushi Japanese Restaurant
2827 Zinfandel Drive (near Olson Drive and Zinfandel)
(916) 852-8884
Open 7 days a week and also offers catering, banquet, and parties

Do you want to know about a local, Rancho Cordova eatery? Tell Barbara where to visit, in the comments section!