Hakone

It is not a very clean place, the service wasn’t great, mainly because we didn’t feel welcome, the server doesn’t smile or seems to be forced to serve… The service was very slow and perhaps that’s because the only server is also the cook and the cashier… the sushi rolls were falling a part when eating…
I will never go back to that place, If you can avoid it, do it !!!

Love this place. Very authentic and food is always excellent. Service is superb. The owner and her daughter work very hard to please and are a joy to speak to. The chicken teriyaki and the salmon teriyaki are very good. Have had many of the dishes on the menu and haven’t had a bad experience yet. Even when it’s very busy the wait is reasonable as its all made fresh to order.

Came here to grab a quick dinner with friends Sunday night around 7:40, the place had 2 tables with about 8 people in total already seated and supposedly served when we arrived.
After arriving we were quickly seated but the table wasn’t set up for our group of 4 (didn’t have utensils ect). After a couple minutes our 4^th member arrived and we ordered drinks. The iced teas were outrageously priced for what we received (can of brisk with cup of ice on the side)… First warning sign.
After the drink order we placed our food order which was 2 bento boxes, sushi and coconut ice cream. While ordering I was immediately told that there is no coconut ice cream despite staring at it on the drinks/​dessert menu beside me. No explanation or apology was given by the server. (warning 2)
From the time we ordered the food to receiving partial orders the wait was about 50 minutes! At several points of time we seriously contemplated walking out as one of the other tables had an obnoxious drunk that bellowed lines of karaōke for the entire restaurant from his seat.
At the hour mark, all the food had been served (sushi plate & 2 bento boxes) along with an insincere apology from the manager about the wait (no mention of other customers poor behaviour or reason why kitchen was so slow).
At this point I noticed the manager is a middle aged Asian women wearing FLIP FLIP SLIPPERS around the restaurant while the antisocial teen server dressed in jeans and t-​shirt (RED FLAG!!!)
Besides the cookie cutter apology, there was no discount on the absurdly overpriced food or profound lack of customer service. Nobody was asked for refills of drinks, when I asked for more water I had my glass refilled but not my friend’s glass (right beside mine) by the lazy server.
Need less to say, won’t be coming back here again!
Complete waste of money and time for substantially mediocre food and garbage customer service. After a 20 $ bento boxes, we hit up a fast food restaurant on the way home as everyone was still hungry!

I doubt I will ever give five stars, so this is high praise. I have only had good experiences here. The unagi is excellent, the service and atmosphere was friendly as well as inviting. I usually order the spider roll which has been prepared very well. For sushi in the north end this is the place !

The outside of the building is a bit deceiving but the restaurant is very clean and well decorated.
It was empty so service was prompt. Our server was friendly enough although she did not smile or seem to really want to be there but no real complaints; she was courteous enough.
I found the menu to have a decent selection even for my husband and I who are both vegan. Our portions were perfect, if anything my food order was too much. I had a craving for Avocado rolls and they did not disappoint. My husband was pleased with the shittake item he ordered as well. Our bill came to under $ 40 for two people with appetizers, dinner and one alcoholic beverage.
Overall, it was a very pleasant experience. We were looking to curb our Japanese craving with a quick dinner and it was exactly what we were hoping for. We’ll definitely be back!

I came to Hakone last week with a group of coworkers.
I had high hopes as one of my coworkers loves this place but unfortuantely, my experience did not live up to expectations.
From the moment we entered the restaurant, the service lacked. As mentioned by at least one other reviewer, I was surprised at the lack of interest/​attention paid to us by the server. I don’t think she even smiled once. And maybe she’s not a smiley person, but it definitely didn’t feel welcoming. It was more like, do you «need» anythign else rather than, can I help you with anything else.
We ordered a fair bit for our group including three appetizers and two entress.
I ordered the deluxe bento box at $ 18 and found the portions on the small side and quality lacking in comparison to other local eateries. The sashimi was fresh but that was probably the best thing in my bento box and that’s not something they cooked or prepared aside from slicing and placing to order. My salmon was overdone for my liking and the sauteed beef was on the tougher side and lacking flavour.
One party at my table ordered th teriyaki chicken and was disappointed in both flavour and texture; I did try a bite of her chicken and found it quite dry.
My other dining partner had the teriyaki steak and it did appear to come exactly as ordered — medium rare. He said it was quite tasty but I find the price tag a bit hard to swallow for lunch.
Appetizers shared were spring rolls and yam tempura — both were good but not good enough to make me want to come back.
Hakone, I’m sorry we didn’t hit it off. Best wishes for you in the future but this girl is gonna stick to the tried and true sushi eateries.

Never, ever doubt Urbanspoon, it’s always right. We wanted to try somewhere new for lunch and decided to give Hakone Japanese Cuisine a shot — I thought it would be decent with a rating of 72% but seriously, worse decision of life. We went on a Thursday and the place was pretty much empty, save for one table of two and another that came in for takeout. Yikes, I don’t know how they survive — oh wait, I do, because their prices are absurd! I was on such a streak of eating at good places. The streak is gone. Sad face.
Anyways, the place is surprisingly nice on the inside, especially when you consider how ghetto the outside looks. They don’t even have a legit sign up haha. But back to the food and menus — holy crap, the bento boxes are $ 18.00! So expensive, especially when there’s so many better, cheaper Japanese options nearby. Can someone say Yuzen or Ohana-​Ya?
— Boat to Boat ($ 42.95) — we decided to order the Boat to Boat and hoped for the best because they have zero description! Well, technically it said sushi, sashimi and special roll. Seriously??? Ugh, such poor decision making that day. When our boat arrived, our eyes popped. For the price, you should be getting 30 – 35 pieces right? Right? WRONG. There was 26 pieces total.
Here’s the breakdown:
— 8 pieces of the special roll. It wasn’t special at all.
— 2 pieces of salmon, 2 pieces of tuna, 4 pieces of surf clam, 2 pieces of octopus and 2 pieces of mackerel. The sashimi was very mediocre. The first few bites tasted cold and frozen but near the end, when they had warmed a bit, they were slightly better.
— 6 pieces of nigiri. The nigiri was pretty bad. Thin slices and just look at them — they look deprived of life. Not fresh.
Biggest waste of $ 50.00. Sadly, I won’t be back. Just go to Co Do Hue across the street where at least you won’t be disappointed.

Ordered for takeout. Prices are HIGH for what you get and the quality is meh at best. Also there isn’t much selection for sushi that doesn’t have shellfish. Actually the sushi menu itself is lacking over all.
Ordered the bento box 1, vegetarian bento, and tuna tataki. Took 30min, which was fine. Got home and no tuna tataki or chicken teriyaki. I called them and they insisted that they put it in. Won’t be going back there.
The food itself… Well I could have made it faster and with better quality ingredients for $ 70. What a disappointment.

Well, this is an interesting place. I am not too familiar with central north sushi options. Experience tells me there isn’t much, so this was an interesting surprise.
We had the Oyster Ponzu and they were cook very well. We also had couple of bento boxes, which also went down nicely. It’s a good place, but I do think it is priced a little high. Still, it felt very authentic in what they were serving on the menu. I’d have to say I really enjoyed my meal. The service was a little slow, but nothing outrageous. A good meal usually makes forget about that. All in all not a bad place for some good Japanese food sushi and all!
Washrooms were very clean. Total bill for the oysters, two bentos and tea was a shade under 50 $. Would like to go back and reassess my review of Hakone.

Good sushi, fish was fresh and high quality. Family run place, friendly and comfortable. Would recommend it to anyone in the mood for good sushi. Bonus: they serve Asahi Black, a fine black lager from Japan which is hard to find here.

Food is fresh. But small portions. Limited wait staff at lunch time.
This place has gone downhill since opening. I was thrilled since a japenese restaurant opened in the northside that wasnt a fast food kinda place. It has several booths, a large room and booth seating. A small restaurant which was well kept and very clean.
Food is very good. The cook/​owner used to cook at mikado and the japanese village. So food tastes authentic and comparable to these places. The sashimi is well cut and fresh. And tempura light and crispy.
The poor rating is due to lack of servers. At lunch, there is only one staff on. The owner acts as hostess, waitress, and cook. So if you need something. Good luck finding her bc she is cooking in the kitchen. If you are the only ones there this is fine. But if there is another group I find wait times to be extended quite a bit. For food, service or the bill. Im sure this is why its not that busy. I think its to cut costs but it makes me nervous when I know I dont have all day to eat. So minus one star.
Secondly, portions seem to get smaller everytime I go. First time I went the bento had 6 nicely sized sashimi slices in my bento. Second time only 5. Then only four thin slices. It seems like you get what the owner feels like giving you on that day. So minus another star. Granted she is friendly and really remembers me everytime I eat here.
Thirdly, prices seem to keep rising too. The menu prices keep going up. And now they are comparable to mikados prices. Before the price was significantly cheaper. But now it is on par with pricing. For the location and inconsistentsies in portion sizes I cannot justify this pricing. When I go to mikado I get a consistent bento with portions that do not change. Bc of this I now make the drive out to dt for my sushi fix as they have dwindled to an expensive sushi joint in the north side. So minus another star.
It definetly has potential bc the food is authentic. The location is conveinent for north siders but service and price needs to be corrected before I opt to become a regular. So plus a star to 3. Average with lots of potential!!!

Hakone Japanese Cuisine is neither terrible nor great — it sits entirely in the middle. It’s average.
Hakone’s interior is cute, clean, and simply decorated. There are only a few tables because the space is quite small, but it’s intimate and pretty. I was immediately hopeful.
My hope ebbed slightly when the young server came over to drop off some menus. There wasn’t a hint of a smile on her face and she seemed irritated that we’d come in to eat — it had just turned 5 and the restaurant was empty. She left us with the menus for a few minutes while we browsed.
Hakone’s menu isn’t extensive, but it’s fair. There are the regular maki, sushi, and sashimi options, along with some great-​looking bento boxes. The prices were on par with Kyoto/​Mikado, so I expected everything to be of the same quality.
When we were ready to order, we were told they were out of the Dragon Eye roll which, from what I’ve seen, is one of their most popular items. They didn’t have Clamato juice for a sake caesar (I’m not sure they actually carry it on a regular basis), so I resigned myself to a bottle of hot sake, which was great. The waitress said that she didn’t think they had any crab for the crabstick sushi, but didn’t come back to confirm.
We ordered miso soup, two half-​orders of salmon and tuna sashimi, rainbow rolls, and a bento box with chicken teriyaki and sushi. The maki were pretty good and the bento box was extremely generous. Both of those items were satisfying.
The sashimi, though, wasn’t great. Both the salmon and tuna were chewy and cut really thickly; while eating them, I kept thinking of Japonais Bistro’s pillowy-​light tuna sashimi with longing. I’ve had much worse, don’t get me wrong — at least Hakone’s sashimi wasn’t frozen — but it was average at best.
Halfway through our meals, the server brought over my crab sushi, which I hadn’t known to expect.
At the end of the day, the meal, including 10 oz of hot sake, cost about $ 90. In my opinion, this was too pricey for average sushi, indifferent service, and a menu that wasn’t complete. We ordered a lot of food, so I understand why the bill was so high. When I think of spending almost $ 100 on Japanese food, though, our average experience at Hakone means that this likely won’t be my go-​to sushi restaurant in the future, even if it is on the North side.

I have come here a number of times and have always had a good experience. Clean, fresh and good service. Appears to be a family establishment with a sweet little lady often running the place.
I recommend to try the miso soup and Isobe.
There’s not much for options on the north end for Sushi so this place is a gem to have here.

Loved this place so happy to find something on the north side that is so yummy!

We were really surprised! This is a hidden gem. We eat sushi a lot and best in Edmonton so far! Food was fresh and very tasty! Rolls were not too big or too small they were perfect!
The beef tataki was cut too thick but other than that it was good. Restaurant was very clean and new!

Have been here lots of times (more than ten if I had to estimate as I live nearby and it’s the only sushi place in the area — other than Tokyo Express, bleh). I have some favorites and some things I’ve tried and didn’t really love.
I like their prawn tempura (though don’t get it often b/​c it’s about $ 16 — however it is a dish you can split with another person; you fill up pretty quickly from it).
The sunomono salad is pretty standard — comparable to other sushi places. The yakitori is fine, but I prefer Sapporo’s — the sauce they use is much more flavorful. The korokke is something I get almost every time I go. The manager told me she makes them herself — they are pretty great — hot, mashed potato-​y in the middle with vegetables and a crispy breadcrumb coating. Melts in your mouth!
And a list for the others I’ve tried:
–spicy tuna maki — reminds me of the Mexican roll (see below)
–chop chop maki — pretty standard fare
–toro nigiri — a bit hit and miss; sometimes I get pieces that taste more flavorful than other times I order it
–red tuna nigiri — didn’t taste any different than the regular tuna
I hope to try other kinds of nigiri — but sometimes they may not have certain kinds depending on when the fish was ordered (this was told to me by the owner when I was asking for something that wasn’t available). But I don’t really mind.
Mexican roll — not loving this one, it needs some crunchy tempura flakes to break up the flavor and texture of the inside of the roll
Rainbow roll — can’t remember right now, but I think it was fairly standard
Dynamite roll — the one I usually get b/​c it’s got a little bit of everything in it
Only downside is that their wait times can be long, especially if you’re waiting for take-​out. And I do mostly take-​out. I’ve waited anywhere from 30 – 35 minutes each time. So I strongly recommend you order over the phone for pick-​up.

I’ve gone to Hakone several times since it opened, since it’s conveniently located only a few minutes away from a friend’s place. Even so, I’m finding it a bit difficult to come up with things to say about it. From the decore to the food to the service, I’d describe the restaurant as competent and worth checking out, but it won’t blow your mind.
The sushi is quite good, reasonably priced, and always nicely presented. It’s not the best sushi I’ve had, but I think one has to be a bit closer to the ocean to get really good sushi anyway. Their miso soup tends to be good and not too salty, which is nice. I particularly like their green salad; I always enjoy having a salad to complement my sushi, but I find most Edmonton sushi restaurants have sesame dressings that I don’t really like. Hakone has a nice creamy dressing with a hint of ginger, which I quite enjoy.
I don’t think I’d drive across the city to visit Hakone instead of another sushi restaurant, but if you’re in the area and looking for some good sushi, then it’s definitely worth it.

Second review, where does the time go! When I lived on campus I would go to Kyoto every week– The original one, where Phở-​king is now, not the new one (angry grumble).
When I saw this place had opened I was pretty excited and have since come here more then a handful of times… I was absolutely floored when I read not one, but two one star reviews? I will first address some of the complaints in earlier reviews then review my trip:
Is it small? Sure is, but so was Kyoto; so was Boualouang Loas (6 tables?). Both arguably the best in their respective fields. So size really doesn’t mean much to me.
Time from order to noming– 15 mins (16 prices of sushi and rainbow roll)
Portion sizes– actually larger then most… I will add photo (s) so everyone else can see (done). I don’t understand how anyone can complain about these potion sizes unless they are eating Tokyo express roll exclusively.
Sushi– cut to the right thickness, wasabi (or what we call wasabi) under fish, rice firmly held together. No «fish» taste or greasiness. All in all pretty great…
Non sushi food– I can’t really comment on the quality of the non sushi at the sushi restaurant. Mainly cause I go to sushi places for sushi… Wouldn’t be able to tell you how amazing the Fatburger salads are for the same reason…
Is it the best sushi in the city? No
Is it good? Yes
Is it made better by the fact that I don’t need to drive downtown for it? Definitely!
—– end rant —– on to review of my trip!!!
Walked in, sat down, turned on Unilocal,became enraged at the one star reviews! Started manically typing away… Used ninja skills to avoid chopstick to Hand from GF who was mad I was on my phone! Put phone down slowly as not to make any sudden movements that might anger her further. Ate sushi, pretty good!
Short review:
Atmosphere: 3÷5− Small, clean, but they should hide the storage area.
Service: ⁴⁄₅ — Not many tables means much more service; pleasant and fast.
Food: ⁴⁄₅ — Fresh, and tasty. Read above for further comments.
Dinning experience: ⁴⁄₅ — Anytime I dodge a chopstick to the hand its a good day.
Price: ³⁄₅ — Cost 60 $ for two of us but took a lot home with me.
3.6 average… but im gonna call it a 4 to make up for the other reviews… really… people need to learn that there are more then just a 1 and 5 on this site.
NOTE: to Keo G, and a.g. Consider this a formal invite to dinner… on me:). Cheers