Was a great venue but has lost its heart and soul. Greeted by a plain faced hostess who escorted us to a table where you get served ( well, if you stand up and go and call them) by even un-happier people.

Food arrived and got dumped on the table so we had to get up again and ask for chop-sticks.

Water never arrived so we went to the bar and pointed out a bottle to a person who could not speak a word of English. We got the water ourselves eventually.

The Food was average, wine over priced. The table remained un-cleared the entire evening which reflected the experience of this venue. Would be better if they said it was self-serve right up front. We would have known to clear our own table before we left.

having read most of the reviews on hatsune, suprisingly, more bad reviews and good ones.
Back in fews years ago, this is THE place i go for good sushi. the deco is kinda post mordernism, full of people waiting tables. and the other reason that makes me have special feeling about the restaurant is that i found there is one in hangzhou, where i stayed for the last two years.
the one in hangzhou, in my mind, food is less as good as the one in beijing, and honestly, i havn't went back this year yet.
this first visite was 2005, it was mind blowing back then, the decoretion is delicate, service is impeccable, sushi rolls and sashimi was very fresh.
the last visite was 3 years ago at 2007, this time, the feeling was a little hold back, the small waterfall on the wall was dry, and there are less people inside.
I will go back to it recently, just to pick up the memory, and hopefully, it won't disappoint me.

I just held my birthday party there and I'm glad I chose Hatsune instead of the other possible venues. I was actually surprised how little it cost, especially considering we had wine and a superb but high-end dish, the beef with foie gras, which is extraordinary. If you're looking for authentic Japan sushi, this is the wrong place -- this is LA sushi all the way. In other words, if you want sushi in silence, find another place. If you want to have fun while sitting underneath a fish mobile, enjoying really tasty food, then come here. Reservations are an absolute must.

Had Hatsune on Thursday based on recommendations here, had diarrhea for two days. Not going back!

I might give this restaurant 2 stars for the reason the rolls are still reasonable and nice.
Prices are steep.Service is a hit or a miss.
Nothing spectacular.Visited this place after this place got a bad review and I tend to agree with the previous reviewers as this is slightly overrated restaurant.

We went to Hatsune in The Village last night and suffered a severe bout of invisible customer syndrome. Ok, we arrived at 9:30 and they close at 10:00 but ...
It was our first visit and because it's a landmark Beijing restaurant, we were expecting something stylish and elegant - it wasn't. The food was fine, when it finally arrived, but you couldn't complain about the service - there wasn't any! We waited 40 minutes for two sushi rolls and they weren't busy. The waitresses were either strolling out of the restaurant, bags on shoulders yapping on their phones and shouting farewells to colleagues, or studiously avoiding eye contact with the customers. The chefs were washing out the sushi station with soapy water, changing into street clothes (call me a prude but there's something unappetizing about a topless, overweight, sushi chef flashing his rolls to the customers) and disappearing while customers were still eating and we were starving. Elegant? - not even close. Except for the decor, it reminded me of a typically chaotic, cheap, noisy, Sichuan restaurant. (Don't get me wrong, I like chaotic, cheap, noisy, Sichuan restaurants but not for a classy night out.) I asked for the manager and was told the manager wasn't in - and didn't it show!

Been twice to Guanghualu Branch. As a college student like me, anything close to 100RMB/meal is considered a luxury for me. But I think it is worth every penny. I love the appetizer and dessert, they always surprise me. I always come for the rolls... my favorite is caterpilar and butterfly.
BUT, I never made reservations. So everytime I go there, the restaurant is empty but they say they're fully booked. When I insist to eat, they say, 'you have 45 minutes to finish your meal and leave', and I usually say 'if you serve quickly then I can leave by then'. -_- And when I leave, the restaurant is still empty. I dont know if they're really fully booked or not.
Then I been to Sanlitun branch once. They were still new then. And it's very surprising that they dont put any sign on the door. =D
But overall, I still love it. Will come back again. Maybe this time I will make reservation beforehand and dress less like a student. :)

Hatsune is, whether you think so or not, one of the most successful foreign owned restaurants in Beijing. They must be doing something right to outlast 99.9% of their competitors. Consistency, quality, and service are normally the hallmarks of a successful business and with Hatsune it's no different. Do I think it's the most remarkable sushi I've ever eaten? No. Is it good enough for me to return over and over for the last three years? Yes.

For all you die-hard Hatsune fans, there is a secret menu that was created for and dedicated entirely to you.

For anyone who knows me or anyone who comes into Hatsune and wants a recommendation for something different, something new, I’m quick to let you in on the scoop – on all the goodies you won’t find on the regular menu.

Maybe I shouldn’t let the secret out, but I figure who ever reads this, most likely already knows me and also knows Hatsune’s reputation for making Bomb Sushi Rolls. So I figure I ought to reward you somehow for reading my blog – just one of the many perks for all those following LumDimSum. :)

A Little List of My Favorite Hatsune ‘Secret Menu’ Items:

1. The South Beach Roll 南海卷- Fresh Scallops with spicy tuna topped with seared maguro with unagi sauce
2. G-roll G卷- Soft-shelled crab roll topped with torched unagi and white tuna topped with special sauces. **If you like the Moto-Roll-Ah, you’ll LOVE the G-Roll, which is basically a pimped-out version of the Moto-Roll-Ah.
3. Nokia Roll 诺基亚卷- Shrimp Tempura Sushi Roll topped with Uni
4. Japanese Burrito 墨西哥卷- Burrito with spicy chicken, guacamole, sour cream **only available at The Original Hatsune at Guanghua Lu

Tonight I got to try a new secret roll Alan had only recently revealed to me:

* The Q Roll Q卷- I’m not telling you what’s in it to keep it a surprise for any of you who have yet to try it. But if you like Unagi, I will warn you now: that there is a high risk that you will become a Q Roll-addict.

Bon Appétit!

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