5524 N 7th Ave
Phoenix, AZ 85013
Hana Japanese Eatery
602-973-1238
Tuesday - Thursday 11 am - 2:30 pm / 5 pm - 9 pm
Friday 11 am - 2:30 pm / 5 pm - 10 pm
Saturday 5 pm - 10 pm Sunday 5 pm - 9 pm
This gem is located North of Missouri on 7th Ave in Phoenix on the Northwest corner.
The restaurant opens promptly at 5 pm for dinner and I was greeted by some of the most friendly wait staff that I have encountered in a while.
I met with owner Lori Hashimoto, a Tempe native who opened the restaurant with friend Lynn Becker on April 24th 2007. The restaurant is operated by Lori's family; Her brother Rick is the head sushi chef, her stepfather, Kazuto Kishino, is the executive chef. New dishes are designed and created by her mother, Kay Kishino.
Lori and I spoke for quite a while during my visit and I have to say, it was extremely pleasant. I felt immediately accepted and welcome, which is very rare these days.
Lori and her family are extremely passionate about food which is great because I am too! Not only did she grow up on a vegetable farm in Phoenix, her family has a huge food/restaurant background. I asked Lori what her favorite thing about owning a restaurant was and she said, "Seeing people experiencing new things and seeing the sense of satisfaction on their face." She got both of those from me during my visit.
Maintaining my rules, I asked Lori what her favorite dish is. She responded with, "Blue Fin Tuna Toro sashimi." Unfortunately, they were out of that. So, I got the next best thing: Gyu Don Nabe.
Gyu Don Nabe is utterly delicious. It features New York strip steak sliced super thin, Small Shittake mushrooms, tofu, greens, and Sake/Soy sauce broth. It's all steamed and cooked together in black ceramic pot and IS the best thing since sliced bread.
 |
| Gyu Don Nabe |
The next item I was pretty much forced to try (not really) was the Abalone. Ok, here's the deal with abalone, if you're not familiar (I wasn't). Abalone is a shell fish that is somewhat rare. Back in the 80s and 90s abalone was pretty much wiped out by consumption and various diseases. Nowadays, they are primarily farmed raised but take FOREVER to grow, hence the rarity. Lori told me that someone came into Hana and said they hadn't seen abalone on a menu since the 80s. Well. I got to try one. BOOM in ya face! The way Kazuto prepares the abalone for delicious consumption is like this: Shuck the top shell, wrap said shell in the thick leafy part of seaweed, coat wrapped shell in 600,000 layers of salt and cook in the oven. The end result is a mixture of Heaven, unicorns, shellfish, awesomeness, lightning, and glory. The taste is that of scallops but better. The texture is firm yet tender. I can't believe I actually got to eat this.
 |
| The abalone shell hidden under salt. |
 |
| The waitress removing the protective layer of seaweed. |
 |
| The Goods |
 |
| A plum/ponzu/secret ingredient sauce. To die for. |
I also ordered their Caterpillar roll. It's my favorite roll and it definitely did not disappoint. It was hand crafted by Lori and it topped everything off!
Now, the icing on the cake was something I never expected. I got to eat real, honest to God, actual wasabi. Not the green, wannabe, avacado, horseradish with food coloring crap. I'm talking expensive, rare, slap you in the face, REAL wasabi. It was AMAZING and I was honored to get some. Very tasty!
 |
| REAL Wasabi. Haters gon' hate. |
Sticking with the philosophy that "food is universal," Lori and her family have created a restaurant that is very relaxed, warm, and welcoming to any and every one. The music is on a nice satellite radio mix and the decor is very stylish! The food wins awards like it's no one's business:
2007- Phoenix Magazine Best New Restaurant
2008, 2009, 2010 - AZ Republic Critics' Choice Best Sushi
2008 - Phoenix New Times Best Photo Op
2009 - Phoenix Magazine Destination Restaurant Central Phoenix
2010 - Phoenix New Times Best of Phoenix Best Sushi
They are also in the media about every 3 months for reviews and awards.
Lori and her family recently put on an event to benefit the relief efforts in Japan called Rolling for Japan. They raised $7000 in 3 hours for the American Red Cross and served 11 courses of food to 300 people!
I was pleasantly surprised with this whole experience. I definitely thought I was going to be trying a bunch of different sushi rolls that were not-on-the-menu specials or some crazy seafood dishes that I've never heard of but it was the exact opposite. The whole visit was one I will never forget and I want to thank Lori for taking the time to talk with me. I will absolutely be back. I've found my new favorite sushi place!
