“ Although I only had two dishes, this is probably one of the best restaurants I've been to, Japanese-wise. Staff were really nice. The place was small but very aesthetically pleasing. 100% will go back. The earl grey lavender milk tea was very good. Onigiri and mochi ice cream as well. Everything was just amazing. ”

“ Loved this place so much and can't wait to come back! We ordered : Naporitan spaghetti 10/10 Guratan 10/10 Omurice 9/10 Chicken karaage 10/10 Hot matcha latte 10/10 Delicious food all around! I was hesitant at first because the reviews were iffy, but from my experience, it was exactly to my taste and liking! Service was great! They were all so nice and service was pretty fast. We came on. Friday around 1pm. Ambiance and decor was beautiful! It really felt like I was in a Japanese cafe or animae! ”

“ I'll start off with Wow! I was really impressed by from the beginning to the end of my dining experience at this restaurant. It was so cozy indoors. The decorations were not over done and were meticulously placed. My friend and I were seated at the bar. Not sure if we were seated at the tables, would we have gotten the same level of service. But our server checked in with my friend and I quite often and bantering along with our conversations. My friend and I split the dishes to get an overall review of the place. We ordered the karaage, hayashi Omurice and saved majority of the yakisoba for Togo. The Karaage had a delightful crunch. The batter to meat ratio was sometimes inconsistent but its salty-lemony savoriness and crunchiness made it irresistible. I couldn't stop myself from snacking on it nonstop. The hayashi Omurice was simply to die for. The demi glacé sauce was sweet and kept me coming back for more Omurice. The egg part was moist and delicate and paired well with the rice. The yakisoba was delish and I'd honestly come back to eat it on its own. It was also slightly sweet and salty with the noodles being slightly chewy. The food was delicious but I must say that the Karaage was the showstopper. I always have loved the ambiance here based on my two dining experiences here. The restaurant environment is so pleasant and warming. The employees treat you so kindly and I'd truly recommend it to people who appreciate such service. thank you for lovely dinner experiences and hope to come back here soon! ”

“ My favorite part about this place is all the dishware and the interior design. It creates such a nice experience and aesthetic. The food is delicious and fare for its prices. The main challenge is the long wait is really discouraging because I would say the food is not worth the wait, but the vibe is worth it. I adore all of the different tableware that each dish was served on. You can tell they really paid attention to detail to design. The wait is long on a weekend. We came at 1:45pm hoping that it was late enough that we skipped the lunch rush. The inside is not very big (maybe fits about 30 people), so we waited about an hour. The staff actually came out to cutoff the seating list, and told us that we would be one of the last to be seated. Last call for food was 2:30pm so the staff actually came out to take our order before we were seated some time after 2:30pm. During the time we waited, we saw a lot of people come by to order take out. House made milk tea - 9/10 When I picture a good house milk tea, this is exactly what I imagine! When I started drinking the milk tea, I immediately went "Mmmm this is so good". Initially I was interested in their matcha, and the staff told me the matcha latte uses culinary matcha, and the pure matcha drink uses ceremonial matcha. I wasn't really feeling either of those options, so I'm very glad I went with the house made milk tea instead! I would come back just to enjoy that drink. Tamago Sando - 7.5/10 I'm on a mission to try every tamago sando in SD, and this one is good, but you can tell the bread is not quite the same as the ones in Japan. The filling was good. Chicken Karaage - 7.5/10 really juice chicken. My partner got the set menu so it came with soup and rice. Most Japanese restaurants typically serve a really powdery basic miso soup, but Hatsuzakura served a better quality soup (that wasn't miso) and I really enjoyed it! Coffee jelly - 7/10 FYI this dessert was huge, and I ended up taking leftovers home Mango mochi - 7/10 tasted like your standard mochi ”

“ This cafe is such a cute hole in the wall...more like hole in the street because we almost couldn't find it. Thank gawd for GPS! If I could have eaten the whole menu I would have, but that just means we need to come back again and again! Very pink and beautiful inside. Gets busy quick, so be ready to get in line. It was just the two of us, so we were able to get a seat on the counter/bar. Warning: big parties of 6 or more might be difficult. It is small inside, so I recommend party of 4 or less. I want to say there was a party of 6 behind us, but that is the max and they waited a while to get seated. Drinks: Iced Yozakura.....it was very tasty and we also had Iced Okinawa Brown Sugar. Eats: Meal Set: Hayashi Omurice, soup and rice. Meal Set: Karaage, soup and salad. Wanted to try the dessert like kakigori, Japanese Parfe, dango and coffee jelly, but seriously had no room in my belly! Sitting at the bar we were able to watch the lady design all the beautiful desserts and make the coffees and teas. She was very talented. ”

“ Hatsuzakura is by far my new favorite place for Japanese food in San Diego! From the service to the food, I have no notes for this establishment. We started out by ordering the Okinawa Brown Sugar Tea ($9 for 30oz pot). The tea had a rich tea flavor and had subtle sweetness to it. The pot was served on a stand with a candle, ensuring the pot remained warm. The Omirice was the star of our order. For $17.50, this rice dish was very delicious and was very filling. The egg was very fluffy and the demi-glace sauce was so flavorful. It was perfectly seasoned and complemented the tomato based fried rice underneath the omelette. In my opinion, the salmon onigri was simply okay. It was a salmon onigri and I felt like it had nothing special to it. I would rate it a 3.5/5. However, a positive thing about this was the price. For $6.50, I was able to get an onigiri that was larger than my hand! This is a great thing to get if you're looking for something small. For desert we had the dango ($15 for 3 skewers) and the ichigo difuku ($7 for 2 pieces). The dango had three different flavors: sweet soy glaze, anko with strawberry, and kinako. My favorite of the three flavors was the anko with strawberry. I felt like all three skewers were a great array of flavors. The ichigo difuku was a nice balance between sweetness from the red bean and strawberry with the neutral flavor of the mochi. This quaint little cafe is a nice spot to dine with friends or alone. The bar was a nice place to sit because you were able to see the workers prepare drinks and deserts. The booths and outdoor space are nice and cozy. This restaurant has its own unique aesthetic making you feel right at home. Coupled with the caring staff, Hatsuzakura is a must visit in San Diego. ”

“ A small snippet of Japan...Of course from the food, but also the ambiance and overall experience. My favorite things about the shop: 1) Everything is pink with wood accents. They really leaned into the cherry blossom (sakura) theme. It's tasteful and well done. Makes it a great date spot. 2) I really appreciated the small, thoughtful things sprinkled throughout (i.e. small basket to leave your bag under the table, seat warmer for the toilet, extra stools for queue outside) 3) The food was amazing. It really reminded me of what I'd get from Japan. The omurice had the most delicious sauce - not overly tangy but full of flavor. The egg was nice and fluffy. The kakigori was also very yummy. The ice was so fine and they packed it into the bowl. I think I prefer the matcha flavor over the strawberry, but they're both good. I'd definitely come back again just to get a bit a Japan while still being close to home. I highly recommend stopping by for the experience! ”

“ I've been to Hatsuzakura a few times now...and each time has been great! Some seating inside and at the counter/bar. I love the fried chicken here! Gives a chicharrón crisp and flavor to it which is super unique! Also had a bite of the Naporitan and Tamago Sando. Flavors are all really great. The daifuku (red bean mochi with strawberry) was delicious as well! Staff is friendly and attentive. Street parking can definitely be tough during peak hours or when there are park events. ”

“ What a find! Hatsuzakura feels intentionally brought over from Japan. The decor is thoughtful and the wood tones are inviting. Even the coasters are adorned with their signature flower logo - like a Japanese family crest proudly on display. The subtle touches are nice, the plates are are vibrant, the flatware modern, even the bidet makes it feel like I'm in a small restaurant in the Japanese countryside. Now, we came here for the mango kaikigori, which unfortunately wasn't available because mangos are out of season. Standing on bidness and not serving something that isn't up to their standard is great. Here's what we got: - omu rice (4.5/5) - rich, velvety eggs, smothered in brown gravy and topped off on really, really good fried rice. The only drawbacks were I wish there was more egg (you could see spots of rice underneath where the egg broke) and the rice wasn't piping hot (nurui is the Japanese term my parents would use). This dish is hard to find in SD, let alone a good one, so bravo for bringing me back to my childhood. I felt like Ego in Ratatouille. - karaage (5/5) - lightly breaded and fried to perfection. It didn't taste greasy or oily. The chicken was butchered great too, without chunks of fat, which I've found when I order karaage. The meat was juicy and flavorful. - curry rice (5/5) - warm, comfort food at its best. The curry is homemade, with subtle sweetness, and tender pieces of brisket. It was piping hot and the fukujinzuke (pickled daikon) is a perfect compliment. - chicken soup (10/5) - if you've ever had Thai Khao Man Gai (chicken and rice) - this tastes very much like the chicken soup that's served with it. It's refreshing and simple - basically just chicken broth with bits of veggies. But, it tastes like hours of prep and hard work to make this clear broth. It's a great palate cleanser. It's a great +$3 add on. - matcha latte (5/5) - not sweet, tastes like it's meant for the Japanese and not American palate. I much prefer the subtlety here. - strawberry kakigori (5/5) - fluffy, again not overly sweet. It looks big, but because it's so fluffy, you don't feel guilty. Really looking forward to the mango version. Come here if you've gone to Japan and miss it. This is one of the closest restaurants in taste and ambiance without the flight. ”