Hakumaru

We came here for dinner because of all the 5 star reviews and it didn't disappoint. We made reservations since we had a big party. We started off with the fragrant garlic edamame and gyoza (6 pieces). Hot sake was nice too. I ordered the sliced ribeye steak and mushroom donburi bowl and it was delicious.The steak was very tender though there were a couple of pretty fatty pieces. I wish there were some vegetables too. I should have ordered a salad as well. Everyone was happy with their food orders. The sushi orders came way after the cooked dishes were served. We were half way done with our food before my friends' sushi orders came to the table. They were busy on Thursday night with only two sushi chefs. We ordered the earl grey creme brulee and the matcha brownie for desserts. Definitely order the creme brulee. It wasn't too sweet and we liked it more than the brownie.They are strict on the 2 hr table limit since it's a small restaurant.

Great Ambiance, Service was on point, and the food was impeccable especially the specials. The chefs also sometimes offer off menu special rolls if you ask for one. It's always fun trying out what they come up with. Really recommend this spot!

Hakumaru is sparsely decorated with a tasteful and sophisticated interior design. The menu reflects the restaurant's interior: simple but sophisticated. I had wonderfully grilled salmon, perfectly seasoned with lightly charred skin and a moist, flaky filet. The grilled salmon was served in a not overly sweet citrusy sauce, paired with charred broccolini and a sweet pickled onion shoot.The ambiance and food were terrific, but the service was a bit subpar. Our server was oblivious and didn't really check in on us. I'm guessing she's new. Otherwise, I had a delicious meal and look forward to going back.Happy eating!

Came by to check out this new spot and it was delicious! I had the Krunchy Kaia Roll and my husband had the 4s Roll. We also shared the Gyudon Bowl. The rolls were fresh the ribeye was cooked perfectly. The servers and sushi chefs were so friendly and welcoming. I definitely will be returning here!

Ever since the move, I do not want to drive more than 10 minutes away to eat. Bookmarked a couple of spots to try. I started a tradition of trying new places on Fridays to try after work. It just gives me something to look forward to. The mentaiko pasta and halibut carpaccio was solid! I've been on a Japanese food binge, and happy I came here the other evening to eat. Everything was delicious and decently priced. The chef and waitress was friendly and the decor inside was sleek.

Located in a pretty large plaza, you have to look for the restaurant in the corner. They don't have their sign up and it is just a white banner. It is a normal sized sushi restaurant with two chefs and 1 server. There was a manager-like person walking around giving kids choices for their chopstick trainer/helper kit (it was very nice of them! Kids were so happy and tried to use their chopsticks). The food took about 20minutes to come out (Thursday lunch 11:40am) and the place was pretty full but no wait. We did kind of awkwardly stood at the door as they just greeted us when we entered but didn't say anything and the waitress just kind of saw us and still didn't say anything until she was done with the other customers. We weren't sure if we had to seat ourselves or wait since there weren't any signs. It was a bit confusing. The waitress did ended up setting up a table for us. At first bite, we didn't know what to say. It just had a weird flavor combo. After tasting the other orders we realized that it is probably the sesame dressing that doesn't fit well with the other flavors of the roll. The Lemon Luna especially did not go well with it as when combined with the acidity, it kind of made it taste like it went bad. The sauce itself (tasted off the plate) was good but just as a whole the flavors were a bit off. The seaweed also was a bit tough. The roll that we did like was The 4S (rice less one). The cucumber didn't have an after taste and the sesame seeds in between the cucumber and rice wrap was a great idea as it added that extra nutty flavor and it went well with the sauce.

We wanted to find a sushi place nearby the Poway Center for the performing arts. The typical Japanese restaurant we enjoyed in the area was no longer is in business. Yelped around and found this place! Right across the freeway from the theater.We enjoyed absolutely everything here!I was chilly so I wanted something warm to drink and to start, I got the hot honey yuzu tea. It hit the spot!For dinner here's what we tried. - Pan fried gyoza: Pan fried dumplings are my fav, so I had to try them. Perfectly cooked and the sauce is unique and different. Worked well with the gyoza. - Shrimp tempura: this was supposed to be a mixed veggie tempura with shrimp, but we only got shrimp which I'm not complaining. It was delicious either way. - Hamachi carpaccio: This was my favorite dish! Flavors were well blended. - Tuna tataki sashimi: The tuna was also really yummy and my next fav, hard to pick which one I liked more! - Kohaku Dragon roll: This roll was perfect. I love tempura rolls and the best part?!? There was absolutely no cucumber! Yay! It drives me nuts that everyone typically adds cucumber and I always have to pick it out or ask for it to be made without. Didn't have to change a thing. :) There was plenty of food with everything we ordered and surprisingly pleased with all of our selections. Reservations can be made easily on Yelp. The restaurant is not huge. several tables and bar seating. Employees were friendly but busy, so they don't check on you often and you have to get their attention. Located in a strip mall there was no issues finding parking. Will definitely be back again! 2024: 15

What is there not to love about this place?I truly feel like this is a hidden gem that I want to gate keep but I can not sing enough praises for it. It's just that good.To begin, the location is a pretty small, but pretty sushi spot. The interior makes me feel really comfortable with it's wood veneer panels across the walls, darker warm lighting, and the TV's which generally are playing a loop of a cooking montage from various Anime. I've fallen in the trance of watching them while I waited patiently for my food, which I can confirm, is in fact a looped video if you watch it long enough. The ambiance really has a way of drawing you in that I can't relate to many other sushi spots that feel more like you shouldn't be there for very long and feel uninviting to a guest.With that aside, let's talk service. I think with the location and size, the amount of servers is decent, but sometimes the place will be fully packed and leaves just 1-3 servers scrambling around to check in on each table. There has been times where it might take longer than expected for them to make their rounds for water and such, but I'll let this one slide since the food is amazing and I can see they're trying their best to accommodate their customers. The chef's manning the bar counter are great and definitely know how to whip up some fantastic sushi/sashimi options if you ask them when you're seated there.Finally, the food. The food is quite honestly the best element this place has to offer, hence my hesitance to write this review, nonetheless, it's amazing. My favorite items to order so far is the Takoyaki for appetizer, the Sashimi Champaloo, and Hamachi Hiro for sushi (honorable shoutout to Salmon Dac Biet), complemented by Honey Yuzu hot tea to boot. For dessert I strive to order the Earl Grey Creme Brulee since it's so delicious. Realistically I feel like any of the sushi choices you could pick off the menu would do you no wrong. If you're fortunate enough to sit at the bar counter, the chef's make an absolutely fantastic custom sushi roll if you give them some of your preferences, or let them freestyle to create you something truly unique and scrumptious. It's hard enough to keep me from NOT coming back to this place, but I'm sure I'll find another 100 or so reasons to come dine at this mother of pearl for sushi.

I just dined at Hakumaru Japanese Restaurant and found the experience to be mixed. The service was good, but the food was served very slowly, with dishes arriving at random times. The food itself was so-so; it wasn't bad, but it lacked authenticity. The restaurant was clean, but there were many people waiting to eat, and some were coughing very loudly. Unfortunately, the staff didn't seem to care about customers who might be uncomfortable with such behavior. Overall, while the restaurant was tidy, I don't feel the need to return.

Have been here many times. Fish is always fresh, menu is great. We will keep coming back!