Hanami — Restaurant in Oslo

We visited this restaurant to celebrate my partner’s birthday but unfortunately left feeling disappointed. We went in fully expecting small dishes, higher prices, and great quality food—but what we got instead were small portions of average food, making the overall experience feel like poor value.

The starters were enjoyable; we particularly liked the bao buns, which had a great flavor and texture—highly recommend these!

However, the real letdown was the sushi. We ordered four different types of maki, all of which were underwhelming. The California roll was advertised as using king crab, but instead of fresh, distinct pieces, the meat was mixed into a mayo-like mush and placed on top of the roll—not what we expected. The scallop maki had a similar issue; it was described as "grilled," but what we received was a paste-like mixture rather than pieces of actual scallop. Additionally, all the maki rolls kept falling apart, making them difficult to eat. At these prices, we would have expected better technique and quality from the chef.

As for the atmosphere, we found the music to be an odd choice—fast-paced techno with an almost anxiety-inducing effect, which felt out of place for a fine dining experience. While we don’t mind this genre of music in other settings, it made the meal feel more stressful than enjoyable. The restaurant was also extremely crowded, making it difficult to navigate, especially when trying to get to the restrooms. The only silver lining was watching the staff expertly weave through the maze of tightly packed tables—it was almost impressive to see them maneuver so skillfully.

Overall, our experience was disappointing. While some of the izakaya-style dishes were tasty, they didn’t make up for the lackluster sushi and chaotic atmosphere—especially considering how many dishes you need to order for...

After visiting Hanami a number of times since the opening, I feel like it is fair to give them a review:

Food: They use fresh ingredients and they have a few really good signature dishes.

Service: The service has been, in general, really poor the times I have been there. Although there are exceptions, it seems like the better part of the staff are both inexperienced and also a bit obnoxious and rude. I can mention a few examples as to why: I remember one incident where the waitress told my girlfriend that she could not get her meat cooked well done as the waitress personally felt it would ruin the dish. Another time, quite recently, when I tried to give one of the waiters some constructive criticism as to why I think they should have a lunch menu/set menu (which is super normal for any high quality restaurant), he got aggressive and came with the ignorant response that "well, it has worked for us since we started up here."

I could mention numerous other similar incidents which shows the staff's lack of professionalism and experience.

Price: The food is definitely a bit pricey, which you would expect for restaurant located in Tjuvholmen. As they have no combination menus, there is nothing that is really of value to order on the menu, which I feel is a shame.

Sum up: The food is good, but also really expensive, and you do not get the service you should expect from paying that much for a meal. After getting poor service on numerous occasions I simply feel like this restaurant is not...

It is our tradition to have dinner at Hanami every January 2nd. We have done this for a few years except for the year 2022. However, after yesterday's dinner, I told my family that I want to change the restaurant next year. We ordered about ten small dishes. As you can read from other people's reviews, tempura was very good. Food is quite decent at Hanami, although some say it is pretty expensive even at Oslo standard. We paid about 3000 nok for about 10 small dishes, two glasses of bubbles, and one cola zero. So in fact, it is not too bad at Oslo standard.

We asked to bring out food whenever it was ready. But then, they brought out food too fast, so we had to put plates on top of other plates in a small table. After we finished the dishes, we asked dessert menu. While we were waiting for it, I went to the bathroom. Then my napkin was gone, which I nicely folded and left.

Well, you might think I am a difficult woman. Yes, I might, but I think there is a certain level of serving at good restaurants. We all have different expectations. Probably, I could give five stars for yesterday's experience if that was in a small mom-and-pop restaurant. But, if they want to compete against good Oslo restaurants, they should step up. There are so many good alternatives...