Irvine Omakase｜Hana Re – The Hype of a MICHELIN Star 🍣

Hana Re had been on my foodie list for so long, thanks to endless recommendations online. With its MICHELIN star reputation, my expectations were sky-high before visiting! However, upon arrival, I realized the place was really small — the sushi bar seats only six people. The host told us we had booked a table, not the bar, which honestly surprised me — the confirmation text didn’t specify there were both options. But that wasn’t the main issue — I was still excited about the food. 🍣 Appetizers Actually quite liked these! Refreshing, well-balanced, and thoughtful — you could tell the chef put effort into them. 🍣 Sashimi Course This left me genuinely confused. If it weren’t for the soy sauce, I might have wondered if I’d lost my sense of taste — every piece of fish lacked distinct flavor. They were just… fish. The uni was also bitter — not great. Another downside: since we were at a table, all the sashimi arrived at once, and by the time I ate it, some pieces were still quite cold. While we were already on dessert, the chef was still serving the first few nigiri to those at the bar. Maybe it’s hard to balance both, but for a MICHELIN-starred spot at this price point, the nigiri should at least meet a certain standard… 🍨 Dessert The yogurt mousse after the meal deserves praise — creamy, tangy, and nicely balanced!😍😊 Final thoughts: The sashimi lacked memorability — probably won’t return. #IrvineOmakase #IrvineJapanese #OrangeCountyEats 🍱