Hidden Gem: Hanabi

It's a little bit of a crime that I have yet to blog about Hanabi. It's probably the restaurant I visit most frequently; my go-to for a reasonably-priced, relaxed, but always high-quality sushi fix.

I always visit Hanabi with my friend Liz, and we always order the matsu combo: 12 pieces of nigiri and two rolls (a salmon roll and a shrimp tempura roll) for $34.95. We invariably swap out at least one of the nigiri and at least one of the rolls. Never once have they balked or complained, and I don't think they've ever upcharged us for the changes, either, though I feel sure we have many times opted for choices that were more expensive than the ones that were supposed to come with the combo.

The service is about as good as any service I've ever had in a restaurant. Unfailingly accommodating. Attentive without being intrusive. Always pleasant and kind...even when we - and I'm embarrassed to admit that we do this with some frequency - linger past closing time, solving the world's problems over a carafe of hot sake.

And the sushi has always been, over many, many visits, incredibly fresh and generously cut and just plain delicious.

$34.95 worth of sushi. Kind of ridiculous, isn't it?

Did you see those beautiful little morsels to the right of the boat? That's monkfish liver, one of my favorite things in the universe. If you haven't tried it before, I highly recommend it - it's the paté of the ocean. It's the rare sushi restaurant in Austin that carries monkfish liver, but Hanabi consistently has it in stock.

Tasty, tasty monkfish liver.

One of these days, I'm going to check out Hanabi's omakase. I have it on very good authority that it is outstanding.

So if you need a fix of excellent sushi (and come on, who doesn't?), head on over to Hanabi and discover your new favorite neighborhood sushi joint.

Hanabi

2525 W. Anderson Lane (on the Lamar side of Northcross Mall)
Austin, TX 78757

(512) 407-9000