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Hatsuzakura

4.4 (618 reviews)
Closed • 11:00 am - 2:00 pm, 3:30 PM - 6:00 PM
Updated 2 months ago
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HATSUZAKURA ATMOSPHERE

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Casual
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Intimate
Romantic

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Recommended Reviews - Hatsuzakura

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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!

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.

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!

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

Curry
Cara M.

This is a great spot for some classic Japanese food. The omurice was delicious. I was happy to see melon soda on the menu. It has a subtle melon taste; you need to stir the syrup they add. All of the desserts looked amazing and I want to try them all. It's a small location so go during off-peak times.

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!

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!

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.

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!!

Restroom is very clean!!
Dojo A.

WOW!! This place is legit! Happened to be in this area and was looking for great place to get some omurice and stumbled into this little gem of a place!! First, street parking only but don't let that deter you from coming coz every inch or foot that you spend walking to this place is all worth it. Secondly, love the ambiance. Reminds me a lot of those ikazaya pubs in Japan but a little more chic and modern. They have bar seating of about 10 and 6-8 tables inside. But they also have outdoor seating. So I came at exactly 11 am and I was the second guest and they sat me at the bar. By 11:30 am, the entire resto was full, not granting it was a Saturday morning but people prolly got smart to come here early before the lunch crowd gets bigger. So for the food, I had to order their Hayachi Omurice and Chef Soichi's Chicken karage and both were BOMB! 11/10 each! Love the flavor of the rice and nice touch of thin slices of meat and the egg was perfectly made. I just wished there were heapings of those egg. The sauce was slightly tangy but love the flavor. The other star of my meal was the karage. Prolly the Top 2 karage I've had. I liked how they sliced in lengthwise and there not too much coating. And it wasn't oily and very juicy inside. Well seasoned and it came with lemon wedges and kewpie mayo. All I did was sprinkle some Nanami Togarashi for an added umami flavor. Overall, this should be on your top 10 restos in San Diego. Service was excellent, the servers were all friendly and always smiles!! Kudos to you guys!! I'll be back for sure!!

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.

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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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