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Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese [Edit]
Neighborhood: National CityMon-Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Mon-Fri. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
First visit was tonight. I would like to try the delicious rolls that were being delivered to tables as I had my spicy tuna roll. It was good. the spicy scallop roll was REEEALLY good. YUM.
This is one of the best places in the South Bay.
Dinner time scenario: It's me and cousin Philip; he wants Curry Rice and I end up having Katsudon. My cousin is in the mood to celebrate and asks if they have any Toro (Fatty Tuna Belly) Sashimi; the waitress checks and says"Yes, but it's $5 a piece" (I'm thinking "whoa! That must be some good shit!") and I give Phil the nod.
Now, let me explain before I tell you the outcome; I consider myself a Japanese food aficionado; when it comes to Sashimi (prepared slice raw fish) I am experienced. For 13 years, I was the store manager of Nijiya Market on Convoy Street in Kearny Mesa; my favorite department was the Fish and Sushi. I am not a raw fish snob, I often would scrape the tuna's belly for the fatty meat and mix it with green onions to make Negitoro.
So, imagine my disappointment when the waitress brings us 4 small pieces of Chutoro (which is mostly red tuna with a little bit of fat) which comes from higher up on the tuna's side (not the belly). But, not to be rude, we tried a piece and it had none of the customary rich fatty taste or texture of Toro.
Long story short; complained, but waitress explained she was helpless because this is what their sushi chef considered Toro and a difference in name doesn't change the price... etc.
Time to get a new sushi chef or new restaurant policy.
Good authentic Japanese food; good service at a fair price. This one incident won't prevent me from coming back. It's the best in the area.
The location is so strange and out of the way, which is somewhat of a double-edged sword. Being in a weird strip mall in National City makes it so that many will never just stumble on this place, yet also makes it so that it's not over crowded with douchebag sushi "connoisseurs" and pushy people.
I saw a lot of Japanese families here.... actually, the whole place just felt like a Japanese Shoney's. You can bring grandma and the in-laws on in for Sunday dinner! Also, the service is great. Our waitress was really sweet and helpful.
Finally, the food. They have your standard SoCal/American sushi, but they also have surprisingly good sashimi and a lot of noodle dishes. My husband and I split the BBQ pork miso ramen, sashimi appetizer and Tijuana roll. We'll definitely be coming back... I'm pretty happy there's a restaurant like this in the southbay.
Just thought I'd write another review. Had the 12 sushi combo and that's all she wrote for me....my daughter and son had udon and the rest is history...
Try the noodle soup. I forgot what's it called but it's a big serving. It has that authentic… Read more »
I think, repeat business is one of the best compliments...
My brother had asked me to help him drop off his car for his smog check. We had an hour before the work could be completed. This was a perfect time to have some lunch...
It was one of those gloomy/ cool days when ordering ramen wasn't such a bad idea. I skimmed down the menu and ordered one of my faves... "Shoyu ramen (soy sauce flavor)" I started with an order of pan fried gyoza (fresh, hot, & yummy). Shortly after they took away the empty plate of gyoza, the hot steaming soup came our way... And of course, they did not disappoint. This soup is all about the ramen and broth but add a generous portion of thin slices of pork, beansprouts, corn, and green onions... And makes it a complete meal. Although, not necessary, I love to add additional chili spice & white pepper.
Hmm, yummy... Yummy... All in my tummy =)
Come by and try them for yourself... Not only will you enjoy the food but you'll enjoy their hospitality =) And hopefully, you'll be a repeat customer, too!
A longstanding business in the community, I consider this place one on my 'local' favorites. They… Read more »
WHAT!!!! a japanese restaurant in the sweetwater area where the sushi is actually made by japanese people??? oh yezzir.... one of my favorite sushi spots.. this place can get a little crowded as well, so you gots to arrive early..... but if theres only like 2 of ya'll, "the bar area" is da spot... let me explain... its the long table thing in front of the register.... you'll see what im talkin about whenever you actually go there... The servers are very attentive, and they're sooooo nice... Prices are decent as well... So yah don't gotta have a fat wallet too eat at this joint... but if yah do... I recommend the sake... Mmmm Mmmm good!!!! Konichiwa!!! (I think thats how u spell it)
Hanaoka's declares itself "South Bay's #1 Japanese Restaurant" and with good reason: consistency. Never mind those bad reviews of anyone not knowing what's the best in the South Bay, well for this matter National City in this case.
I grew up eating here and introduced my wife, which she loves it so much! Recently we decided to invite my mom and meet here for dinner. My mother's a regular here and became really good friends with one on staff. They all greet her and you can feel their warmth.
Immediately I ordered the spicy tuna hand roll, uh mom wanted one too. My wife suggested we order the mother-lode, the monster sushi boat, "Sushizilla" (I would of named it), is called Hanaoka's Special Boat Dinner for Two.
This comes with Chicken and Beef Terriaki, Gyoza, Tempura, Salad and choice of Nigiri, California Roll, Spicy Crab Roll, Spicy Tuna Roll or Shrimp Tempura Roll. And with Miso Soup! (In my opinion, the best miso soup around!)
Realistically it can feed 4 hungry people, but it's a real treat. A must try for anyone on a date and wanted to impress the other. Even good for a business date, so you can show who's boss now?
Now if you are here for lunchtime, take advantage of the low cost meals. Usually I go for the bento boxes and a few sushi orders. The iced tea is good, but they do have a huge selection of imported beers and sake.
What I love about this place is the friendliest staff. They always greet "Arigatou" when you leave, including the chiefs. This place is pretty decent in size where you can sit down (with shoes off) in their special sections. Or enjoy a ball game in the back.
The fat: The best sushi in town!
The skinny: Try coming here during lunch time specials.
Let me start off by saying I have going here for over 16 years and have always been happy. I have ate at almost every sushi bar in San Diego/Chula Vista and I am a little picky.
The sushi is fresh and good. It doesn't smell fishy or anything crazy like that, it's always clean and welcoming. They have maki but it's not extreme it's pretty normal. Not my favorite, but still good. The soups are really good. I love the Udon, it's so good the broth is so tasty. The udon noodles are so yummy. The staff is so nice, always very friendly feels like home!
I have seen a few bad reviews from others and I would like to know where they get this fresh, cheap sushi because I don't feel Hanaoka is over priced I feel it's reasonable and I don't want to bargine shop for raw fish. Vons has sushi for sale cheap but I don't eat that.
To each their own and that is why we have Yelp! So we can voice OUR feelings.
Try it, you will like it. It's really a nice place and good food!!
If you want to spend less money, go for lunch instead of dinner.
Hooray for lunch specials! Much cheaper. I like their portions because they're pretty big for my small stomach. I really like their chicken teriyaki and their miso soup. I really enjoy the service too, they're really nice.
I am always impressed with this plce everytime we go!
One of the greatest Japanese Restuarants in San Diego
The place is decorated nice with paper lamps and a cool japanese sake bar...
THE BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE ANYWHERE. Everytime we go, we are well taken care of by the whole staff.. They work in a team, but then again you know you have a server. Seriously they have great and attentive service staff.
THE food keeps us coming back:
Awesome Beef Ramen
Tasty Chicken and VEggie stir Fry
Tuna Sashimi
Inari
Cold Buckwheat noodles!
YUM YUM YUM
Even though I've lived in Paradise Hills for the majority of my life, I never really got to frequent Hanaoka's until around high school.
Whenever I'm in the area, I usually end up at Starbucks, Super Sergio's, or Staples. The boyfriend and I came here on a whim since we couldn't decide what to eat and ended up getting their lunch specials. I like getting those instead of their ramen bowls. I'd rather go to Chopstix or Tajima for ramen.
I'd rather come here over Bento & Noodle any day! If you haven't done so, try the Pizza Roll. It's so good! Our waitress actually gave us a sample order that was cheaper than the usual order so that we wouldn't waste any food had we not liked it. Our verdict: LOVED IT.
Speaking of waitresses, they're so cute! They love making small talk with you about anything and everything.
First time eating here and I was pleasantly surprised. I have been living in Japan for the last 9 years and have had the opportunity to eat some great Japanese food.
Our group ordered two sushi boats of various types of sushi. One boat should feed about 4 people easily. I had a few pieces of sushi but my main order was miso ramin and gyoza.
The ramin and gyoza weren't quite like my favorite spots in Japan, but they were decent.
Good, quick service and good quantity and value for your money. I wish I could have had some sake or Asahi beer, but I was driving.
Sorry, but this place is average at best.
The chicken teriyaki is nothing but nasty unrecognizable pieces of chicken, I had to pick at it for a while to a piece that wasn't grizzle or something unrecognizable. I had a variety of sushi rolls and they are all average and full of rice, I didn't know i had ordered rice rolls instead of spicy tuna. And speaking of spicy tuna, this is the worst spicy tuna rolls I've ever had, it was fuzzy and tasted very fishy. Adding insult to injury this place is not exactly cheap! I wanted to like this place so bad, and apparently a lot of people do, but not me.
One of our favorite Japanese resteraunts in the South Bay. The staff and service is really good. The regular entree food like beef and chicken teriyaki is quite satisfying but their new rolls is the reason I go there. The Chula Vista and Tijuana rolls are delicious and quite filling. I recommend this place if you are ever in the South Bay and in the mood for some sushi and rolls.
BIG RIPP OFF!!! One of the worse I would say in San Diego... Reasons??...
Over priced sushi... Not worth what they give.. If you are a sushi lover and love the art of sushi rolling and presentation... This is definitely not the place to go to...
I ordered 12 pieces of sashimi combo and for I think it was like $15 dollars.. I should of went to the Japanese Market Mitsua and bought some fresh fish cause it was not worth $15... What pissed me off was that I had to pay an extra $.50 for some ponzu sauce for my wasabi and they did't even give me enough pickled ginger... Ok.. Don't want to ramble anymore...
bottom line is that the food is not very tasty... My Girl got the Terriaki chicken and Panda express serves better terriaki chicken...
Fish is fresh but the amount of what you get for the price is a rip off...
And I don't know why this place has so many stars... I guess these people don't really know what good a good sushi restaurant is...
Go to TODO's in Mira Mesa.. For the same price or less you'll get what you pay for.... quality, service, and good sushi....
Went here last night and I felt like I wasted my money. The sushi rolls were sub-par. Blech. The spicy crab (krab) roll wasn't spicy. I know exactly what they did. They took a normal krab roll and put a little chili oil on it. Major cop out, why don't they actually make a spicy crab filling? The shrimp tempura roll was pre-made and refridgerated. I could tell because the tempura was cold and carboard like.
My Miso ramen soup was really too sweet and salty. Not good. And they used CANNED bean sprouts. What the f? My boyfriend ordered a soup which I can't remember the name of right now, but I believe it started with a C. I tried the broth and it was actually quite tasty. It would've been a 1 star review if his soup wasn't good.
Overall- the food is overpriced, especially the sushi. These guys are taking way too many shortcuts and the quality of food just isn't there.
I crave this place constantly. Thank god it's super close to me or I'd be sad and probably angry. The people here are awesome. They always greet you when you come through the door and as you leave. I have never had a bad experience here and I've been coming for years. I can't believe I haven't reviewed this place yet!
I always order the california roll (with masago of course). I think it's one of the best (if not the best) that I've had in all the places I've tried here in San Diego (or elsewhere for that matter...) I'll let you know if that ever changes, but for now. Hanaoka's hands down. Their soft shell crab rolls are yummy, I love their hawaiian roll too. The tuna is just the right amount of spicy. Their teriyaki is good. The crunchy roll is awesome. Honestly, it all is. Even there miso soup comes with chunks of tofu! I hate it when places get skimpy and your left wondering why there are crumbs in your soup...
And if you ever have room for dessert, be sure to try the red bean ice cream. Do you remember Mr. Smelly markers? Well if the cherry one were a flavor, it would taste just like this ice cream. Oh baby.
I've been coming to Hanaoka's, since I got back from Japan, in 1995. It reminded me of one of the mom and pop shops that I used to frequent, on my way home from work/school. Whenever I'm there, I order the same foods that brought back some really awesome memories, from the 5 years that I've lived there. The place is pretty much like home cooking.
Hanaoka's Japanese staff are nice and friendly. They always give an extra big welcome, whenever my mom and I show up for our bi-monthly dinner times together. When we get our favorite waitress, I love it how she asks my mom, who suffered from a back injury, how her back is doing. Adds a nice personal touch.
The sushi is good. Not spectacular, but good. There is a mixture of variety. The price for the special rolls, a bit, on the high side. But, regular rolls are average price. The champon soup is probably as close as it's going to get to the Nagasaki champon I used to love getting from a Japanese chain called Ringer Hut. The yakisoba is the same way, except they put way more vegetables than I remember from all those festivals I've attended. I order it without the veggies. That, or I pick 'em out. And the gyoza is just the way I like it - NOT FRIED!
As the service and the experience has always been consistently good, this has become one of my favorite places to go to. Besides, if it's good enough for the Japanese business men that frequent the place (yes, I've eaves dropped a few times), it's good enough for me.
Nice staff. Closest sushi spot worth going to from Southeast. Havent seen no mexicans working there.
Hanoka's is about 2 miles from where I work so I have been here at least half a dozen times. It's pretty good. The fish is really fresh and yummy. I have one issue and one only..the rolls with crab mix inside them have way to much mayo. I am already not a huge mayo fan but this takes the too much mayo cake. It overwhelms the taste of the fish and why masks something that tastes sooo good? I don't get it. So when I go I try to stick with sashimi. I really love the sunset roll but I usually get something else with out crab/mayo mix. The soups are lovely. The portion is HUGE and you literally can not finish it all. The yakitori sticks are nice too. One day maybe I will send an anonymous letter about the mayonnaise problem, but who knows maybe everyone else likes it like this.
This is my favorite sushi place. Nice atmosphere, good sushi and other entrees, fair prices, and wide variety. It can get kind of crowded between 12 and 1:30, otherwise it's pretty quiet.
I love this place...I would give them a 5, but based on our past visit this weekend...its a 4. Why? Because of the wait! Why again? Because we have been going here for the past 4 years and never, ever had to wait. And the one time I bring my cousin and her family here...we had to wait. Sucks.
We waited like dummies standing there in the way of all the waitresses. Because those of you who don't know yet...its small in there. But its a pretty popular place. In the middle...there is a few tables and it always says reserved on them. Don't know why! Well we waited for like 15-20 minutes. Finally they took the reserved sign off one of the tables and gave it to us. Waitresses are always nice. Food to me...is always good. They have a good selection of sushi. I rarely order anything besides the normal california roll unless someone is willing to share with me. ANd whomever else I am with...I just taste whatever sushi they order! The lunch prices are really cheap. I always get the same thing. The #1 combo with chicken teriyaki and fried gyoza and it comes with salad, steamed rice and a cup of miso soup. All for $6.99. What more can you ask for in a Japanese restaurant? And every time you leave you always get a few guys yelling "Arigatou" from behind the sushi bar. Always a nice feeling to know you are being thanked for coming in and bringing business...all places should be as friendly.
UMM YUM!!! I went here again and was totally reminded of how DELICIOUS it is.. I mean, yeah prices are high, but like I said, you get what you pay for, it's fresh sushi good service.. they're always bowing and saying arrigato to you when you leave lol, service w/ a smile is always there.. the sushi is JUST BOMB okaye I swear!! It's by far the best sushi restaurant I have ever eaten @..
literally, best sushi spot. nothing more to say. just do it like nike HAH. nah but very traditional… Read more »
This was the very first place I tried sushi at many, many *cough* 13 years *cough* moons ago. Not only was their sushi good so were the other items on their menu I loved their chicken teriyaki and tempura as well.
I was happy to see they were able to expand into the old Swanson's place because the place was rather small. They were always clean and fish was always fresh. The bad thing is they are closed at Christmas so when I go home for Christmas I can't go there.
I like coming here because it's pretty close. Not only that, but they're pretty nice, always greeting you with "irashaimase" which is Japanese for welcome.
The food is good too. The ramen noodles are really delicious. However, my most favorite thing to order is the crunchy roll. It's a shrimp tempura roll with crunchy tempura on top.
The sushi rolls that involve cooking are a bit pricey, but everything else are priced reasonably. You get really full with their food because they give you big portions.
I started going here when I younger, but I moved from this area so I barely stop by to grab a bite. However, my boyfriend doesn't live to far away from it so if we want some sushi, we just go here to get some. Their beef teriyaki is soooo delicious and the meat is soooo tender! I love the warm welcome that they give upon entering the restaurant. I love the sushi here as well and their miso soup... but I must say that they use A LOT of rice on their sushi. I don't really like eating a lot of rice because that is just a lot of carbs. However, I told mind unrolling a few things of rice.
A+ for service... I love the lady that says "everything oh-keh (ok)"
This place is soooo good. the first time i went here was with my bf's family. I dont know why but everytime i come to this place i always order the same thing which is chicken cutlet. haha.. i would love to try their sushis. overall the employees are nice and pleasant, its clean and good food and good price or range. =)
Yah, b**ches, you can find a good sushi joint in Nasty City.
I love the atmosphere in this place. It's cute, simple and, well, authentic looking.
The prices are fairly reasonable, and though the tastes aren't always familiar (different strokes), it's only a testament to my American-centric sushi experience. I mean, I often see Japanese business men eating here. So *someone* is doing it right :)
This is the best Sushi place by far that I have ever been to. Very cute set up. Friendly & great service. Food is brought out to you in a timely fashion and it's a fun place to have a fun group date.
I wish I could give Hanaoka five stars. They are friendly, greeting you when you arrive and leave. And when the wait on you. The food is OK some quite good. I especially like the miso soup. The folks that said they have reasonable prices either eat there at lunch or are a lot richer than me. I will say they have a good atmosphere, and a varied menu. The last time I went there I had the Sushi combo. Good but in my personal opinion not worth the price.
I am from japan...I guess its AIGHT if you miss real home cooked Japanese cuisine.
The place is run by Japanese, I am pretty sure they have Japanese chefs...but the food is barely mediocre...borderline WACK!!
Southbay people need to quit blowing this place up. I mean, I wanna support them and all...but honestly I just don't get how they managed to make Japanese food made by Japanese people so not tasty...
The food here is sooo good. I suggest ordering the boat for your sushi variety, it's $40 and totally worth it. You get more for your money than when you order individually. The only reason why i'm not giving this place 5 stars is because of this adorable tiny waitress who gives you the bill before you ask for it and 5 minutes into digging in your food. haha! oh well. eat here, just try to avoid her like we do! haha!
I went there not too long ago,
and I saw a 4-inch roach with wings just chilling on the wall...my appetite shut down and my dinner was ruined.
I will never return again.
Gross.
This is probably as close to Japan as I am going to get in San Diego. The way they made the food was much different from the sushi I had encountered. The miso soup was amazing! The service was not the greatest, but for some reason I find Japanese places are much slower on the service but there is a lot more love put into making the food than your average "American" place.
The restaurant itself is pretty small which sometimes feels like the servers and people coming in and out are on top of your table. The ambiance was nothing fancy; but in the other room of the restaurant there are floor tables you can sit at, which I wished I would have experienced when I was there.
Hanaoka is awesome.
They have a good variety of Japanese food and they know what they're doing. The prices are very good for lunch and rather inexpensive for dinner too.
I'd say 2 people could easily only pay around $15.00 for lunch (combined) and $30.00 for dinner.
The sushi is always delicious and fresh -- this is the first place I was introduced to sushi and it definitely has a place in my heart.
The customer service is great, they're very friendly and on the ball...
I been coming to Hanaoka's for many years. Had many great memories of family and great friends. The food is good and the wait staff is friendly. There's a reason why it's been open for so long.
I've gone to Hanaoka so many times, prior to venturing out into other Japanese/Sushi restaurants. Now that I've been to other places, this establishment is not worth it anymore.
This is what I have tried and favor on the menu:
Shumai
Gyoza
Crunchy Tempura Roll, Spicy Scallop Roll, Rainbow Roll, Spider Roll, just about every roll on their sushi line-up ( I love sushi! )
Beef Yakisoba
Fried Orange Roughy
I went about a month ago in hopes for a good meal, but was NOT the case. Their prices have gone up and the food quality was bad. I ordered their new "baked rolls", but it was salty and really disgusting! Do not order their baked rolls, overpriced, salty, no flavor, just overall wrong!
I live near Hanaoka...and sad to say this place has lost it's quality.
I'd rather head to sushi deli.
Been eating here for years! My friend knows the owner so it's always nice to come in and feel like you're always welcomed. Upon entering, you're greeted by the Japanese servers and chefs. I've always been seated right away so that's never a problem.
The sushi and lunch specials are really good! I enjoy my meals with a saporo or sake, but usually you'll find me drinking green tea here. You really can't go wrong with their food as it's reasonably priced. I do wish they served green peas to munch on while waiting for food, but that's ok since they serve fairly quickly.
Great place to stop in for lunch with a co-worker or friend.
This was a great place... I always passed by this place going to Circuit City and always wondered about it for years. One day my friend and I decided to eat here since we were in the neighborhood.
The food, setting/atmosphere, and service were great! We ordered a lot of food, probably enough to feed 4-6 people... LOL... but it was the two of us. The waiter/waitress kept coming to our table and checking on us every 5 minutes and it seemed like they were staring at us because we ordered a lot, I guess they wanted to see if we will eat all the food, we didn't.
I highly recommend this place if you're in the south bay!
It's been a long time since I've visited so I'll try to remember the best as I can. My friends and I dropped in after spending the day at Sea World. I had a bowl of ramen noodles that was very tasty (or it must of been because I was tired and hungry and everything tasted good). I also tried a few pieces of rolls that was good as well. Price was good. Not a bad dining experience but certainly not a stand-out.
Neighborhood: National City
Category: Japanese
San Diego, CA
Neighborhood: National City
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Chula Vista
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Chula Vista
Category: Sushi Bars
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