Serving sushi to the people of Glendora since 1978, Hana Haru continues to put emphasis on its food and service.
“We don’t do advertising,” said owner, Jane Lee.
Hana Haru is not a conspicuous place. Between its poor visibility to the nearby streets and the lack of advertising, one might not know the restaurant exists. However, after eating there, Hana Haru proved to be a hidden treasure.
The restaurant had a simple layout: booths against the walls, tables in the center and a sushi bar in back. A TV placed in the center of the dining room had the Dodgers game on.
Bamboo stalks lined the entrance, paper lanterns hung daintily from the ceiling and traditional Japanese artwork on the walls overlooked the hungry guests.
The owner herself came to the table to take orders. Perhaps inspired by the baseball game, the Home Run Roll seemed a fitting choice. The roll was a house special made with shrimp tempura, fresh tuna, jalapeno, cucumber, avocado and spicy sauce. Eight pieces cost $11.95.
The roll was rich. The crunchiness of the shrimp and cucumber, the creaminess of the avocado and the little kick of spice from the jalapeno blessed the marriage of flavors and textures.
Wanting to try more of what Hana Haru had to offer, a bento box seemed the best option. For $13.75 the meal included spicy chicken, a California roll, mixed tempura, rice, salad and miso soup—not a bad deal.
For my threshold, the chicken was not spicy, but it was tasty. The chicken was all white meat with a tangy flavor and was served hot on a cast iron skillet.
The California roll, rice, salad and miso soup were all standard and served at their respective proper temperatures.
My favorite side, though, was the mixed tempura. The bento box included seven tempura pieces—six veggies and one shrimp. The tempura was hot and crunchy as fried food should be and came with a somewhat sweet dipping sauce.
All-U-Can-Eat sushi at Hana Haru costs $25 and the a la carte prices vary from $5 to $30. The restaurant offers a 10 percent discount on a la carte orders to any Citrus student with their I.D.
Hana Haru also offers delivery services through UberEats and Postmates.
Lee said the quality and thorough preparation are what set Hana Haru apart from other sushi restaurants close to Citrus College.
Overall, I enjoyed the food and the easy-going atmosphere of Hana Haru and will return.
