Drove down to Louisville to visit family and we stopped in for dinner on a Saturday night. Â We were able to be seated in the dining room quickly, but there was a wait for the hibachi grill. The dining room is separate from hibachi, which looked like it was packed with people.
The rolls I had were actually really good, and the service was great. Â Hopefully next time I'll get to try the hibachi.
Been here a few times and sushi was great each time. The prices were a little high but in sushi you get what you pay for. Service was good. The night I came there was a chef shortage for the hibachi. The owners kept telling us the delay was due to an employee who showed up to work intoxicated. I thought the reason for the chef shortage was irrelevant.
Review Source:Apart from its somewhat out of the way location in a Prospect strip mall, I love everything about Hanabi.
This one flies under the radar of bigger local sushi draws like Sapporo and Benihana, but I'd take it any day over the big guys. The originality found in the sushi creations here is out of this world delicious. My favorites:
The Monkey Brain - Hollowed out avocado is stuffed with crab and all sorts of other goodies.
The Red Bull - Tuna roll with thinly-sliced beef on top. Need I say more?
Kiss of Fire - Tuna roll with thin jalapeno slices sitting atop another strip of white tuna.
The restaurant itself is clean, casually-appointed with large, comfortable booths, making it a nice spot for moderately sized groups. Traditional Japanese seating is available around longer tables in the back.
If you're a sushi fan, don't let this gem hide for too long.
California sushi rolls were rather small. Â Dim sum were the frozen-from-a-box type that would you buy from any Asian grocery store and cook at home.
Sashimi slices were generous but that might have been because it them so long to bring my order out. Â By then the rest of family was already finished and were ready to leave.
Lobster specialty roll was good.
There are better sushi places in the East Louisville area.
I am only reviewing this place for some of its nigiri sushi (cuts over rice), service, structure. Â
Living in Louisville for nine years has been more than long enough to make me give up on sushi. Â I just wait to go back to California once or twice a year to indulge. Â Thus, it was with a skeptical attitude that I took my wife to Hanabi, after a friend claimed it to be the best sushi in town (or just outside of town?). Â
I have gotten into the habit of only ordering a few things to test a place out the first time: Sake, Shiromaguro, Hamachi, and Unagi. Â If the place messes up even the Unagi, it flunks by any standard. Â If they flunk Sake and Hamachi, they aren't any different from typical Louisville fare. Â If they only flunk Shiromaguro, they are above average. Â If they are all good...then they are Hanabi? Â Yes, these were all good...very good. Â The chef, a very loquacious and engaging guy, knew his stuff. Â I especially liked how he prepared the shiromaguro, with a very thin slice of lime to give the initial taste a bit of citrus that disappeared very quickly. Â The other three reflected a nice traditional style and flavor. Â I liked that he understood why I wanted my Unagi last, it came out after everything had been eaten. Â I think we had one roll? Â I think it was a salmon skin roll. Â It was good, but I like salmon skin. Â
Speaking with the chef, I got a feeling for his views on fish quality, and it seemed that he really took the high road as far as only ordering and serving high quality products. Â This is something that only regular visits and ordering a wider range of items can confirm, but it is a view shared by other sushi chefs I like. Â
The location is in Prospect, close to the northeast end of the 265. Â It's not to far from Costco, so it's not too out of the way from places we regularly go to. Â
The ambiance, etc. was okay. Â There was nothing special nor disturbing about the place. Â It had a sushi bar with ample seating and plenty of tables. Â I can imagine that it would be easy to bring a larger party there. Â We went there for dinner, and the lights were a little dimmed, so it was kind of nice. Â The food didn't come out very fast, but it came out in a timely manner. Â Other service was okay. Â Nothing in this area was subpar or distracting from the excellent fish. Â
Is this the best sushi I have ever had? Â No, but it was very good. Â Is it the best sushi I have had in Louisville? Â Yes. Â I still want to try out other favorite items, like Toro, Uni, and Amaebi, but I probably want to build some more trust with future visits first.
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