Hana Japanese Restaurant

Hana Japanese Restaurant Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant: One might wonder if Hana, fronting an awkwardly-located strip mall, could indeed be the place rumored to attract local chefs in their off-hours. The dining room, shaped like a staple and painted the same steely grey, looks shopworn, with industrial carpeting and a drop ceiling. The vibe often feels hectic and packed, partly because it’s so family friendly, and partly because patrons cram the doorway awaiting a slot. Chef-owner Ken Tominaga has passed away, but his family continues to helm the restaurant.

Food & Drinks: A diverse menu features fish flown in from Japan paired with Sonoma County ingredients, including farm-fresh vegetables. Eyeball the blackboard for sushi and sashimi specials, consider the generously outfitted bento boxes or try the diverse mains such as house-made udon in rich broth, pan-seared Kurobuta pork with ginger jus or miso-marinated black cod. Wines skew local Sonoma, but the showstopper is the saké selection, which has hard-to-find bottles not listed on the menu.