"Japanese cuisine lovers everywhere are in for a treat!"

Imagine that you could sample the very best of Japanese cookery in one luxurious location. Now, imagine that you could eat all you want of the very best of these delicacies in one sitting! The Sheraton Hotel (Hongqiao) offers you this exact scenario by way of its newly formed Hanano Japanese restaurant. Guests can order all they want of any featured dish on their menu for the exceptional price of 199RMB. Japanese food in itself is well-known to be at least slightly expensive in most eating establishments. At Hanano however, you can eat as much as you want of it and the quality is definitely worth the visit in itself.

Upon visiting the establishment, my eating companion and I were presented with a whole host of choices. Since they were obviously too numerous to mention, I have selected just a few. Many of these selections are available a la carte as well.

The first dish that was brought to our table was the "Mescallion Salad". This type of salad is composed of fresh mixed greens and cherry tomatoes that are tossed in a lovely light sauce that is made with onions, apples and orange juice. This dish was served with a plate of "assorted fresh sushi" (salmon, tuna and prawn to name a few) all imported directly from Japan.

Our next dish was a piece of cod fish deeply marinated in miso sauce ("Cod Fish Miso"). Miso is usually popular itself as a soup dish, but on fish, it tasted sweet with a very smooth texture. Chef Rannie Zhao had mentioned to us that this fish had to be marinated for several hours in the miso mixture. I should note here that we were later served another miso-marinated dish that was this time composed of lamb instead of fish ("Lamb Miso"). It was equally appealing as the fish and the combination worked just as well.

Not long after the miso cod had arrived, we were enjoying large "Japanese snow crab legs" (also imported from Japan). With this dish, we were served a large plate of assorted shrimp and eggplant tempura. The presentation of this dish that comes in a homemade basket was eye-catching to say the least.

A large cone-shaped "California roll" then followed, that contained avocado, cucumber and a Japanese radish. In the middle of the roll were a crab stick and a layer of sweet mayonnaise. In addition, we were immediately served an oyster layered with melted cheese ("Oyster With Cheese"). On top was sprinkled green onions. Indeed a very unique combination while remaining quite savory as well.

Before our final dish was served, we were given a plate of thickly sliced beef (also called, "Sliced Beef Vinegar Jelly Shabu"). Chef Zhao had informed us that this superbly soft and tender beef that was also organic. Hanano strictly selects fresh ingredients and many are of an organic nature.

The final dish at our table was a Japanese-style hot pot. This satisfying concoction contained slices of mushroom, Japanese tofu, shrimp and lettuce. It was made with no oil and we were told by the chef that it was also medicinal. Its ingredients are also used as an antioxidant to cure various illnesses. To us, it was indeed very hot and satisfying as a wonderful ending to a great meal.

Honestly saying, the food that I sampled at Hanano was a selection of some of the best Japanese food that I had ever tasted. The chef is highly skilled, the food quality is excellent, the staff is super courteous and the atmosphere gives one the feeling of escape from the brouhaha of the outside world. Well worth the price and the trip, Hanano at the Sheraton Hotel (Hongqiao) is a dining experience well-worth undertaking!

Location: No. 5, Zunyi Nan Lu (South Zunyi Road) // 虹橋喜來登酒店內，上海遵義南路5 號 Tel: +86 (0)21 6275 8888

Service quality:

excellent

Food quality:

very good

Environment:

very good

Price per head (RMB):

100-200

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