Ha-La Sushi

Just perfect. Food is fresh and delicious… but there are many sushi options in the tri-​valley. Service here is what really keeps us coming back over the others.
Sushi is always amazingly fresh, and the sushi bar itself is impeccably clean. I love how the sushi chef explains the specials to us each time. and with pride! He is proud of the dishes he’s creating, it’s great to see. We always sit at the bar and the sushi chef deal with us directly, but the servers still check on us and are attentive.
We tend to dine late, and they are always so accommodating. Never rushing us out the door if I haven’t finished my sake at closing time.
We are definitely «foodies» and dine out several times a week and this place is in my top 3.

I really like this place. I love good sushi and this place is superior mostly because I’ve noticed after several repeat visits that the fish is very high quality and the cuts/​size is above average as well. The owner and chef really know Sushi and this is important to me. If I want modern Asian food, I go to a neighboring restaurant, but when I want sushi locally (this includes Walnut creek and Danville) I genuinely prefer Ha-​La.
My biggest complaint is the service. Every time I go I (and others) find the service to be below average. I think that some folks may be family members, not sure but someone needs to step in and take a commanding tone on offering great service. Unfortunately, even the basics fall down.
What keeps me coming back is really good sushi, but it’s getting more competitive in Alamo so my advice to the restaurant is fix your service and it will transform your business.

Every year I come home for Christmas our family always comes here for excellent sushi. My favorite rolls are the «Alamo roll» and the «Haru special roll». Very friendly staff with great service. I’ve never been disappointed !

My family and I frequent here often simply because it is close to our house and delicious. Mostly we order take-​out but the sushi is always fresh and the staff is very friendly :)

We tried ha-​la for the first time the day after Thanksgiving and DID NOT regret it. The Maki combination #1 is a great value and was amazing. I will definitely be back next time we are in town!

I would eat here every day of the week if I could. Amazing food and the service is absolutely incredible. Always a great experience eating here!

Love this place. Great sushi and service. They actually remember what you usually order. I just say I have the «usual». Kenny is a great chef and always serving up something great. Cute bar for a quick lunch or going solo.

Tonight was our first venture. The Alamo Roll was fantastic, and so was the white tuna nigiri. Overall a great experience. Fish was super fresh and service was good and very friendly.

Okay. Service has gone down hill the last few times that we have visited this restaurant. This is probably why it’s undergoing management changes. Service means a lot. Especially, for Alamo prices. One would expect Alamo prices to have Alamo service. Unfortunately, it’s been subpar and that’s just not okay with us. Especially, since we are dropping a bill every time we go out to eat. Especially, since we are awesomely generous tippers. It’s sad.

We have only gotten take out from here, but we have really enjoyed most of the rolls. The Spider Roll is our favorite, we order it every time, great fried soft shell crab. The Wall Street roll is also very good, deep fried shrimp, avocado and a sweet sauce, great combination. The Hamachi Avocado roll is a less expensive good choice, very fresh yellow tail. They package it up nicely to go as well. Broad menu of special rolls, choices to meet all taste preferences, and prices are fair for the market.

Exceptionally fresh sushi! The portions are good size. I always feel like I’m getting a very good value when I go there. Not only is the food amazing, but the staff is very friendly and the service is great. Also the restaurant is very clean.

I am Japanese and have enjoyed Japanese cuisine for over four decades. I can cook it myself. This is hands down the worst Japanese food I’ve ever experienced.
It’s not as if there were any redeeming qualities here either. From the greasy tabletops, to the servers who ignore the diners. I kept waiting for someone to ask me how the food was — never happened. (I think they were afraid to ask). At the end of the meal, a server finally stopped by and noticed my son attempting to get some moisture from his cup (which had been empty for 40 min). She asked whether it was soda or water. When he replied 7-​up, instead of getting him a refill, she said ‘oh, …would you like some water?’.
Finally, the prices are high — for the absolute worst food ever.

Love Hala! They are so friendly and the sushi is very very good. Go for the Gyoza and the Cinderella roll!

My family and I are regulars here. The sushi is great as is the friendly service. We love that they recognize us and what we like to order. Very consistent. The teriyaki is excellent as well.

Atmosphere — 4
Cut little place in Alamo. Loved the paintings on the wall, sushi bar up front, and felt like a nice place to eat.
Service — 3
Really nice waitresses. Very attentive and always asked how everything was. Only part was service was super slow even if they place wasn’t really packed.
«Japanese 7up» — 4
I’ve had these before. Really good at half the sugar of a regular soda. Boyfriend has the lemon flavor and I had strawberry. Great for kids to try for the first time. Mind you, they are $ 3.50 each. You can get them much cheaper at 99 ranch.
San Francisco Roll — 3
Smoked salmon, cream cheese, unagi, and avocado, 6 pieces. Boyfriend said it was ok. Not spectacular but was good.
San Ramon Roll — 5
Avocado, crab meat, deep fried shrimp, rolled & deep fried, 8 pieces. Really good. I can tell they had JUST finished frying it cause it was still hot. The crab with the fried shrimp was awesome. The sauce gave it even more flavor. I would love to try this again.
Shabu-​Shabu — 1
Ok, in the menu they show the pot sitting on an electric heat top. I’ve had Shabu Shabu from all over the bay so I know what it should look and taste like. When it first came, it was in a clay pot. Ok, I can understand that they can’t use the electronic heating for it. But when they took off the lid… I almost wanted to scream «Where’s the beef?» Like there was barely ANY meat. Most of it was veggies, two small chunks of tofu and barely any noodles. I can tell it had been sitting for a while because the cabbage had lost it’s color and was not very crunchy anymore even though the soup was boiling. The broth was good but it didn’t help me forget the fact there was really no meat. For $ 16.95, SO not worth it. I was actually kind of angry.
Overall — 2
I would probably come back to try some nigiri or sashimi but that is about it. If they fail at that, I defiantly won’t be coming back.

I should have written this review months ago!!! I’m the ultimate sushi lover and this place has most certainly won my business! I’ve been a handful of times now, and every time the fish is fresh, and the rice is perfectly cooked. That’s always my biggest complaint when trying out new sushi spots. Either the fish is a bit off or/​and the rice is too hard. Ha-​la sushi gets it right every time. The staff is very friendly and the place is always clean. Give them a try!

I have always enjoyed this place. We come here for sushi whenever I am home visiting my parents. Although it is very expensive, I have never been disappointed by the quality of fish — which is really the most important part.
All their sashimi is cut well and melts in your mouth. I love their sashimi specials which always make a delicious meal. Their salad dressing is one of my favorites. They have lunch specials which run from $ 16 – 20. Not cheap but I find it to be worth it.
If you’re looking for high quality sushi and good basic Japanese food, I recommend Ha-​La (used to be Ha-​Ru) to you if you’re in the area.

These guy have awesome Sushi. Thank you for being in Alamo and serving Excellent Sushi. Great atmosphere, great people. Let the 1 Star out of Town Whiners go somewhere else. You guys Rock!

Authentic or not?
Sushi. What is it? Well the Japanese literal translation is rice with vinegar however; traditional it is raw fish served over rice.
This is one of my favorite locations for just that. Their fish is so high quality, that they could convince me they are pulling fish straight out of the water in the back. I suggest trying their nigiri (fish over rice), sashimi (straight fish) or if you’re feeling adventurous their uni (sea urchin and also my favorite). I have spent a good amount of time in Japan and this is the sushi bar that does the best of mirroring traditional Japanese sushi bars.
So why only four stars you snobby critic? Well let me tell you, you harsh consumer. Their rolls are nothing to write home about. I am more into the nigiri and sashimi anyways but I enjoy a roll with my meal. And being more traditional Ha-​La isn’t too focused on the Americanized sushi roll.
So if your looking to get some delicious traditional sushi head down to Ha-​La and order up!!!

Best sushi in the area hands down. Ken is also an awesome sushi chef and terribly nice guy. Highly recommended best quality in the area a little pricy but you get what you pay for. Try their seaweed salad and miso soup awesome. And the sushi is consistently epic. If you haven’t tried this place you should.