Hana Zen Yakitori & Sushi Bar

Maki rolls had almost no meat in them but the costs were average. No tea was offered and what's a Japanese restaurant without tea? Atmosphere is fine. You are really paying for a Japanese name. It's a good place if you don't know better. In reality the place is poor value

Posted 03/04/09

Have to mention that the sever was culturally insensitive and prejudice. We were sad to know such disrespect still exists even in such a culturally diverse location as San Francisco.

Posted 01/26/09

I first went here at 4pm on a Sunday. I guess they close at 430 and reopen at 5pm for dinner, so it was empty, and the hostess didn't seem thrilled to see me. I ordered a couple of rolls and some nigiri. It was good sushi, but nothing spectacular. I wasn't wowed, but was willing to come back for a second sushi fix later in the week, since the place was right next to my hotel. The second time I went was at 2pm. I was horrified. The place smelled like dirty mop water (the best analogy I can come up with). There were gnats on my window next to my table that I had to smush with my hand. Again, the sushi was OK, but not spectacular. I would never again eat here, despite the convenient location.

Pros: Location, hours

Cons: Atmosphere, service, cleanliness

Posted 10/27/08

While recently visiting SF, we came upon Hana Zen in search for a late night dinner. We had the Hana Zen Signature Roll- which included fresh tuna and salmon tempura. Incredibly delicious! We also had the Rainbow roll and the *Dynamite roll. *Warning: SPICY!! We also had the sake cocktails which weren't very strong [as I had expected] so we went to the house sake instead which treated us very well. :) To top it all off we enjoyed a the flourless chocolate cake with coconut ice cream which was very tasty. Service was nice and the sushi chefs were quick and friendly. This place would be much cooler with dimmer lighting and some great lounge music to create even more of an experience.

Pros: sushi, service

Cons: lack of ambience

Posted 04/02/08

I am a sushi lover and have eaten at many high-end sushi restaurants in SF. I came hungry and ordered hot tea, miso soup, Sunset Strip role and a sp. shrimp tempura roll with my waitress named Rina. After 13 minutes I still didn't receive my miso soup, so I kept sipping on my $4.50 hot tea (wich by the way is not complementary like so many other high-end sushi places). Finally, I asked the sushi chef for soup and a waiter brought it over immediately. Both of my sushi rolls tasted fresh and delicious, but were very very small and pricy. Rina never checked back with me or asked me if I needed anything else. The sushi chefs were very friendly and attentive. I paid my $36 dollar bill and left hungry. I would NOT recommend this restaurant to my hungry friend.

Pros: fresh fish

Cons: horrible music, unconfortable chairs, poor service, small portions, very pricy

Posted 01/13/08

I was in for a quick late lunch, order the first think I saw on the menu, it turn out to be one of the best Teriyaki Chicken I have ever had!
the restaurant looks very nice, the serverice was good, I will have to come back for dinner, and try some sake. a good sake is hard to find, and it looks like they carry a lot of them.

Pros: every thing

Cons: PARKING

Posted 10/15/07

I love this place, and have been going here for several years. I live out of town, and whenever I am in SF on business, I go out of my way to have some Hana Zen! The sushi is fantastic (and I am a picky eater). The saki is yummy, and the service has always been stellar:) Highly Recommended A++++++++

Pros: Food, Service, Location, Ambience

Cons: Price

Posted 06/21/07

My decision to eat at Hana Zen was based on my hunger rather than my taste buds. I love sushi and I've blessed my stomach by eating at many sushi places but Hana Zen wasn't that much of a blessing.
As in the typical dress affair of most sushi eateries the staff was dressed in all black including the greeter who asked if we wanted to eat at the sushi bar or at a table. Wanting to sit by the window which provided a great view we asked for a table. Our great view consisted of a chinese restaurant across the street and a transient urinating behind an SUV.
The long rectangular interior of the eatery was somewhat spacious and our table was rather small but still functional.
My wife and I ordered a San Francisco Roll, Chicken Teriyaki lunch special, Salmon salad and a cold buckwheat noodle dish. We paid about $60 for our meal including the tip and a Kirin Ichiban and it wasn't really worth it. None of the plates flavors stood out and the food was medicore but when your hungry who really cares.

Pros: decor, prompt service, location

Cons: price for food

Posted 05/28/07

This place Rocks! The food was excellent and the staff was very friendly and helpful with the menu. My favorite Dish was the lamb chops, it was cooked just right. I highly recommend this place to everybody. Only one thing I dislike about the place is the horrible music.

Pros: food, service, and smiles

Cons: horrible music. Just AWFUL!!!!!!

Posted 02/08/07

I brought my family to this palce for the dinner. Everyone expected someting good and different, but the hostess "mechanically" asked us to wait until 5:00pm when the service begins. She didn't bear any smile nor eye-contact to us while moving around the narrow hallway. After waiting 20 minutes, I totally lost my appetite when she asked us to sit at the sushi bar after giving a table to a party who came later than us. She was very stingy in saying "sorry" until we turned back toward the door.

Posted 12/31/06

Hana Zen is unique in term of its offering of kushi (skewered foods). The eggplant, chicken, filet, and scallops are excellent. The sake list is also extensive with many good choices. The sushi, however, is just so so, and my wife and I are always amazed at how many people order the sushi as opposed to the yakitori.

Pros: best kushi (yakitori)

Cons: so so sushi

Posted 10/15/06

We had lunch at Hana Zen in August. For lunch on a Saturday, it wasn't at all crowded. The sushi was great; very authentic and very fresh. Service was good too. Things were a little pricey, but not surprising considering the location. Best features were the authenticity (I'm part Japanese so I think it's cool when there are actually JAPANESE people making the sushi) and the trendy decor. It's a great place for lunch.

Pros: great sushi, fresh, authentic

Cons: slightly overpriced

Posted 09/22/06

This was a tough call. On one hand, the food was good. Just okay, nothing outstanding as far as sushi goes. I've had better. I received some of the worst service ever. My server did not even greet me for 20 minutes and her service is best described as hostile! I ordered a spicy tuna roll and a soft shell crab roll. Another twenty minutes. I ordered a philly roll. Another fifteen minutes and fifteen minutes more for the check to arrive. The food and drinks are way overpriced I would never go back there. I'm sure the only reason they are still in business is because they are located in a prime tourist spot.

Pros: decent sushi

Cons: horrible service

Posted 08/07/06

Warm welcome from the host Myly and great service by Romat(waiter)great food from the sushi bar,sake was great as well.

Pros: Foods, drinks and friendly staff.

Cons: a little too dark

Posted 07/08/06

Prompt seating for lunch but did not even necognize that we made reservations. We ordered an assortment of sushi, sashimi, and rolls. Fish rated from average, yellowtail sashimi; to poor, toro and salmon, rainbow roll. Service was poor. We felt rushed through our meal. I would recommend going elsewhere for lunch unless you limit your choices to hot tea or miso soup, and to do some people-watching from the second-floor perch.

Pros: Hot Tea, Miso Soup, Sake Choices

Cons: Fish Quality, Service, Lack of Value

Posted 02/20/06

We visit SF once a year, and typically try to get to Hana Zen at least once. Tommaso's is our favorite but Hana Zen has great yakitori. The salmon wrapped in bacon is superb, we also enjoy the asparagus maki. It's expensive, but if you order some California rolls, miso soup and salads to go with it 2 people can eat well for under $45. Service has always been good for us, but they do have off nights. They could also use an upgrade to the decor, it's getting shabby looking.

Pros: great yakitori, great sushi

Cons: decor needs upgrade, expensive

Posted 08/30/05

The sushi here was among the best I've tasted anywhere. But the service was frustratingly slow. Our server walked past us over and over again and simply would never make eye contact -- seemed much too busy with a larger table that was ordering more sushi. When it was time to leave, it was very difficult to get her attention. We apparently weren't the only ones... the guy in the table next to us lost patience, eventually got up and walked up to her with his credit card in hand before she finally closed him out.

Pros: Great sushi

Cons: Slow Service, Expensive

Posted 08/29/05

I came here from NYC to visit my friend and I can say that this is the best tasting sushi I have ever eaten west of the Mississippi. Sure it's a little pricey but I'm a firm believer of getting what you pay for. Actually our bill probably would have been a lot cheaper if we hadn't kept on ordering more rolls after we finished our first round. The sashimi was fresh and delicious and the rolls were just perfect. (I recommend the 49ers roll.) The service was quick and the staff was very friendly and easy on the eyes no less. Very nice atmosphere and great location, around (or in?) Union Sq.

Pros: Delicious fish, Awesome waitstaff

Cons: $$$

Posted 06/30/05

We were there on a Friday night - if you're going to get fresh sushi, you should be able to get it early on a Friday night. We were given benito that most sushi chefs would throw away, the hamachi was poorly trimmed, the toro was disgusting. There was way too much rice, and it wasn't good. We were leaving clumps of rice on our tray. Switched to rolls, and even the spicy tuna was lacking.

Pros: None

Cons: Sushi not fresh

Posted 06/05/05

I like to go here for their Ankimo & their Fois Gras sushi. DELICIOUS. The sushi chefs are friendly and shy, they don't bug you while you eat. We were disappointed with the yakitori, having given it a chance several times. It is just very bland. However, we do like the hamachi-kama, the blackened fish, and the bacon-scallop yakitori. My other complaint is that when you sit at the sushi bar, the servers never-to-rarely come by to take away dirty dishes or to fill up your tea. You have to grab them while they're walking by.

Pros: fois gras sushi, amaebi, friendly sushi chefs

Cons: , bland yakitori

Posted 06/18/04

Not your regular Japanese restaurant. The place is busy so the fish is fresh. Great sashimi, sushi and speciality rolls. They have a Yakitori grill with imported charcoal from Japan. The lamb chops and scallops wrapped in bacon are off the hook. Not super fancy but great food with a wide menu to choose from. I like it and few San Franciscan know of it. Great location near union square, market st, theater and shopping. The atmosphere is friendly and open. Good service with some sweet looking servers. Can't go wrong.

Pros: great food, wide menu, atmosphere

Posted 02/12/04

The service was bad, I had Japanese beef curry and it was a luke warm gumbo-like dish with an extremely small portion of beef.

Posted 11/22/03

Typically, fusion restaurants take something good from one culture (i.e. carpaccio) and make it terrible (i.e. use fish). I've typically avoided anything that doesn't have a single specialty on the menu.

One day I was walking around and decided to this this place a try. The ability to have Yakitori, Sushi, and foie gras at the same place was awesome. "Fusion"? Not sure how to classify it, but it was great.

Fish was fresh. Staff was friendly. Chefs behind the bar were well informed and likeable.

I've gone back a few times already and love this place. Where else can you have good qualify sushi and be able to expand when you're in the mood for something a bit more.. uhmm.. cooked.

Pros: Qualify, Selection, Service

Cons: Parking, if you drive

Posted 10/23/03

The sushi is on par with other japansese restaurants in the area and price range. However, it's the asparagus yakkatori that keeps me coming back here whenever I have out of town guests and even when I don't. The asparagus is grilled, of course, and wrapped in paper thin pork and I just love love love it!!!!

Pros: yakkatori, raw and cooked items

Posted 08/02/02

The food is average for downtown. The two times I tried it the music was so loud we could not talk at our table. They refused to turn it down. I'll never go back.

Pros: Food is just okay

Cons: LOUD music

Posted 07/11/02

Best combination of both worlds of fine Japanese cuisine: yakitori and sushi. This restaurant is the best for those who like authentic Japanese food. A must for all yakitori and sushi lovers!

Posted 06/03/02