Fifteen

Haru

55 Huntington Avenue

Boston, MA 02116

617-536-0770

www.harusushi.com

Hours:

Tuesday - Saturday
11:30 a.m. – 12:00 a.m.

Sunday - Monday

11:30 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.

A frequent complaint about the Boston restaurant scene is that there are no good sushi spots. Even though we have places with good quality fish, like Sakura Bana, and those with good atmosphere, it seems like Boston can’t have both. The few exceptions, like Oishii on Washington Street, are not only perpetually crowded, but also extremely pricey. This is why whenever a new sushi restaurant opens with potential, like Haru in Copley Square, it is definitely worth checking out.

Haru is in the Prudential Center shopping mall where the unfortunate Dick’s Last Resort used to be located. The space is huge and the atmosphere is very cool. We walked in one night without reservations and were seated right away. I suspect that as the restaurant’s popularity increases, this may become a thing of the past and reservations will be necessary. My only complaint about the layout is that along the windows, they have two rows of tables, each for two people, that are so close together that you are forced to make new friends at the next table. For all the space they have, this seems pretty ridiculous. Otherwise, I have nothing but praise for the designer. Dark wood, frosted glass and cool lighting combine to create a sleek and sophisticated atmosphere.

Once seated at our table that is way too close to the next one, our waiter comes over to ask the inevitable “tap, still or sparkling?” question. We opt for tap and also order a couple of drinks: a saketini and a glass of the affordable junmai sake. We also learn that this is the first night Haru is open to the public. Maybe this is the reason why everyone seems extra attentive – the service is excellent all night.

We decided that the best way to sample the menu would be to order a bunch of appetizers and some sushi rolls. We started with the rock shrimp tempura with spicy creamy sauce ($11), which was skimpy on the sauce and required a request for more on the side. This dish is similar to the Nobu classic but I felt the shrimp batter was not as crispy (and a little more greasy) than it should have been. Next came the miso black cod with grilled asparagus ($13), another take on a Nobu dish. In contrast with the rock shrimp, the cod was cooked perfectly and flaked just right while still remaining moist. We took a little break after this dish and spoke with our waiter on their preparations for opening. He mentioned that the hiring and training process was done in record time and that he had only trained for one week before the opening. Because of this, I was impressed at his knowledge of the dishes and the extensive sake menu, especially since the menu is diverse and long.

After ordering another round of cocktails, our next dish arrived. The shrimp shumai with spicy soy vinaigrette ($8) was truly outstanding. These were not the small, defrosted shumai with no shrimp and lots of filling that you normally find in Japanese restaurants. You could tell they were hand-made with lots of shrimp and although only numbering four, they were large and well worth the price. Our last appetizer, the sashimi salad ($15) was also spectacular. Pieces of fresh tuna, salmon, yellowtail, white fish, shrimp and kani were served over greens and with Haru’s special dressing that seemed to be some type of ginger-based ponzu sauce.

At this point, we were totally full but could not resist continuing our meal with sushi. The sushi menu at Haru is creative fusion. This is not a traditional place where it is all about the fish. In addition to fresh fish, the rolls consist of combinations of flavors like vegetables, sauces and finishing ingredients like tempura flakes or even gold leaf. As the Red Sox had just finished sweeping the World Series, we thought it apt to order the Dice-K roll ($18) which included spicy red and white tuna, mango, avocado and gold leaf. We finally finished the meal with the spicy titanic roll ($18) of salmon, avocado, spicy tuna and caviar.

Although new to Boston, Haru has been around in Manhattan and Philadelphia for a number of years. According to the General Manager, Haru originally opened as a small operation in the Upper West Side of New York City. It was immediately popular and there was always a line around the block of people waiting to get into the restaurant. Rocky Aoki, the founder of the Benihana chains, noticed the lines night after night and approached the owner of Haru to buy the restaurant. Once acquired, Haru evolved from a small establishment to a part of a publicly-traded, international operation. In addition to Benihana, another sushi restaurant, RA Sushi, is part of the Haru corporate family. In fact, the Copley Square location was originally scouted for RA, which caters to a younger demographic, but the corporate suits decided that the area would be more conducive for the more urban concept of Haru.

Haru is definitely a welcomed addition to the Boston sushi scene. On the way out, we are even able to score a couple of invites to the opening party, which will be later this week. I’m definitely looking forward to going back already.

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