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Sushi Hana • 5 N. Fullerton Ave., Montclair • 973-746-3900
Have you ever wanted to take a trip to Japan? I have, and besides the hustle
and bustle of Tokyo with its packed metro trains and miles and miles of neon
signs, the main images that come to mind are those of traditional Japan. What
does that mean? To me, it means traditional wooden houses and villages, ladies
in kimonos, cherry blossoms, pastoral snow covered scenes, Mt. Fuji and of
course food, particularly traditional Japanese food.
Sushi Hana in Montclair can take you on a 2 hour vacation to Japan any time you
like. It is decorated in a traditional simple Japanese motif, with shoji screens
and light colored wood dining room. The menu is quite extensive and
despite the name the restaurant serves much more than just sushi. For beginners,
Sushi Hana offers both a lunch menu with both sushi and also hot entrees priced
between $8 - 12. Many items come with soup and salad which is a great
combo to keep you going for the rest of the day. My recommendation is one of the
combos, i.e. the Bento Box Luncheon, Hibachi Luncheon or the Special Rolls
Luncheon, where you get a small portion of several different dishes. This allows
someone who has not tried Japanese food to try different things, and it
also lets someone who has only tried sushi to expand their palate, and if you go
with several people who are into sharing, you can try the full spectrum of
Japanese cuisine.
The dinner menu is even more extensive and offers some familiar favorites such
as teriyaki chicken, Yaki Udon noodles, and tempura dishes. But it also offers
some perhaps less familiar yet abundantly delicious hot entrees as well as some
interesting sushi offerings.
I always start with a salad and a soup, and here the 'healthy salad' shines with
its Greens topped with seaweed and avocado, its almost like a salad version of
surf and turf with the seaweed oceany, briny and sweet and the avocado balancing
with a cooling creamy sensation. For the soup something interesting is the
Arpeggio, it is your choice of meat or seafood in a spicy lemongrass flavored
broth, influenced perhaps by Thai style Tom -Yum soup.
For a second course you might want to try the Gyoza dumplings succulent little
pockets of shrimp meat and seasonings steamed or pan fried to perfection and
served with a tangy dipping sauce. Or you may want to try a skewer of Yakitori
which is marinated chicken grilled over charcoal. Delicious! If you are a
vegetarian, try the Horenzo Oshitashi, which is a cold spinach served with Ponzu
sauce (similar to soy sauce but with citrus and lemon flavors) its different and
fantastic (and rest assured, you meat lovers will like it too.)
For a main course, as the restaurants name implies, there are many, many
varieties of sushi to choose from, and in addition, Sushi-Hana offers a
multitude of delicious and interesting hot dishes. I usually start with
one or two of the creatively named special rolls, as they are interesting and
generally the most boldly flavored sushi. I particularly like the Arthur roll
which has two types of spicy tuna topped with crunchy tempura flakes, and the
Spider Man roll which is a lightly fried soft-shell crab topped with sweet
avocado and balanced with a spicy sauce. (The crunchy yet succulent crab and
avocado when mixed with the soy, wasabi and gari pickled ginger is out of this
world in both taste and for interesting mouth texture.) Along with your sushi,
you will want to try a hot entrée or two.
Any of the Wok cooked dishes will warm you up and satisfy your hunger. Udon and
soba are fresh buckwheat noodles which are served in a variety of styles at
Sushi-Hana. An all around crowd pleaser is "Joes Meal" which is vegetables
sautéed with soy and Japanese seasoning and your choice of beef, shrimp or
chicken.
Also do not miss the special Hana dishes, these have a slight influence of Thai
or Malay cuisine with its more robust seasonings. The Para Para is your choice
of chicken, shrimp or salmon seasoned with basil, lime, sake and garlic served
in a flaming foil pocket, very impressive !! Another interesting dish is the
Tango grill, it is your choice of fish - salmon, tilapia or red snapper grilled
and served with a spicy baby shrimp salsa. All of the hot dishes are really
meals in themselves as they are served with soup and salad. There is so much to
choose from at Sushi Hana that the only real alternative is to return for many
visits and try them all.! Arigato Sushi Hana!!
(Thanks)
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