Located in The Lab Anti-Mall, a trendy open-air shopping center, Hanare Sushi feels like a quiet retreat. With just 10 seats at the sushi bar and a couple of tables, this restaurant feels cozy and intimate.
And, it’s the perfect setting for an exclusive omakase dinner. Hanare was awarded a coveted Michelin star in 2019 and guests can expect the quality of ingredients, skilled chef and level of service to match.
Here’s my experience dining at Hanare Sushi in Costa Mesa, California!
About Hanare Sushi
Chef Atsushi Yokoyama works meticulously behind the sushi bar to create course after course of delectable dishes and is a joy to watch.
Omakase, which means “I leave it up to you,” is a chef’s choice tasting menu that typically consists of seasonal, fresh and creative dishes. And that’s exactly what you can expect at Hanare! The omakase experience runs about $200 per person and consists of about 15 courses over a 2 hour time period.
Dining Experience at Hanare Sushi
Arriving at Hanare, we were graciously greeted and shown to our table by the sushi bar. We were given the sake list to look over which included an extension list of premium sakes to pair with your omakase.
Then, the omakase dishes started arriving… and they didn’t stop for a long time! Course after course of flavorful and delicious sushi, soups and more.
Course #1: Cuttlefish topped with ikura (or sea urchin) and adorned with a decorative gold leaf.
Course #2: A trio of dishes including clam with Japanese peach, sweet shrimp topped with caviar and melon, and firefly squid with enoki mushroom.
Course #3: Unagi (or freshwater eel) with eggplant and cucumber presented on a lettuce leaf.
Course #4: Japanese hairy crab with jelly in it’s own shell.
Course #5: Abalone topped with uni (or sea urchin) and sea snail.
Course #6: Kinmedai (or red eye snapper), tuna, yellowtail and cherry trout sashimi with shiso leaf.
Course #7: Seared butter fish with sliced lotus root topped with pea sprouts.
Course #8: Grilled A5 Miyazaki Wagyu beef on a hot stone topped with greens.
Course #9: Steaming hot bowl of miso soup. A classic!
Course #10: Shima-aji (or striped jack), Kanpachi (or amberjack) and seabass nigiri.
Course #11: Kinmedai (or golden eye snapper), toro (or tuna belly), kamasu (or barracuda) and butter fish nigiri.
Course #12: Hand roll filled with rice and uni (or sea urchin) from Santa Barbara.
Course #13: Almond panna cotta topped with macerated strawberries.
My Thoughts on Hanare’s Omakase Experience
I was very pleasantly surprised to find such a high caliber of omakase right here in Orange County! From the warm welcome and level of friendly service to the chef’s incredible culinary skills, we were treated all night long with high-grade fish, premium ingredients and artistic presentations.
Hanare is an excellent spot for a date night or special occasion like a birthday or anniversary. I know I’ll be back for sure!
Tips for Dining at Hanare
- Reservations must be made in advance by calling or texting the restaurant at 714-545-2800 and providing your name, contact number, size of party, and desired date and seating time. Note that there is a 4 guest maximum per party.
- Dinner seatings start between 5 – 5:30pm and 7:30 – 8pm, Tuesday – Saturday. The omakase experience lasts approximately 2 hours so make sure to allow for plenty of time to thoroughly enjoy your delicious evening!
- And of course, let the restaurant know about any allergies or dietary restrictions in advance.
- Parking is available for the restaurant in The LAB Anti-Mall parking area.
Looking for a table, not the chefs counter for 2 people. Either February 10th or anytime in March on Saturday’s except for the second. My wife is allergic to whitefish. and peanuts, all other fish and selfish are O k, all other nuts are OK. Also looking for the second seating, but if not available, the first seating is OK
Hi Joel,
I’m not affiliated with the restaurant so you’ll have to contact them directly to make a reservation 🙂
Reservations must be made in advance by calling or texting the restaurant at 714-545-2800 and providing your name, contact number, size of party, and desired date and seating time. Note that they only take reservations up to 1 month in advance.
Hope that helps!
– Laura