Sweet 16

Wow, time sure flies! My baby brother is finally 16 years old.  He's actually taking his behind the wheel test on August 15 too! I'm so sad that he's growing up! But he'll always be my baby boy.

16!

So for dinner, my family decided to go to our all-time-favorite sushi restaurant that we go to for every celebration.

Akai Hana (5/5 stars)
(formally known as Shien of Osaka)

green tea and miso soup

sashmi B

Half Dragon Roll (family favorite)

Takoyaki Roll

8 Piece to Happiness

Sweet & Spicy Crunchy Roll

green tea, mango, strawberry mochi

Company: family and Dang

Time: Thursday, August 4, 7:30pm

Location: 16769 Bernardo Center Drive, San Diego CA., 92128

It is located in a plaza, so there is a nice parking lot. 

Type of food:  Japanese

Ambiance:  

The restaurant is pretty big for a Japanese restaurant.  They are so successful, that they don't even need to open on Sundays or holidays.  There is a huge variety in the crowd- from family dinners to business meetings.  Everyone comes here for the good food.

Service:

I guess I'll be a little bias, we've been coming here for almost 10 years and we always request the same server- Jennie.  She always takes good care of us. For a fairly busy night, the food came out at a decent pace.

Taste:
2 words:  fresh and delicious.
I'm not sure what to recommend, because those 4 rolls above are the rolls that we ALWAYS order.  I definitely recommend the Half Dragon Roll if you like eel.  It may seem very fishy tasting, but it is so flavorful.  The eel and everything just melts in your mouth.  On the menu, there is a "half dragon" and a "dragon" roll.  They are exactly the same size, but the price difference is about $6.  You should definitely order the "half dragon" because it is a better value- you get more rolls.  While the "dragon" roll has this giant piece of eel at the head of the plate to represent the head of the dragon.  Go for the "half dragon" to get your moneys worth. 
Secondly, I love the "8 Pieces to Happiness".  It is definitely the best roll to finish last with.  I love how there's an orange in the middle of each roll.  It balances out the salmon sashimi very well.  Like I said, it is delicious to finish off with this roll because it feels very refreshing.

Price:

I believe that the prices are very fair.  The seafood is fresh and the rolls are unique.  Specialty rolls range from $12-$15.  They are a good size, and the flavors are mouth watering.  Our 6 rolls, 1 small sashimi plate, 6 bowls of miso soup, and mochi ice cream came out to be roughly $120 with tips. 

Overall:

Authentic and delicious.  The only negative thing I have to say is, I need more!

specialty roll menu

Happy 16th Birthday Chris!

Cheesecake

awww

mmmmmmmm. I asked for the smallest slice, but I went back for more

Every year, we always get Chris a cookies and cream ice cream cake.  We decided to try something a little new. Here's a cheesecake from Costco ($12.99).  What a large cake for such a good value. I love Costco.


MAY ALL YOUR WISHES COME TRUE LITTLE BROTHER !