Dishing Ojai: Hakane
When Hakane opened their doors recently, I wondered why our little town needed another sushi joint. Bill and I finally went last night, and now I know why.
Hakane has a different vibe than Sakura. It’s not as casual and laid-back as Eddie’s place, and the downtown Ojai location is certainly part of its appeal. There is indoor seating, including the obligatory sushi bar seats, and a comfortable and charming outdoor patio.
The menu has a dizzying number of selections (there are more than 50 sushi rolls to choose from), so we just let our server decide for us, and she chose well. We started with the Mixed Sunomono, which we shared – a cucumber salad lightly dressed with sesame oil and rice wine vinegar and served with thin slices of crab, octopus and shrimp ($9.50). Next we had the Baked Lobster Roll which was stuffed with crabmeat, cucumber and avocado, rolled with rice paper, topped with lobster, green onions and tobiko, and doused with a delicious warm barbecue sauce ($11.95). Our ticket got lost and there was a bit of a delay, but the Starfish Roll was worth the wait. It was stuffed with spicy crab, cucumber, avocado, asparagus and tempura shrimp, wrapped with tuna, yellowtail and more avocado, and drizzled with a light dressing ($11.95).
Now that leaves Bill and I with less than 50 sushi rolls to try! And 25 appetizers, 12 salads, 2 soups, 17 entrees (including teriyaki dishes, katsu and tempuras) 8 donburis, 3 udons, 3 yakisobas and 5 desserts (including mochi). Oh well, at least I can try to work on that list at lunchtime, too (they’re open 7 days starting at 11:30 a.m.). Prices are pretty reasonable - you can spend a lot (the most expensive a la carte entrée is $19.95) or a little (soup and salad for less than $10.00). There is also an adequate beer, wine and sake menu.
Hakane
967 E. Ojai Avenue
640-3070
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Comments (3)
I'd recommend the Spicy Albacore roll and the Vegetable Tempura Roll.
Service has gotten a lot better since they opened, but its still not totally polished. It sure is nice having a sushi joint close to the east end.
Comment #1 Posted by: Tyler | May 17, 2009 09:18 AM
Thanks Lisa! where is it on Ojai Ave? Sounds like the food was yummy? but they are working out kinks?
It's funny...I have a similar response to huge menus at places I've never been. Where do I start? How to narrow? I always try to ask too and if I can get near that sushi chef find out from them what's freshest though not always possible.
I look forward to trying it sometime. I hadn't even heard of it!
Comment #2 Posted by: DK | May 19, 2009 10:46 AM
DK, sorry I missed this...Hakane is at the corner of Bryant and Ojai Ave. We knocked two more off the list: the Alaska (with salmon) and Pacific (with coconut shrimp) rolls - yum!
Comment #3 Posted by: LS | May 26, 2009 01:47 PM