Hanabi is my FAVORITE Japanese Restaraunt in the Nashville metro. The Tuna Tataki & Sushi are Amazing. The Bulgogi (traditionally a Korean dish) is PERFECT! Do yourself a favor, and go eat at Hanabi!
(5)
Neema C.
We ordered a Shabu Shabu hot pot, and here is how I feel about it: Pros: staff are all friendly and nice. Cons: 1. Shabu hot pot has no salt in it. Very tasteless. 2. All the Squash have sand in it. 3. Too sweet soy sauce or whatever sauce they use for this hot pot, but it's not the kind of sauce supposed to go with Shabu Shabu. 4. A hot pot for 2 people including 8 small rolls of beef, a lot of onion, some tofu, a couple of carrots and squash... costs us $42. Very expensive. I would vote one star but I only tried the supposed-to-be Shabu Shabu hot pot so I have no idea how the other food would taste. Then I put two stars. I'm sorry, but the Shabu Shabu is not worth it at all. At least they should tell me in advance they wouldn't serve it rather than sell it at that price while they obviously don't know how to cook it properly. The owner even asked me what do they normally put in the hot pot's sauce. I'm not recommending the hot pot. Thank you for reading this.
(2)
Joseph L.
Whenever I go to Hanabi, I always order things from the appetizer menu and sushi/rolls menu. Ag-e Tofu, Tuna tataki, any of the sushi/rolls, and miso soup is the way to go for myself. Ag-e Tofu: this is a lightly fried tofu, covered in seasoning, garnish, and this wonderful light soy sauce-based dressing. The texture of the tofu is little different for those that are not used to tofu, but give it a try! Tuna tataki: this one is little pricy because of the tuna pieces. Tuna is cut into sashimi slices and sear cooked. The tuna is seasoned with its own special seasoning and sauce. Hanabi's tuna tataki's is probably my favorite of all the ones have tried from other places. If you are into sashimi or sushi grade fish, then you HAVE to give this one a go. I am also aware that the management of Hanabi has changed recently, and is in the process of improving. So, on top of all the food I enjoy, I expect the service to improve greatly. Before the management change, the service was not as "up-to-par", but now since I have talked to the owner and manager, I can really tell they are slowly changing for the better. For myself, I feel like a good dining experience begins with good food and ends with good service. Expect a better experience when you go to this place! For those that I haven't tried this place, I would recommend it, and encourage you to take a chance with this small gem. For those that haven't been in awhile, the new management has changed sometime around late March. I would suggest you to give this new change a try again.
(5)
Jessica R.
Sushi is delicious and reasonably priced. The service here is great, too! They always greet us warmly at the door and seat us privately. The atmosphere is quiet but not totally dead, which we love. We tried several sushi places before landing on this one as our favorite. Highly recommended.
(5)
Amber H.
I had hopes this would be a gem but the sushi was uninspired, bland, wrapped in too much rice and not enough good stuff in the middle. I ordered the spider roll, which was just not good, yellowtail sushi that was okay but tiny pieces of fish, and the volcano toll that was anything but volcanic. The service was nice. Save yourself and keep going. It's not so hot.
(1)
Elesha B.
As I have traveled, I've made sushi my go to meal. From the reviews, I thought this would be outstanding... not so much. It started out very promising. The call to order food was answered by a very friendly person who seemed to take pleasure in taking my order. The restaurant was a little hard to find- tucked away in a shopping center that I'm sure by day, was packed. By night, it was abandoned. Once I found it, I was greeted very kindly, offered a drink while I waited...great service. I wanted the sushi to be wonderful, but ultimately, it was just okay. The fish was fresh, but the rolls just weren't as creative and flavorful as I am accustomed to.
(3)
Cassie G.
good food. ill come back again!
(4)
Sam H.
Ordered spicy tuna sushi and the tuna sashimi and miso soup. All excellent and at a friendly sushi bar. 1 oclock and no one here but helpful and tasty.
(5)
Joanna T.
Hanabi is a good option for low-key sushi in Brentwood, especially if you work in what seems like 20 sq miles of office park that surround this location. It's certainly a tucked away strip mall - my GPS took me all over the place before I finally arrived. I like the interior - clean, welcoming and friendly. Because it's Nashville, I was treated to "country slow jams" while enjoying my lunch, which marks the first time sushi and country music have intersected in my world. Service was great - everything arrived quickly and the people that work here seem genuinely nice. The menu was quite comprehensive - sushi, sashimi, standard maki, fancy maki, cold and hot noodle bowls, tempura and tonkatsu. Most people will find something they like without a problem. I went with a standard spicy tuna roll ($5) and a "Tennessee" roll ($7.80) which was crab, shrimp and avocado. I thought that the prices were reasonable for the quality - interestingly enough the menu does not have sushi prices on it. They're on the sheet you fill out telling them what you want so I'm guessing these prices may be a little higher at dinner. Presentation is very simple - no crazy sauce drizzles or wild stuff here which I appreciate. I also liked that my spicy tuna wasn't full of "spicy mayo" but it also wasn't spicy at all. The Tennessee roll was very tasty but on the small side. Overall, the fish in both rolls was very good but the rice used wasn't - it was the cold, gluey stuff that reminds me of grocery store sushi. If you're coming for dinner, they've got a good sake and beer list at pretty fair prices. I stuck with tea which was pretty watery so maybe avoid that. All in all, solid traditional sushi in a nice, low-key place. Would sushi again.
(3)
Tracy F.
We stumbled upon Hanabi thanks to Yelp after a different sushi joint in the area was closed. It's a good thing we had a GPS with us, because without it, we never would have found it or even had the slightest notion of where the place is located. The reviews looked good and we were looking forward to enjoying a quick sushi dinner on a rainy Sunday night. We started with a hot bowl of miso soup and a portion of their squid salad - my husband's favorite! We were both impressed by the quality of our appetizers and grew excited for the rolls and sashimi we ordered. When our sushi arrived, it was all good - but nothing was great. The portions were relatively small for sushi and I found myself wanting more food afterwards even though we'd ordered plenty. At the end of our meal, I ordered a portion of tamago - the sweet egg omelette served over rice. Upon biting into it, I realized that it had been frozen and was not completely thawed. This was the ultimate disappointment and helped us decide that we wouldn't be returning anytime soon. The waitstaff was fine, though our waitress seemed to disappear whenever we actually needed something, whether it was a refill of our beverages or another order of sushi. That was also kind of a downer to our experience. Will we return? Probably not.
(2)
Patrick L.
Everyone writes about the sushi and rightly so, because it's spot on. Certainly on par with Peter's, or even better, and without the "Thai" (I've always thought that was a bit strange). Unassuming, excellent sushi. It's time someone puts Hanabi on the map for something other than sushi, MISO RAMEN. They have the best ramen i have had in Nashville. I haven't had it at Two Ten Jack yet so I will reserve the top honors until then. But Otaku South and Ichiban have nothing on this bowl. It is served in two varieties, regular and special. The special is closer to traditional with the pork, nori and egg. I usually get the regular as it seems to have more veggies. Either way, drop a splash of soy in and slurp away.
(5)
Alexandra F.
Let me start with saying my friend and I had high hopes for this place. Besides the fact that it was tucked away in a strip center, it seemed nice from the outside, and they were one of the only sushi places open until 10:30 on a week night. So we show up at about 5 til 10 hoping to get some great sushi and at the same time being mindful of the fact that they close at 10:30. The guy at the door was very welcoming with a huge smile and directed me to the table where my friend was waiting. Cold sake is already waiting for me and we start looking over the menu. I decide to order a spicy tuna roll and a crunch crab roll (which I typically order from any sushi restaurant as those are my favorite). My friend orders some kind of noodle soup and one roll (can't remember which one, some kind of expensive salmon roll). When the lady comes over to take our order she makes sure to tell us that they close at 10:30 (which we were already well aware). She hurries us through our ordering and flys off to the kitchen. A few minutes later our food comes out! My friends soup looked delicious and she said it was. Her roll however, with the salmon, didn't look good at all. The salmon looked to be a funny color, but she ate it, and said it was ok. My spicy tuna roll was probably a 1 or 2 out of 10, but I ate probably 6 out of 8 pieces. My crunch crab roll wasn't very good either. I also ate all but two pieces, and my friend finished the rest. We continued to drink our sake which was the only AMAZING part of this whole experience. The lady comes over again. She tells us again that we need to hurry and they close at 10:30, when my friend asks if she can have a coke. My friends soup was delicious, but too hot to eat quickly. So the lady brought her a giant styrofoam cup to put it in to take it to-go. We sit there for a moment waiting for her coke and finishing the sake. At this point it's probably 10:15. She brings over the coke and they turn off the music and part of the lights. Obviously at that point we realize they want us to leave. So we go up to pay after collecting our things. I was pissed because I just wanted to finish the sake that my friend paid for. After a long, horrible day all I needed was my sake. All in all, we were rushed, the food was sub-par, we were rushed some more, but really good sake. I don't need to go back, I'll find cold sake at the Asian market.
(1)
Brittany L.
Best tempura chicken and teriyaki sauce ever! Veggies are always fresh, service is always fast and attentive.
(4)
Jon K.
went for lunch the other day. I think the management might have changed, but my chicken DONKATSU is still bomb. Super crispy and flavorful. Super friendly staff, our waitress was really helpful and knew the menu really well. got some fried ice cream too, that stuff is bomb.com
(5)
Meeran H.
Sushi was great!! Service was horrible. Server really had the to ask me 2 dollar tip?? Before I had even tipped her. Left a real sour taste in my mouth. I'll be going there again n this time she will be getting No tip!! Not even a thank u.
(3)
Anthony K.
The place is a awesome. The fish is fresh and the service friendly and family like. We live in Hendersonville but make the drive down here twice a month at the least.
(5)
Charles S.
Good fast sushi. Staff is very friendly. We had the salmon and the tuna. Both fish was very good and the portions were generous. California roll was better than most and complementary sushi came before the meal and a complimentary dessert after.
(5)
Douglas B.
We have dined at Hanabi for years and usually enjoyed the sushi and other dishes. Tonight the food was below par. My wife's teriyaki chicken was adequate; the only vegetables the chef seemed to have on hand were onions. My barbecued salmon roll was dry and had little sauce. And the service was GLACIAL. We had two servers and both were incompetent. We waited fifteen minutes for our check. It seems Hanabi's management has changed-- and not for the better. In the future we will take our business to Sonobana.
(2)
Adam B.
We found this place while staying in Brentwood while my wife had her job interview. It is a little off the beaten path and hidden in the corner of strip mall. But, the sushi was delicious. We tried a variety of rolls and enjoyed them all. While some of the reviews questioned the service, the only issue we had is that everything we ordered (drinks, appetizers, sushi) all arrived within about five minutes of each other. The staff were friendly and we didn't think the price was outrageous.
(3)
Dawn W.
I used to live in L.A. so not to be misunderstood, I've had better sushi. However, for the middle of the country, it's about as good as I've had. The staff is so nice, always smiling and the price is about what one should expect. Open for lunch and dinner, 7 days a week and they stay open late! 10 or 10:30 pm depending on the night, it's open later than any of the other restaurants in the area. Definitely worth trying out.
(4)
Jennifer P.
Since there are limited sushi option in Brentwood, I was excited when I discovered Hanabi. The sushi itself was pretty good, but I was not a fan of the waiting time or the price. I ordered 2 rolls to go and it took over half an hour before they were ready. All in all, I didn't hate the place but there are others I'd much rather go to.
(3)
Leanna C.
This restaurant has the best sushi in town!! It's very fresh and the sashimi literally melts in your mouth. The service is great and the food comes out in a decent amount of time. I noticed it was very clean which is very important at any restaurant nonetheless a sushi establishment! Won't be disappointed!!!
(5)
Stephen E.
I am visiting Brentwood from Idaho, for 9 days. I ate here 4 out of the 9 days. Their sushi rolls are excellent, the sashimi was fresh and melted in my mouth. The tempura was light, well breaded, and wonderful. Their hot noodle soups had great flavor and were filling. The staff was wonderful and friendly. I can't say enough about how great this restaurant is. It is a little off the beaten path, but definitely a great find when you get there. If I could only find a way to bring them back to Idaho with me.
(5)
Brant V.
I think it's great! Def. get the samurai roll, it's our new favorite. Hard to find, but in the age of GPS that's hardly a complaint. Remember when ordering the rolls aren't huge, but are priced so incredibly well it allows you to get more variety on the table for the same amount of food and cost as other sushi spots. On top of that the service is incredibly friendly, Andrew killed it with suggestions. Parting words: save room for the tempura red bean ice cream.
(5)
Daile J.
One of the sushi chefs came from Samurai and actually recognized my boyfriend and me. The food is great. The place is incredibly clean and all of the staff was very friendly. We sat at the sushi bar, which is very comfortable. The chefs gave us free samplings of new things on the menu, which were great. Will definitely come back here.
(5)
John S.
Came here last week with someone after trying to go to Soy and being disappointed by renovations. That being said, we DEFINITELY were not disappointed by Hanabi! Thank you Yelp for helping us find this little sushi place. So we got 3 of the more simple sushi, and then 2 of the signature ones for tempura. The food took about an average amount of time to come out, but I was amazed with the presentation - our sushi literally CAME ON A BOAT. With little swords and everything. The sushi itself was pretty good, but what I really liked was the tempura signature sushi. It was all definitely fresh, and a decent amount of food - if you come here you probably just want to get 2 types of sushi for a meal, or maybe even one if you get the signature since they come out pretty large. I got 3.... and it was way much. In a good way though, I wish I could have eaten it all, it was delicious. Overall, great place with delicious sushi, GREAT presentation, and nice staff. A bit expensive for being in this area, but worth it for the quality.
(4)
Jeff M.
Looked for Miyako, only to find it had closed, so hit the Yelp app again and found Hanabi. Wasn't disappointed. The signature Hanabi roll was fantastic, with maybe the best sushi roll presentation I've ever seen (see photos). Very friendly service and extremely clean. Best part - Hanabi prices were nearly half what you'd normally pay!
(5)
Joan B.
Service is not the best or I would rank it higher. Don't go there on a friday night because it is packed and the service is worse. But the food is great. People are friendly. food is authentic. I am a fan.
(4)
Morgan P.
Praise the foodie heavens! I have found what I long sought for. When I lived in Memphis, my apartment was about a mile or so away from our favorite sushi restaurant. (Side note: Memphis has excellent sushi. Thank you, FedEx.) Anyway, since moving to Nashville we've been pining for a pretty good sushi that was close. We had Peter's but the service is awful and the atmosphere is weird. We don't love Peter's. We love other sushi restaurants but they are far away. We rolled into Hanabi thirty minutes before they were supposed to close. I expected to be thrown out on the street but the owner happily sat us while a surly waitress told us to hurry up with our order. We ordered three types of sashimi and two simple rolls. The rolls (tuna and yellowtail) were really good. The sashimi portions were small but it was the end of the night. The part that made their sushi good was that it tasted fresh. The owner told us that he gets fresh fish three times a week. While we didn't order anything crazy they did have a bit more variety than some sushi joints (sea snails anyone?). I also really enjoyed that the soy sauce comes in a little tea kettle. It looked much nicer than the typical soy sauce bottle. Our sushi was pretty good! Was it the best sushi of my life (Chicago 2005, I'm looking at you)? No, it was not. Was it pretty good sushi for Nashville? Yes, it was. Is it pretty close to my apartment and are the prices pretty gosh darn good? Yes, without sake our meal would have cost $30 pre-tax. I apologize, Peter's. I do love your paintings but Hanabi is going to fill our neighborhood sushi void from now on.
(4)
Tim M.
Nestled into a business corner of Brentwood, I don't think I would've ever found this place if it weren't for a friend's recommendation. Had the Alaskan roll and the Caterpillar. Great scott - I've never seen huge amounts of avocado on a Caterpillar roll so I loved it. The fish tasted good. The size of the rolls were good size but I wonder if the rice was just a little bland on this day. Miso soup was good starter. Service - has that mom & pop feel to it. Not as experienced servers trying to get orders and tables turned during the lunch time rush.
(4)
Matthew S.
I LOVE this restaurant. I have eaten a lot of sushi in more cities than I care to count. While this is not the best sushi that I have ever had, it is VERY good. Everything is always fresh and delicious. I never have to worry about the quality of the food. Another important area where they excel is the originality of their sushi. You can get a California Roll here, but you can also try one of their interesting house creations or even request something that is not on the menu. Try the Hanabi Roll at least once. It is beautiful and tastes great. And the Miso soup is always made fresh and doesn't taste or look like the "dirty water" instant Miso that a lot of other restaurants try to pass off as soup. If sushi is not your thing or you are with people who don't want it, its not a problem. Hanabi has a large menu of authentic Japanese offerings to accommodate most picky eaters. The staff is very friendly and you only have to go a few times before they treat you like a regular and learn your name. I recommend that you sit at the sushi bar. The chefs are quite skilled and very friendly. I have become a regular here as I feel it is the best place in town to get reasonably priced, high quality sushi. If you go during their "happy hour" you can get a GREAT deal!!! Update: This is still five stars for me, but there have been some major changes at this restaurant. The staff left and was replaced. They need a little more time to settle in but are still good. One of the sushi chefs left to take on a job in Las Vegas. The head chef is still there and the food is still really good. I will miss my chef though.
(5)
Melissa G.
Really delicious sushi in a super clean and friendly restaurant. Sit at the sushi bar--the sushi chefs are really friendly and have great tips (and extra specials) for you!
(5)
Mitch S.
Best in Nashville again and again Ishiyaki is a cool dish that's served on a large stone. Panda roll was good.we always start w the Bulgogi appetizer,hit the sushi then dinner.service is usually good here.Always clean and friendly.It's kind of hidden away which is good,very peaceful at night.No one ever rushes you or tries to upsell dishes.Menu is good and easy for everyone.chicken.and.beef are avail.for the non seafood folks and kids still one of my favorite in the us.
(5)
matt c.
Pretty good. The miso soup and peculiarly japanese salads were authentic. We tried gyoza and sake (salmon) teriyaki and both were great. The light flaky panko crusted pork katsu was also very moist and tender inside and its dipping sauce was made perfectly. It would have been excellent if i didn't have to wait 40 minutes for 8 pcs. nigiri, which tasted fine but not outstanding for the wait (it was not crowded). Second Occasion: Everything was great. Learned that the owners are Korean. Had gyoza again (pork), very good. For my main course, I had yakisoba which was very good. The sauce had a bit of clove in it, a nice touch. It also came with a healthy pile of shaved dried fish and scallions on the side.
(4)
Judy N.
Ok, so the description for 5 stars is Woohoo! As good as it gets!, and in this area, Hanabi is the best sushi you can get. As all the other reviewers have said, the place is immaculately clean. The decor is perfect for Japanese foood and the wait staff is always attentive and polite. I've never been here for dinner but have had lunch at Hanabi several times (I work in Brentwood). I always get one of the Bento Boxes which are MUCH better than pretty much every other Japanese place in town. I've introduced a number of co-workers to this great restaurant and every one of them has loved it. I TOTALLY recommend this place.
(5)
David B.
On our way back down to GA, the weary wayward travelers bearing south and home, we stumble upon this place. Figuratively. Why not? Who wouldn't open an extraordinary Japanese restaurant in Brentwood, TN? Well, these folks did, and the results are really worth experiencing. A very restful atmosphere: kind of open, but space is controlled with light-colored wood and slats. Immaculate. A busy sushi bar - at least one chef has tattoos, so do NOT make any Yakuza jokes. Great service. Wonderful food. The "giant bento box" will feed a giant, or at least a very hungry average size man. The tempura is very light. If we lived in the area, we'd be regulars.
(5)
Curtis H.
With the changes at the restaurant formerly known as Miyako and the fact that I've never been a fan of Peter's Sushi, we ventured out to Hanabi for lunch today. We were well received and quickly seated at 11:40 on a Monday. Our orders were also taken quickly, even though we needed time to get used to the new (to us) menu. Most all went with the lunch sushi (#1 Spring), 5 Chef choice Nigiri and a Roll along with Miso soup and Salad. First, the salad was ice cold (perfect) with a good amount of tasty ginger dressing and the Miso soup was hot with some fresh mushroom added. The Nigiri was fresh and firm (no mealy fish here). Rolls were also fresh ( I had the Spicy Yellowtail). All in all a good sushi experience and a new local go to when sushi is needed
(3)
Nadir S.
Don't visit this place if you value time. 40 mins wait for our order , 30 mins for the check. Sushi is good. But overall food quality is mediocre.
(1)
Hart P.
Pleasantly surprised. Traditional Japanese cuisine that tasted great.
(4)
Kaleena 'Kala' H.
Hands down, this is one of my favorite places in Williamson County to go to for sushi. The staff is wonderful and the sushi is delicious! I always tend to order the same thing...gyoza, crunchy crab roll, yellowtail roll, soup, and salad. All are so delicious and tasty. The one thing that impresses me is the presentation of the sushi when it is brought to you. They add the sushi on, and also include some decorative things such as garnishes in the shape of flowers and such. It always leaves me in awe and never want to eat, just look at the food and admire it. I hope to try some of their other dishes soon, such as the noodle dishes. They look delicious on their menu! This place has definitely won me over. :)
(5)
Cherrelle G.
Absolutely love this place! It's a little hidden as far as location but worth finding. The customer service is genuine and authentic. Everyone was so kind. Very traditional. Love the sushi rolls. Spicy Tuna - yum and the name of the other rolls that I have ate on many different occasions have slipped my mind but were equally amazing! The shrimp fried rice was great as well. I've been going either every date night or every other. Going tonight as we speak to pick some up on this New Year day! So worth it!
(5)
Leslie H.
Best sushi I have found in the Nashville area!!! Truly one of my favorite places! U must try the Ronin roll if u like deep fried rolls!! Great prices for amazing food!
(5)
Brian B.
Decent sushi. Big selection for sure. There were many Japanese people there the night I went which must be a good sign. The only negative to me was that they had a nice selection of special chef rolls but hardly any featured tuna. Otherwise it was an OK place.
(3)
Jane E.
First time to this local restaurant and what a wonderful find! Terrific food and friendly efficient service. Lots of variety of dishes. We will be back next weekend!
(4)
Blair S.
Upon walking in, I know this place is clean because it smells like I just walked in to a janitorial supplies factory. I order a sushi combination platter. Kids are running around in circles, screaming, so I can't hear what the waitress says, but a lot of employees politely smile rather than ask the parents to respect the rest of the restaurant. Sigh. Fortunately the kids leave and the food comes out pretty quickly. My table's hand rolls order got lost under squeals and screams, but it's not worth waiting for the correction. The fish was not as fresh as I had hoped. Not bad, just average. The seaweed salad and squid salad were yummy. I may come back if I'm in the area, but I'll try one of the bento boxes or noodle soups instead of sushi. And if there are kids running loose, I'll go somewhere else.
(2)
Nuri G.
Great, authentic sushi in the Nashville Burbs! I ordered: -Futomaki -Takuan Roll (Yellow Pickled Radish) -Hamachi -Aji Sashimi -Tamago Sashimi Everything was fresh and delicious. The rice was spot on, served at the perfect temperature, and served at the perfect seasoning. The futomaki was a little lacking in traditional ingredients, but overall retained the general flavor I expected. The hamachi was especially good, and the tamago was definitely homemade and not from a package. The decor was good, and the service was friendly and fast. TLDR: Really good traditional sushi in the Burbs... you won't find deep fried Las Vegas flashy whirlyroll topped with diamonds and dragonfruit sauce here.
(4)
Beth P.
Having been here for lunch a couple of times, I can say that the bento boxes are good, the rice is just right, and the teriyaki salmon is great. Then, we went there for dinner and the sushi was amazing. I hadn't tried their sushi up to that point, and I should have tried it earlier! The fish tastes so fresh and the chef is not heavy handed with the spicy mayo or with cream cheese. We ordered six rolls, just because everything looked so good! I quite liked the Panda roll, but the best was the Hanabi roll, which looked like art and tasted divine. Definitely going back soon!
(5)
Gwen K.
Overpriced for the quality of the food. Service was slow. Would not recommend.
(2)
Peter K.
Pretty damn lackluster. Not worth the drive from Nashville all the fuck way out to suburbia for serviceable sushi. It's definitely nothing to scream home about. The season for the 2 stars is the FROZEN toro tuna. We wondered why the tuna came out after all of our rolls. I would imagine it was because it was still frozen and they were trying to defrost it. Lousy service, wrong tickets, and 1 roll we ordered that never arrived. On a positive note, both the beef sashimi, and the grilled squid were quite perfect.
(2)
Cher Y.
As a sushi lover, i was very excited to see that their menu carried more of the authentic japanese dishes in terms of udon soups, bento boxes and a large variety of appetizers. Yes, and pretty tasty too! Overall, the food is fresh, decent proportion sizes and a clean atmosphere. [update: tried some more of their dishes, and I have to drop it down a star + half, there were some misses in terms of freshness] Their happy hour is def worth a check out --if you have not been here yet. A great inexpensive way to taste a variety of options on their menu. Yum yum! I would give it 3.5 stars, just because of the OK service.
(4)
April K.
I heard this place has been 7-8 years but this place is well organized and clean. You will get quality and amount at the same time! They have very nice sushi and great food. (Udons and katsu are good) Esp. variety combination of sushi boats are amazing! Dont doubt! Just go!
(5)
Will M.
Sushi was good. They really hook it up with the avocado. My california roll really hit the spot. I would recommend the rolls. A bit pricier, but overall worth it The Nigiri I had with it, was decent. It was almost a little bit frozen, texture was a bit off as a result. rice was perfect. Miso soup was fine, and salad was ok. Service was a little awkward due to language barrier. Interior was ok, details like paintings were a little off center, bothers the OCD part of me.. Located at Maryland Farms, It's in a nice part of Brentwood, If you are in the area, a decent place to get a couple rolls if you are in the mood for sushi.
(4)
Chantel E.
Waiting over 5 minutes to be seated for lunch. Every server ignored the fact I was waiting. They were not even that busy. Even as one worker was processing a credit card payment, he still ignored me. I finally had to say hello, can you seat me? He still ignored me. I had no choice but to leave. The worst customer service ever!!!!!
(1)
Casey H.
Not impressed with their rolls or Shabu Shabu at all. Rolls averaged between $7.95-$12.95. Shabu Shabu for two was $37.95. The server wasn't friendly - didn't flash a smile until she gave us the check.
(2)
Russ H.
My Wife and I went to Hanabi for dinner and were not disappointed. The Miso soup was phenomenal, the salad fresh with a very nice ginger dressing that had a bit of lemon overtone. My wife had the Teriyaki Chicken Bento box, and I had the Sushi/Sashimi combo. The service was great, the food came out pretty quickly and everything was very good. If you are looking for authentic Japanese (as well as some Korean items like Bulgogi) this should make the list of places to go!
(4)
Elizabeth E.
Okay, I have to be completely honest. I only ended up at Hanabi after going to Peter's Sushi on a Sunday and realizing they were closed. Since I had driven all the way from downtown to Brentwood at that point, my friend and I decided to Yelp another sushi option out in the 'burbs...hence finding Hanabi. You'd never know Hanabi was there (unless you live nearby, I guess), as it is tucked away in a small strip mall. It's unassuming and is nestled in-between a Sal's Pizza and an Edible Arrangements. We walked in and immediately knew we'd found a winner. The interior is warm, inviting and had a nice sushi bar. We chose the sushi bar and were immediately welcomed by the nice man behind the counter. As we reviewed the extensive menu, with lots of delicious sushi options, the man gave each of us a complimentary taste of something (I think it was fried tuna?). We started off with miso soup (a staple that was carried-out well at Hanabi) and pork gyoza. I have to admit I have had better pork gyoza (PM's is my favorite), but I wasn't disappointed - it was fine. My friend had some nigiri, we shared a fried roll (I know, I know, not healthy, but delicious), and I had the crunchy shrimp roll (I'm not the most adventurous sushi girl). I LOVED my crunchy shrimp roll - everything tasted fresh and light. The fried roll we shared (the name escapes me) was awesome, too. Once we finished eating, we stuck around to chat for a little bit and catch up. During our conversation, the man behind the sushi bar once again surprised us with a Rudolph Pokemon carved from an orange for dessert! It was so precious and provided us with that last little bite for our meal. I can't wait to return to Hanabi and would likely pick it over Peter's! I wish I worked nearby because they have an incredible sushi lunch special for $9.
(4)
Anna S.
I'm gonna play it straight with you guys: a friend and I made the Brentwood trek for the sole purpose of busting out some chopsticks for Peter's Sushi, only to make the disappointing discovery that Peter observes the Sabbath. Hoping against hope for a delicious alternative, we turned to Yelp for additional suburban sushi suggestions. We found Hanabi in an unassuming strip mall. The interior was clean and cozy, and the sushi chef eagerly welcomed us to his bar. I gotta say, we were pleasantly surprised! Like Peter's, the sushi was fresh and affordable, and the chef even treated us to a gratis appetizer of fried tuna. The miso soup and pork gyoza were solid, but the sushi's where Hanabi really shines. I eagerly put away delectable hamachi nigiri, a deluxe Philadelphia roll, and a fried something-or-other I can't quite recall. The best part? The chef wrapped up our meal by presenting us with a painstakingly crafted, Sriracha-nosed reindeer sculpted from an orange. For those of you who work in the area, I'd check out their lunch special. It's something like $9 and looks like a phenomenal deal! Pete, you've got some competition.
(4)
Cathy S.
Best sushi find in the Nashville suburbs! Fresh fish, pleasant staff, comfortable atmosphere and delicious food make Hanabi a wonderful surprise when looking for Japanese in the 'burbs. Love the Salad Roll, they serve a great Chirashi and the beer is cold and crisp. Very, very clean and very reasonably priced. One wish on our list would be a change of music. Five stars for Hanabi!
(5)
Benjamin S.
Once again another awesome meal at Hanabi Japanese Restaurant, authentic or not, this place is really good, though I am 95% sure it is authentic. Anyway, this time I had 3 rolls, a soup and salad. My fiance also had the same thing. The three rolls I had were: A scallop roll: This was amazingly delicious and somewhat creamy. For once, for a scallop roll I could actually taste the scallop, which is a rare thing for most rolls I have had featuring scallop. A crunchy shrimp roll: A long time favorite of mine, it was a perfect blend of shrimp and crunchies. There is a reason this is one of my top favorite rolls. A spicy yellow tuna roll: Okay, I have had spicy rolls in the past, but this one takes the cake! Not even the dynamite rolls I have tried come close to how spicy this roll was. Any spicier and I would have been crying from the pain and I grew up eating spicy food. However, this roll was so spicy it was like a swift kick in the pants. Yet, all the while I could still taste the tuna and other ingredients. At this rate, Hanabi is further solidifying its place in short list of the best of Nashville sushi.
(5)
Cora F.
Rice was very bland - rolls were not tight. Ingredients were falling out of rolls. California roll tasted better than any other roll with the exception of the special BBQ salmon roll. The service was subpar. Environment seems like a standard sushi bar trying its best to be fancy. The seating is very crowded. Food presentation was very disappointing. We based our decision to eat here off other reviews from Yelp. The fish seemed fresh but overall the sushi was not tasty. I'm pretty sure I didn't get one of the rolls I ordered. We experiment with a lot of different sushi places and this one we def. would not re-visit or recommend.
(2)
Kathy T.
The sushi was alright, however don't order the tempura ice cream. The tempura ice cream was frozen on the inside (and yes, its fried ice cream, but you couldn't even break through the ice cream with the spoon). ALSO, the service was horrible. There was barely any customers inside and we still managed to get bad service.
(3)
John A.
This has been my family's favorite restaurant for years. Authentic Japanese food: almost half of the people I've seen eating there were Japanese. Last night I had the traditional Japanese dish Ishiyaki: vegetables, salmon and shrimp served on a hot stone with ponzu sauce - excellent. Rolls, udon soup and bento boxes never disappoint. Family friendly atmosphere, good service, and never crowded. We have always left happy.
I'm fairly certain the owners of Hanabi are either independently wealthy and run this business as a hobby or that there is some secret shady backdealings going on because in the dozens upon dozens of times I've been to the restaurant at all hours of the day and days of the week, the most people I've ever seen in there is 3. Seriously, a "rush" in Hanabi is 3 people...which I don't understand because it's quite possibly the best sushi I've ever had stateside (and yes, I feel a bit toolish saying "stateside"). I've had sushi in Japan and Hanabi is close...it's not 100 percent authentic, but it's pretty close. So that's why I have the theory that the owners must be independently wealthy, because there is no way they are turning a profit on this place IN BRENTWOOD of all places... But I digress... I recommend getting one of their little starter salads, the dressing on it is awesome...I don't like eel and am a little iffy on fish eggs (I can do the little masago ones but not the big hefty ones), so I can't give you any accurate information on those, but I have tried pretty much everything else on the menu...and it's all good. And despite the double dollar signs up top, Hanabi's prices are pretty competitive with virtually every other sushi place around. I just wish I knew where the people were.
(5)
Bridgette C.
This is my favorite sushi restaurant in Nashville, end of story. However, as a disclaimer, I should mention I went with Japanese friends, who knew the chef, and let them order for me. Literally, I said, whatever you think I should try. So my experience here was probably not the norm, but let me say the restaurant itself was lovely, the service perfect, and the price reasonable. The fish tasted fresher than anything I've found here yet (that didn't come out of a lake that day). I tried so many different types of fish that I would never have tried before: white tuna, squid, salmon roe...the plate I had before me was a stunning array of colors, just simple pieces of fish on rice. It was how a sushi experience should be. And again, while mine was probably a little special, if thats any indication of the quality of service, food, and presentation you get on a normal day, you don't want to miss this. I did have some southern-style rolls (and by that, I mean fried something-or-other) and those too were mouthwateringly good. This place was a fun and fantastic evening that was unique among my other adventures, mostly due to the company I was gracious enough to have, but also the food here was great. just great. If you're adventurous, get some nigiri (the fish-on-rice simple-but-good setup) and try something brand new. You will not regret it.
(5)
Nate C.
wow, what a menu!!! One thing I missed about LA is the good Japanese restaurants. However, that all changed when I found this gem. Hanabi has an extensive menu and their fish is fresh! I live in downtown and tried all those other Japanese restaurants nearby and found them to be mediocre, but Hanabi is a different story. If you are looking for the authentic Japanese food, from Sashimi (sushi) to tempura, look no further per this is your one stop shop for your Japanese craving.
(5)
Derek B.
GREAT SUSHI! just don't veer off of the sushi menu too far. I ordered the chicken skewers and edamame and was not impressed. Also my glass of wine cost as much as the bottle would. However great service, good atmosphere and GREAT SUSHI!!
(5)
Jennie W.
Since I had a birthday coming up, I had to pick out a place that wouldn't be busy on a Friday night, had sushi, and took reservations. I decided to give Hanabi a shot over the busy and popular Peter's Sushi & Thai after reading previous positive reviews of this place on the trusty Yelp. I was promptly seated at my table. The restaurant's interior was warm, nice, and cozy. Comfortable and smitten, you could tell that I was looking forward to this because 1) it wasn't crazy busy 2) sushi, hello! 3) birthday dinner! Sounds wonderful so far? Yes, but hold the phone, I must've stepped into an opposite parallel universe because my experience was not so fab. The waitress I had was HORRIBLE. Let me count the ways... 1. My friend asked what was in the Vegetarian roll. She didn't know. She just said to look at the menu and pointed to where the item was. Wtf mate? It's a simple question. 2. She didn't remember who ordered what when she finally got food for us at the table. 3. Waitress: (puts down my sushi) Me (looks at it and points to menu description): Excuse me, I ordered my sushi deep fried. This doesn't look deep fried. Waitress (points at no raw fish menu symbol): It doesn't have raw fish. Me: No, no I know that. I'm not asking about that. This isn't fried. (points at asterisk symbol labeled for fried) On the menu, it's labeled fried. Waitress (points at no raw fish menu symbol): No, it doesn't have raw fish. Me: Yes, I know, but this isn't fried! (points at asterisk symbol labeled for fried) It's labeled fried. Waitress (slowly understanding what I'm talking about): Ohh, let me go check. (She returns and tells me that it's fried on the inside.) THE BOTTOM LINE: Last time anyone has eaten out at any type of restaurant establishment in his/her lifetime, a good waiter or waitress better deliver good service and know the menu from the top of her head, forwards, backwards, adjacent, diagonally, criss cross, and upside down since that's their job to make a good first impression for repeat business aka makin' bank. What a shame. She seemed like a nice lady, but clueless to the max. The only saving grace was the food. I had Tempera Udon and the Bull's Eye sushi. Both were muy delicioso in taste and presentation asking me to reconsider for another visit. Too late. Eek, no thanks. Slow service altogether...it wasn't even busy! I gracefully paid my check and parted ways. Smmfdh disappointed.
(2)
Star T.
It's a great atmosphere, and sushi is great! Nice, Fresh, Great Market Selections, if you like fatty tuna and uni...so good!!!! This is a place where if you go often, make friends with the sushi chefs or the (itamae). It will serve you greatly the more you come. Some people may not know this, but the tip you put on your receipt does not go towards the sushi chefs, just the wait staff I believe. You need to tip them directly at the bar in their jars, I promise it's worth it! The food is great and you can't leave without having some red bean, green tea, or plum wine ice cream...none of them will disappoint!
(4)
Jason T.
I came here a few months ago upon hearing that they serve toro (fatty tuna). I thought the sushi was ok, nothing too special, except that it seems to be one of the few places in Nashville to get toro. After reading the rave reviews here, I decided to return and give it another try last night. This time, I ordered the tekka ju (bowl of tuna over rice) and a Philadelphia roll. The soup and salad that were included were good. The roll was average. And the tekka ju was sub-par. The pieces of tuna were a little warmer than I was used to and tasted pretty fishy. I had to cover the taste with extra wasabi. The service and atmosphere are nice, and I'll give them the benefit of the doubt that this tuna was out of the ordinary. I was hoping for a new favorite sushi place due its proximity to my home and the great reviews here, but I guess it was not meant to be.
(3)
Michael V.
Great sushi with great presentation. A little pricey and service was decent (2 servers for whole restaurant so not her fault). Will enjoy again.
(4)
Diane D.
Sushi is good, fresh, and nicely served. This place very possibly has the best sushi in the Nashville area, and it's our go-to when we want good Japanese. As a former NYC dweller, I'm pretty fussy about food quality, especially seafood. This far from the ocean, it's not always easy to find a place that serves fish this fresh. The decor is nothing special, but pleasant enough, service is friendly and prompt, The food's good enough that you won't mind the generic decor.
(4)
Jerry W.
Who knew...super fresh and tasty sushi in Tennessee. We got about 7 different rolls, and every one of them was absolutely fresh tasting and were put together very well. The service was a little slow, but the taste definitely made up for it. I don't know what else to say...it was just good...simply good.
(4)
Sasser M.
I am a food snob - I readily admit it. Yet there are places I eat and I can forget the lousy food most of us eat in chain restaurants. Hanabi is one of those. It handily whips the competition and every other sushi place I have eaten at in town. My wife and I end up fighting over the last piece of the Samurai roll every single time. It's phenomenal! Have you tried the traditional dish that comes on the large river rock? Tasty tasty!
(5)
Candice R.
I really, really wanted to like this place so bad! I do like the atmosphere and the staff but my sushi was just okay. Just something to eat that I will soon forget. I had my old standby, the the yellow tail, and it was mediocre. I also had the ebi and surf clam nigiri; unfortunately all I could taste was the wasabi but the shrimp heads were good. I also had the Parthenon and morning sun. It just tastes like bland rice and some of my fish was a little too dry for my liking. I ended up having to use the soy sauce. The scallop was not sweet, the fish was a little too warm, and the crab salad was dry. I will come again and try something other than the sushi because I still want to like this place!
(3)
Mark F.
Wow! Great sushi in TN! Who woulda thunk? Eat at the sushi bar. Good avocados. Fresh fish. Friendly sushi chef.
(4)
Annie M.
I had heard great things about this place, and couldn't wait to try it out! I was there with 4 other people for lunch, and ordered a sushi combo with a spicy tuna roll. The roll was good, not great, but a typical cheap roll. The fish used for the rest of the sushi was not very fresh at all. The salmon was okay. They included white tuna on the combo, which is one of the worst fish for you (banned in many countries). The tuna was mushy and mealy, and I actually could not bring myself to eat it and ended up spitting it out. The rice used was cheap, hard, bland rice. However, the wasabi had a great zing to it! Overall the sushi was worse than some cheap, fast food sushi places I have been to. The rest of my party seemed to enjoy their meals, especially the cold yakisoba. I'm the only one who got a 100% sushi meal, so maybe their cooked food it better. On the plus side, the place was cute and clean. The waitress was nice, but a little slow and distracted although the place was less than half full. This being said, I doubt I will be back.
(2)
Rob A.
Very good sushi, very clean. Can't wait to go back.
(4)
Melissa L.
I discovered this place by accident but it's a hidden gem. I've only been here at dinner time and it's not as crowded as the other places though it should be. The prices here seem to be better to me than some of the other local places. I love getting bento boxes so I can have a little of everything I want and I find their bento box to have more elements and be a great deal. But I also love their sushi. The place is clean, quiet and well lit.
(4)
Laura D.
This is the only Japanese restaurant I've been able to try out while staying in the Nashville area but I was really impressed! The atmosphere and the service was really great. Both the host and waitress were super nice and friendly; the waitress was really interested in learning more about Canada after I mentioned that was where I was from and it was really pleasant talking to her. The restaurant itself was also very pretty and very clean. The food itself was very cheap and it was pretty good. The miso soup and the gyoza were perfect and they had a huge selection of sushi to try from. We ordered a bunch of different rolls and they were all tasty. My only complaint is that the ebi nigiri was a little dry when it was served to us and while I did eat it, I wasn't super impressed with it. I have a feeling that maki is more of their specialty than nigiri or sashimi. I'm definitely looking forward to going back if I get the chance, especially to try some of their other selections. Maybe I'll try to go for Happy Hour, where they have a lot of rolls and appetizers available for lower prices.
(4)
C J.
Great Great Great! I traveled a great deal when I was younger and have been to many sushi places around the country and this place is one of the best. Recently went with a friend who's spent time in Japan and his comment was this was best sushi he's had outside of Japan. Service can be slow, but sushi and staff are great! Go!
(4)
Erin J.
I work in Brentwood so I eat here mainly for lunch - although I've taken advantage of their sushi & drinks happy hour as well. They have the best Tempura Udon noodle bowl in town - so yummy. Love it on a very cold day. My favorite sushi roll is the Morning Sun roll - I love anything with scallops, and this one is just diggity. It's also the only place around Nashville where I've been able to get Toro Nigiri......ooohhhh....melt in your mouth fatty tuna, a true delicacy. This place is about the cleanest, most upscale sushi restaurant in town. They have a pretty extensive menu that offers the typical Japanese fare - bento boxes, fried rice, edamame, noodle bowls, rice bowls, etc - but they also have some things you won't find anywhere else. Definitely will keep going back here.
(5)
Zach G.
Mediocre sushi. Udon isn't too bad though.
(3)
Cassondra W.
After 3 years of going to Hanabi it is still far and away not only my fave restaurant in Nashville area but it stacks up against sushi in Chicago, DC, NYC, Atlanta, Las Vegas, and LA (all places where I've personally had sushi several times). Even after recently moving away from Nashville area you can bet that anytime I'm back in town for a visit, dinner at Hanabi is HIGH on my list!
(5)
Krash T.
I lived in Tokyo for four years, so I'm fussy about Japanese food. The sushi is consistently good - all right, it's not LA or New York, much less Japan, but it is good - the food is always well presented, fresh, and the restaurant itself is always spotlessly clean. This is also one of the few Japanese restaurants that also does simple stir-fried vegetables. They're good about accommodating allergies and have one of the old Shintomi chefs behind the sushi bar. The only disappointment I've ever found was the gyoza - I have to say, Shintomi's were lighter, and the accompanying sauce was the best I've had in the US. But otherwise, an excellent choice and a well kept secret. Also, they do "happy hour" sushi and rolls just before dinner time, at a dollar off!
(4)
Lee N.
This place is a hidden gem. I really enjoyed this place and strongly recommend going. The quality of the fish was excellent and so was the variety. The Bonito and Yellowtail sashimi were both very good. Ask for off menu specials. I plan on returning frequently.
(4)
Brandon T.
Absolutely the worst service I've ever had at a restaurant. It was like we didn't exist. I recommend avoiding this place unless you have a lot of time on ur hands and if you want to spend it getting ignored.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Catcher B.
Hanabi is my FAVORITE Japanese Restaraunt in the Nashville metro. The Tuna Tataki & Sushi are Amazing. The Bulgogi (traditionally a Korean dish) is PERFECT! Do yourself a favor, and go eat at Hanabi!
(5)Neema C.
We ordered a Shabu Shabu hot pot, and here is how I feel about it: Pros: staff are all friendly and nice. Cons: 1. Shabu hot pot has no salt in it. Very tasteless. 2. All the Squash have sand in it. 3. Too sweet soy sauce or whatever sauce they use for this hot pot, but it's not the kind of sauce supposed to go with Shabu Shabu. 4. A hot pot for 2 people including 8 small rolls of beef, a lot of onion, some tofu, a couple of carrots and squash... costs us $42. Very expensive. I would vote one star but I only tried the supposed-to-be Shabu Shabu hot pot so I have no idea how the other food would taste. Then I put two stars. I'm sorry, but the Shabu Shabu is not worth it at all. At least they should tell me in advance they wouldn't serve it rather than sell it at that price while they obviously don't know how to cook it properly. The owner even asked me what do they normally put in the hot pot's sauce. I'm not recommending the hot pot. Thank you for reading this.
(2)Joseph L.
Whenever I go to Hanabi, I always order things from the appetizer menu and sushi/rolls menu. Ag-e Tofu, Tuna tataki, any of the sushi/rolls, and miso soup is the way to go for myself. Ag-e Tofu: this is a lightly fried tofu, covered in seasoning, garnish, and this wonderful light soy sauce-based dressing. The texture of the tofu is little different for those that are not used to tofu, but give it a try! Tuna tataki: this one is little pricy because of the tuna pieces. Tuna is cut into sashimi slices and sear cooked. The tuna is seasoned with its own special seasoning and sauce. Hanabi's tuna tataki's is probably my favorite of all the ones have tried from other places. If you are into sashimi or sushi grade fish, then you HAVE to give this one a go. I am also aware that the management of Hanabi has changed recently, and is in the process of improving. So, on top of all the food I enjoy, I expect the service to improve greatly. Before the management change, the service was not as "up-to-par", but now since I have talked to the owner and manager, I can really tell they are slowly changing for the better. For myself, I feel like a good dining experience begins with good food and ends with good service. Expect a better experience when you go to this place! For those that I haven't tried this place, I would recommend it, and encourage you to take a chance with this small gem. For those that haven't been in awhile, the new management has changed sometime around late March. I would suggest you to give this new change a try again.
(5)Jessica R.
Sushi is delicious and reasonably priced. The service here is great, too! They always greet us warmly at the door and seat us privately. The atmosphere is quiet but not totally dead, which we love. We tried several sushi places before landing on this one as our favorite. Highly recommended.
(5)Amber H.
I had hopes this would be a gem but the sushi was uninspired, bland, wrapped in too much rice and not enough good stuff in the middle. I ordered the spider roll, which was just not good, yellowtail sushi that was okay but tiny pieces of fish, and the volcano toll that was anything but volcanic. The service was nice. Save yourself and keep going. It's not so hot.
(1)Elesha B.
As I have traveled, I've made sushi my go to meal. From the reviews, I thought this would be outstanding... not so much. It started out very promising. The call to order food was answered by a very friendly person who seemed to take pleasure in taking my order. The restaurant was a little hard to find- tucked away in a shopping center that I'm sure by day, was packed. By night, it was abandoned. Once I found it, I was greeted very kindly, offered a drink while I waited...great service. I wanted the sushi to be wonderful, but ultimately, it was just okay. The fish was fresh, but the rolls just weren't as creative and flavorful as I am accustomed to.
(3)Cassie G.
good food. ill come back again!
(4)Sam H.
Ordered spicy tuna sushi and the tuna sashimi and miso soup. All excellent and at a friendly sushi bar. 1 oclock and no one here but helpful and tasty.
(5)Joanna T.
Hanabi is a good option for low-key sushi in Brentwood, especially if you work in what seems like 20 sq miles of office park that surround this location. It's certainly a tucked away strip mall - my GPS took me all over the place before I finally arrived. I like the interior - clean, welcoming and friendly. Because it's Nashville, I was treated to "country slow jams" while enjoying my lunch, which marks the first time sushi and country music have intersected in my world. Service was great - everything arrived quickly and the people that work here seem genuinely nice. The menu was quite comprehensive - sushi, sashimi, standard maki, fancy maki, cold and hot noodle bowls, tempura and tonkatsu. Most people will find something they like without a problem. I went with a standard spicy tuna roll ($5) and a "Tennessee" roll ($7.80) which was crab, shrimp and avocado. I thought that the prices were reasonable for the quality - interestingly enough the menu does not have sushi prices on it. They're on the sheet you fill out telling them what you want so I'm guessing these prices may be a little higher at dinner. Presentation is very simple - no crazy sauce drizzles or wild stuff here which I appreciate. I also liked that my spicy tuna wasn't full of "spicy mayo" but it also wasn't spicy at all. The Tennessee roll was very tasty but on the small side. Overall, the fish in both rolls was very good but the rice used wasn't - it was the cold, gluey stuff that reminds me of grocery store sushi. If you're coming for dinner, they've got a good sake and beer list at pretty fair prices. I stuck with tea which was pretty watery so maybe avoid that. All in all, solid traditional sushi in a nice, low-key place. Would sushi again.
(3)Tracy F.
We stumbled upon Hanabi thanks to Yelp after a different sushi joint in the area was closed. It's a good thing we had a GPS with us, because without it, we never would have found it or even had the slightest notion of where the place is located. The reviews looked good and we were looking forward to enjoying a quick sushi dinner on a rainy Sunday night. We started with a hot bowl of miso soup and a portion of their squid salad - my husband's favorite! We were both impressed by the quality of our appetizers and grew excited for the rolls and sashimi we ordered. When our sushi arrived, it was all good - but nothing was great. The portions were relatively small for sushi and I found myself wanting more food afterwards even though we'd ordered plenty. At the end of our meal, I ordered a portion of tamago - the sweet egg omelette served over rice. Upon biting into it, I realized that it had been frozen and was not completely thawed. This was the ultimate disappointment and helped us decide that we wouldn't be returning anytime soon. The waitstaff was fine, though our waitress seemed to disappear whenever we actually needed something, whether it was a refill of our beverages or another order of sushi. That was also kind of a downer to our experience. Will we return? Probably not.
(2)Patrick L.
Everyone writes about the sushi and rightly so, because it's spot on. Certainly on par with Peter's, or even better, and without the "Thai" (I've always thought that was a bit strange). Unassuming, excellent sushi. It's time someone puts Hanabi on the map for something other than sushi, MISO RAMEN. They have the best ramen i have had in Nashville. I haven't had it at Two Ten Jack yet so I will reserve the top honors until then. But Otaku South and Ichiban have nothing on this bowl. It is served in two varieties, regular and special. The special is closer to traditional with the pork, nori and egg. I usually get the regular as it seems to have more veggies. Either way, drop a splash of soy in and slurp away.
(5)Alexandra F.
Let me start with saying my friend and I had high hopes for this place. Besides the fact that it was tucked away in a strip center, it seemed nice from the outside, and they were one of the only sushi places open until 10:30 on a week night. So we show up at about 5 til 10 hoping to get some great sushi and at the same time being mindful of the fact that they close at 10:30. The guy at the door was very welcoming with a huge smile and directed me to the table where my friend was waiting. Cold sake is already waiting for me and we start looking over the menu. I decide to order a spicy tuna roll and a crunch crab roll (which I typically order from any sushi restaurant as those are my favorite). My friend orders some kind of noodle soup and one roll (can't remember which one, some kind of expensive salmon roll). When the lady comes over to take our order she makes sure to tell us that they close at 10:30 (which we were already well aware). She hurries us through our ordering and flys off to the kitchen. A few minutes later our food comes out! My friends soup looked delicious and she said it was. Her roll however, with the salmon, didn't look good at all. The salmon looked to be a funny color, but she ate it, and said it was ok. My spicy tuna roll was probably a 1 or 2 out of 10, but I ate probably 6 out of 8 pieces. My crunch crab roll wasn't very good either. I also ate all but two pieces, and my friend finished the rest. We continued to drink our sake which was the only AMAZING part of this whole experience. The lady comes over again. She tells us again that we need to hurry and they close at 10:30, when my friend asks if she can have a coke. My friends soup was delicious, but too hot to eat quickly. So the lady brought her a giant styrofoam cup to put it in to take it to-go. We sit there for a moment waiting for her coke and finishing the sake. At this point it's probably 10:15. She brings over the coke and they turn off the music and part of the lights. Obviously at that point we realize they want us to leave. So we go up to pay after collecting our things. I was pissed because I just wanted to finish the sake that my friend paid for. After a long, horrible day all I needed was my sake. All in all, we were rushed, the food was sub-par, we were rushed some more, but really good sake. I don't need to go back, I'll find cold sake at the Asian market.
(1)Brittany L.
Best tempura chicken and teriyaki sauce ever! Veggies are always fresh, service is always fast and attentive.
(4)Jon K.
went for lunch the other day. I think the management might have changed, but my chicken DONKATSU is still bomb. Super crispy and flavorful. Super friendly staff, our waitress was really helpful and knew the menu really well. got some fried ice cream too, that stuff is bomb.com
(5)Meeran H.
Sushi was great!! Service was horrible. Server really had the to ask me 2 dollar tip?? Before I had even tipped her. Left a real sour taste in my mouth. I'll be going there again n this time she will be getting No tip!! Not even a thank u.
(3)Anthony K.
The place is a awesome. The fish is fresh and the service friendly and family like. We live in Hendersonville but make the drive down here twice a month at the least.
(5)Charles S.
Good fast sushi. Staff is very friendly. We had the salmon and the tuna. Both fish was very good and the portions were generous. California roll was better than most and complementary sushi came before the meal and a complimentary dessert after.
(5)Douglas B.
We have dined at Hanabi for years and usually enjoyed the sushi and other dishes. Tonight the food was below par. My wife's teriyaki chicken was adequate; the only vegetables the chef seemed to have on hand were onions. My barbecued salmon roll was dry and had little sauce. And the service was GLACIAL. We had two servers and both were incompetent. We waited fifteen minutes for our check. It seems Hanabi's management has changed-- and not for the better. In the future we will take our business to Sonobana.
(2)Adam B.
We found this place while staying in Brentwood while my wife had her job interview. It is a little off the beaten path and hidden in the corner of strip mall. But, the sushi was delicious. We tried a variety of rolls and enjoyed them all. While some of the reviews questioned the service, the only issue we had is that everything we ordered (drinks, appetizers, sushi) all arrived within about five minutes of each other. The staff were friendly and we didn't think the price was outrageous.
(3)Dawn W.
I used to live in L.A. so not to be misunderstood, I've had better sushi. However, for the middle of the country, it's about as good as I've had. The staff is so nice, always smiling and the price is about what one should expect. Open for lunch and dinner, 7 days a week and they stay open late! 10 or 10:30 pm depending on the night, it's open later than any of the other restaurants in the area. Definitely worth trying out.
(4)Jennifer P.
Since there are limited sushi option in Brentwood, I was excited when I discovered Hanabi. The sushi itself was pretty good, but I was not a fan of the waiting time or the price. I ordered 2 rolls to go and it took over half an hour before they were ready. All in all, I didn't hate the place but there are others I'd much rather go to.
(3)Leanna C.
This restaurant has the best sushi in town!! It's very fresh and the sashimi literally melts in your mouth. The service is great and the food comes out in a decent amount of time. I noticed it was very clean which is very important at any restaurant nonetheless a sushi establishment! Won't be disappointed!!!
(5)Stephen E.
I am visiting Brentwood from Idaho, for 9 days. I ate here 4 out of the 9 days. Their sushi rolls are excellent, the sashimi was fresh and melted in my mouth. The tempura was light, well breaded, and wonderful. Their hot noodle soups had great flavor and were filling. The staff was wonderful and friendly. I can't say enough about how great this restaurant is. It is a little off the beaten path, but definitely a great find when you get there. If I could only find a way to bring them back to Idaho with me.
(5)Brant V.
I think it's great! Def. get the samurai roll, it's our new favorite. Hard to find, but in the age of GPS that's hardly a complaint. Remember when ordering the rolls aren't huge, but are priced so incredibly well it allows you to get more variety on the table for the same amount of food and cost as other sushi spots. On top of that the service is incredibly friendly, Andrew killed it with suggestions. Parting words: save room for the tempura red bean ice cream.
(5)Daile J.
One of the sushi chefs came from Samurai and actually recognized my boyfriend and me. The food is great. The place is incredibly clean and all of the staff was very friendly. We sat at the sushi bar, which is very comfortable. The chefs gave us free samplings of new things on the menu, which were great. Will definitely come back here.
(5)John S.
Came here last week with someone after trying to go to Soy and being disappointed by renovations. That being said, we DEFINITELY were not disappointed by Hanabi! Thank you Yelp for helping us find this little sushi place. So we got 3 of the more simple sushi, and then 2 of the signature ones for tempura. The food took about an average amount of time to come out, but I was amazed with the presentation - our sushi literally CAME ON A BOAT. With little swords and everything. The sushi itself was pretty good, but what I really liked was the tempura signature sushi. It was all definitely fresh, and a decent amount of food - if you come here you probably just want to get 2 types of sushi for a meal, or maybe even one if you get the signature since they come out pretty large. I got 3.... and it was way much. In a good way though, I wish I could have eaten it all, it was delicious. Overall, great place with delicious sushi, GREAT presentation, and nice staff. A bit expensive for being in this area, but worth it for the quality.
(4)Jeff M.
Looked for Miyako, only to find it had closed, so hit the Yelp app again and found Hanabi. Wasn't disappointed. The signature Hanabi roll was fantastic, with maybe the best sushi roll presentation I've ever seen (see photos). Very friendly service and extremely clean. Best part - Hanabi prices were nearly half what you'd normally pay!
(5)Joan B.
Service is not the best or I would rank it higher. Don't go there on a friday night because it is packed and the service is worse. But the food is great. People are friendly. food is authentic. I am a fan.
(4)Morgan P.
Praise the foodie heavens! I have found what I long sought for. When I lived in Memphis, my apartment was about a mile or so away from our favorite sushi restaurant. (Side note: Memphis has excellent sushi. Thank you, FedEx.) Anyway, since moving to Nashville we've been pining for a pretty good sushi that was close. We had Peter's but the service is awful and the atmosphere is weird. We don't love Peter's. We love other sushi restaurants but they are far away. We rolled into Hanabi thirty minutes before they were supposed to close. I expected to be thrown out on the street but the owner happily sat us while a surly waitress told us to hurry up with our order. We ordered three types of sashimi and two simple rolls. The rolls (tuna and yellowtail) were really good. The sashimi portions were small but it was the end of the night. The part that made their sushi good was that it tasted fresh. The owner told us that he gets fresh fish three times a week. While we didn't order anything crazy they did have a bit more variety than some sushi joints (sea snails anyone?). I also really enjoyed that the soy sauce comes in a little tea kettle. It looked much nicer than the typical soy sauce bottle. Our sushi was pretty good! Was it the best sushi of my life (Chicago 2005, I'm looking at you)? No, it was not. Was it pretty good sushi for Nashville? Yes, it was. Is it pretty close to my apartment and are the prices pretty gosh darn good? Yes, without sake our meal would have cost $30 pre-tax. I apologize, Peter's. I do love your paintings but Hanabi is going to fill our neighborhood sushi void from now on.
(4)Tim M.
Nestled into a business corner of Brentwood, I don't think I would've ever found this place if it weren't for a friend's recommendation. Had the Alaskan roll and the Caterpillar. Great scott - I've never seen huge amounts of avocado on a Caterpillar roll so I loved it. The fish tasted good. The size of the rolls were good size but I wonder if the rice was just a little bland on this day. Miso soup was good starter. Service - has that mom & pop feel to it. Not as experienced servers trying to get orders and tables turned during the lunch time rush.
(4)Matthew S.
I LOVE this restaurant. I have eaten a lot of sushi in more cities than I care to count. While this is not the best sushi that I have ever had, it is VERY good. Everything is always fresh and delicious. I never have to worry about the quality of the food. Another important area where they excel is the originality of their sushi. You can get a California Roll here, but you can also try one of their interesting house creations or even request something that is not on the menu. Try the Hanabi Roll at least once. It is beautiful and tastes great. And the Miso soup is always made fresh and doesn't taste or look like the "dirty water" instant Miso that a lot of other restaurants try to pass off as soup. If sushi is not your thing or you are with people who don't want it, its not a problem. Hanabi has a large menu of authentic Japanese offerings to accommodate most picky eaters. The staff is very friendly and you only have to go a few times before they treat you like a regular and learn your name. I recommend that you sit at the sushi bar. The chefs are quite skilled and very friendly. I have become a regular here as I feel it is the best place in town to get reasonably priced, high quality sushi. If you go during their "happy hour" you can get a GREAT deal!!! Update: This is still five stars for me, but there have been some major changes at this restaurant. The staff left and was replaced. They need a little more time to settle in but are still good. One of the sushi chefs left to take on a job in Las Vegas. The head chef is still there and the food is still really good. I will miss my chef though.
(5)Melissa G.
Really delicious sushi in a super clean and friendly restaurant. Sit at the sushi bar--the sushi chefs are really friendly and have great tips (and extra specials) for you!
(5)Mitch S.
Best in Nashville again and again Ishiyaki is a cool dish that's served on a large stone. Panda roll was good.we always start w the Bulgogi appetizer,hit the sushi then dinner.service is usually good here.Always clean and friendly.It's kind of hidden away which is good,very peaceful at night.No one ever rushes you or tries to upsell dishes.Menu is good and easy for everyone.chicken.and.beef are avail.for the non seafood folks and kids still one of my favorite in the us.
(5)matt c.
Pretty good. The miso soup and peculiarly japanese salads were authentic. We tried gyoza and sake (salmon) teriyaki and both were great. The light flaky panko crusted pork katsu was also very moist and tender inside and its dipping sauce was made perfectly. It would have been excellent if i didn't have to wait 40 minutes for 8 pcs. nigiri, which tasted fine but not outstanding for the wait (it was not crowded). Second Occasion: Everything was great. Learned that the owners are Korean. Had gyoza again (pork), very good. For my main course, I had yakisoba which was very good. The sauce had a bit of clove in it, a nice touch. It also came with a healthy pile of shaved dried fish and scallions on the side.
(4)Judy N.
Ok, so the description for 5 stars is Woohoo! As good as it gets!, and in this area, Hanabi is the best sushi you can get. As all the other reviewers have said, the place is immaculately clean. The decor is perfect for Japanese foood and the wait staff is always attentive and polite. I've never been here for dinner but have had lunch at Hanabi several times (I work in Brentwood). I always get one of the Bento Boxes which are MUCH better than pretty much every other Japanese place in town. I've introduced a number of co-workers to this great restaurant and every one of them has loved it. I TOTALLY recommend this place.
(5)David B.
On our way back down to GA, the weary wayward travelers bearing south and home, we stumble upon this place. Figuratively. Why not? Who wouldn't open an extraordinary Japanese restaurant in Brentwood, TN? Well, these folks did, and the results are really worth experiencing. A very restful atmosphere: kind of open, but space is controlled with light-colored wood and slats. Immaculate. A busy sushi bar - at least one chef has tattoos, so do NOT make any Yakuza jokes. Great service. Wonderful food. The "giant bento box" will feed a giant, or at least a very hungry average size man. The tempura is very light. If we lived in the area, we'd be regulars.
(5)Curtis H.
With the changes at the restaurant formerly known as Miyako and the fact that I've never been a fan of Peter's Sushi, we ventured out to Hanabi for lunch today. We were well received and quickly seated at 11:40 on a Monday. Our orders were also taken quickly, even though we needed time to get used to the new (to us) menu. Most all went with the lunch sushi (#1 Spring), 5 Chef choice Nigiri and a Roll along with Miso soup and Salad. First, the salad was ice cold (perfect) with a good amount of tasty ginger dressing and the Miso soup was hot with some fresh mushroom added. The Nigiri was fresh and firm (no mealy fish here). Rolls were also fresh ( I had the Spicy Yellowtail). All in all a good sushi experience and a new local go to when sushi is needed
(3)Nadir S.
Don't visit this place if you value time. 40 mins wait for our order , 30 mins for the check. Sushi is good. But overall food quality is mediocre.
(1)Hart P.
Pleasantly surprised. Traditional Japanese cuisine that tasted great.
(4)Kaleena 'Kala' H.
Hands down, this is one of my favorite places in Williamson County to go to for sushi. The staff is wonderful and the sushi is delicious! I always tend to order the same thing...gyoza, crunchy crab roll, yellowtail roll, soup, and salad. All are so delicious and tasty. The one thing that impresses me is the presentation of the sushi when it is brought to you. They add the sushi on, and also include some decorative things such as garnishes in the shape of flowers and such. It always leaves me in awe and never want to eat, just look at the food and admire it. I hope to try some of their other dishes soon, such as the noodle dishes. They look delicious on their menu! This place has definitely won me over. :)
(5)Cherrelle G.
Absolutely love this place! It's a little hidden as far as location but worth finding. The customer service is genuine and authentic. Everyone was so kind. Very traditional. Love the sushi rolls. Spicy Tuna - yum and the name of the other rolls that I have ate on many different occasions have slipped my mind but were equally amazing! The shrimp fried rice was great as well. I've been going either every date night or every other. Going tonight as we speak to pick some up on this New Year day! So worth it!
(5)Leslie H.
Best sushi I have found in the Nashville area!!! Truly one of my favorite places! U must try the Ronin roll if u like deep fried rolls!! Great prices for amazing food!
(5)Brian B.
Decent sushi. Big selection for sure. There were many Japanese people there the night I went which must be a good sign. The only negative to me was that they had a nice selection of special chef rolls but hardly any featured tuna. Otherwise it was an OK place.
(3)Jane E.
First time to this local restaurant and what a wonderful find! Terrific food and friendly efficient service. Lots of variety of dishes. We will be back next weekend!
(4)Blair S.
Upon walking in, I know this place is clean because it smells like I just walked in to a janitorial supplies factory. I order a sushi combination platter. Kids are running around in circles, screaming, so I can't hear what the waitress says, but a lot of employees politely smile rather than ask the parents to respect the rest of the restaurant. Sigh. Fortunately the kids leave and the food comes out pretty quickly. My table's hand rolls order got lost under squeals and screams, but it's not worth waiting for the correction. The fish was not as fresh as I had hoped. Not bad, just average. The seaweed salad and squid salad were yummy. I may come back if I'm in the area, but I'll try one of the bento boxes or noodle soups instead of sushi. And if there are kids running loose, I'll go somewhere else.
(2)Nuri G.
Great, authentic sushi in the Nashville Burbs! I ordered: -Futomaki -Takuan Roll (Yellow Pickled Radish) -Hamachi -Aji Sashimi -Tamago Sashimi Everything was fresh and delicious. The rice was spot on, served at the perfect temperature, and served at the perfect seasoning. The futomaki was a little lacking in traditional ingredients, but overall retained the general flavor I expected. The hamachi was especially good, and the tamago was definitely homemade and not from a package. The decor was good, and the service was friendly and fast. TLDR: Really good traditional sushi in the Burbs... you won't find deep fried Las Vegas flashy whirlyroll topped with diamonds and dragonfruit sauce here.
(4)Beth P.
Having been here for lunch a couple of times, I can say that the bento boxes are good, the rice is just right, and the teriyaki salmon is great. Then, we went there for dinner and the sushi was amazing. I hadn't tried their sushi up to that point, and I should have tried it earlier! The fish tastes so fresh and the chef is not heavy handed with the spicy mayo or with cream cheese. We ordered six rolls, just because everything looked so good! I quite liked the Panda roll, but the best was the Hanabi roll, which looked like art and tasted divine. Definitely going back soon!
(5)Gwen K.
Overpriced for the quality of the food. Service was slow. Would not recommend.
(2)Peter K.
Pretty damn lackluster. Not worth the drive from Nashville all the fuck way out to suburbia for serviceable sushi. It's definitely nothing to scream home about. The season for the 2 stars is the FROZEN toro tuna. We wondered why the tuna came out after all of our rolls. I would imagine it was because it was still frozen and they were trying to defrost it. Lousy service, wrong tickets, and 1 roll we ordered that never arrived. On a positive note, both the beef sashimi, and the grilled squid were quite perfect.
(2)Cher Y.
As a sushi lover, i was very excited to see that their menu carried more of the authentic japanese dishes in terms of udon soups, bento boxes and a large variety of appetizers. Yes, and pretty tasty too! Overall, the food is fresh, decent proportion sizes and a clean atmosphere. [update: tried some more of their dishes, and I have to drop it down a star + half, there were some misses in terms of freshness] Their happy hour is def worth a check out --if you have not been here yet. A great inexpensive way to taste a variety of options on their menu. Yum yum! I would give it 3.5 stars, just because of the OK service.
(4)April K.
I heard this place has been 7-8 years but this place is well organized and clean. You will get quality and amount at the same time! They have very nice sushi and great food. (Udons and katsu are good) Esp. variety combination of sushi boats are amazing! Dont doubt! Just go!
(5)Will M.
Sushi was good. They really hook it up with the avocado. My california roll really hit the spot. I would recommend the rolls. A bit pricier, but overall worth it The Nigiri I had with it, was decent. It was almost a little bit frozen, texture was a bit off as a result. rice was perfect. Miso soup was fine, and salad was ok. Service was a little awkward due to language barrier. Interior was ok, details like paintings were a little off center, bothers the OCD part of me.. Located at Maryland Farms, It's in a nice part of Brentwood, If you are in the area, a decent place to get a couple rolls if you are in the mood for sushi.
(4)Chantel E.
Waiting over 5 minutes to be seated for lunch. Every server ignored the fact I was waiting. They were not even that busy. Even as one worker was processing a credit card payment, he still ignored me. I finally had to say hello, can you seat me? He still ignored me. I had no choice but to leave. The worst customer service ever!!!!!
(1)Casey H.
Not impressed with their rolls or Shabu Shabu at all. Rolls averaged between $7.95-$12.95. Shabu Shabu for two was $37.95. The server wasn't friendly - didn't flash a smile until she gave us the check.
(2)Russ H.
My Wife and I went to Hanabi for dinner and were not disappointed. The Miso soup was phenomenal, the salad fresh with a very nice ginger dressing that had a bit of lemon overtone. My wife had the Teriyaki Chicken Bento box, and I had the Sushi/Sashimi combo. The service was great, the food came out pretty quickly and everything was very good. If you are looking for authentic Japanese (as well as some Korean items like Bulgogi) this should make the list of places to go!
(4)Elizabeth E.
Okay, I have to be completely honest. I only ended up at Hanabi after going to Peter's Sushi on a Sunday and realizing they were closed. Since I had driven all the way from downtown to Brentwood at that point, my friend and I decided to Yelp another sushi option out in the 'burbs...hence finding Hanabi. You'd never know Hanabi was there (unless you live nearby, I guess), as it is tucked away in a small strip mall. It's unassuming and is nestled in-between a Sal's Pizza and an Edible Arrangements. We walked in and immediately knew we'd found a winner. The interior is warm, inviting and had a nice sushi bar. We chose the sushi bar and were immediately welcomed by the nice man behind the counter. As we reviewed the extensive menu, with lots of delicious sushi options, the man gave each of us a complimentary taste of something (I think it was fried tuna?). We started off with miso soup (a staple that was carried-out well at Hanabi) and pork gyoza. I have to admit I have had better pork gyoza (PM's is my favorite), but I wasn't disappointed - it was fine. My friend had some nigiri, we shared a fried roll (I know, I know, not healthy, but delicious), and I had the crunchy shrimp roll (I'm not the most adventurous sushi girl). I LOVED my crunchy shrimp roll - everything tasted fresh and light. The fried roll we shared (the name escapes me) was awesome, too. Once we finished eating, we stuck around to chat for a little bit and catch up. During our conversation, the man behind the sushi bar once again surprised us with a Rudolph Pokemon carved from an orange for dessert! It was so precious and provided us with that last little bite for our meal. I can't wait to return to Hanabi and would likely pick it over Peter's! I wish I worked nearby because they have an incredible sushi lunch special for $9.
(4)Anna S.
I'm gonna play it straight with you guys: a friend and I made the Brentwood trek for the sole purpose of busting out some chopsticks for Peter's Sushi, only to make the disappointing discovery that Peter observes the Sabbath. Hoping against hope for a delicious alternative, we turned to Yelp for additional suburban sushi suggestions. We found Hanabi in an unassuming strip mall. The interior was clean and cozy, and the sushi chef eagerly welcomed us to his bar. I gotta say, we were pleasantly surprised! Like Peter's, the sushi was fresh and affordable, and the chef even treated us to a gratis appetizer of fried tuna. The miso soup and pork gyoza were solid, but the sushi's where Hanabi really shines. I eagerly put away delectable hamachi nigiri, a deluxe Philadelphia roll, and a fried something-or-other I can't quite recall. The best part? The chef wrapped up our meal by presenting us with a painstakingly crafted, Sriracha-nosed reindeer sculpted from an orange. For those of you who work in the area, I'd check out their lunch special. It's something like $9 and looks like a phenomenal deal! Pete, you've got some competition.
(4)Cathy S.
Best sushi find in the Nashville suburbs! Fresh fish, pleasant staff, comfortable atmosphere and delicious food make Hanabi a wonderful surprise when looking for Japanese in the 'burbs. Love the Salad Roll, they serve a great Chirashi and the beer is cold and crisp. Very, very clean and very reasonably priced. One wish on our list would be a change of music. Five stars for Hanabi!
(5)Benjamin S.
Once again another awesome meal at Hanabi Japanese Restaurant, authentic or not, this place is really good, though I am 95% sure it is authentic. Anyway, this time I had 3 rolls, a soup and salad. My fiance also had the same thing. The three rolls I had were: A scallop roll: This was amazingly delicious and somewhat creamy. For once, for a scallop roll I could actually taste the scallop, which is a rare thing for most rolls I have had featuring scallop. A crunchy shrimp roll: A long time favorite of mine, it was a perfect blend of shrimp and crunchies. There is a reason this is one of my top favorite rolls. A spicy yellow tuna roll: Okay, I have had spicy rolls in the past, but this one takes the cake! Not even the dynamite rolls I have tried come close to how spicy this roll was. Any spicier and I would have been crying from the pain and I grew up eating spicy food. However, this roll was so spicy it was like a swift kick in the pants. Yet, all the while I could still taste the tuna and other ingredients. At this rate, Hanabi is further solidifying its place in short list of the best of Nashville sushi.
(5)Cora F.
Rice was very bland - rolls were not tight. Ingredients were falling out of rolls. California roll tasted better than any other roll with the exception of the special BBQ salmon roll. The service was subpar. Environment seems like a standard sushi bar trying its best to be fancy. The seating is very crowded. Food presentation was very disappointing. We based our decision to eat here off other reviews from Yelp. The fish seemed fresh but overall the sushi was not tasty. I'm pretty sure I didn't get one of the rolls I ordered. We experiment with a lot of different sushi places and this one we def. would not re-visit or recommend.
(2)Kathy T.
The sushi was alright, however don't order the tempura ice cream. The tempura ice cream was frozen on the inside (and yes, its fried ice cream, but you couldn't even break through the ice cream with the spoon). ALSO, the service was horrible. There was barely any customers inside and we still managed to get bad service.
(3)John A.
This has been my family's favorite restaurant for years. Authentic Japanese food: almost half of the people I've seen eating there were Japanese. Last night I had the traditional Japanese dish Ishiyaki: vegetables, salmon and shrimp served on a hot stone with ponzu sauce - excellent. Rolls, udon soup and bento boxes never disappoint. Family friendly atmosphere, good service, and never crowded. We have always left happy.
(5)Robert K.
Hanabi has got to be one of the finer Japanese restaurants in Nashville. To begin, the interior is really nice with good lighting and wood everywhere. I really like the feeling of the place, the décor creates the perfect vibe for sipping hot sake on a cold day. The menu is huge and offers everything from sushi to Hanabi's special bento boxes. I do not like udon noodles in general, but I will eat them here. The sushi selection is plentiful. They have a roll that is dedicated to Nashville. It is called the "Music City Roll" and it is actually pretty good.
(4)Patten F.
I'm fairly certain the owners of Hanabi are either independently wealthy and run this business as a hobby or that there is some secret shady backdealings going on because in the dozens upon dozens of times I've been to the restaurant at all hours of the day and days of the week, the most people I've ever seen in there is 3. Seriously, a "rush" in Hanabi is 3 people...which I don't understand because it's quite possibly the best sushi I've ever had stateside (and yes, I feel a bit toolish saying "stateside"). I've had sushi in Japan and Hanabi is close...it's not 100 percent authentic, but it's pretty close. So that's why I have the theory that the owners must be independently wealthy, because there is no way they are turning a profit on this place IN BRENTWOOD of all places... But I digress... I recommend getting one of their little starter salads, the dressing on it is awesome...I don't like eel and am a little iffy on fish eggs (I can do the little masago ones but not the big hefty ones), so I can't give you any accurate information on those, but I have tried pretty much everything else on the menu...and it's all good. And despite the double dollar signs up top, Hanabi's prices are pretty competitive with virtually every other sushi place around. I just wish I knew where the people were.
(5)Bridgette C.
This is my favorite sushi restaurant in Nashville, end of story. However, as a disclaimer, I should mention I went with Japanese friends, who knew the chef, and let them order for me. Literally, I said, whatever you think I should try. So my experience here was probably not the norm, but let me say the restaurant itself was lovely, the service perfect, and the price reasonable. The fish tasted fresher than anything I've found here yet (that didn't come out of a lake that day). I tried so many different types of fish that I would never have tried before: white tuna, squid, salmon roe...the plate I had before me was a stunning array of colors, just simple pieces of fish on rice. It was how a sushi experience should be. And again, while mine was probably a little special, if thats any indication of the quality of service, food, and presentation you get on a normal day, you don't want to miss this. I did have some southern-style rolls (and by that, I mean fried something-or-other) and those too were mouthwateringly good. This place was a fun and fantastic evening that was unique among my other adventures, mostly due to the company I was gracious enough to have, but also the food here was great. just great. If you're adventurous, get some nigiri (the fish-on-rice simple-but-good setup) and try something brand new. You will not regret it.
(5)Nate C.
wow, what a menu!!! One thing I missed about LA is the good Japanese restaurants. However, that all changed when I found this gem. Hanabi has an extensive menu and their fish is fresh! I live in downtown and tried all those other Japanese restaurants nearby and found them to be mediocre, but Hanabi is a different story. If you are looking for the authentic Japanese food, from Sashimi (sushi) to tempura, look no further per this is your one stop shop for your Japanese craving.
(5)Derek B.
GREAT SUSHI! just don't veer off of the sushi menu too far. I ordered the chicken skewers and edamame and was not impressed. Also my glass of wine cost as much as the bottle would. However great service, good atmosphere and GREAT SUSHI!!
(5)Jennie W.
Since I had a birthday coming up, I had to pick out a place that wouldn't be busy on a Friday night, had sushi, and took reservations. I decided to give Hanabi a shot over the busy and popular Peter's Sushi & Thai after reading previous positive reviews of this place on the trusty Yelp. I was promptly seated at my table. The restaurant's interior was warm, nice, and cozy. Comfortable and smitten, you could tell that I was looking forward to this because 1) it wasn't crazy busy 2) sushi, hello! 3) birthday dinner! Sounds wonderful so far? Yes, but hold the phone, I must've stepped into an opposite parallel universe because my experience was not so fab. The waitress I had was HORRIBLE. Let me count the ways... 1. My friend asked what was in the Vegetarian roll. She didn't know. She just said to look at the menu and pointed to where the item was. Wtf mate? It's a simple question. 2. She didn't remember who ordered what when she finally got food for us at the table. 3. Waitress: (puts down my sushi) Me (looks at it and points to menu description): Excuse me, I ordered my sushi deep fried. This doesn't look deep fried. Waitress (points at no raw fish menu symbol): It doesn't have raw fish. Me: No, no I know that. I'm not asking about that. This isn't fried. (points at asterisk symbol labeled for fried) On the menu, it's labeled fried. Waitress (points at no raw fish menu symbol): No, it doesn't have raw fish. Me: Yes, I know, but this isn't fried! (points at asterisk symbol labeled for fried) It's labeled fried. Waitress (slowly understanding what I'm talking about): Ohh, let me go check. (She returns and tells me that it's fried on the inside.) THE BOTTOM LINE: Last time anyone has eaten out at any type of restaurant establishment in his/her lifetime, a good waiter or waitress better deliver good service and know the menu from the top of her head, forwards, backwards, adjacent, diagonally, criss cross, and upside down since that's their job to make a good first impression for repeat business aka makin' bank. What a shame. She seemed like a nice lady, but clueless to the max. The only saving grace was the food. I had Tempera Udon and the Bull's Eye sushi. Both were muy delicioso in taste and presentation asking me to reconsider for another visit. Too late. Eek, no thanks. Slow service altogether...it wasn't even busy! I gracefully paid my check and parted ways. Smmfdh disappointed.
(2)Star T.
It's a great atmosphere, and sushi is great! Nice, Fresh, Great Market Selections, if you like fatty tuna and uni...so good!!!! This is a place where if you go often, make friends with the sushi chefs or the (itamae). It will serve you greatly the more you come. Some people may not know this, but the tip you put on your receipt does not go towards the sushi chefs, just the wait staff I believe. You need to tip them directly at the bar in their jars, I promise it's worth it! The food is great and you can't leave without having some red bean, green tea, or plum wine ice cream...none of them will disappoint!
(4)Jason T.
I came here a few months ago upon hearing that they serve toro (fatty tuna). I thought the sushi was ok, nothing too special, except that it seems to be one of the few places in Nashville to get toro. After reading the rave reviews here, I decided to return and give it another try last night. This time, I ordered the tekka ju (bowl of tuna over rice) and a Philadelphia roll. The soup and salad that were included were good. The roll was average. And the tekka ju was sub-par. The pieces of tuna were a little warmer than I was used to and tasted pretty fishy. I had to cover the taste with extra wasabi. The service and atmosphere are nice, and I'll give them the benefit of the doubt that this tuna was out of the ordinary. I was hoping for a new favorite sushi place due its proximity to my home and the great reviews here, but I guess it was not meant to be.
(3)Michael V.
Great sushi with great presentation. A little pricey and service was decent (2 servers for whole restaurant so not her fault). Will enjoy again.
(4)Diane D.
Sushi is good, fresh, and nicely served. This place very possibly has the best sushi in the Nashville area, and it's our go-to when we want good Japanese. As a former NYC dweller, I'm pretty fussy about food quality, especially seafood. This far from the ocean, it's not always easy to find a place that serves fish this fresh. The decor is nothing special, but pleasant enough, service is friendly and prompt, The food's good enough that you won't mind the generic decor.
(4)Jerry W.
Who knew...super fresh and tasty sushi in Tennessee. We got about 7 different rolls, and every one of them was absolutely fresh tasting and were put together very well. The service was a little slow, but the taste definitely made up for it. I don't know what else to say...it was just good...simply good.
(4)Sasser M.
I am a food snob - I readily admit it. Yet there are places I eat and I can forget the lousy food most of us eat in chain restaurants. Hanabi is one of those. It handily whips the competition and every other sushi place I have eaten at in town. My wife and I end up fighting over the last piece of the Samurai roll every single time. It's phenomenal! Have you tried the traditional dish that comes on the large river rock? Tasty tasty!
(5)Candice R.
I really, really wanted to like this place so bad! I do like the atmosphere and the staff but my sushi was just okay. Just something to eat that I will soon forget. I had my old standby, the the yellow tail, and it was mediocre. I also had the ebi and surf clam nigiri; unfortunately all I could taste was the wasabi but the shrimp heads were good. I also had the Parthenon and morning sun. It just tastes like bland rice and some of my fish was a little too dry for my liking. I ended up having to use the soy sauce. The scallop was not sweet, the fish was a little too warm, and the crab salad was dry. I will come again and try something other than the sushi because I still want to like this place!
(3)Mark F.
Wow! Great sushi in TN! Who woulda thunk? Eat at the sushi bar. Good avocados. Fresh fish. Friendly sushi chef.
(4)Annie M.
I had heard great things about this place, and couldn't wait to try it out! I was there with 4 other people for lunch, and ordered a sushi combo with a spicy tuna roll. The roll was good, not great, but a typical cheap roll. The fish used for the rest of the sushi was not very fresh at all. The salmon was okay. They included white tuna on the combo, which is one of the worst fish for you (banned in many countries). The tuna was mushy and mealy, and I actually could not bring myself to eat it and ended up spitting it out. The rice used was cheap, hard, bland rice. However, the wasabi had a great zing to it! Overall the sushi was worse than some cheap, fast food sushi places I have been to. The rest of my party seemed to enjoy their meals, especially the cold yakisoba. I'm the only one who got a 100% sushi meal, so maybe their cooked food it better. On the plus side, the place was cute and clean. The waitress was nice, but a little slow and distracted although the place was less than half full. This being said, I doubt I will be back.
(2)Rob A.
Very good sushi, very clean. Can't wait to go back.
(4)Melissa L.
I discovered this place by accident but it's a hidden gem. I've only been here at dinner time and it's not as crowded as the other places though it should be. The prices here seem to be better to me than some of the other local places. I love getting bento boxes so I can have a little of everything I want and I find their bento box to have more elements and be a great deal. But I also love their sushi. The place is clean, quiet and well lit.
(4)Laura D.
This is the only Japanese restaurant I've been able to try out while staying in the Nashville area but I was really impressed! The atmosphere and the service was really great. Both the host and waitress were super nice and friendly; the waitress was really interested in learning more about Canada after I mentioned that was where I was from and it was really pleasant talking to her. The restaurant itself was also very pretty and very clean. The food itself was very cheap and it was pretty good. The miso soup and the gyoza were perfect and they had a huge selection of sushi to try from. We ordered a bunch of different rolls and they were all tasty. My only complaint is that the ebi nigiri was a little dry when it was served to us and while I did eat it, I wasn't super impressed with it. I have a feeling that maki is more of their specialty than nigiri or sashimi. I'm definitely looking forward to going back if I get the chance, especially to try some of their other selections. Maybe I'll try to go for Happy Hour, where they have a lot of rolls and appetizers available for lower prices.
(4)C J.
Great Great Great! I traveled a great deal when I was younger and have been to many sushi places around the country and this place is one of the best. Recently went with a friend who's spent time in Japan and his comment was this was best sushi he's had outside of Japan. Service can be slow, but sushi and staff are great! Go!
(4)Erin J.
I work in Brentwood so I eat here mainly for lunch - although I've taken advantage of their sushi & drinks happy hour as well. They have the best Tempura Udon noodle bowl in town - so yummy. Love it on a very cold day. My favorite sushi roll is the Morning Sun roll - I love anything with scallops, and this one is just diggity. It's also the only place around Nashville where I've been able to get Toro Nigiri......ooohhhh....melt in your mouth fatty tuna, a true delicacy. This place is about the cleanest, most upscale sushi restaurant in town. They have a pretty extensive menu that offers the typical Japanese fare - bento boxes, fried rice, edamame, noodle bowls, rice bowls, etc - but they also have some things you won't find anywhere else. Definitely will keep going back here.
(5)Zach G.
Mediocre sushi. Udon isn't too bad though.
(3)Cassondra W.
After 3 years of going to Hanabi it is still far and away not only my fave restaurant in Nashville area but it stacks up against sushi in Chicago, DC, NYC, Atlanta, Las Vegas, and LA (all places where I've personally had sushi several times). Even after recently moving away from Nashville area you can bet that anytime I'm back in town for a visit, dinner at Hanabi is HIGH on my list!
(5)Krash T.
I lived in Tokyo for four years, so I'm fussy about Japanese food. The sushi is consistently good - all right, it's not LA or New York, much less Japan, but it is good - the food is always well presented, fresh, and the restaurant itself is always spotlessly clean. This is also one of the few Japanese restaurants that also does simple stir-fried vegetables. They're good about accommodating allergies and have one of the old Shintomi chefs behind the sushi bar. The only disappointment I've ever found was the gyoza - I have to say, Shintomi's were lighter, and the accompanying sauce was the best I've had in the US. But otherwise, an excellent choice and a well kept secret. Also, they do "happy hour" sushi and rolls just before dinner time, at a dollar off!
(4)Lee N.
This place is a hidden gem. I really enjoyed this place and strongly recommend going. The quality of the fish was excellent and so was the variety. The Bonito and Yellowtail sashimi were both very good. Ask for off menu specials. I plan on returning frequently.
(4)Brandon T.
Absolutely the worst service I've ever had at a restaurant. It was like we didn't exist. I recommend avoiding this place unless you have a lot of time on ur hands and if you want to spend it getting ignored.
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