HANA Sushi Hibachi Poke Bowl — Restaurant in Jackson

Some foreshadowing: I read the glowing Google reviews for this place before we went, and I got excited. When we arrived, I looked at the menu, and got even more excited. My high expectations would prove to be a mistake. The menu has your standard American-Japanese format fare, like hibachi, teriyaki chicken, California roll, etc. Ho-hum. (Just saying, I don’t blame any Asian restaurant in Jackson that puts these things on their menu, because - how do I put this delicately? - the local populace is not well-known for their interest in new exotic foods, or seeking out complex flavors.) But my problem with the food here was not boredom. My problem was that the food here, in a word, sucks.

Because it was a new restaurant to me, I ordered hibachi chicken just to get a baseline, and a Tom Yum seafood soup, which I eagerly anticipated because that is not something I usually see offered at restaurants. While we were ordering, I noticed that the counter behind the cashier was filthy and cluttered, and among the random smattering of objects (office supplies, etc) sat several takeout orders. They were not bagged, so they were sitting on a dirty counter and touching other stuff that certainly could not be cleaned. I didn’t have a good feeling, because if that’s what their public areas look like, then who knows what the non-public areas, like the kitchen for example, look like? But if the food is good, I can forgive a lot, so we persisted.

We sat down at an empty table, and it was dirty. I grabbed a bottle of soy sauce, and it was conspicuously crusted on the outside with drips of soy sauce. We looked out the window, and even that was dirty. But I persevered in the name of Good Food.

We were first delivered some salads and soup. My salad tasted of everything that was also in the fridge where it had been stored, and the soup was just not good. I was growing very concerned at this point in the meal, but I brushed it off, thinking our entrees would make up for the dirtiness and bad apps. Nope! Our entrees were the cherry on top (pun intended) of a horrid dining experience. My chicken was dry, and had it not been covered in black pepper, it wouldn’t have had a single discernible flavor. The hibachi vegetables were unseasoned and unremarkable. The fried rice was mid, too smooth, not enough seasoning nor eggs. My Tom Yum seafood soup, I am sad to report, had only one note: Spice, but the unpleasant kind that hits you in the back of the throat. The seafood, which included a couple of puny un-deveined shrimp, was scarce. Meanwhile, my dining companion ordered a bento box, and it also contained bad food, just compartmentalized. Fun!

We glumly nibbled at our respective entrees, managed to get through about 40%, chucked the rest, and fled. I am so perplexed that this place gets such great reviews. We won’t...

A Mixed Experience: Exceptional Quality, Inconsistent Service

For years, this restaurant has been a go-to spot for me, and I want to emphasize upfront that its Japanese cuisine remains some of the cleanest, most meticulously prepared dishes I’ve encountered. The flavors are subtle yet extraordinary, and the emphasis on fresh, health-conscious ingredients is evident. When at its best, this place is a gem.

However, my recent experiences have been uneven. Several months ago, I noticed occasional abruptness at the register—a sentiment echoed in other reviews, including one by Nia Cherrelle. While I can overlook curt service, order accuracy is non-negotiable. As a vegan, I was dismayed to find fish roe scattered across my poke bowl during one visit, a mistake that felt careless.

After taking a break for a few months, I returned hoping for improvement. Maybe the last few times they were having some difficulties that manifested in their behavior and attention. On this recent visit, the cashier was new, but the tense, disengaged atmosphere persisted.

My primary frustration, though, lies with the limited online ordering system. When ordering vegetable hibachi via their website, customization options (available by phone at similar venues like "Sakura") are absent. The default sides—fried rice cooked with egg and animal broth-based soup—are incompatible with a vegan diet. Last year, substitutions requested in person had surprise fees, so I opted for online ordering this time to avoid a disappointing interaction. Unfortunately, the platform offered no way to request plain rice or adjust the soup, leaving me with sides I couldn’t eat.

In a moment of haste (and an empty fridge), I reluctantly ordered again, only to face the same hurdles. My takeaway? Stick to what you know works here—if you have dietary restrictions, proceed with caution. While the hibachi vegetables themselves are delicious, the lack of flexibility and recurring missteps encourages me to cook at home more often.

Final Thoughts: This restaurant shines when it executes flawlessly, but inconsistencies in service and inflexibility for specialty diets make it a risky choice. For those without dietary needs, it’s worth a visit—but if you’re vegan or require modifications, you may leave...

-1 star if possible!! Extremely rude lady cashier, we had 2 soft drink, water, soup for party of 3 and she kept arguing about who’s gonna drink what. That’s freaking none of YOUR business. We are ordering $80 plus food and enough drink items it’s not freaking business to who in our group drinks which drink. Learn to have some common sense. Had been dinning here once every month for over a year, never had this issue before. The foreign cashier lady kept arguing over a trivial matter. The owner should really consider what’s more important, customer service and satisfaction or accusing people of not getting enough drink items!

UPDATE: after seeing this review the cashier came to argue while we were eating and accused us of being cheap. We were talking in our own native tongue, the cook even being a foreigner had the nerve to be racist and demanded us to speak in English. Freaking disgusting customer service. I am multi-lingual and know 5 languages. None of your business which language i am talking to with my family and friends. If i want to talk sheeet about you i can say it to your face!! If you lack judgement regarding your customers who spend a fortune for your services have some decency to understand the scenario. Maybe don’t operate a business if you are so freaking worried about a damn...