Hana Japanese Eatery.......Sushi like you've never had it before!

We went to Hana Japanese Eatery (http://hanajapaneseeatery.com/) located at 5524 N. 7th Avenue (7th Ave. and Missouri) last night for dinner.  We had heard about this restaurant from a couple of people, read about it in the best sushi write ups in the newspaper and have seen it as we drive up and down 7th Avenue all the time.  A craving for sushi and something not too far from home led us to Hana's.

This is a neighborhood restaurant that is easy to miss if you aren't looking for it.  We were seated right away but the restaurant was full.  Our first and only misfire of the night was that we did not know that they did not serve any alcohol.  We were both hoping for a glass of wine but then learned it was BYOB or should I say, BYOW (bring your own wine).  As we looked around, there were several tables where the patrons had brought their own wine and beer.  We forged ahead and checked out the menu and realized we would be more prepared next time (especially when we had a nice bottle of Byron Pinot Noir sitting on the counter at home).

We sat at the sushi bar and put in our sushi order.  The sushi chefs called out the orders which was fun and helped to create a family, neighborhood vibe in the restaurant.  Our sushi arrived quickly and with each dish, our taste buds were increasingly happy!  We ordered the California Roll, the Shrimp Tempura Roll and the Baked Salmon Roll.  I must disclose at this point that we are not your usual, "slimy, raw" sushi fans.  We happen to prefer the rolls and "cooked" items on the sushi menu.  We have friends and family that love the raw stuff so maybe we will bring them next time to give us their reviews!  Back to our order... it was all fabulous.  We both thought this was some of the best sushi we have ever had and it is right up the street!  The Baked Salmon roll was quite impressive and like nothing we had tasted before.

We had a great dinner here and there are many other items on the menu to try besides sushi (see their website for a menu)  If you are looking for the loud music and scene that you find at Ra Sushi, Hana Japanese Eatery is probably not for you.  However, for a neighborhood place not too far from home, this is certainly a place to try for some outstanding sushi.  We will be back and next time, we will bring our own wine!