Hamacho Sushi — Restaurant in Nozawaonsen

Extremely overpriced and lacking in service. I strongly advise against dining here.

I made a reservation for this restaurant through our hostel during our stay, and it turned out to be a horrible experience. I want to emphasize that I have great respect for the Japanese people and have visited Japan numerous times (20+), but this was by far the worst dining experience I've ever had.

We prebooked the 'Dragon set,' which was supposed to include a hotpot, fried chicken, simmered food, appetizer, 16 sushis, preserved veggies, and a dessert.

Firstly, the hotpot arrived, and the waitress seemed clueless about what to do. There was only one waiter serving, and she simply lit the fire and didn't provide any instructions on how to proceed with the hotpot. We sat there for a good 15 minutes before overhearing her telling the next table that the hotpot is ready when the fish is cooked. We had to ask her if our pot was ready and if we could order drinks, to which she replied, "Ah yes, sorry, I forgot about it."

The appetizer came AFTER the fried chicken, which is a complete lack of proper sequencing. The waitress hurriedly placed everything on our table while we hadn't even finished our first course. It felt like she was trying to serve all the food at once instead of following a proper order. This kind of behavior is unacceptable, especially considering the high prices they charge.

Furthermore, we overheard the waitress serving appetizers to the next table, only to take away one of the dishes and tell the poor customers, "Oh sorry, they're not for you. Some other guests arrived first, so they're theirs." This left us and the other foreigners in complete disbelief. It was truly astonishing.

The sushi was far from fresh. Four of the sushi rolls contained only cucumbers, which was quite disappointing and unexpected.

The simmered food was served while we were still working on our sushis. Additionally, they were not served hot and lacked flavor. It was a terrible experience overall.

The dessert, a chocolate mousse with Japanese pear, was the only redeeming aspect of the meal. It was delicious and exceeded our expectations.

The price of the meal per person was a whopping ¥8800. It's evident that this restaurant is targeting tourists. For such an exorbitant price range, it's absolutely not worth it.

I strongly urge you to read other reviews of this restaurant before considering dining here.

Date: January 1,...

This sushi restaurant unfortunately fell short of expectations.

Pros: Good Service: The Japanese sushi chef was friendly and had a good sense of humor. The waitress speaks fluent English which is a good plus. Large Portions: The omakaze menus offer copious amounts of food.

Cons: Outdated: The restaurant and kitchen appear outdated and in need of renovation. Average Sushi: The quality of the sushi was average, and the accompanying starters and side dishes were unremarkable. I even forgot to take a picture of the sushi...

Limited Options: Only two omakaze menus are available, without much room for customization or a-la-carte orders. Lack of Explanation: Sushi were all served on a platter with little to no explanation of the different pieces. High Price: The price point seemed high considering the quality of the food and the ambiance.

Overall: While the service was pleasant, the outdated decor, average sushi, and high price tag left me disappointed. For a truly exceptional sushi experience in the area, I highly recommend Tengu...

Quarter star is possible for overall. Food 1 star for the cucumber sushi. Refreshing cucumber sushi. I would not revisit for even ¥2K. I had Dragon set that cost ¥8.8K. Plate of seafood sushi is average at best. I had better at conveyor belt sushi specialist shop. Other dishes are not done well. Chef is part time sushi chef n full time watching tv. Sorry this is my true opinion. Lost all respect. No locals eating here. Telltale sign. N no...