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Fresh and delicious omakase in Asbury Park! Everything was delicious and service was impeccable!
The service was amazing. Our dedicated chef made us 18 pieces of amakasi sushi. At multiple intervals we were asked if we wished to continue for the next level of pieces. We watched him skillfully prepare the fish and then he explained what it was. Each was very tender and delicious. A cup of saki and dessert were complimentary. This was an unassuming, small restaurant with only about 10 seats at a sushi bar. It was an awesome experience and we will definitely go back.
The food and preparation here is clearly 5 stars. Fresh seafood on every course and thoughtfully prepared. Pace was a little fast but did not negatively impact the experience. Love that it's a BYOB. I don't 100% appreciate the kitchen cleaning is right behind the chef and cleaning happens in real time.
The way it's looking, Hadaka is quickly becoming my family's go-to spot for celebrating big events. After visiting for our anniversary back in August, right after it opened, and returning again last night, Hadaka has firmly cemented itself as a 5-star Omakase in the CNJ area--saving you the schlep to NYC for a similar experience. Both times we've been, the quality of the ingredients has been top-tier, the consistency of the dishes has been top-notch, and the artistry of Carmen, the sushi chef, has been exquisite. He has the precision and talent of Seinfeld's Soup Nazi--minus the "holier-than-thou" attitude. If you let him expertly guide you through the 12- or 18-course menu, paired with a few shots of sake, your taste buds will be handsomely rewarded. I won't go into too much detail about what you'll get to keep the surprise intact, but if the pictures are anything to go by, you'll experience what Chef Carmen describes as "feeling like you're eating a nice, warm hug"--or, in less PG terms, a full-blown foodgasm.
Made reservations for this place as I knew it was coming into Asbury soon and then I was reminded a few times on Instagram. Now I give a fair shot to every restaurant. But I'm gonna be real and maybe a bit harsh. But I expect better given the competition. So here it goes... Tldr: I do not recommend it if you have experienced Omakase in JC, NYC or even PHL. With that said let's dive in! The ambiance is loud, patrons talking a lot, owner interacting with patrons and even the chefs making full conversations. Now I am used to Omakase being almost silent and that is my preferred choice. However I do know it is normal to also have a more lively ambiance and this is definitely not a negative. The service was okay. I showed up a few minutes behind and they had called while I was walking to the restaurant. Unfortunately I got caught in heavy rain and got a tad delayed. I sat down as the chef was preparing the first course. As I sat down I had a shot glass with sake and right after I was poured some water as well. I had brought my own sake since it's BYOB and I was given these green glasses to drink out of but I opted to drink out of the previous glass as it was more convenient. The experience lasted a little under an hour for 12 courses. If you wanted an 18 course the chefs would individually ask if they'd like to continue. I found that a bit odd but I do not have many experiences to derive if this is normal. I had to waive the waitress down to get my bill. At other locations that have happened automatically. The chef who provided the service did not speak clearly enough and it seemed like he lacked English skills as the other chef would often speak in his behalf. They also had a third chef who seemed to have grown up in the states. Some of the service etiquette at this place was also not what I expected at this price point. The waitress would often reach in between and over the shoulder to clear bowls or would have the patron give her the bowl. Another method should probably be used to clear things here. The food was below par. The rice did not seem like the ordinary rice you'd expect and it just tasted different... a lot different. Course after course it continued to be underwhelming. I did get to take a shot of a quail egg which honestly I had never done it. Towards the end the chef had a patron use the torch to torch 4 pieces which was a nest experience. In closure, for $95 a person price point youl are better off hitting up another place up north. If you have eaten Omakase once or twice in NY you will be disappointed. I still believe that the owners of this place are doing a disservice to the experience of those who would never make the track up north.
We couldn't find the restaurant and ended up being five minutes late. Someone from Hadaka called us to make sure we were coming, which was considerate of the other patrons. When we entered, we were not greeted and stood there awkwardly. The owner or manager pointed from across the room to two chairs and said that those were our seats. I was worried because normally with omakase, the chef doesn't start until all guests are seated, but they already started preparing so we were served as we sat. Each piece was fresh, but somewhat poorly executed. The rice have the same texture as other sushi rice I've had in the past, a little mushier. Some of the pieces were sloppily put together, with the seaweed falling off or topping sliding off. During the meal we had to wait for water, and the hostess/waitress reached over us repeatedly. When one of the patrons asked for warm water to place his sake in, the owner/manager instructed one of the omakase chefs to prepare boiling water. The whole experience was not what I've come to expect from omakase. While I've been to both high end and more express style and casual omakase restaurants, this...different. The informality with how the staff handles their patrons, as well as the way they interact with each other, was disappointing. That along with the quality of our sushi, we're unequal to our bill. For a 12 piece course, you're charged $95 and for the 18 piece course you're charged $135. Plus tip. Needless to say, we told them we were fine with the twelve courses after they gave us our hand roll (the usual last piece in omakase places). We still waited ten minutes and decided that we weren't being brought our bill and asked for it. They brought out two pieces of mochi and our bill. My biggest remorse is that this is going to be a lot of people's first experience with omakase as it is the first place at the jersey shore. There are far better omakase restaurants to go to at both lower and higher price points.
Small space, intimate experience with explanations of all courses by the chefs. The sashimi was excellent, super fresh. There are unique flavor additions to some of the sushi dishes, not traditional, some we found to be great, others not needed at all because the quality of the fish needed nothing. This is a fun experience for couples, friends, or a group to fill up the 12 or so seats. BYO!
Hadaka was an okay omakase. I have gone to several in NYC, most of them cheaper than a regular Hadaka dinner. I was excited to have one locally. We did the 4pm discounted rate. There were only 6 guests at our seating, and the decor is fairly cheesy. One of the chefs was sitting outside loudly on his cell phone. The chefs generally seemed bored and would barely repeat themselves when I asked what we were served. I was surprised at how gimmicky the pieces felt: almost all were butane torched, the smoker, gold flakes, truffle salts, etc. I am glad we went, but I will stick to ones in the city in the future. The entire 12 piece sitting with dessert and sake was in-and-out in under 50 minutes. It was incredibly rushed. For almost $200 for two, there are plenty of other places where you can take your time and get a much better bang for your buck.
Super great experience! Owner was very personable and the Chef was so amazing and knowledgeable. Loved it ! Will be back.
My husband and I recently visited Hadaka for a belated anniversary dinner. It's a modern and intimate omakase experience, and we had an enjoyable time overall. The sushi chef was very friendly and personable, and it was clear that he cares very much about his craft. I appreciated that he took the time to describe each round of fish in detail. It would be nice if they gave out hot towels instead of disposable wipes before the first course (more traditional). Also, the rice was well seasoned and a perfect consistency but could've been a bit warmer, and the order of the dishes was different than I've experienced at other omakase places. They went straight for the toro as the first nigiri piece, whereas usually the fattier cuts come later. Also, I generally prefer certain dishes to remain pure, like Kumamoto oysters and A5 wagyu. These were topped with uno and salmon roe, which kind of overwhelmed the natural flavors. Overall it was a solid experience though and everyone was very friendly and nice. They also brought out an anniversary dessert, which was a thoughtful touch.
oh what an experience we brought a wonderful bottle of wine, yes byob it was a 12 course meal and i was worried my husband would want to add on and get the 15 course or a la carte but he was pleasantly full the chefs and hosts made our experience truly amazing so amazing we have already booked our next experience with 4 of our friends
Fantastic omakase experience. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable and the fish was all so fresh. We went on a Monday when they had the $85 special -- it was a great deal. Highly recommend!
2 years ago
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Eddie F.
Hi Erika! Thank you so much for your awesome review. We appreciate it…
2 years ago
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Eddie F.
Hi Jacqueline! Thanks for sharing your experience with us. We’re so…
2 years ago
Business owner information
Eddie F.
Thank you so much Sandra!
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527 Bangs Ave
Asbury Park, NJ 07712
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(732) 361-0238
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http://hadakanj.com
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