Sushi Hana
Submitted by jamescollierThe convention center was full tonight as Peter Calthorpe and the Southeast Growth Area (SEGA) committee presented alternatives for the 2025 General Plan for city growth. Kim serves on the SEGA committee, and we both have high interest in the project as we live less than a couple miles away from its west side, so we were there.
Kim works across the street, and she's been wanting to try Sushi Hana, which just opened in the Crescent Building next to Dugout Cookies (down from Starbucks and Quizno's). This was our chance, as the meeting lasted until 9:00 p.m. and she was due for a break.
The restaurant is pretty small, capable of seating only eight or nine people, if that. But, it looks brand new, and the family (I presume it was a family) running it couldn't be nicer. They made a recommendation: the Las Vegas roll. Crunchy on the outside, creamy and packed (don't remember all the ingredients) on the inside. All for a fairly competitive price, at about $8 for most of the rolls.
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With classes out for the
With classes out for the summer, those of us working at the university must fend for ourselves—if and when the cafeteria is open, selection is limited. Thus, a cadre of us have organized a weekly lunch gathering at various eateries within short driving distance.
Last Wednesday's target was Sushi Hana; after hearing about my experiences, the entire group (about 10 of us in all) decided to journey downtown. We arrived right at noon, only to find a line out the door (though, to be fair, there isn't much room inside, and a line of four or five people could push beyond the boundaries of the door).
Each of us stood in line for a few minutes to order, and then retreated to a cluster of tables out front. Kim met us—she works just across the street—and ordered to spicy tuna roll. I opted for the lunch special, which included six pieces of sushi selected by the chef, and a California roll. At $6.95, it was way too much food for the price!
Kim's tuna was awesome, and it was definitely deserving of the title of "spicy." The chef's selection was an assortment of sashimi: salmon, yellowtail, albacore—I lost track.
The entire group was excited over their lunch, but what set Sushi Hana over the top was the great service. Evene though we were outside, we were well-tended to and offered several refills. Overhearing our conversation about other sushi places in town, one of the staff informed us that the owners of Sushi Hana also own Maroo (and I believe they also own part of Sushi N' Pop, but I might be mistaken here).
After running an errand
After running an errand downtown last Friday, I decided to stop in again to pick up lunch for myself and a co-worker. I ordered two of the lunch specials: the chicken, and the three-piece sushi special.
As noted before, the restaurant is quite small, and the line was out the door. I sat on an available stool while I waited, and watched as others filtered in and out.
I watched as one group of ladies received their order, with one of the meals was missing; with an apology, one of the (presumed) owners brought it out a few minutes later, with a refund of the cash paid. Understanding that "things happen," I continued to wait for my order. After about 15 minutes (most orders seemed to only take about five minutes), I was asked what I was waiting for, and received my food.
It wasn't the best of experiences, as it seemed as though things were a bit chaotic, but it won't stop me from going back.