Hayakawa — Restaurant in Atlanta

Hayakawa is a place you want to go to for a very special occasion or celebration. For your average foodie looking to experience high-quality omikase.... simply not worth the price tag.

400 dollars pp without any drinks or supplementals. The uni was an extra 65 (but worth it). And sake added up to an extra 100. 500+ for what I would consider average omikase. Some dishes were certainly elevated, such as the uni and otoro Tuna. Other dishes like the salmon tasted like they've been frozen for months. The a5 wagyu was near flavorless, and was definitely frozen for 5 months before being served. For 500pp, you should be experiencing the freshest product possible, and this just wasn't it. Many of the flavors were muted. The ngiri was so cold like the fish was just pulled out of a refrigerator (it was).

Chef's cutting skills are questionable, as portions of the a5 wagyu were not equal. Some people received 20-25% more meat than other because the slices were quite uneven.

His unique Wasabi was good, again cold and refrigerated. But pungent and will hit you in the nostrils. Pickled ginger was muted flavorwise. Much of the nigiri lacked freshness, opting for authenticity being imported from Japan instead. That's where the high price tag comes from.

Anyways, there's other options that meet the same level of quality and quantity, in my opinion, for 1/3 - 1/2 the price. So I'd avoid spending your money here unless you truly feel like it's worth it (it isn't from a food perspective, maybe for a fun experience). You'll probably leave feeling like it wasn't worth it... but hey, at least you get a sticker.

On top of all this.. the entire experience felt incredibly rushed. Barely any time to even drink your sake or have a bite of ginger between courses. Part of it is because some courses are a bit larger, so you don't really get time to savor anything. Gulp it down and on to the next. Too much talking, and strangely, the head server was constantly overhearing private conversation between guests and interjecting her thoughts or opinions into their conversations.. very weird vibe.. no privacy. The rest of the servers were awkwardly standing behind everyone, burning a hole into the backs of our heads with their lifeless gaze, eagerly awaiting to reach over your shoulder the second you put those chopsticks down, adding to the rushed aspect of the service.

With all that being said, the experience was still extremely authentic. Best uni that I've ever had.

Thanks for reading. I hope this helps inform you before making that reservation and prepaying absurd amounts. I'm not trying to be negative or rude, but just give an honest review of a 'michelin...

Someone called this restaurant comical - I think of it more as a Twilight Zone episode. We invited friends who recently moved to Atlanta after living in Japan for years. Thought this would be a nice evening. Started with the maitre d' accusing my guest of wearing too much perfume. Told her to wipe it off as the aroma would interfere with the chef. Odd - given that my perfume apparently did not set off the nose geiger counter - only hers. We should have left then but laughed off the episode to the employee's posturing. Things then slid downhill - the waiter was simply awful. Would reach over plates rather than serve from behind. It seemed as if he had never been trained in decent waitering skills. He would stack dishes. He interupted us virtually every time he came to the table. Keep in mind our bill is for hundreds of dollars. He did not know from which country the sushi originated, did not know if they carried gluten free soy sauce, nor did he ask, was not Japanese nor did he know Japanese language. Charged us extra for the additional wasabi without informing us before hand. The ordeal was not commensurate with the prices they charge. The bill came - we asked how much deposit we had put down and were told $80. I had no reason to think they were lying but after checking our credit card statement, it seems they had actually charged more. When I contacted them to explain the discrepancy, this is the verbatim reply: " We are confused as to why you are not interested in paying the servers for their time or the state of Georgia for their mandated tax." Very strange as we left a generous tip and paid our tax when the bill arrived and it is their responsibility for these payments. I then got this email: "in the future, we feel that you might find other restaurants in the area that are more suited to your needs." I gave one star because the sushi was quite good. I would have to agree with the restaurant and suggest finding other restaurants that treat customers with respect, particularly given the prices. Avoid this restaurant at all costs...

We've been to about a dozen michelin starred restaurants and this was by far the most approachable and friendly. You sit at the sushi bar with all the other guests - no tables - and have Hayakawa himself prepare everything you eat in front of you while he cracks jokes, answers questions, and guides you through the meal with the help of his excellent staff. His assistant teaches you the proper and traditional ways to enjoy classic sushi dishes so you never feel dumb or out of your league, which I really appreciated. There's other places that will give you super fancy stuff and wildly creative dishes, but that's not what this experience is about at all. This is about one man from a very specific location in Japan sharing the freshest fish anywhere in the south and his brilliantly simple home town recipes with you person to person. It's expensive, but during the otoro fatty tuna course, he hands you at least 75 dollars worth of fish to just slam in a single bite and while you're chewing you know it's something special. This is an expensive experience for seasoned restaurant goers who want to witness the vision of a man who truly cares about his craft.

I will also shout out his partner who helps teach and guide the experience that helped us pick out wonderful sake and wine throughout the evening, even allowing us to do a single glass of a bottle only selection because she wanted us to experience the perfection of the pairing.

It's gonna set you back a cool thousand dollars, but it's more than just a meal, it's experiencing the passion of a team who cares about their art, and something that you can't find anywhere else in the south. It's worth it. While I'll say I prefer the French style of a chef who thinks he's better than me and wants to challenge me with every dish, my wife says this is her favorite of any michelin starred place we've been because of how friendly and inviting everyone is.

Simply put if you love sushi, have the money, and don't plan on being in LA or NY anytime soon, you owe it yourself to give Hayakawason the chance to rethink what an omakasi...