Hana Sushi - Altamonte — Restaurant in Altamonte Springs

I don't even want to give what was once a very good sushi restaurant a bad review but I must be honest.

I first visited Hana Sushi probably 15 years or more years ago. It used to be very yummy and very friendly. It was always an inviting place to have lunch or dinner and I visited almost weekly for years.

I decided to stop back by this past Saturday as I was remembering how delicious and what a great experience I always had in the past. I was craving sushi and since I was on that side of town thought I would revisit an old favorite.

I walked in to a very somber environment with two other tables and customers looking around like I was wondering where a server or Hostess might be.

I actually ended up talking to the couples sitting next to me and they had mentioned they had been sitting there for a while and totally ignored as well. I looked across the room to a table of three and they also looked quite confused and frustrated as well. Eventually the server came out and when she came to my table I politely asked her how she was today. Instead of greeting me back she quickly asked me what I wanted to drink and ignored my question. At that point I should have excused myself and left is I just knew it was going to be downhill from there.

There was one gentleman in the kitchen working on Sushi orders but he never even looked up or acknowledged anyone either. I can't tell you how long I sat there just waiting for a glass of water...the tables beside me also waiting for what seemed like forever just to get a drink order in. There was one younger female server there who walked around with a scowl on her face purposely ignoring everyone when she would walk into the dining room. I am in disbelief at how much this restaurant has changed. After quite a long while I did eventually get my two rolls out at the table. They were less than desirable, tastless, small and lacked any flavor at all. I quickly ate a few pieces ask for my ticket paid my bill and left never to return again.

I really hope the owner reads this review and they make some positive changes to what was once an amazing...

I was in the area and wanted sushi. I’ve passed by this place a couple times, and was ready to give it a try.

I walked in the door, and it was dead silent. One table in the restaurant, two front of house staff, and no ambient music. Weird, but hey, sometimes quiet restaurants have a nice charm.

My guest and I got iced tea. The tea taste like it was brewed that morning and sat in the tin container all day. Very acidic and metallic tasting.

I got one of my go to rolls, a Green Dragon (shrimp tempura, avocado, cream cheese and eel sauce). It was ok. I could taste that the fry oil needs to be changed. My shrimp taste like everything fried in the fryer for the past fry cycle. It wasn’t terrible, but it’s definitely on my list of least appealing sushi rolls.

I got the hibachi vegetable dinner, and my guest got the shrimp fried rice. My meal came with miso soup. The soup was nice. The veggie plate was pretty good, but lacked variety. It was broccoli, carrots, zucchini and onions...lots of zucchini and onions. It came with a tiny cup of white rice. Not terrible for a $10 hibachi meal, but I expected a bit more. Some fried rice maybe? Noodles would be cool too.

The fried rice my guest go was good. I could taste the Mirin (rice wine vinegar) it was cooked in, it added an interesting flavor. There was a good portion of shrimp in there!

Not a bad experience, but nothing that wow’d me. The food was average at an average price. I could have gone to any sushi place in central Florida and got the same thing at better quality. In an area with Japanese restaurant all over the place, this one falls short of...

The first time I went here, I was on a date. The food was fullfiling and delicious perfect portion. The service was great they made sure we were good. Only 2 rolls so much food.

The 2nd time I went, the roll was not even half of what I got the first time. I was with a different person, a family member. I ordered the same thing. Service was not like the 1st time I was disappointed and confused as to how the server didn't know the menu or what I'm asking for. Still, food was good, just not like the first.

The 3rd time I was seeking the same roll I ordered the first time. But the person I was with, family ordered 6 rolls. The server had no clue what I was asking for, but they tried. They were diligent with trying yo figure it out. Still food was good.

In comparison to the 1st time. I almost feel like there was some type of favoritism with the person(familiar) I was with or something else. I have experienced this same biased behavior at other Asian restaurants that are owned and run by Asian.

They go all out for familiar. Is this a cultural thing? Is it just a coincidence? I don't know.

I lived in Korea for a year, and food was always delicious, and in abundance, the service was great. but then again, I always had my friends with me, who were Korean, when we went out to eat.

I'm definitely going back because of variety and taste. Now I'm on a mission to find the roll I ordered the first time I went and determined to become the familiar that gets that favoritism treatment. Lol

It's a positive atmosphere clean. It's not glamed up, but it's clean....