The Simple Yet Luxurious Joys of Eating Out

Eating out is a sensory experience that everybody loves to do especially when trying out a new restaurant. There is much joy in the knowledge that you will be able to partake of food that is meticulously prepared and cooked by professionals who have been trained to do it.  The convenience of eating out is something that people always appreciate.  Who wouldn’t? You can get away from your chores of cooking, cleaning up and washing the dishes for one night.  A dinner by the bay is a welcome respite to the house chores that we constantly face every night. 

Aside from the cuisine of the food that we partake, the ambiance of the place where you and your companion will be eating in is important as well.  It adds to the total experience of dining out.  We all know that ambiance plays a great deal in setting the mood for the night.  Family restaurants give you that feeling of being welcome even if you have kids screaming around.   A romantic dinner leads to a night filled with more romance because of the low lights, soft music playing in the background and the muted tones of the other diners.  A date with a view like dinner at the waterfront will surely impress your loved one or your special someone.   Sometimes you can replicate that kind of ambiance at home but nothing beats the feeling of being served upon and eating appetizing food that has been prepared by great chefs. 

The first thing that comes to mind when planning to eat out is where to go and what kind of food to eat.  Because of the availability of ingredients, there are a lot more options to choose from. The influx of immigrants from other countries, bringing with them their knowledge about their cuisine, has paved the way for the other cuisines to set its foothold on our shores.  

One of the more favored cuisines when going out for casualdining is Japanese cuisine.  American’s appreciation of Japanese food has come a long way.  When before, we only think about shrimp tempura and sushis and makis as the main component of Japanese cuisine.  Of course, we should not forget noodle dishes mixed with a plethora of different meats and vegetables.  It is surely one cuisine that did not have any problems when it comes to acceptance to the palate. Japanese cuisine has become mainstream in our dining experiences. It is delicate and robust at the same time.  Of course, how can you not love this cuisine when presentation is as important as the taste of the dish itself?  It is truly an amazing cuisine that people cannot get enough of. 

If given the chance to get out of the house to eat dinner somewhere, take this opportunity to try out the different restaurants in your area.  If you’re in San Francisco, why not try either of the two Hana Zen Restaurants, with their laid-back yet elegant and cozy ambiance? It may help for you to be more adventurous especially when it comes to food.  Doing so will definitely open up our senses to the existence of another culture of people who are more than willing to share their traditions and recipes of the food of their ancestors. 

Out to impress someone?

Out to impress someone? You can either take them out for a walk along the streets of the city, by the beach, or surprise her with flowers and chocolate while she is at work.  For sure that gesture would get her swooning and make her the envy of her female officemate.  However, a surefire way of impressing someone would be taking her out to a romantic dinner with spectacular views of the bay. This is something that would surely make a big impact on her. 

If you want to make the best out of this romantic dinner date, why not take her to a Japanese restaurant.  It may sound unique but a date in a Japanese restaurant would be the perfect place because of the ambiance that it offers.  One place that you should consider would be Hana Zen Restaurant over at Pier 39 by the Embarcadero. It offers perfect panoramic views of San Francisco Bay, Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island. This classy restaurant would surely take her breath away not just because of the spectacular view but also because of the quality of the food that they serve. This dinner by the bay would surely make a great impression on her and be an unforgettable moment of your time together. 

You might find it unusual to bring your date to a Japanese restaurant. I say it really is not so. The restaurant’s ambiance is not too formal making it a great casual dining place, but still allows for an intimate, peaceful setting.  Some people would argue that Japanese restaurants have an all-too-formal ambiance, which is not really conducive for getting-to-know-you conversations. This is not the case for Hana Zen, as they also have a branch in Union Square along 115 Cyril Magnin Street.  They have a Yakitori station over at this branch, which is the perfect food that matches well with drinks and beer.  Having a conversation while letting your hair down a little and sharing this type of food is great, especially when you are still in the early stages of dating.  

Your casual dining experience can become truly memorable because of the view that this restaurant offers. The view it offers is downright spectacular and breathtaking.  It certainly adds that magic touch to a truly perfect evening. 

Of course, the food in this restaurant is exceptional.  It is known that Japanese cuisine has set high standards when it comes to food preparation and presentation.  All ingredients should be fresh and perfect. This restaurant is no exception as they go to great lengths in making sure that it would be able to achieve the high standards that Japanese cuisine is known for. You and your loved one will surely enjoy your dinner as you feast on sushi, sashimi, Tempura, Teriyaki, Yakitori and all other Japanese dishes that have become a favorite among the crowd. 

This is what makes this restaurant versatile because you can find a variety of dishes to satisfy your Japanese food cravings.  It is a great place to hang around and let the stress out after a long day’s work in the office. Your dinner at the water front will surely be enjoyable and your date will be delighted.   

Hana Zen is one restaurant that you should not miss not just for the best Japanese food in town, but for one great dining experience.

Must-Have Foods When Dining in a Japanese Restaurant

Japanese cuisine has reached glorious heights as people all over the world can easily recognize it. Japanese restaurants all over the world are famous, even those considered for casual dining, because of the freshness of the ingredients used as well as the way the food is cooked which gives the diner a satisfied feeling after eating.  The cuisine does maintain rigid standards when it comes to its cooking and serving methods.  This can be attributed to the Japanese cooks who have mastered the art of preparing their cuisine which is what is sought after when it comes to Japanese restaurant.

The many number of Japanese restaurants that have sprouted all over the place cam make one think twice about going in.  Of course, the best restaurants should be able to serve only the best Japanese food there is. One of the most sought-after foods when it comes to Japanese restaurants is the Tempura.  Of course, the batter should be light and crunchy enveloping a fresh and perfectly cooked shrimp, with a dipping sauce that rounds up the sweet, salty and slightly spicy flavors playing in the mouth.  Tempura is considered to be one of Hana Zen’s specialty dishes wherein you can expect to get the perfectly cooked tempura that is crispy and has the right bite from the shrimp.  It is paired with a view which gives you a perfect dinner at the waterfront. 

Another famous Japanese food is of course, Sushi and Sashimi.  The quality of these two dishes depends on the freshness of the ingredients used in preparing it.  This is the main reason why the chefs of Hana Zen make sure that only the freshest catch becomes a part of their sushi and sashimi tray.  The chefs here have high standards when it comes to the ingredients that they use, more so for the ingredients that they use for their sushi and sashimi platters.  You can always expect to have only the top of the line sushi and sashimi served to you when you order a platter of it at Hana Zen restaurant. 

Nowadays, when people go to a Japanese restaurant, the first things that they look at on the menu are the variety of the rolls that they have. The variety of the rolls being offered is an indication that the Japanese restaurant that you are in is one of a kind.  This also means that the chefs have exercised their creativity in being able to bring together different kinds of ingredients enveloped in rice and wrapped in seaweed paper.  How they are able to bring together the different flavors of each of the ingredients is an art in itself.  Hana Zen offers a number of rolls in its menu to give the diner several options to choose from.

So if you are looking for a place to have dinner by the bay and enjoy a sumptuous Japanese meal, then Hana Zen should be on top of your list.    A romantic dinner can be achieved in this branch as it has spectacular views of the bay and the surrounding areas.  Hana Zen is one restaurant in the Bay Area that you should not miss when you consider Japanese cuisine as one of your favorites. 

Teaching My Kids More Refined Dining

When it comes to eating, my wife and I always strive for the best. My other half is a gourmet cook who prides herself as someone very skilled in culinary arts. I, on the other hand, consider myself well-travelled, reaching as far as Asia and even Egypt. I started exploring the world since high school when I was an exchange student, spending a year in Japan. Now, as a merchandiser of a popular fashion brand, I also need to source materials and get trends from all over the world. So, when it comes to eating foreign food, I am quite well-versed. Be it casual dining or an elaborate romantic dinner, my wife and I are no strangers to knowing what good food is and what constitutes a great dining experience since we started dating in college.

The thing is, my wife is so good in cooking that my kids, 7 year old twins (a boy and a girl) , are not really that conscious (yet) of the pleasures associated with eating out. Their lunches and dinners are lovingly prepared by their mother, and they never seem to get tired of their mom's cooking, as much as my wife doesn't seem to run out of ideas on what to serve her kids. They're exposed to meat loaf and chicken as much as they know what's in a good authentic taco or a hearty sushi. I'd rather hell freeze over first before I get them craving for French fries and burgers. So, fast food is definitely out of the question.

But I definitely don't want my kids feeling deprived and not knowing how to act and what to do when eating in public. I know they need the exposure so they would know how to behave in a restaurant, what and how to order, and just the feel of being served and eating outside the house and school. But since I don't want them eating junk in a fast food, I knew my wife and I have work cut out for us.

Our dilemma with exposing our kids to eating out was solved when she told me about the restaurant she and her mom ate in that week. It’s a Japanese restaurant called Hana Zen in Union Square.  She mentioned that they also have a store in Pier 39. It was a light bulb moment for me – why not get our kids their first experience in eating out where they could enjoy something different, Japanese food while enjoying a beautiful dinner at the water front?

My initial doubts of Hana Zen in Pier 39 being more of a romantic dining place rather than a family-friendly establishment were relaxed when we finally got to eat there. Sure, there were a good number of couples enjoying dinner by the bay with picturesque sights, but there were also some groups of friends, obvious tourists, and other people enjoying the sights and the great food. I was pleasantly surprised with what Hana Zen served. They aren’t just some run-of-the-mill establishment that serves American versions of Japanese food; they actually serve great tasting Japanese dishes using authentic ingredients, cooked skilfully, and prepared with excellence in mind. 

I am proud of my babies as they behaved very well in Hana Zen, and they appeared very excited when they ate the rather strange food. With that dilemma over, I can go back to Hana Zen for a different reason – it’ll be our wedding anniversary next week! 

Paying a Price for a Great Japanese Dining Experience

Fancying myself as a connoisseur when it comes to good food, I am very particular about what is served in restaurants, particularly those that serve international cuisine. For me, no matter how great the ambiance is, or how appropriate the décor and service are for a romantic dinner, all is lost if the food they serve is lousy.

Figuring out how to know if a restaurant is any good can be a challenge, and knowing if a Japanese restaurant is above par would be almost impossible. We have to admit, as Americans, we probably would not know how to separate a really good Japanese restaurant from a bad one. Don’t worry; it’s not our fault. I mean, we did not exactly grow up having sushi and chicken teriyaki for dinner. We need more exposure to the authentic stuff to know whether what we’re eating is really good or not. Alas, only a few of us have gone to Japan, or really have eaten food cooked by a Japanese master chef.

So, how do you know if the Japanese food you eat will enhance your either posh dinner date with a loved one or casual dining experience with friends and not be the cause of a spoiled evening?
My first rule is to always trust referrals, but not just any referral. As I’ve said earlier, I wouldn’t really count on someone who grew up being fed with meat loaf and mashed potatoes every day to be well-versed on the flavors of Japanese food. Those Yelp reviews of people complaining about how a Japanese restaurant like Hana Zen on Pier 39 is so expensive despite their good food and service are not helping, let me tell you. 

You cannot complain about expensive food when it is delicious, and that’s a general rule, whether you are enjoying French, Chinese, Italian, Spanish, or Japanese food. And if you want quality dishes from the Land of the Rising Sun, you better be ready to shell out extra. Japanese cuisine, much more compared to other food from anywhere in the world, relies heavily on the freshness and authenticity of ingredients. Japanese food is distinct, and substituting components like seafood and even wasabi, that unique Japanese green condiment, to lower cost will noticeably affect the quality. It doesn’t even take someone with refined taste buds to notice a marked difference between fresh wasabi and its packed counterpart or rolls prepared with authentic Japanese rice and those with generic sticky rice. And do remember that authentic ingredients prepared with utmost care by well-trained chefs are costly.

When I first heard of Hana Zen, I was bombarded with online reviews of the place being a great location for an intimate dinner at the water front, if only they would lower the steep cost of their food. The fact that people were claiming that Hana Zen’s food is quite expensive for their own good aroused my curiosity even more, and I had to try the restaurant myself. My dinner by the bay experience was definitely more expensive than the usual diner meal, but I fully expected that. I was paying for food of top notch quality, breathtaking scenery, and professional yet friendly service. What else could I ask for?

For those who want Japanese food for less, Hana Zen is not for you. But then, you couldn’t really say you had a noteworthy Japanese dining experience, could you?    

How to Make Nice With Your Wife Through Japanese Food

As a businessman, I get to enjoy perks and privileges not a lot of people can experience in their lifetime. One of these is being able to travel overseas to meet clients, strengthen bonds with partners, and oversee projects that my company has established in faraway places.  Of course, these experiences have gotten me away from my family, so I do miss them at lot. But I also have to count my blessings and consider that these experiences have made me a more well-rounded person and have exposed me to so many thing I wouldn’t have known otherwise.

Just a month ago, I finally went to Japan to strike a deal with potential investors. Oh, the place was just fantastic! I got to experience the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, but our Japanese hosts also took us on a tour to the countryside, which was only an hour away from the city, thanks to those superfast trains the Japanese have. I went back to the States quite overwhelmed with the experience, but so glad to be with my family again.

If only my wife were that excited as I was. She was very quiet when I told everyone about things in Japan over dinner. The sights, the sounds, and yes, especially the food! That was some delicious and exotic food we had. I also couldn’t help but feel healthy because we were served a lot of seafood, lean meat, and veggies! Then, when we were finally alone, she confessed to getting irritated because I wouldn’t stop talking about Japan. But really, can anyone blame me about being excited about the whole thing?

Well, nobody blamed me all right, but I sure received really cold treatment during the next few days. My wife gave me monosyllabic answers when we talk! I knew I had to get out of this fix, but how? Then, I suddenly thought, how about if I treat my wife to a romantic dinner in a Japanese restaurant? That way, she could also get to taste the things I’ve been raving about for the past week. But the question is, where do I get really good Japanese food without going broke in San Francisco?  

   
After soon reading on restaurant reviews on the Web, I finally settled on this place that’s supposed to serve great Japanese food and offer spectacular sights of San Francisco bay. So, Hana Zen it was for a dinner at the water front for my wife to talk to me again. Well, having tasted the authentic thing from the source, I kept my expectations at a manageable level, both at the scenery (I’ve lived in San Francisco for twenty years, so what really could impress me about its sights?) and the food.

So, I was genuinely surprised with both when we finally arrived in the Pier 39 store of Hana Zen. It was breathtaking, indeed! I have never seen San Francisco from this vantage point, and the panoramic windows of the restaurant allowed us to bathe in the twinkling lights of the bay. And when we finally got to our food, I have to say, I was impressed. Hana Zen’s chef got the flavors just about right, something I would never think could be done outside Japan.

It’s great to know that Hana Zen also has a restaurant in the city center, which should be perfect for casual dining or for taking my Japanese counterparts when it’s their turn to visit us here. As for my wife, the dinner by the bay plan was a success. In fact, it was so successful, she now can’t stop talking about Japanese food and dropping hints about joining me in my next trip to Japan. I’m taking it one victory at a time, so I’m just glad she’s talking to me again, and how!

Hana Zen for a Breathtaking Japanese Food Fix

If there’s anything my husband and I agree on, that would be hankerings for not-so-usual food. It is actually good that we have very diverse tastes, because it allows for everything – from going to exotic fruit hunts at night to visiting foreign countries and tasting tripe, innards, and different things most people may find inedible or simply disgusting. It doesn’t surprise us when one day, out of the blue, one of us will just suddenly surprise the other by declaring we should have dinner at the water front for some seafood. After all, we are proud residents of San Francisco, and we take advantage of its proximity to the wonders of the sea.

One day, though, we both had our sights set on different things. I had a craving for Japanese food, while he was thinking of having an intimate romantic dinner with a splendid view of the San Francisco bay.  Now, that was a bit of a challenge, right? We would have to look for a restaurant that serves Japanese with a view in the wharf area that would have an aura of intimacy.

So, we headed off to the Bay area, just in time to see the glorious sunset. It was simply breathtaking to watch the sparkle of the water going all around the edges of the Golden Gate Bridge. It looked like a golden crown! The sunset, the bridge, and just the quiet simplicity of it all made us appreciate the drive, because it was still quite far from the tourist trap of Tendernob. We know there were good Japanese restaurants in that area, but we were sure we do not want to pay such a steep price and get lost in a sea of camera and shopping bag-tagging crowds.  

We finally decided we were going to have our intimate dinner by the bay in Pier 39, in a restaurant called Hana Zen. What struck me were the panoramic windows of the restaurant that overlook at the breathtaking sights! Whether you’re there on a casual dining binge or a romantic dinner, you can’t help but feel a certain intimacy because of the amazing scenery you can appreciate from inside the restaurant. With its delectable selection of Japanese staples and some fusion dishes, my craving for some really good sashimi was satisfied.

Another thing that really made our visit to Hana Zen quite memorable was the great service we got. The attendants were really knowledgeable of what they were serving and did not keep on intruding and disturbing us while my husband and I were having our moments. I really do not appreciate those waiters that keep on butting in to do something like refilling drinks or taking out plates on the table when you are supposed to be having a romantic dinner. That really spoils the mood! I know they are only doing their job, but that can be a real drag!

So, for anyone with a sudden craving for great Japanese food and spectacular scenery, go to Hana Zen. The specialty rolls and the sushi, plus of course, the sashimi are top notch. You definitely won’t regret coming!