Thanks Hana Zen From the Girls and I

Finally! It's Saturday night and that only means one thing for me and my girls - our every other weekend girl bonding session! This Saturday is my turn to pick the place where we can wine, dine, and just let our hair down! It's a good thing for me because I wouldn't need to worry too much about our location, thanks to Claire, the one who planned our session two weeks ago. And to think we were never confident about her choices when it comes to dining places! Suffice to say that Hana Zen did change our mind.

You see, just like most other groups of girl friends, we somehow have varied personalities that make each one of us quirky in our own way. If we were the seminal girl power TV series Sex and the City, I think I would be Carrie, the free spirit known for her fashionable attire and her eclectic tastes in just about anything, including where we go out to eat. Dianne would be our Samantha, a high profile “It” girl whose main goal is to educate us to the hottest clubs and bars.  Grace would be our Charlotte, someone who would rather be in cultural events and is expected to get us together in museum and art gallery cafes and restaurants. And then, there is Claire, our Samantha, the in-demand corporate lawyer who we run to when we need legal, financial, and love advice. But when it comes to fashion and events, let's just say that we do not set our expectations that high when Claire is in control.

So, when she suggested that we would hold our twice a month bonding session in Hana Zen because she and her hubby had a romantic dinner there months ago, we weren't exactly sure it would be the best place to hold our girl’s night out. Personally, I was not sure a Japanese dinner at the water front would be that exciting of an experience, especially when it comes to these ladies who just want to let their hair down, have a drink or two and have a good time.

But all our fears (or at least the three of us) were silenced upon entering the place. The panoramic view of the San Francisco Bay area was just too scenic not to be enjoyed. It was just beautiful and could very well make up for any false impressions we had of the place. As for the food, my hotate bacon maki was firm and tangy, worth the 15 minute wait, and the soft shell crab tempura was a piece of seafood heaven served to me. And when our drinks came suffice to say we ordered a lot! That sake sagini was just not enough for one round.

I am actually excited to have Friday lunch with my officemates at Hana Zen’s Union Square store, perfect for casual dining. And as for my girls, it’s going to be another round of dinner by the bay with scintillating sights and really good food at Hana Zern this weekend.

Romantic Japanese Dining in San Francisco

Out to impress someone? You can either take them out for a walk along the streets of the city or 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.

As said, not only the place is spectacular but also the food that they serve. At Hana Zen, you can rely on great quality food at all times.  The chefs of this esteemed restaurant take pride in their cuisine by maintaining strict quality and high standards with the ingredients, preparation and presentation.  They only serve the freshest ingredients in order to adhere to the strict Japanese cuisine standards.

As a restaurant that offers casual dining experience, Hana Zen also has a branch over at Union Square in Cyril Magnin Street. This is perfect if you want to invite your special someone over to a quick lunch while in the city.  This is also perfect for spending happy hour while enjoying Sake, Sake flights as well as wines and cocktails.  This is the perfect venue for getting to know your date.  Not too crowded, yet right in the heart of the city.

You would wonder why go to a Japanese restaurant for a dinner date, let alone a romantic one? The answer to this is that the ambiance that it offers is perfect. When you get your special someone to have a dinner at the waterfront that alone is already something special. The views that it offers are the perfect backdrop for a romantic conversation. Another thing is that you can never go wrong with Japanese cuisine if you want to impress someone.  The bite size pieces of the sushi and maki rolls are the perfect food when you want to have a meaningful conversation.  Sharing ideas and getting to know the person over dinner is easy to do because there would be no need to worry about cutting the food and taking a spoonful of it. 

Hana Zen at the pier is the perfect place to bring that special person you want to impress.  The spectacular views, romantic ambiance, great food and impeccable service would never fail to impress. For sure, this would be one of your most memorable dinner dates ever.

Stars and Stripes in Hana Zen

Japanese food is one of the more popular international cuisines in the world.  Its popularity is already known all over the world that chances are you are going to see a Japanese restaurant in most countries that you visit.  It really cannot be blamed for this fame that it is enjoying today because of the fact that Japanese people take pride in their cuisine and has taken great lengths in order to master its preparation.

If you are hankering for a truly real Japanese meal in the Bay area, why not try out Hana Zen Restaurant down by Pier 39?  San Francisco is blessed to have this restaurant that serves authentic Japanese cuisine.  They have the usual Japanese dishes like sushi, sashimi and tempura.  However, they also have other dishes that you would want to try out like Sushi rolls and noodle dishes that are made of the freshest ingredients cooked in the traditional Japanese way.

Since this restaurant is located in the Bay area, it also caters to vegetarian eaters as they have a Hana Zen vegetarian special on their menu.  If your romantic date is not fond of meats, then this restaurant is the perfect place to bring him or her along as both of you would be able to enjoy the evening with great view and good sweeping views of the Bay.

As a casual dining place, Hana Zen restaurant is also a perfect place to celebrate special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, or any other special dates.  They also have a branch over at the city center along 115 Cyril Magnin Street.  This branch is perfect for spending happy hour with office mates after a stressful day in the office. They server a variety of drinks from non-alcoholic drinks such strawberry and raspberry lemonade as well as Pinacoladas and Daiquiris.  If you prefer to have a little buzz, then you can choose from a variety of alcoholic drinks like imported and local beers, wines and when already there, try out their Sake Bomb and their special Shochu Chu-Hi.  This drink is similar to vodka but can be mixed with a different flavors available in their bar.  This would be nice to celebrate the coming 4th of July festivities with a glass of good drink and great food.

To make the coming 4th of July festivities more special, you can bring your loved one to have dinner by the bay.  The Pier 39 panorama will make you breathless as you both have a front seat to great views of the fireworks display that usually caps off the day’s festivities. Don’t forget to call in advance and reserve so that they will be able to save you the best seats by the restaurant’s windows. 

Dinner at the waterfront restaurants may seem expensive.  However, Hana Zen will dispel the notion that you have in mind. Every penny spent on this restaurant is worth it as you can taste the quality and freshness of the ingredients put into every dish that comes out of their kitchen. So if you want to spend a memorable 4th of July this year, consider reserving a table at any of the two Hana Zen restaurants in San Francisco.  You won’t regret it, that’s for sure.