Hanasaki

We visited Hanasaki Japanese Restaurant in Fitzrovia and were absolutely delighted. The service was smooth, friendly, engaging, yet never intrusive. To be honest, we had originally booked a table at a neighboring restaurant, but as we approached it, “Hanasaki” caught our eye. The waitress seized the moment and gently guided us inside. Top-notch hospitality!😃 Dishes arrived quickly, served at the perfect temperature, and—excuse my subjectivity, which I don’t usually allow in reviews—it was delicious! Even the side dish, in our case slightly charred broccoli, added an unexpected twist to a familiar ingredient. To order:- “Edamame” – while waiting for the mains;- “chicken karaage” good for the kids – crispy fried chicken, + try broccoli;- “miso soup” – to start off and warm up;- “california roll” (forgive the banality, but I love them). Generous filling, a thin layer of rice, wrapped in sesame seeds. By the way, my daughter ate half the portion (sushi at 3 years old! 😃), which is always a sign of quality;- “Octopus” sashimi – not rubbery;- topped it all off with dessert sake; - “spicy tuna” rolls, which, turned out to be not spicy at all. For dessert, we got “mochi ice cream” for my daughter (strawberry cheesecake flavor). I’ve always been skeptical about mochi—I don’t quite get this dessert—but this one was actually pretty decent. However, aside from ice cream, the dessert menu has little to offer. I’d personally expand it a bit. Highly recommended!