Hane Sushi

This is the more centrally located younger sister of the long established Sushi Ota, and has been open since 2008. It is in a fairly quiet area a couple of miles north of the downtown area of San Diego. Hane Sushi has a casual feel, with no tablecloths, paper napkins, and a sushi bar with bar stools in addition to half a dozen or so tables. The menu was similar to that at Sushi Ota and they use the same fish supplier.

Miso soup was better than many, with a good stock garnished with herbs (14/20). Tuna sushi had a pair of pieces of yellowfin tuna of quite good quality, served on rice at room temperature (as it should be) and with a little wasabi (sadly not real wasabi but the usual coloured horseradish), with a little pickled ginger on the side (13/20). Prawn tempura was well above average, the prawns cooked properly and the batter nicely crisp (14/20). Eel on a bed of rice was also enjoyable, served in a pretty box, with good quality eel that avoided greasiness, the juices seeping into the rice beneath (14/20).

Service was friendly. The bill for one at lunch came to $36 (£23), but I wanted to try a few dishes so this was more food than was really needed for a lunch. Hane Sushi serves a good standard of food, and is a particularly welcome find in a city where good restaurants are hard to come by.