Alex P.
Yelp
There are places for show, there are places for an elaborate experience and then there is Hana, a place that feels closer to walking into someone's home than a restaurant. Although our table was not quite ready at reservation time indoors, due to the minimal number of tables and half the restaurant in sushi bar section being blocked off due to pandemic, it was understandable why. Despite that, people working at the host stand were very kind and were doing everything possible to find arriving guests a seat quickly. They even got us a table in front of some regulars. The current staffing challenges make it extremely difficult to operate in the restaurant business, so I have zero complaints about this and hopefully other Yelpers have patience as well. It is unpleasant for both guests and restaurants, but it is also a near term reality and we all have to be understanding when these things happen. The only thing I would recommend to the restaurant is to start planning capacity just a bit better to avoid a 40 min wait with reservations in this new world.
Chef Kenichi Tominaga and his team are truly masters of sushi. The nigiri selection brought to the table was perfectly cut, with unusual selections such as multiple mackerel varietals and for east coast folks, truly fresh California Uni. Everything served was absolutely the freshest fish one can ask for. Indeed, there is a price for this freshness and quality, as the pricing is proportional. For visitors from other states, it is important to understand the Japanese attention given to the ingredient and the preparation, which even in a fairly casual restaurant as such, can result in a higher check than a seemingly high end or trendy establishment in other places.
The interior of the restaurant is simple and not particularly notable, other than the glass sake room. When saying simple, it's not in a minimalistic way, but in a way that makes you want to redesign most of it. It cuts overall closer to a very casual restaurant and is located in one of those distressing strip malls that undeniably bring some sadness into any American city. If there was one thing I would have wished for visiting for dinner and at similar price points, it would be a little more consistency and quality paid to the interior design. A cozier patio with better furniture would have been nice also. Yet, that's the wish list and Hana will undoubtedly hit the sweet spot for a certain guest who is willing to splurge serious cash on fish and preparation in a casual, homey setting.
HANA is an excellent establishment and certainly sets a very high bar for fish quality. It's worth a visit, just keep in mind that this is a very casual, but extremely fish and cut focused experience at the end of the day.