My boyfriend, his father, and I were all so disappointed that Hanami had closed. We love going there for dinner to catch-up or after business meetings. The décor was beautiful, the staff were very kind and courteous, and the food was the best asian fusion I’ve had in a long time.
Danan R.
Évaluation du lieu : 3 New York, NY
Our group dinner was held here last night and although the service was fantastic, the food was just okay. The spicy salmon roll was a bit fishy-tasting and the sesame chicken tasted the same as the walnut shrimp, which tasted the same as the sweet and sour pork. It was as if they had one ubiquitous sauce. The chicken lettuce wraps were pretty good, and the pan-fried noodles well-seasoned and perfectly crispy. The fried rice was flavorful without being overly greasy, although the egg shreds were not exactly Chinatown-quality. Overall, a good choice in Princeton. The fruit plate at thee end was a nice touch with fresh cuts of pineapple, grapes, melons, and strawberries. Because oranges are getting kinda old… seriously. Ambiance is lovely and they have plenty of space for parties. I would highly recommend renting out the back room for that purpose. Oh and you can bring your alcoholic beverages and they will serve, mix, etc. Pretty convenient when you’re catering to a group of 50+.
Christine R.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Princeton, NJ
I worked in marketfair for about 4 – 5 years and never went to sunny garden(the former hanami), however i knew how much it was beloved and enjoyed. So, when looking for somewhere to have a late-ish friday night dinner with the SO, we decided to drive over and see if Hanami was any good. It’s Chinese food, but in a really beautiful environment. Perfect for groups, as many familes and girls-night-outs and groups of couples were enjoying. We were seated immediately and our server came around to take our drink order. Now, a big note– this place is BYOB. We totallly neglected this, and taht was the one downside of our experience, since SO likes to have a little wine or cocktail with his meal. However, they have fun tea drinks that they make. He got a fruity one that was good, a little too sweet for me. They feature Japanese and Chinese food and have a full sushi bar. Will have to check that our next time, but SO got a raw tuna dish served over seasoned rice and I got the spicy chicken, eggplant, shrimp, and squid plate, with brown rice. So good! And there were several pieces of jumbo shrimp in the dish. The serving was perfect– enough to fill me up, and enough to bring home to enjoy later. Will definitely check this place our again when we are looking for a place when we go out with friends for dinner date night. This time with some wine from Trader Joe’s!
Kevin C.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Woodstock, GA
Service was outstanding! Hot & Sour soup and Wonton Soup both very good and egg rolls freshly prepared with crispy but not too greasy wrappers. Sauteed asparagus in brown sauce with chicken was very flavorful, but I’d switch to broccoli next time as the asparagus was tough and woody. Chicken Fried Rice was top notch. No liquor license here, though, so make sure to BYOB. Did I mention the service was outstanding? It deserves two mentions — the wait staff was phenomenal!
Atilla B.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Princeton, NJ
This place is quite inconsistent. Some days they have horrible service, some days their food are not that good. Other times they do just fine. I’ve had Hanami about 10 – 12 times, and have been pleased with their food overall. One caveat I realized is that their delivery food tastes way worse than dining in, so I stick to Sushi for deliveries. I remember enjoying their japanese«bento plate» a lot, which contained items more interesting than your usual teriyaki/tempura. Also I enjoy ordering from their tea menu a lot, though some of the items can be overly sweet. For sushi, the quality of the fish was always good; but the sushi itself had ups and downs. Oh, and I found their new-style sushi disgusting. On the contrary, if you can get the fat(futo-maki style) spicy rolls, they are amazing. I also remember ordering sushi omakase which contained worse fish than their sushi plates /lunch specials. Overall, good but very inconsistent place which can become frustrating not to get the quality you expect. It also does not help that the prices are on the high side.
Sarah J.
Évaluation du lieu : 3 Princeton, NJ
My husband took me here on v-day to try out this«new» place. I was excited after hearing about the new chefs. We went all out and ordered the«special» menu… boy was that a mistake. Not only was it really expensive, but it didn’t even taste that great despite the good ingredients used in the dishes. The miso cod was too sweet, the kobe beef was sliced so thin you couldn’t even taste it, and the sushi had the weirdest toppings on it. The dessert was nothing really special either. I was a fan of the tea bar though. The green tea milkshake I ordered was made right. Overall the place is way overpriced. They don’t even offer free refills on their tiny cups of soda(sprite). Their service was severely lacking as well.
Air Z.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 New York, NY
I’m living NY, but I have been here couple times with my friends. Here is so comfortable, the service is so nice, the food is very very fresh and delicious. I definitely come back again and again, I will…
Natasha h.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Princeton, NJ
I have been to Hanami on numerous occasions, it’s new, it’s hip and very different and unique. I absolutely love the setting. I came with my boyfriend on valentines day and I could not have asked for a better date. Everytime I go there I am always greeted politely and with a smile. I do not recall ever feeling umcomfortable or awkward. I have recommened to all of my friends to go there and experience this very different contemporary asian restaurant. I haven’t gotten deliveries there too much but I have picked a to-go many times during my busy days and I can honestly say I have yet to experience any trouble. I want to suggest everyone to go experience the restaurant especially on those special occasions! I assure you, you will be pleasantly surprised that such a restaurant exists right here in such a hidden place in New Jersey. And i Guarantee you that it will be your new favorite spot.
T W.
Évaluation du lieu : 3 Camp Hill, PA
Tried Hanami for take-out last night, as I was a fan of Sunny Garden. Went online, looked at the menu, found what I wanted, and called up from the car on the way over and ordered Chicken Teriaki, spicy tuna roll, miso cod roll, and scallion pancake. When I ordered the Chicken Teriaki, the girl quizzes me on the phone«What section is that in?». I reply«uhh.section? I don’t know, I don’t have the menu in front of me». She says«that’s ok» and takes the rest of my order. She calls back a few minutes later and asks«what kind of sauce do you want with your chicken teriaki?» «I don’t know, whatever you usually do» I say. She rattles off three sauces I could barely understand. Why were these three sauce choices not listed on the menu? I asked her to repeat them, still didn’t understand, so just said give me the first one.(whatever that was). Chicken Teriaki was OK, sushi was OK, scallion pancake OK. Nothing special, but nothing was bad. Seemed over-priced. And put me through quite a hassle on the phone and menu not complete. I miss Sunny Garden, but I’ll try Hanami again hoping they work out the issues.
Keith y.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Clifton, VA
Visited on my trip to the tri-state area a week or so ago. Went with a coworker and we were pretty amazed with the quality, originality and taste of the food. Most of our items were from the Sushi menu and it was very very good. The place looks and feels like a hip NYC restaurant but it’s sitting in the middle of Princeton, NJ. We had a sampling of new style Sushi(believe that’s what it’s called). Items included sushi with truffle and other combinations that we’d never tried before. Had some rock tempura, excellent along with everything else. Would like to try the Chinese food if I ever get back.
Jimmy S.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Flushing, NY
I was in the area and in the mood for some Japanese food and heard about the new Hanami that opened up in Princeton. Since I’ve had great experiences with the one in Westwood, this was a no brainer. The service and food were excellent just like the one in Westwood. The menus were similar but the prices were a little higher. Nontheless, I was very satisfied. Try the crab salad!!!
Anna B.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Mercer, NJ
HANAMI just opened up in Princeton. It’s located where the former Sunny Garden used to be, but it’s SO much better. They serve a mix of Japanese food and Chinese food. If your a sushi lover or love your chicken and broccoli you’ll love it here! They have three Chefs from the biggest restaurants in NYC(Nobu, Megu, and Tao). I went their with my husband for dinner and absolutely fell in love with it! The atmosphere is really great and the décor is unique and soothing. We ordered some dim sum appetizers which were all excellent. For dinner we had an assortment of sushi, all of which was incredible. They have what they call«new style sushi» which is a unique spin on regular sushi. They have a large selection and the prices are great for what the quality of food you get. We also ordered a hot shrimp dish with XO sauce which was also fantastic. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to people in Princeton and the surrounding aresa. We haven’t had a good sushi restaurant in the area until now! It’s also BYOB which is great because you don’t have to spend a ton of money on over-price drinks like a lot of other nice restaurants in the area!
Kath B.
Évaluation du lieu : 3 Philadelphia, PA
I really enjoyed Sunny Garden the first few times I went there, but the last few times I thought service and the food slipped a bit. Not sure I will rush back but probably will make it back at some point. It is more of a 2.5 based on recent visits.
Therhyme R.
Évaluation du lieu : 2 Mt Laurel, NJ
If you have no where else to go for lunch, this would not be bad. You can get an all you can eat buffet for $ 9(just not sure how much of it you would eat). I have been there once with some co-workers and i just had noodles and the sushi they have as part of the buffet. Nothing there is fantastic or fresh, but hey thats this area for you!
Eugene H.
Évaluation du lieu : 3 Rockville, MD
This place use to be pretty good, but now they jacked up the prices and reduced the portions. The atmosphere is pretty good for a chinese restaurant, but you’re definitely overpaying the eat here. That being said, the food is still decent.
Daria C.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Yardley, PA
May not be truly authentic Chinese, but it sure is yummy. This is an excellent place to take your family or your partner’s family on a special occasion. I’ve heard fantastic things about the lunch buffet and the sushi but sadly haven’t been able to try either yet. All of the food I’ve had here has been excellent, and the prices very reasonable for value recieved. You’re going to pay more than you would at your typical take-out place, but then again the food is much, much better– and so is the atmosphere.
Alina B.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Waco, TX
I would classify the food more on Asian Fusion side than on America Chinese, as such«staples» as crab-rangoon or sweet-an-sour chicken are conspicuously absent from the menu. Instead, you can have some delicious snow-crab wontons and pineapple-and-mango breaded chicken(breaded, not batter-fried!). Everything I tried there has been very good, «creeky chicken» is a winner, and the pricing is great. Atmosphere is serene, with lots of open space and tasteful decorations — even the waiting area is comfortable and peaceful. Overall, this is our favorite Asian restaurant in the area.
Nicole E.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Austin, TX
I visited Sunny Garden for lunch and it was recommended that I go for the buffet, but I wish I had just chosen a lunch entre. The prices were great for both, but the buffet didn’t have much choice(4 options) and they only had one tofu dish on the buffet — so if you’re vegetarian, it’s not for you. Overall, the food was good, the prices were right, the atmosphere was quiet and friendly, and the service okay.
Vic C.
Évaluation du lieu : 3 San Francisco, CA
If you’re looking for Americanized-Chinese food, I guess here’s the place to go. It caters to the working(white) professionals in the Plainsboro area, so lunchtime can get pretty busy. The food isn’t bad, really. Just not quite authentic. It’s found its nice niche in the palates of the American suburbanites, so hasn’t quite tried to deviate from the niche. It’s still, thankfully, a step up from Karen’s restaurant in Princeton, but definitely nothing exciting. [Beating Karen’s btw, is a feat that doesn’t require much bragging rights] They have a little lunch buffet on weekdays(again, for the lunching professionals). Dishes are simple — lo mein, potstickers, shrimp in «lobster» sauce. All a little bit greasy, and a little cold. I prefer the lunch specials that come with soup and rice. The steamed fish was surprisingly good and simple, with a large portion for the price. Perhaps the one standout. It’s been a while since I’ve been there for dinner, but from what I can remember, the dishes were more of the same — American-Chinese cuisine. Not bad tasting, but a little heavy on the oil and the western modifications.
Michael B.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Trenton, NJ
Sunny Garden is an excellent upscale Chinese/Japanese restaurant located on Rt. 1 near Princeton, NJ. Like Janelle R. said in her review, the food is consistently excellent. The best item on the menu has to be the Creaky Chicken($ 13.00) which consists of «shallow fried white meat chicken in a brown ginger sauce». It’s a little spicy and a little sweet. It’s wonderful. The sushi at Sunny Garden, however, isn’t that wonderful. I mean it’s ok, but compared to other local sushi places(like Shogun 27 or Banzai)…well, it’s just not as good. Janelle was also dead-on when she talked about the service on weekends. Wow! It can be pretty bad. I remember one time when we practically begged someone to take our money — then, 20 minutes later, begged them to give us our change. During the week, however, the service is much better — as the restaurant is much less crowded. But if reasonable prices and great food are what you’re after, take a trip to Sunny Garden.