We arrived around 8 p.m. on a Saturday, after the dinner crowd had started to thin. Service was efficient, which is fine with us when we’re paying $8 for a sushi roll. (When we pay $18 for a roll, we appreciate, and tend to expect, a little more conviviality.)
The Age Dashi Tofu ($4.50), fried wedges of tofu served with a special sauce with scallions and shichimi, a Japanese spice mixture, was labeled as a “house favorite.” It wasn’t ours. The “wedges” of tofu were too big — only the outside was crispy. The inside was mushy and flavorless. We liked the idea of the dish, but the execution fell a little flat.
That is where the disappointment ended. We ordered tuna tataki ($8.95) to hold us over until we could decide on our sushi order. If you’re someone who likes having options,
The tataki, a generous portion of raw tuna cut into small chunks, was served over a bed of iceberg lettuce covered in a tangy garlic ponzu sauce, which added a nice burst of flavor to the plate. It went well with a house chardonnay and made a lovely appetizer.
Without much delay, out came our platter of sushi, beautifully plated. We ordered the Salmon Lemon Roll ($8.95) based on a friend’s recommendation. It looked beautiful, topped with avocado, salmon and super-thin slices of lemon. We didn’t know how we were going to feel about lemon-topped sushi, but the taste was crisp and clean. The citrus was a perfect complement to the salmon. We were impressed with this creation.
We are suckers for spicy crab salad in a sushi roll, so the Russian roll ($8.50) was a must. It was stuffed with crab salad,
Spicy tuna lovers should try the Bubble Pop roll ($8.95). It was filled with tuna,
We were impressed with the fish-heavy T.N.T. roll ($5.50), featuring chopped tuna,
Every sushi roll we ordered was solid. The fish was fresh, the presentation was beautiful and every bite was well balanced. Probably the most refreshing part of the meal was seeing the check at the end of it.
Hanaroo Sushi Bar
205 W. Capitol Ave.
301-7900
Quick bite
If wasabi is your thing, the fried pork shumai is a must ($6.95 for 6 pieces). The big bite-sized pork-and-wasabi dumplings were fried crispy and golden brown. They were hearty and hot.
Hours
11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 5 p.m. to 9:30 pm. Saturday.
Other info
Credit cards accepted. Beer and wine.