Hatsukoi Hamburg - japanese grill & sushi — Restaurant in Hamburg

🍜🎷 A Jazz-Toned Ramen Surprise in Hamburg! 🎷🍜 Great ramen, warm service, and an unexpectedly pleasant experience despite initial doubts.

🏮 Ambience & Interior

This was a pleasant surprise for a restaurant we honestly didn’t expect much from — mainly because the food photos online looked overly shiny and pompous. But in person? Totally different vibe!

The interior blends jazz café charm with subtle Asian elements 🎶🇯🇵. It feels fancy without being intimidating. The staff, especially the waitress, was extremely patient and helpful — which made a big difference, especially when something wasn’t immediately clear on the menu.

🍥 Food & Flavor

Tonkotsu Ramen: The broth was very good. I might be biased since I hadn’t had a proper tonkotsu in a long time, but it tasted rich and balanced — a hint of soy, lemon, and ginger gave it a savory kick without being too heavy. The toppings were also impressive. I got an egg that might not have been intended, but it was well-marinated and delicious. The chashu was excellent — tender, flavorful, melt-in-your-mouth. Being picky: the spinach was served in whole leaves, and it might be better chopped for easier eating — but it was still very tasty.

🚫 Downside: The noodles didn’t quite match the quality of the broth and toppings. They were too thin and seemed over-soaked — which dulled the flavor, and they didn’t hold the broth well. That’s the only thing that held the dish back from being perfect.

Himbeer Lemonade: Refreshing and made in-house! 🍹 A really nice touch, especially after the richness of the ramen.

🚗 Getting There

Located in Hamburg and easy to reach from Altona Bahnhof

💡 Tips for a Better Visit

🎷 Pay attention to the decor — jazz lovers will enjoy the atmosphere. 🍜 If you love rich, balanced ramen broths, Tonkotsu is a great choice. 🍹 Try the homemade lemonades!

💬 Closing Note

Despite our low expectations at first glance, this turned out to be one of the best ramen experiences we've had in Hamburg. Great broth, flavorful toppings, kind staff, and a jazzy, elegant atmosphere. Definitely worth a visit for ramen lovers, since, for now, it is our favorite ramen shop.

Review made by Pedro & Fiorella 💕🍥 – not sponsored, just two happy foodies! Hope you enjoy the vibes and flavors as much as...

I ordered from the lunch menu which included soup as an appetizer. My soup came with an insect (looked almost like a silverfish). I pointed this out to the waitress who apologised and took the soup back to the kitchen. She offered to bring a new soup but I declined as I was already turned off.

When it was time to pay, the bill was in the original amount. When pointing out to the waitress that we shouldn't have to pay full price since there was an insect in the soup, she returned the bill with a 10%...

Sushi gut, aber der Rest… vergiss es.

Also, das Sushi ist wirklich ein Wahnsinn – frisch, schmeckt super, Qualität passt. Aber: 55 Euro für eine Sushi-Platte für zwei Personen? Seid’s ihr noch ganz g’scheit? Und dann wird einem erzählt, man kann sich alle Sushi, Makis und Sashimi selbst aussuchen. Blödsinn! Tatsächlich gibt's nur eine Auswahl, die die Küche festlegt. Also deswegen keine 5 Sterne.

Warum dann auch nur 3? Na gut, jetzt halt dich fest: Ich frag’ beim Reinkommen noch, ob man mit Karte zahlen kann. Die Kellnerin ganz überzeugt: "Ja, ja, geht sicher!" Beim Zahlen dann die große Überraschung: "Nur EC-Karte." Super, sowas gibt's in Österreich nicht! Meine Freundin wollte dann ihre zwei Karten probieren – eine davon hätte hundertprozentig funktioniert – aber die Kellnerin, schnell wie der Wind, stoppt das Terminal, sobald sie das Mastercard-Logo sieht, und behauptet, die gehen auch nicht. Ja, eh klar! Wir sind uns sicher, dass eine von den Karten funktioniert hätte.

Am Ende schickt sie uns noch zu einem Bankomaten am Bahnhof, der uns 5,50 Euro Abhebgebühren für 70 Euro abzieht! Na, bravo! Dafür kann das Lokal zwar nix, aber echt, ich bin heilfroh, dass es in Österreich keine Bankomatgebühren gibt. Hätte man uns einfach mit der funktionierenden Karte zahlen lassen, wäre uns der ganze Zirkus erspart geblieben!

Fazit: Sushi ja, aber lieber gleich mit genügend Bargeld hingehen – sonst...