Review: Hakone Japanese Cuisine.

Tucked away behind a Tim Horton’s, situated just in front of the new Lucky 127 grocery store is this little gem of a traditional Japanese restaurant.  Having to compete with a larger chain of Japanese take out across the street as well as two Vietnamese food fairs (one of which is Pho Du)  as well as a DQ and a McDonalds, I feel that this place is overlooked by many people.

The interior is brightly lit thanks to the giant wall to wall windows, and it has a very modern but classic feel. The sushi bar is front and centre as you walk in before the hostess seats you.  The young lady who served us was very pleasant and on the ball, and presented us with quick service.

THE FOOD

Miso Soup: The Miso soup actually comes combined with the bento box meal I ordered, so I ate a LOT of food that day. I really enjoy that the soup wasn’t too salty or too overbearing on the seaweed flavour- something I’m very particular about. I’m not sure what it is about seaweed but I truly do not enjoy it (my best bet is when I was young,I had a baby sitter who fed us kale. dulce(Thanks for the correction Mom)..so maybe its just negative association?)

The Karaage Chicken and Spring Rolls belonged to my mom. Her only real complaint is that she felt that the chicken was slightly undercooked. She said it wasn’t overly spicy either, and the spring rolls were good.

Bento Box: I love Bento boxes. I love that they contain a little bit of everything, giving you a full,diverse eating experience. I had ordered a bento #1, with two types of Sashimi- Marbled Tuna and Tuna Belly, All veggie Tempura, Rice,Teriyaki Chicken and a green salad. Starting in that order, the sashimi was as fresh as one could get here in Alberta, and done up in lovely large slices. I had never had the marbled tuna before and it really does present a different flavour from the tuna belly. The tempura was absolutely divine. I had peppers, sweet potato, zucchini and broccoli.  The dipping sauce for the tempura had a slight spice too it which added an extra dimension of flavour. The rice was cooked perfectly and accompanied the whole meal overall. The chicken is actually marinaded in a teriyaki sauce instead of having it topped with a thick teriyaki sauce like the big chains do.  My only complaint is I did find the chicken a little dry,but still enjoyed it. The salad was nothing special besides the dressing, which I wish I could properly id. It may have been a wasabi based dressing, but it was so creamy and delicious!

Overall experience:

Hakone is a pleasant little sit down place with awesome portion sizes and authentic taste. Its only downside is that it’s a hidden treasure,surrounded by massive building and big chain names,