Ikeno Hana

Please Note: The last time I went by this place, it had closed down. I am hoping this will not continue to be true, but I don’t think it exists anymore.
Ikeno Hana was my favorite place to eat dinner for about ten years of my life, maybe more. I’ve had sushi and hot dishes here, both delicious. My favorites for hot dinner are probably the shrimp/​vegetable tempura appetizer and the tuna teriyaki. I won’t try to state what the best sushi is, I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve ordered here in that department. I’ve only found one other place to be comparable so far…
The restaurant has changed colors a couple of times over the years, most recently to a soft green, but it’s always been a quiet (noise-​wise) place with classical music on in the background, perfectly set tables, clean, small enough to feel intimate but not overcrowded. I’ve always wanted to take a date here.
The waiters’ and waitresses’ flexibility is a bit hit or miss, but some of them are personable and efficient. I’ve had one or two bad experiences with extremely slow service very recently, but I suspect the decline had something to do with the restaurant’s impending closing.
Overall: «Nice», as in a little formal/​classy, but not overwhelming, decent service, wonderful atmosphere, wonderful food. An old favorite for me.

really bad experience… food wasn’t great horrible misserable man behind the sushi bar and to top it all off the prices of Nobu…

Let me start by saying I am not a restaurant-​basher. In fact, I’ve never written a negative Unilocal review at all! So when I say this place was HORRIBLE, I mean it.
They failed on:
— VALUE: at $ 7 – 8 a roll, I expected 9 pieces, as is customary at many sushi restaurants, and for the rolls to be well-​balanced (in terms of fish-​filling-​rice ratio). Instead, one roll had six meager pieces, one had 5 (who has ever heard of a 5-​piece roll?!) and one had FOUR. I also ordered spinach with sesame sauce, which at $ 6 I was hesitant about to begin with (it IS just leaves, right??), and was delivered a barely fist-​sized lump of spinach.
— TASTE: The seaweed was fishier-​tasting than any I’ve ever had. I found it so unpleasant I had to peel it off and eat the inner part out of a bowl… The spicy tuna roll was oddly creamy and tasted slightly off– though that might have been the seaweed again.
— SERVICE: We ordered at a pretty off-​peak time (around 2 on a weekday) and the order didn’t arrive til 3. More importantly, they forgot the priciest part of the order (4 pieces of salmon sushi at $ 3.75 a pop), which we were charged for. The only redeeming factor in all of this was that the delivery boy– who had walked/​biked here in the pouring rain– refused a second tip on his return.
I have never had a worse sushi experience, or felt so overcharged for a bad meal!

I am not a fan of this place. The food is average, the service is slow, the atmosphere is depressing. They dont have shabu shabu. The sake selection is subpar. They dont really even have proper bottled water. You cant get brown rice on the sushi. I just think its time to close or update the service and offering. The waitstaff barely speaks english, forgets items and takes forever to order and get items added or changed during a meal. Personally, I’d only go here if it was a restaurant choice of last resort but my preference would be to avoid it. I give it 2 stars because at least its clean. I have found delivery takes too long and the order always «just left» and stil takes 30 more minutes.

Wow a few days ago, I decided to eat here again. Wow I didn’t know that the owner is also a sushi chef. And he gave me a few amuse bouche while I was waiting for my order. That free sample was amazing. I wonder if he is going to put that in the menu in the future. I also love the fact that they added some soba dishes.

After being disappointed that a free Black Eyed Peas concert in Central Park was cancelled, I was in a dire need to have something to fill my stomach (even though I already ate a half sandwich from a nearby deli). Being in UES is also quite difficult in finding a non expensive restaurant but this place was fairly reasonable. Seating is quite limited due to the small space but you can eat by the sushi bar or have a full table.
Before we ordered, the waitress gave us nice warm hand towels, which felt quite refreshing and you don’t see that often at Japanese restaurants. I ordered a Kappa roll (cucumber roll) and an Alaskan roll (salmon and avocado roll). I was looking forward to the Alaskan roll because I love salmon and avocado and they really well together. However, I was disappointed that the rolls were not sticking together and basically, every time I picked it up with my wooden chopsticks, it falls apart. So it was a bit messy. Overall, the food is OK but not sure if I would come back here for their sushi rolls.

Returned on Saturday night with another couple who were curious to try after all my raving. The dining room didn’t seem quite as garish this time, and the waiters were playing songs on the keyboard, which made it feel festive and welcoming.
The sashimi was great, again. I still highly recommend this place for the quality of the food and the generous portion size. I was in heaven as I enjoyed each piece. I also tried the bean curd, which was great, and a sparkling sake, which was awesome.

the sushi is very fresh, delicious! My husband does not like the décor here so we do not eat in but we always order from here b/​c the sushi is so incredibly fresh/​delicious! this is a very conservative restaurant so if you want ambiance, to be in the ‘scene,’ to entertain friends or clients, then I don’t recommend this but if you’re w/​your family, parents, girlfriend and/​or just a friend and you want simple, good quality sushi, then come here. I give it 4 stores just b/​c the décor/​ambiance is substandard.

Not bad for a little, nondescript sushi joint! It’s no bond street but it’s casual and just easy. The spicy tuna was quite nice and the shrimp tempura was exactly what I expected. Pretty basic. I’ll def come back when I’m in the hood. Love the green walls and the oversized kimono…

This is a sushi resturant, not a noodle place. Stating this beacuse of the previous post. Fooled me into walking in. Went there on a week night. The place is expensive more like $$$, but I guess it’s somewhat the normal rate for the area. The food was OK, not what I would expect though at $ 17 for an egg and pork chop on rice. Sushi was also OK, nothing special. Best rates are for lunch.
Had there been more time and a better review, I would have went somewhere else.

Cold, rainy autumn days when the wind is knocking down the leaves offer the perfect ambiance to enjoy a nice bowl of udon noodle soup. In a major downpour the other day, I found myself passing this unpretentious, attractive restaurant and popped in to give it a try.
I was very pleased with the udon noodle soup, which was attractive, subtle and tasty. The noodles were of perfect texture and flavor; a delight to devour. The dish included two yummy tempura shrimp cooked to perfection. The service was pleasant and low-​key, and I truly enjoyed consuming my hot and delicious soup while watching the rain and leaves fall outside the window.
Definitely a spot I’ll return to next time I’m in the neighborhood, rain or shine.