Yep, I did it. For what I believe is the first time, I've given a first visit a full 5-star rating.
If you've read my reviews previously, you'll know I like to see consistency in a venue, especially in customer service, before upgrading an initial rating to an improved one.
But Hana, you blew me away, and you deserve full credit.
My wife and I love Hawaii; we go there once a year and have an absolutely amazing time...so when I read that Hana was going to be opening in May in Melbourne, my jaw dropped and I uttered a gleeful "ooooooo!" to my wife.
Our initial plan was to have a cocktail or two, and try some of the seafood on offer. Within minutes, though, that plan was pushed aside and turned into "eat ALL the things!"...
And so we did.
We started with some of the croquettes and the poke with tempura crumb. This is not quite traditional Hawaiian style poke, but it is very much inspired by it. Don't be fooled by a lot of the new venues claiming to have poke in Melbourne, they are a long way off from what you'd get on the Islands, but, I'd say that Hana pays proper homage whilst still bringing something new and interesting to the dish. The croquettes were also spectacular, and it was pretty much after having a bite of each of these starters that we knew we were in for a wallet-busting evening.
The tapioca crisps with poke had my wife clapping in glee. Incredible flavour, outstanding texture, a joy to eat. These were also top rated by me, but were a near tie with the crab/tempura apple/ginger. Both of these dishes floored us.
The baby squid: Tender, delicate, delicious.
Snapper ceviche: Another huge favourite. Incredible flavours, beautifully presented.
Hiramasa Kingfish: This was also incredibly delicious, but I would say that the jalapeño was more of a "hint" than a "star" - and that is probably by design. Kingfish & jalapeño is a common dish around Melbourne, and Hana's variant last night let the fish be the star, rather than any of the associated spice or other flavours.
Tuna & Watermelon: I loved this. I thought the combination of flavours, textures, everything, was really clever.
One of the comments that my wife made during dinner was really quite spot on: It reminded her a lot of Morimoto Waikiki (now closed) and she's right - there was real thought put into these dishes, and as Hana had only been open 3 days when we went in, I actually can envision all of these dishes evolving over time. As they should. But the attention to detail, the balancing of flavours, the presentation, the freshness, it was all the very clever work of head chef Mario Manabe whose expertise (and pedigree in the industry) is without doubt.
The drinks: Yes, I had the "sharknado" - Hana is NOT without its kitsch, so, if you're not into a bit of whimsy with your dining experience, move along. But the Hana Colada, oh to the emm to the gee. Outstanding. More please. Must have.
Wine list is concise, and obviously meant to pair with the food on offer, you won't be disappointed here. We also had a bottle of white (Bourgogne Les Grandes Gouttes Chardonnay, 2014) that went perfectly with the seafood.
Service: We were extremely happy with the service at Hana; they're still finding their feet, and you can tell some of the staff are still coming up to speed with how the process all flows, but, unless you're like me who pays (way too close of) attention to those minutiae of details, you'd think they'd all been working together for years. Very well done.
Was it perfect? Almost.
What kept it from being so?
The music. This is a personal preference thing, but, the music was VERY loud (had to lean over table and speak up quite a bit to be heard by my wife), and wasn't my personal choice for dining tunes -- BUT, and it's an important but(t) -- the restrooms had authentic, soothing and beautiful Hawaiian music playing!
When I returned from the facilities, I approached the person whom I think might be the manager and said if he reversed the music (put the Hawaiian in the restaurant and the loud dance/whatever tracks in the loo), he'd be my best friend.
He laughed, and he told me that the music is only that way at dinner. During lunch seatings, they play the Hawaiian music in the restaurant. That's great to know, but, personally, I'd turn the volume knob down a few notches, and intersperse a few Hawaiian tracks with the electronic anthems.
I admit, I was secretly hoping to have my Hana Colada whilst listening to Israel Kamakawiwoole sing his Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World medley. Maybe next time.
Hana has great things ahead of it, and I know that it's going to be impossible to get a table before long; I'm overjoyed that we got be there on their opening weekend, and if they were open on Sunday, I'd be back tonight (yes, it's that good).
Mahalo for the 'ono grinds, Mario and team at Hana! read more