Hana Japanese Hibachi & Sushi Bar Review

After a fantastic day of disc golf at Sand Hill Nature Trail Disc Golf Course, our oldest son arrived in Asheville. We had a lively discussion about where we should have dinner, and everyone agreed sushi would be a great choice. Unfortunately, the sushi place we planned to go to was closed on Sunday, so instead, we decided on Hana Japanese Hibachi & Sushi Bar.

It was a lovely evening, so we decided to walk since it was less than a mile away. It was a great way to take in some of the beautiful architecture in downtown Asheville. When we arrived at the restaurant, a hostess escorted us to a table in the back, which suited us just fine.

When Alex, our server, greeted us, he informed us that the restaurant was severely understaffed and that service would most likely be slower than usual. He brought water for the table and took our order. Usually, when we go out for sushi, we order as we go. However, with his warning, we decided to order all our food at once.

We ordered various items, including both chicken and steak hibachi dinners, Sushi Deluxe, Tataki Mango Magic, several sushi rolls, and sashimi. Our server had been correct in his prediction of slow service. Unfortunately, he did not return to the table until the food was ready, so we did not have the opportunity to order drinks other than the water he had given us at the beginning.

The food took much longer than we expected. When it finally came, all the sushi rolls were on one large platter. Our server explained that the kitchen was running low on plates. He offered to bring small plates for sharing. My son ordered a beer when the food arrived, but we never received the plates.

When the server dropped off the beer, we told him that we did not receive the salads that came with three of our dishes. We did not see him again until he brought the check, so we never had the opportunity to order more food or another beer. When we pointed out that we still did not get the salads, he indicated that he would discount the check for the error. Unfortunately, the new bill only had a $10 coupon added, which did not even cover the cost of the missing salads.  I went up front to speak with a manager to get the error corrected. Alex stopped to talk to me. When I pointed out the small discount on the check, he said that the manager had used the wrong discount and corrected the issue.

While the service was horrific in this case, I do not fault our server. Alex appeared to care about doing his job well, but management put him in a position that made it impossible for that to happen. The restaurant only had two servers for the entire place on a holiday weekend. Instead of staggering the seating to account for the small staff, they filled the restaurant with customers.

Nearly every table was seated. There was physically no way the servers could keep up with the number of people they had. To make matters worse, the bartender (who I think may have also been the manager) walked out in the middle of the shift. Our server ended up behind the bar as well. It was a recipe for disaster. It didn’t help that some customers were far less understanding than we were and behaving in an unacceptably rude fashion.

The redeeming factor was the food. It may have taken a while to get to us, and we might not have gotten everything we ordered, but what we had was fantastic. I love mango, so I had to taste the Tataki Mango Magic. The fresh mango, cucumber, and spring greens wrapped in peppered tuna tataki, topped with ponzu and mango sauce was bright and delicious. All the rolls, expertly prepared with the freshest ingredients, were outstanding, and the hibachi dishes were hearty and delicious.

I only wish we had the opportunity to order more, but as we watched the restaurant fill up, we knew that would be a bad idea. However, I would be willing to give Hana another shot when they have the appropriate staff. I think there is great potential for an extraordinary experience there.

Cost for a beer, an appetizer, an order of sashimi, six sushi rolls, a sushi entrée, and two hibachi entrees, with a 15% discount $137.54.