Hakone

Reviews

• Belinda C.

  star star star star_border star_border 12 June 2026

  When I first walked into this establishment, we were offered a small room but looking around it was not necessary, nobody was here and our party of 5 sat comfortably in a booth. Right from the the start, it was evident that the lady who seated us also served us and also prepared our food for us. She was the one woman show. Our food arrived a couple dishes at a time, not the greatest Japanese food but for a small mom&pop shop, it was passable. We ordered assorted and the prawn tempera which was fried fresh and tasted good. We ordered chicken teriyaki which the chicken breast was abit dry and the sauce was burnt. We also ordered the Sashimi deluxe boat which included salmon, tuna, mackerel, octopus, surf clam and another fish. For the price of the boat, I expected a better selection. The one woman show who has limited English vocabulary brought us the bill when we haven't really finished eating. The lady is a very nice but would I come back here? No I wouldn't. There are other Japanese restaurants in Edmonton that are better in food quality for the price.

• Mike C.

  star star star star star 9 June 2026

  This is an excellent place for good value Japanese food. It is family owned and operated, and the staff are very friendly. It is cozy, welcoming, and there has always been a table ready for me upon arrival. The food is relatively authentic, and I particularly enjoy the consistently delicious katsu, gyoza, dynamite rolls, and veggie tempura. I return anytime I can for the great food, peaceful environment, and caring staff.

• Kristin K.

  star star star_border star_border star_border 6 June 2026

  I came to Hakone last week with a group of coworkers.
  
  I had high hopes as one of my coworkers loves this place but unfortuantely, my experience did not live up to expectations.
  
  From the moment we entered the restaurant, the service lacked.  As mentioned by at least one other reviewer, I was surprised at the lack of interest/attention paid to us by the server.  I don't think she even smiled once.  And maybe she's not a smiley person, but it definitely didn't feel welcoming.  It was more like, do you "need" anythign else rather than, can I help you with anything else.
  
  We ordered a fair bit for our group including three appetizers and two entress.
  
  I ordered the deluxe bento box at $18 and found the portions on the small side and quality lacking in comparison to other local eateries.  The sashimi was fresh but that was probably the best thing in my bento box and that's not something they cooked or prepared aside from slicing and placing to order.  My salmon was overdone for my liking and the sauteed beef was on the tougher side and lacking flavour.
  
  One party at my table ordered th teriyaki chicken and was disappointed in both flavour and texture; I did try a bite of her chicken and found it quite dry.
  
  My other dining partner had the teriyaki steak and it did appear to come exactly as ordered - medium rare.  He said it was quite tasty but I find the price tag a bit hard to swallow for lunch.
  
  Appetizers shared were spring rolls and yam tempura - both were good but not good enough to make me want to come back.
  
  Hakone, I'm sorry we didn't hit it off.  Best wishes for you in the future but this girl is gonna stick to the tried and true sushi eateries.

• Jonny M.

  star star_border star_border star_border star_border 30 May 2026

  Never, ever doubt Urbanspoon, it's always right. We wanted to try somewhere new for lunch and decided to give Hakone Japanese Cuisine a shot - I thought it would be decent with a rating of 72% but seriously, worse decision of life. We went on a Thursday and the place was pretty much empty, save for one table of two and another that came in for takeout. Yikes, I don't know how they survive - oh wait, I do, because their prices are absurd! I was on such a streak of eating at good places. The streak is gone. Sad face.
  
  Anyways, the place is surprisingly nice on the inside, especially when you consider how ghetto the outside looks. They don't even have a legit sign up haha. But back to the food and menus - holy crap, the bento boxes are $18.00! So expensive, especially when there's so many better, cheaper Japanese options nearby. Can someone say Yuzen or Ohana-Ya?
  
  - Boat to Boat ($42.95) - we decided to order the Boat to Boat and hoped for the best because they have zero description! Well, technically it said sushi, sashimi and special roll. Seriously??? Ugh, such poor decision making that day. When our boat arrived, our eyes popped. For the price, you should be getting 30-35 pieces right? Right? WRONG. There was 26 pieces total.
  
  Here's the breakdown:
  - 8 pieces of the special roll. It wasn't special at all.
  - 2 pieces of salmon, 2 pieces of tuna, 4 pieces of surf clam, 2 pieces of octopus and 2 pieces of mackerel. The sashimi was very mediocre. The first few bites tasted cold and frozen but near the end, when they had warmed a bit, they were slightly better.
  - 6 pieces of nigiri. The nigiri was pretty bad. Thin slices and just look at them - they look deprived of life. Not fresh.
  
  Biggest waste of $50.00. Sadly, I won't be back. Just go to Co Do Hue across the street where at least you won't be disappointed.

• Cheryl C.

  star star star star_border star_border 16 May 2026

  My expectations of this restaurant are not exceedingly high given the size of the restaurant and its location. I consider this place as a cross between fast food dining & a casual fare dining experience.
  It's simple, clean, well lit and I've never had a problem with seating (no wait time).
  Speed of service is decent, but it's also not a bustling place at any time I've been there. I honestly don't notice mannerisms of serving staff at this place unlike other reviews here, because let's be real...I'm there to eat, not judge the waitstaff personalities.
  Menu selection is pretty authentic & taste is of similar quality to other Japanese restaurants I've been to like Mikado... which makes up for its lack of ambience. I always order bento boxes here and there's always a little bit leftover which I can't finish which means that I'm getting a good value for what I'm paying for; although it's probably more expensive for being an average Japanese restaurant.
  Overall, I'd come back here for its decent eats, but it's not a place I would recommend to someone wanting a full authentic Japanese restaurant experience.