Unlike my birthday last year where I threw a party for my family and friends, this year I wanted a more low-key celebration in preparation for an upcoming trip this month, where I’ll be traveling alone for the first time ever (more about this in future posts!).
I chose to have a quiet evening with family and the Cupcake, and it just so happened I received an invite to dine at Hanako, a fast-casual Japanese restaurant in Maginhawa.
If there’s one thing about me and my family when it comes to food, we are all extremely huge fans of Japanese food. In fact, if I had to choose what type of cuisine I wouldn’t mind eating forever, hands down I would pick Japanese. I can never have enough salmon sashimi, miso soup, gyudon, yakimeshi rice, and ebi tempura.
Hanako was quite easy to find, as it was located on the ground floor of a new building along the street (the same building as Anytime Fitness). It was also very convenient that the building had their own front and basement parking, unlike other establishments in the area where parking can be difficult to find.
The restaurant is quaint, but I loved the relaxed and intimate ambiance that really captures the essence of the place—serving generous portions of casual Japanese food at very reasonable, student-friendly prices.
We were given a table on the second floor, though the waiter informed us ahead of time that it was a dead spot and that there was no cellular signal or data. For some people, it might be a concern but honestly—for me, it was a nice break away from all our gadgets, and we were able to laugh and share stories without having to glance at them.
Ordering was pretty quick, as we wanted to try all of their best-sellers—the ones with stars on their menu. For Starters, we had Kani Salad (Php 139) and Sukiyaki Soup (Php 149). Their portions are fairly lavish, so depending on your appetite, you can actually share dishes. My mom shared the Kani Salad with almost everyone, while I shared the Suyikaki Soup with my sister.
For the Entrees, we definitely wanted to try their Ebi Tempura (Php 229 for five pieces) and under the Donburi category, we got three dishes—Tofu Steak (Php 139), Chicken Katsudon (Php 149), and Gyudon (Php 169).
Now if you ever visit Hanako, I definitely recommend trying all their best-sellers under the Sushi category because this was my absolute favorite! We ordered eight dishes (five of which were best-sellers)—Tuna Sashimi (Php 239 for eight pieces), Salmon Sashimi (Php 239 for 8 pieces), California Maki (Php 149), Spicy Tuna Crunch (Php 169), Salmon Cream Cheese (Php 189), California Gunkan (Php 189), Five Star Roll (Php 189), and Ultimate Dynamite Roll (Php 219).
If you ask me which ones I enjoyed the most, it would definitely be the Salmon Sashimi, Salmon Cream Cheese, and Ultimate Dynamite Roll. Just the sushi was filling enough, that when the waiter offered for us to order dessert, we no longer had room. But man, you can never go wrong with Japanese food and Hanako’s extensive variety will not disappoint. Their sushi is definitely a must-try!
Hanako is located on the ground floor of 99 Maginhawa Street, Diliman, Quezon City. They also deliver for a minimum delivery purchase of Php 250. For inquiries, orders and reservations, you can call (02) 285-7926. So happy to have a Japanese restaurant that’s so accesssible to our house, and I’m already looking forward to visiting again!