Hana Zen Restaurant: An Exquisite Japanese Dining Experience

One thing I notice about the current generation is that they aren’t afraid of trying out new things; things that may just be outside their comfort zones. No doubt fostered largely by the advent of the Internet, this attitude to learn everything they can about the world and its cultures has led to quite the diversification of sceneries, both figuratively and literally. By that, I mean that not only are more and more people becoming aware of varied cultures, but they are even bringing manifestations of these cultures right into their very own environments.

One of these manifestations is the increased integration of restaurants of international cuisines, an example of which is Hana Zen Restaurant. With two branches located in our fair San Francisco, Hana Zen Restaurant allows residents and out-of-towners to give exquisite Japanese cooking a try. The food is prepared by some of the most excellent chefs a burgeoning franchise can hire, who use nothing but the freshest ingredients. With selections ranging from rainbow rolls to sake cocktails to the hotate bacon maki, and yes, even to the very popular sushi, Hana Zen Restaurant serves Japanese delicacies like no other.

The ambiance is also nothing to scoff at. Whether you prefer a night of casual dining with friends and family at the Union Square branch, or a romantic dinner at the water front for two at the Pier 39 branch, Hana Zen Restaurant has got you covered no matter what the occasion is.

The refined and elegant interiors of their restaurants give off a Zen-like atmosphere with a modern feel. Wooden furnitures and warm colors line their walls, effecting an air of elegance apparent to customers while at the same time making them feel at home. This marriage of Eastern sensibilities with Western design is sure to give diners just the right touch of mystery and comfort.

Hana Zen Restaurant is also known for hosting some of the most fabulous special events. Whether it’s blue and white parties or private celebrations, the strategic locations of Hana Zen restaurants have attracted droves of customers because of the way they hold these events. For instance, at this year’s 4th of July, fireworks were set off at their Pier 39 branch, giving patrons a dinner by the bay experience they are sure to remember for a very long time.

Regular nights aren’t without happenings, either. Every so often, the restaurants showcase a variety of singers and musicians to up the diners’ overall experience.

With great ambiance and delectable dishes, it’s no wonder that Hana Zen Restaurant has made a name for itself; and rather quickly too, considering it has gone through various changes. Go for celebratory affairs with the whole family, go to impress your boss, go to give your date a romantic dinner, or simply go to get a taste of the finest Japanese food around. Whatever the memory you wish to encapsulate, Hana Zen Restaurant makes sure that it will be well worth remembering. You won’t regret treating yourself to a fresh experience that deserves many returns.

Why Hana Zen is San Francisco’s Premiere Japanese Restaurant

San Franciscans have impeccable taste when it comes to Japanese restaurants. After all, San Francisco is the world renowned and one of the world's most beautiful city by the bay. We know our seafood and thus, we know what good Japanese cuisine is. Bad Japanese restaurants do not last long in San Francisco, as sooner or later, their faults get exposed, whether they serve poor quality food or the atmosphere just doesn't feel right. So many joints that claim to be Japanese eventually fail. Then, there are those that have continuously thrived to the point of expanding, like Hana Zen, which now has two branches.

There are a lot of restaurants across the country that claim to serve authentic Japanese fare alongside Korean, Chinese, and even Southeast Asian cuisine. While this is supposed to make good business sense as it is supposed to maximize profit, the authenticity of the dishes and the overall experience in these restaurants end up getting muddled and fake. Of course, the case is different with places that claim to serve 'Asian fusion' cuisine, but when a restaurant has those distinctly different food clumped together and claim to be experts in Japanese-Chinese-Korean-Vietnamese-Thai fare, chances are, they aren’t that good in any of them at all.

It is way better to trust restaurants that serve one kind of cuisine only, which I think is a reason why Hana Zen has kept its reputation as one of the best Japanese restaurants in San Francisco. After all, how can you decorate a restaurant that claims to specialize in all Asian cuisines? Japanese, Chinese, and Korean design aesthetics and cuisine may have common ingredients, but when clumped together, ultimately clash. I certainly wouldn't to have a romantic dinner in a place with tacky and clashing interiors. Hana Zen has mastered giving diners the authentic Japanese dining experience, from the fresh seafood to the tasteful Japanese interiors on both the Pier 39 and Union Square branches.

Speaking of experiencing an authentic feel in a Japanese restaurant, I find it shabby when everything about the restaurant, from its signage to its menus, uses that stereotype font called Wonton. Think of those Chinese kung fu movie posters in the 1970s and 80s with letters usually in red, with fat brushstrokes that end up tapered in the bottom. Observe the letters of those Chinese takeout boxes. That's the Wonton typeface, and it just screams fake Asian food. When I want dinner at the water front, I want to feel elegance and sophistication, not some stereotype of Asian restaurant with menus and signs with that tacky font. Japanese (and even Korean and Chinese) calligraphy look nothing like this typeface. Go to Japan, China, and Korea, and you won't see this font on any shop sign. It just doesn't look authentic. How can you enjoy a total dinner by the bay experience when you are circumscribed by discordant graphic symbols and characters? A Hana Zen dining experience is a statement of sophistication, from its well-appointed bar serving sake-infused cocktails to its elegant menus and décor.

Speaking of an authentic Japanese dining experience, I do find it bothersome when I see neon signs in restaurants that claim to be authentic Japanese. Neon signs in Japan can only be seen in Tokyo's thoroughfares for advertising purposes. You won't see a Japanese restaurant, even casual dining places, with a neon sign. Neon signs just destroy the simple elegance authentic Japanese restaurants and cuisine have.

All of these red flags are noticeably absent in Hana Zen Restaurant. I, for one, am not surprised why Hana Zen has stood the test of time and has become one of San Francisco’s enduring culinary landmarks.

Getting the Real Deal from Hana Zen

As a discerning lover of Japanese food, I have to make sure that when I visit a restaurant that advertises itself as ‘Japanese,’ I won’t feel cheated or short-changed. Call me a snob or hoity-toity, but I just believe in getting my money’s worth. Besides, Japanese food can only be truly enjoyed in the right atmosphere, and of course, when it is prepared by the right people. 

My expectations of a Japanese restaurant in San Francisco are doubly heightened compared to anywhere else in the US. After all, San Francisco boasts of a sizable Asian population. Of course, the most obvious reason is the city's wealth of aquatic resources, assuring customers of Japanese restaurants that all the ingredients not sourced from Japan itself must be fresh. So, I am very particular about what to look for in a Japanese restaurant located in San Francisco.

One thing I am weary of when I am in a place that brands itself 'Japanese' is if it is really concentrated on Japanese cuisine. A lot of restaurants nowadays, to cater to a wider audience, make themselves a sort of pan-East Asia place, so they brand themselves as not only Japanese restaurants, but also Chinese and Korean. I have nothing against Chinese or Korean cuisine; in fact, I am also a fan of them. But as an old adage goes, if something is trying to be a Jack of all trades, the chances of it being a master of one particular trade is close to none. This is what exactly happens to those pan-East Asian restaurants. Japanese, Chinese, and Korean cuisines each have their own eccentricities, even if they share common threads.

For example, mian in Chinese cuisine, ramen in Japanese cuisine, and jajangmyeon in Korean cuisine may all be noodles, but the methods of preparation and accompanying ingredients are different from each other. I do feel that restaurants that clamp the three cuisines together disrespect all three cultures, which is why I go by restaurants that only concentrate on one cuisine. Japanese food is already intricate enough, and difficult to master itself. Thus, when I want authenticity in my food, then I know I could only find this in restaurants that serve Japanese food, nothing more, nothing less. Fusion cuisine is a while other story, but authentic Japanese food must be served only in restaurants that serve only Japanese food.

This is what impressed me with Hana Zen Restaurant and its two locations in San Francisco. Whether its casual dining I want a rustic dinner at the water front, I could count on them to serve authentic Japanese fare, not some copy cat food made to look Japanese, without the real Japanese preparation and flavor. Both the taste of the food and the ambiance of the place is very simple, yet sophisticated, not fake or put on. A late romantic dinner in the middle of the city can be arranged at Hana Zen Union Square, while dinner at the bay is perfect at the restaurant's Pier 39 location. Alas, I wouldn't have to think about eating What's supposed to be Japanese food prepared Korean style or my sushi with a Chinese feel to it. Japanese food in Hana Zen stays authentically Japanese, just the way I like it.