Saturday, December 29, 2012

Beautiful Sights and Delicious Food These Holidays in HanaZen

The holiday season brings in a lot of traditional rituals for everyone – gift giving, going home, last-minute shopping, decking the house with décor and the perfect tree, and of course, forgetting one’s diet to indulge in some delectable Christmas goodies. The turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, eggnog, cookies, and cakes should be present on the table, or it just would not feel like an authentic Christmas feast at all. And let’s admit it: Once the gift giving is done, the next most anticipated event is chow time.


The thing about me (and I am sure a lot of people reading this) is that while I am all for having a great time by having delicious food, I may not exactly have the means to get it. Why? The harsh truth is I just do not know how to cook. I was not given any culinary skills, and I just think it’s too late to cultivate or enhance any skills in the kitchen at this point in my life, especially when there are just so many other pressing matters to attend to. I certainly do not have the time for cooking lessons! So does my partner, who is more into cars and do it yourself stuff than cooking.

With this dilemma at hand, how can we enjoy a great holiday feast? It is so unfortunate that no one in my family knows how to cook, but should that stop us from enjoy a scrumptious meal on Christmas? Our 6-year old certainly doesn’t think so. But with parents who do not know how to cook, restaurant food is our only recourse.

The thing about depending on restaurants for a holiday feast is that it’s convenient and hassle-free, and a heaven sent solution for us people who do not know how to cook. There’s always an Italian or Chinese place that is open, ready to serve extensive spreads of food to anyone, even during the holidays. The only concern now is what to eat when you are already tired of pizza and noodles and you still want to have that memorable holiday culinary experience with the family.

Luckily, this year, I remembered a place my hubby and I went to during one of our romantic dinner dates back in the day when we were not married yet. How can I forget HanaZen Restaurant? Not only does it serve authentic Japanese fare, the type even the Japanese would love because of its authenticity, but it also provides picturesque views of San Francisco? An unforgettable dinner by the bay is ready to be enjoyed by HanaZen’s guests, with splendid views of San Francisco Bay, Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island while gorging on authentic Japanese fare. Who wouldn’t love a Christmas dinner at the water front? My family certainly wouldn’t mind a wonderful experience.

The thing about HanaZen is they also have a restaurant at Union Square for formal business and casual dining. As for me and my family of three, we will have a special exotic Japanese holiday meal while enjoying the picturesque sights and the cold breeze of world renowned Pier 39 of San Francisco.  And that’s definitely more than I could ask for!

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Hana Zen Restaurant: A Must-Try Indulgence

Eating great food is one of the many ways that we can indulge ourselves.  You can do this at home if you have extra time in your hands.  However, when you are pressed for time and would want to indulge not only yourself but also your loved ones, the best way to do this is to reserve the best spot in one of the best restaurants in town. 

You may think that this could get very expensive. Actually, it is not.  There are great restaurants where you can have a romantic dinner without having to break your budget. Hana Zen Restaurant is one place that you should keep in mind whenever you feel like doing this.


Japanese food is inarguably one of the best cuisines in the world.  You only get the freshest ingredients to go into each meal.  Hana Zen Restaurant over at the Pier 39 area, along Beach Street and The Embarcadero, is one of the best Japanese restaurants in town. It is a sought-after dinner experiences in the scenic area not only because of the good food served, but also for the restaurant’s ambiance.  You can set up a dinner by the bay at their Pier 39 location.   Have your table set up with an uninterrupted view of San Francisco Bay, Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island and for sure, your loved one will be delighted.

The owners of this restaurant believe that freshness and quality of the food that comes out of their kitchens are very important.  Not only that, they extol the high standards that Japanese cuisine has set in terms of food preparation and presentation. The restaurant sure does maintain that high level, so you can always expect that only the freshest seafood are used for their sushi dishes, and high quality meats like chicken, lamb, and beef can be tasted on their other cooked dishes. 

Hana Zen also has a branch over at the Union Square, at 115 Cyril Magnin Street for those living close to the city’s commercial district.  They have the same menu over there, so you can expect the same quality of the food will be served to you.  They are open for both lunch and dinner at this branch. Being in the city center, this is a nice place to meet up with your friends over a quick lunch or experience the best casual dining with colleagues after work. The location is just right as it is in the middle of all the action, right in the heart of the city near the business district.  It is also a perfect venue to set a client meeting over with a lunch while discussing business and for sure, they will be impressed.

Aside from the usual Sushi, Maki, Sashimi, Tempura and Teriyaki, HanaZen also specializes in Yakitori, which are grilled skewered pieces of meat and vegetables basted with a special sauce. One serving will surely be not enough for you and your friends. 

The versatile menu and the great ambiance of the place is the perfect mix for you to let loose and 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 fun and enjoyable.

HanaZen is one restaurant that you should not miss, not just for the location but for having the best Japanese food in town to satisfy your indulgent cravings.

Saturday, December 8, 2012

A Dining Experience to Remember at the Hana Zen Restaurant

There are days when you feel like going out and doing something different to make it special and memorable.  The first thing that comes to mind is to go out into the town and eat out.  Eating good food in a great restaurant is one easy thing anybody can do. It doesn’t necessarily need to be a romantic dinner though.  There is just something satisfying about sharing your meal with the ones you love.  Their company, coupled by a great place, elevates your mood and can instantly place you in a state of bliss, making any ordinary day special.


There are a lot of restaurants you can consider for this kind of treat.  But if you have a hankering for Japanese food, why not try Hana Zen Restaurant over at the Pier 39 area along Beach Street and The Embardadero.  It is one of the most sought after dinner places by the bay because of its ambiance and the good food they serve. 

The restaurant owners believe in the importance of freshness and quality of the food that comes out of their kitchens and we all know that Japanese cuisine places a very high premium on food preparation and presentation. The restaurant sure does maintain that high level, so you can expect that you only get the freshest seafood for their sushi dishes, and high quality meats like chicken, lamb, and beef for their other cooked dishes. 

Aside from the usual Sushi, Maki, Sashimi and other usual Japanese fare, Hana Zen also specializes in Yakitori or those little pieces of meat and vegetables skewered on barbeque sticks and then grilled and basted with a special sauce. This is perfect for a sumptuous yet casual dining experience.  The chefs here have perfected the art of grilling these little treats making you eat several pieces in one sitting. 

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 friends will be delighted.  

Hana Zen also has a branch over at Union Square, along 115 Cyril Magnin Street.  You can expect the same quality of the food served to you at this branch, be it lunch or dinner.  This is a nice meet up place you can set with your friends over a quick lunch or have dinner with colleagues after work, thanks to its central ion-the-middle-of-it-all location, right in the heart of the city near the business district.  You can also set up a lunch meeting with your client at Hana Zen Union Square and for sure, they will be impressed.

To make your someone special feel more loved, you can set a dinner by the bay at their Pier 39 location.   To have your table set up with an uninterrupted view of San Francisco Bay, Golden Gate Bridge, and Alcatraz Island, it is best to call early.  For sure, a lot of people are also thinking about the same thing. 

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.