Hanami

Had a the LATE pleasure to have eaten a poke bowl from Team Hanami last night. I live in the Broadmoor neighborhood and I must say I'm very impressed by the quality.

No need to go across town when we have them down the street. I highly recommend anyone within the 3mile radius to give them a try.

Thank you!

Solid Japanese spot in San Leandro close to the Oakland border in the MacArthur area. I wanted to get poke, and I really enjoy that you can build your own poke. This was what I chose:

Regular size (2 scoops of protein)
Mixed Greens
Tuna
Green onion
Purple cabbage
Unagi sauce
Wasabi ponzu
Ginger
Seaweed
Broccoli
Wasabi
Radish

It was very fresh indeed. The takoyaki as appetizers to share was also very delicious.

Customer service was very friendly. It's a very clean and well-lit establishment with very cute Japanese decor and a giant mural of Mt Fuji with cherry blossoms.

I would definitely come back to try other dishes, like ramen and some of the other appetizers.

Wasn't sure what to expect when we walked up to this modest establishment, but once inside we were transported back to happy times in Japan. It is refreshing to visit a Japanese restaurant that is doing simple food well. The interior was very clean, with lovely dishes and decor. Even the hashi are good quality. The service was anticipatory and demure - we lacked for nothing and were given space to enjoy our meal and each other's company.

We chose our lunches randomly - Chicha and I shared a lunch set with salmon sashimi, a seasoned rice ball with Spam, seaweed salad, (cold) mashed potatoes, miso soup, and gyoza; an order of age dashi tofu; okonomiyaki; and a shrimp tempura roll. I asked for tea and received momo sencha! Perfect peach tea. Delightful.

Was it the best Japanese food I've ever eaten? No. Was it a perfect lunch? Yes. It was like going to your sweet Japanese friend's house for lunch. Simple food, well prepared, served with kindness and grace.

The only misstep was the okonomiyaki, which would have been fine if we didn't make it better at home, ourselves.

We will definitely be returning again, probably weekly.

Key Points:
- Hidden gem in San Leandro
- THICK pork slices
- they have seafood ramen
- popular unique items sell out fast
- delightful decor

Hanami is a hidden gem tucked away in San Leandro. Its exterior is quite unassuming, like literally, it looks plain white with a window that barely shows the inside. However, stepping inside reveals a cozy yet vibrant atmosphere adorned with charming "cutesie" decor, as the Mrs. puts it.

The Mrs. and I stumbled upon this great find after we took the Little One to the Oakland zoo and were craving Ramen afterwards.

The service was friendly and attentive, adding to the overall pleasant experience. It seemed a bit understaffed, however, as the traffic in the restaurant was picking up quick, yet there was only one person serving all people on the weekend!

The menu boasts a variety of unique dishes. Here is what we ordered:
Seafood Ramen w/ black garlic pork broth - this caught my eye, as the name reminded me of my favorite ramen bowl I had at the ShinYokohama Ramen Museum during my visit to Japan, which had a seafood base. However, I was somewhat disappointed that the seafood did not pertain to the broth, but rather just the fix-ins, and a seafood broth option was not available. Still, the generous portions of seafood in the black garlic pork broth ramen were a delightful surprise. The broth was rich, flavorful, absolutely delicious! Almost to die for! There goes my attempt at being it worth pescatarian for the day, but well worth it!

Tonkatsu Ramen w/ Miso broth - Again, we were surprised to find out that the tonkatsu didn't pertain to the broth, but rather the meat. So we opted for a miso broth. Still, this dish didn't disappoint. Those tonkatsu slices were thick! I mean thiiiiicccc! They had a perfectly seared brown crust. The miso broth was also a delight. It was sweet and full bodied. Though if we had to do it again, we would have opted for the black garlic pork for this also.

Mixed Tempura platter - great accompaniment to our Ramen dishes, which featured a delightful assortment of shrimp, kabocha squash, sweet potato, broccoli, and eggplant.

We were a bit disappointed that the clam chowder croquette and yuzu cheesecake were sold out. I think this is a testament to their popularity. I'll be sure to try them next time.

Overall, Hanami is a great spot for authentic Japanese cuisine. Whether you're craving ramen, poke, or sushi, you're sure to find something to satisfy your taste buds. Just be sure to arrive early if you want to snag those popular menu items!

We were, once again, hungry. We knew that Hanami wasn't far away, highly rated and had a decent menu. We drove over and managed to snag a parking space practically in front of the restaurant.

We were greeted as soon as we walked in. There was one guest already in the restaurant. During our visit, there appeared to be two order pick-ups and another couple that sat at another table.

We were given laminated menus and dry erase pens. Our order was simple enough that we simply told our server what we wanted.

We each ordered a Combo Meal and those come with either Miso Soup or a Soda. That was a no brainer. Diet Coke for each of us.

The food came relatively quickly. Each component was very good on it's own with the exception of the edamame. I felt that they could have been cooked just a bit longer.

The dining room is brightly lit and had various art items, tea cups and other items to look at.

I can see adding Hanami to our list of local haunts to dine at.

Reminder to self. Do NOT get miso ramen because it's not miso ramen broth. 味噌汁 with ramen noodles tasted strange to me. I tried this broth because it was one of the 3 veggie options. Not going to try butter miso because adding butter to this would be even stranger to my tastebuds

Toppings: egg is good texture but fridge cold so wait to eat until it's been buried under noods for a while. Silken tofu and Wakame with the broth really makes me think of miso soup. Corn. Sprinkle of green onion. Might ask to skip fried garlic next time.

Noods are on the soft side, maybe ask to have less cooked next time.

Hanami
Up to date, this is a top 5 sushi spot in the East Bay. Located in Oakland, there is parking available outside, and the area is beautiful and safe. Outside, you can see the menu Hanami offers.

Indoors, it's is beautiful, clean and sanitary. Once seated, you are given menus and water. My sister and I craved rolls. I went with King California Roll: my sister went with Tamago Roll. From presentation, taste and after taste, this was a banger. The staff is amazing: very chill, very patient!

This is a must return for me, and must go for you!

Best!
The food is great and service is outstanding.
They gave me a present for being a regular customer! So sweet

This place is such a vibe. My friend has been living in Japan the last few months and has been posting an obnoxious amout of food photos so I suppose this is what lead me to Hanami. I was the only person in there and I LOVED IT. From the music to the decor to the friendliness of the people who worked there. I went with the sushi, which I would not say was out of this world good but on this hot day did the trick. I will be back for sure. I loved the mango cheesecake and the tea.

This is more of a 3.5 but the friendly service bumped it up to a 4.

At the former Noodles Pho Me location, Hanami is more of a hole in the wall spot that reminds me of a mom and pop shop. We came by for takeout and got the pork katsu set and a roll. Although I liked the mashed potato, gyoza side, and cute heart shaped rice, it is on the small side and nothing really stood out.

The crab chowder croquettes that I really wanted to try was always sold out so I went for a roll this time. Just be prepared that their rolls are all topped with unagi sauce and there is an appearance of spam in half of them.

Solid but a bit salty for my taste so personally still prefer the rolls at Kigawa.