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Hatsuzakura

4.4 (621 reviews)
Closed • 11:00 am - 3:00 pm, 4:30 PM - 9:00 PM
Updated a few days ago

Hatsuzakura Photos

Business Info

HATSUZAKURA ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Trendy
Intimate

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Recommended Reviews - Hatsuzakura

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Curry
Amanda J.

Cute Japanese restaurant and good service. I tried the Tamago Sando, Side Salad, and Hatsu Curry. Everything tasted good and fresh.

Hayashi Omurice
Jasmine D.

Had a lovely lunch here yesterday. My husband and I were fortunate to arrive before the rush, and were immediately seated at the counter/bar area. The restaurant is small and cozy, and employees were friendly and attentive. We decided on their meal for 2, which included: tea; soup & side salad; tamago sando; omurice and/or udon; and strawberry popsicles. Everything tasted was great, and my favorite was definitely the omurice! We plan on coming back again to try their desserts!

Exterior
GiGi G.

Everything was on point here: the food, the service, the decor, the atmosphere and down to the details! This is now on our "must always visit when in San Diego" list! Do not miss! I recommend getting the entree with the salad and soup and then choose desserts and drinks.

Mango Kakigori Japanese Shaved Ice
Jordyn S.

I've been wanting to try omurice forever and it lived up to the hype! The soft scrambled omelet on top was so creamy and rich and a perfect topping to the brisket fried rice. I loved the savory Demi glaze on top - really elevated what could otherwise be more plain without. The mango shaved ice was so fresh and light and can't wait to come back and try more menu items!

Ailin J.

Just came back from Japan recently and this place is as close as it gets. One of the more authentic Japanese places and it made me feel like I was back in Japan finally! The cold udon is so refreshing on a hot day! It's not a common concept but it really hits the spot when you need to cook down. I missed daifukos so much and their strawberries here are sooooo delicious! So sweet!!! I need to come back and get their desserts and egg Sando!

Fruit sando
Amy D.

Hatsuzakura is a cute and authentic Japanese restaurant. All of the design details are adorable, and they even have a heated Japanese toilet! Their servers are always so sweet and friendly. You can expect a bit of a wait if you're going for dinner, as the restaurant is quite small. The main thing I would recommend on the menu is the omurice. The egg is cooked well and is the perfect texture, the sauce has delicious flavor, and everything complements each other well! The dish brings me back to Japan - it is just as good, if not better than the omurice I tried there. If you're craving a pasta, the guratan is very creamy. The chicken karaage, curry, matcha latte, and fruit sando are all decent, but they don't particularly stand out from other restaurants in my opinion. I always have a lovely experience dining here, so would definitely recommend to try it out!

Menu
Christina H.

Omg this place was so cute!! I loved the Japanese kisaten energy. This is a small location, with some seating inside and outside. When I arrived, they had a long waitlist for inside seating but we got lucky because there was a table available outside. I didn't see any heaters outside but it also wasn't cold when I went. I will say up front, that it was a bit on the pricey side. One onigiri was $8, but it was a huge onigiri. We also got the Neapolitan noodles, and wow, it was so delicious! This thing that impressed me the most was their gluten free noodle options! It did not taste or feel gluten free, I had to double check with the waiter. Plus they didn't not charge extra to substitute to the gluten free noodles and I am grateful for that. Lastly we got the hot tea pot to share and it was so much tea! It was delicious. They served it with a tea candle so the tea stayed warm the whole meal. I really enjoyed this place, definitely check them out.

Lavender latte
Anna L.

Add this to your list of places to try asap. The food is delicious and they have really great service! It's a small place, you wouldn't think it's a restaurant if you drive by it. In a quiet neighborhood, look for street parking. Outdoor seating, bar, and table seating available.

dessert menu
Vanessa D.

i love how small and intimate this place is! their omurice is so tasty, it has chunks of beef inside the rice and there's topped with the demiglace is amazing. i added on the side soup and salad, the soup was a clear broths with small chunks of carrot and the salad had a sesame dressing that was so good. we also got drinks and they use PARU tea here, it was a clean and refreshing taste for a hot day! we also got their seasonal mango parfait and it was huge! topped with vanilla ice cream it had layers of mango, cornflakes ad whipped cream. i also love getting their dango and their egg salad sando is also good!

Curry
Gabriella P.

This was the cutest date spot ever! It was a tiny restaurant, but oh so cozy. I liked how it was hidden, it felt like we discovered a gem of SD. Food was authentic and phenomenal, but the dessert is where it's at. We got a strawberry parfait with fresh strawberry's, ice cream and Frosted Flakes. It was the perfect size to share between two. Service was outstanding as well. Will definitely be back

Bar
Krystle A.

Such a cute little pink decor Japanese based restaurant, really reminded me of Japan not just for the food but the overall vibe. Even the bathroom had a heated toilet lol that's very Japan like. The food was pretty good. We got the omurice which my husband ate so fast, it's on the sweeter side, the egg could've been a little more runny but it was still good overall. We got the karage chicken, it was very flavorful and the breading was light which I liked and it didn't taste too oily. The curry was super good, the meat was tender and the curry sauce itself had a little spicy kick in it but still super flavorful. Also we got that huge tuna mayo onigiri which was like super sized but it was $8 so yea. It had a lot of tuna and it was packed really well. I was so full but the dessert looked amazing. We tried the matcha latte it was good but tasted just like sugar and milk lol There is no parking, u have to find street parking and there's no cross walk so u basically gotta jay walk if u park on the other side. Also the place isn't that big so it's not great for big parties, maybe for a family of 6 is the most you can accommodate. There is bar seating and limited outdoor seating. The service was great tho, and it's such a cute spot.

Shannon Z.

This Japanese restaurant is SOO cute and worth the wait!!! The wait can be VERY long though. We came on a Tuesday at 720pm and got seated around 810pm (one table ahead of us) and got our food by 8:40pm - we had a party of 3 and there's just a few tables that seat over 2. There's indoor, outdoor, and bar seating. The service here was excellent. Everyone was super friendly and checked in on us and apologized for the wait. Interior of the restaurant is very cute - it's small and gives off a modern/charming Japanese cafe vibe with wooden accents. The food was AMAZINGGGG - my favorite was the Napolita pasta - I love the flavor of the tomato sauce they use for this pasta and the ham was amazing. I also highly enjoyed the omurice, which was the best I've had - it was so flavorful and egg was soft and creamy. The chicken karaage was very fresh and crispy on the outside. The mango shaved snow was also phenomenal - I love the mango puree they used on the shaved snow and the mangos were super sweet!! There's some street parking nearby right in front of restauraunt and within nearby neighborhoods. Highly recommend!!

Karaage
Malease T.

I've been wanting to try this place for a while and I finally was able to when a friend came to visit. Per the waitress recommendation I got the Hatsuzakura Curry topped with mozzarella cheese. Nice comfy curry with tender brisket, I wasn't sure how the cheese would be but it paired well. My friend got the Hayashi Udon. Refreshing noodles with sweetly flavored sliced beef. The karaage was okay, tender but could've been crisper with more seasoning. We ended our meal with Ichigo Daifuku. Nice mochi with fresh strawberry.

Restroom is very clean!!

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Business owner information

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Reymond P.

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Hatsuzakura Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Hatsuzakura

Does Hatsuzakura accept reservation?

Yes they do take reservations

Is this a good spot for a student to come get coffee/tea/food and study?

In my opinion, I don't think it's a spot to study. It's more of an enjoy -- eat -- go place.

Is there a parking lot or is this street parking?

Street parking.

Are dogs allowed?

Unfortunately, our establishment only allows service dogs, but when we incorporate outdoor dining, they're more than welcome to dine with us, too. :)

Do they do to-go?

We just started incorporating to-go orders. :)

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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Tabu Shabu - North Park - Outside

Tabu Shabu - North Park

4.6(733 reviews)
1.4 mi•North Park
•$$
Healthy dining

the service, the food, the price, and the restaurant vibes were fantastic !…read more our server aaron was amazing. he answered all the questions my group had and gave really great suggestions. if you're ever not sure what broth you want, you can ask to mix them ! i mixed the miso and the tonkatsu and it was yummy they also give a free broth booster which helped elevate the broth even more ! i personally did a spoon full in my broth and used the remaining as a dip ! would come back here again !

Great service. We…read moreloved this a few months ago and came back. Immediately when we walked in a manager we recognized said "welcome back". Let me tell you.... When you only ate somewhere once but they remember you that makes you want to keep coming back! One big draw for me is the kids meal and options/service for kids. If a kid is under 7 they don't charge for them to split your meal with you and they can still get their own soup bowl and chair. Also, they have a kids meal option for 10 and under. My kids absolutely love being treated like real customers. They get to cook their own food and the team addresses them kindly and tends to them. By the nature of this type of meal there is a decent amount of checking in the waitstaff has to do like adjusting cook temps, delivering plates and drinks, coming back for add ons etc so it is a good restaurant experience for kids. They even have high high chairs (not a typo) for the babies. The food is good. Everything is prepped to order... you can literally see people slicing your meat or putting your vegetables together in the back. I come here because I want quality and not the volume of an ACYE place. I'd prefer to spend my calories wisely. I was surprised that it was full but no wait on a weekday. It's hard to find somewhere with a vibe on a weekday but this place has one. It's a short drive from the zoo and Balboa park so I'm sure the team will see us again.

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Tabu Shabu - North Park - Wagyu short rib

Wagyu short rib

Tabu Shabu - North Park
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Between Us - Mushroom Toast was amazing

Between Us

4.2(348 reviews)
1.0 mi•North Park
•$$

Had a birthday brunch here and really enjoyed the food, the dining experience was unfortunately a…read morelittle thrown off. Wait times are quite outstanding, even with a rsvp but I really enjoyed picking Between Us for the nice atmosphere and quality of the dishes! Some portions are really outstanding for the price, but I loved the atmosphere inside and it was a perfect setting for brunch. Duck and Waffle (3/5): My dish! The Duck was really great, just very small portion with one waffle, and I didn't find the guava sauce on the side to really complement anything. I would've preferred something with maple but it was different. I was definitely hungry still after this. Curry Rice (5/5): My friend suggested this and we all loved this dish the most! It was delicious and hearty, and full of flavor. Steak and Eggs (4/5): Also pretty solid, I loved the bread actually and the steak was a nice medium rare. It also had plentiful of potatoes so this one was a winner too. Beignets (4/5): So delish! Light and airy but super hot and fresh. I could go here and just an enjoy a basket of these to be honest! The service was also friendly, just expect really long wait times especially on a weekend. I do adore it here though and I really plan to come back to try their other menu items for brunch. I'd recommend this spot to anyone looking for a brunch in NP.

I came here a couple of months ago to try their new dinner menu and was fairly disappointed in the…read morefood, albeit they were in soft opening. The standout dish is the fried squid tentacles appetizer that had a thin, crispy batter and delicious yuzu aioli. I also got the linguine mentaiko which didn't offer any new, exciting flavors. The biggest miss was the crab stone pot bowl that was heavily promoted on social media. The sambal completely overpowered the dish and it was overall very greasy and mushy. I had to ask for a lemon wedge to add brightness to the dish. For $36, it was hard to justify the price for the quality we got. The hojicha basque cheesecake brought our spirits up and had a strong hojicha flavor, but did have an odd grittiness to it. I'll stick to the brunch menu since that has been more consistent. Overall, I'd still recommend this place because of the fast service and friendly staff, plus there's more seating than you would think in the restaurant! Quite easy to get an online reservation, which is strongly recommended to avoid the wait.

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Between Us - Matcha Latte Tiramisu, love it

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Between Us - Beignets and Matcha Latte Tiramisu

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DASHI - Point Break

DASHI

4.6(206 reviews)
1.5 mi•Hillcrest

Dear diary, Came…read morehere for dinner and it did not disappoint. The restaurant is on the smaller side but there are table and bar seatings. If you sit around the bar area, you can interact with the chefs. The servers are friendly and accommodating. All the rolls and nigiri are fresh and they tasted delicious. The specialty rolls flavors combine really well with one another and none of the flavors over power another. Parking is a bit tricky. We had to park a couple blocks away but it is worth the walk. Definitely try this place if you're in the area!

The restaurant is quite small, but they did well with the space they had. We came in to eat for…read morelunch & were immediately greeted & sat. The food was delicious, came out at a great pace, & pleasantly surprised us. Overall, this is a great sushi restaurant & we would definitely return to try the other rolls on the menu & for the Miso Mac & Cheese! * Yellowtail Belly Nigiri - 8.7 * Salmon Belly Nigiri - 9.2 * Kraken Roll - 9.4/10 (the yellowtail & avocado was a yummy & creamy filling. the tuna on top was very tender & had a vibrant color to it. the crispy onions on top really added a nice crunch to the roll) * Daruma Roll - 8.6/10 (the spicy tuna, yellowtail, & ponzu comes together to make a fresh, citrusy combination of flavors. the microgreens were also a great addition to the roll) * Kami Roll - 9.2/10 (the asparagus tempura in this roll was something we've never tried before, but it paired surprisingly well with the spicy tuna inside. the tempura added a great crunch to the roll, while the ikura added a contrasting pop of ocean essence. the salmon was buttery, which we really enjoyed) * Miso Butter Mac & Cheese - 9.1/10 (the miso flavor in this mac & cheese was very strong, & the mushrooms complimented the dish really well. in the richness of this mac, the corn shined through with its sweetness that cut the dish & made each bite so addicting. the noodles were al dente & the cheese pull was heavenly)

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DASHI
DASHI - Spicy salmon crispy rice

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DASHI - Back: lemon glow front: mr. miyaki

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Azuki Sushi

Azuki Sushi

4.4(3.6k reviews)
2.5 mi•Banker's Hill
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Takes reservations
Vegan friendly

Hoooooolyyyyy mooooooly. What a hell of a spot…read more I had a friend take me here for my birthday. He's a big sushi guy, was recommended this place to check out, and wanted to try the new varieties of tuna they had in. We came in and told the waiter we planned to try everything (jokingly....?). We started with appetizers (def recommend getting the crunchy tuna thing and the wagyu beef dumpling). Then we made our way to the rest of the menu and basically ordered one of almost every roll they had! Everything was absolutely beautiful in presentation and most importantly....delicious!!! The only thing I was had a little more flavor was the barracuda fish. The cool thing about that though was the chef fried the fish bones (sounds weird but stay with me here) to where they were light and flaky and it tasted like chicharrón/cracklin. All of the rolls were exceptional and worth every penny. The vibe, experience, and customer service alone was 5 stars. I would love to come back and try some of their cocktails and other rolls.

Exceeded my expectations! We decided to stop by on a whim on a Saturday evening, and I'm so glad we…read moredid. I've heard incredible things about Azuki Sushi and have been wanting to try it for the longest time. We arrived right at opening without a reservation and were seated almost immediately. The sushi bar is intimate and cozy, and we loved being able to order directly from the sushi chefs. We started with the toro sashimi, followed by Spanish mackerel nigiri, and finished with an incredible roll (I wish I remembered what we ordered because it was that good!). Everything was fresh, beautifully prepared, and absolutely delicious. Azuki Sushi and their staff truly exceeded our expectations. If you're a sushi lover, this place is a must-try! I couldn't recommend it more and would absolutely encourage anyone who appreciates great sushi to add it to their list. We're already looking forward to our next visit!

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Azuki Sushi
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Hatsuzakura - japanese - Updated November 2026

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