Sushi and Japanese cuisine Hatanaka — Restaurant in Kanazawa

Among my favorite dining experiences in Japan. I booked ahead to get a seat at the bar for Omakase and ordered the sake pairing to go with it. They did an excellent job featuring local seafood as well as mostly local (Ishikawa Prefecture) sake, which I think is always a nice touch. Some of the highlights for me were the hairy crab, black throat sea perch (served as warm sushi), horse mackerel, and local conch. I was particularly impressed with the service on a whole here. All of the staff were able to explain the dishes with a fair amount of detail in English, explaining where certain ingredients came from and why sakes were chosen to pair with certain courses. The staff was much younger than you normally see at restaurants of this caliber in Japan, and it was also nice to see women on the team doing more than swap your plates out and refill your drinks. I loved watching the staff work together—they don’t have as clearly defined roles as you might see in other restaurants, so the whole dinner felt very fluid and not quite as uptight as places like this can sometimes be. A different staff member would introduce each dish to me. Overall it was a very comfortable and friendly environment to enjoy a high-end meal. I’m looking forward to returning next time I’m...

This was the best meal we had in the five weeks we spent Japan. From the food, to the chef and waiting staff, and the surroundings, all was a five star experience. We were made to feel welcome from the moment we stepped through the door. The chef and waiting staff spoke excellent English, were warm and friendly when interacting with us, and provided excellent recommendations that showed a genuine knowledge of all parts of the menu (food and sake). The sashimi, sushi, and local dishes was incredibly fresh and of an incredibly high quality, prepared expertly and calmly in front of us.

It was a privilege to be served by a female chef; one of very few in the region and Japan we were told. She has created a really special space.

The stand out dishes were the grilled yellow tail, tempura oysters wrapped in shiso leaf, the horse mackerel sashimi, and the sardine sushi. However I believe the menu changes seasonally.

It's recommended to request for the set menus when you book otherwise you order a la carte. We did not book but the chef and head waiter put together their...

The meal and service were nothing short of amazing.

We asked that the staff decide what we would have for dinner and requested to have sake paired with the dishes. I believe we had 5 different kinds of sake (each in its own distinct sake cup) and 8 courses. Everything was delicious - sushi, soups, sashimi, and other local dishes. It was the first time I’ve ever had fresh ground wasabi, which tastes so, so much better than the American version (which is just green colored horse radish).

We had no idea what the cost would be, but were pleasantly surprised - it ended up being 9,000 yen, which equates to $61! A total bargain for the amount and quality of the food and service. We thought it would be nearly twice that.

Note that this is a small, quaint place - maybe 20 seats total. Make a...