Hana Don Japanese Cuisine & Bar — Restaurant in Toronto

I've been to this restaurant 4 times in the past 2 months, and have generally recommended it to friends because prior to my experience tonight, the food was actually really good! However, I took my dad here tonight and ordered prime sirloin katsu. The first time I had it I really enjoyed it so thought I'd share the experience with him. However, for some reason, the katsu was SO SALTY today. I understand that sometimes things aren't consistent and can be a bit saltier/less salty depending on the day ... but this was next level... I've legitimately never had something as salty before .... we had to peel the breaded layer off the meat just to make it ok to eat. And when the wait staff asked how the food was, we told them everything else was really good, but this katsu was very very salty and barely edible. Our waiter returned after a few minutes, and told us that unfortunately, the chef who prepares this dish was away today and so another chef took over who doesn't normally make this dish and acknowledges he probably added too much salt. While they weren't obligated to, we would have appreciated it if they offered to remake the dish for us or at least offer us a free drink/dessert to offset the saltiness or waived/discounted the price of this dish ... but when the bill came, we were charged the full cost of this dish. My father rarely gets annoyed but even he was surprised and pretty disappointed, commenting after we left that customer service was poor. It's unfortunate because prior to this I'd been recommending this restaurants to friends and family especially those visiting from out of town, but am now hesitant given...

Wonderful atmosphere! Great rice bowls! My friend recommended this place to me. I was skeptical at first thinking this was another “mall restaurant”. I was pleasantly surprised.

We ordered a variety of different Donburi rice bowls. We ordered the “Fuji”, “unagi (eel)”, and the “beef” bowls. For good measure, we also ordered the grilled squid. There was one other bowl I wanted to try, which was the “uni (sea urchin)”. But it was too much food.

Everything was super fresh and tasty. The fish in the “Fuji” bowl was awesome. It tastes much better than most sushi places I visited in the past. The rice contained bits of mushroom with a splash of mirin.

The eel bowl has large pieces of eel. It was very tasty and very filling. The eel was sweet with a bit of salt which was not overpowering

The beef bowl had beef and onion. The beef was lightly marinated and not too salty. We polished off that bowl in a hurry. If you’re not a fish lover, this is the bowl of choice.

The squid was tender and not chewy. It was a delight to eat bite after bite.

We were so full after our meal but we had to try the matcha green tea ice cream. I would seriously recommend this to everyone! The flavour was spectacular! The texture is smooth and but stiff for soft ice cream. The waffle cones were super crispy. It was a true delight.

The prices was more expensive than I’m used to paying for raw fish and rice. The bill came to just under $90 with tip But this experience was worth every penny.

I would highly recommend this restaurant, even if it is a “mall restaurant”. I would come back...

Had lunch at Hana Don in Fairview Mall with family. I went for the Toyosu Don, which came with sweet shrimp, salmon, white fish, scallop, and ikura on top of their premium sushi rice. The seafood was nicely arranged, and the rice itself was well done with that slightly warm and seasoned touch that works perfectly with the toppings. In hindsight, I should’ve gone with the large. But that’s just me, I eat a lot. I think most people would be satisfied with the regular portion. The overall quality was definitely on the good side, though a part of me felt it could have been just a notch better. Still, no complaints really. The space itself is well put together. Not overly fancy but thoughtfully laid out. It felt comfortable and clean, and worked well for a relaxed family meal. Service was okay. Nothing to really complain about, but it wasn’t the kind of attentive service you’d hope for when you’re paying a premium for simple, clean food like this. Also, just a small note, it would’ve been nice if there was an alternative to miso soup. I know that kind of dietary restriction isn’t super common, but still, offering something small would’ve been a good touch. All in all, happy we came by. It’s a solid spot in the mall, and I’d definitely be down to come back and try another bowl next time. Probably going...