Hanako Express – Great Japanese Neighborhood Restaurant!

There’s no better way to start 2011 food blogging than writing about a restaurant we really enjoyed eating at and it’s just probably less than half a kilometer away both from where we live and from where I work!  My officemates took me to Hanako Express, located in Moonwalk Parañaque, during my 2nd day at work in the new office.  The experience was so good that I knew I had to be back with Mario soon to blog it, and I did, right at that weekend!

About the Shop

It had a “neighborhood-cozy” restaurant feel to it and that’s always a plus factor.  Well, one of the reasons it felt so comfortable and pleasant in the shop was probably because it’s right smack in the epicenter of a residential area so we’re practically in a very familiar environment, and right across the street was a church!

Here's how the outside looks from the inside. I forgot to take a snap the other way around but I'll update this article once we go back there again (which will be soon, I bet).

We were comfortable in our cushioned seats and cushioned back rests, in a clean restaurant, with clean floors and nice white walls that made the small space look bigger than what it actually really is.  One thing missing is music.  There wasn’t anything playing, so we were just listening to the sound of the vehicles passing by the street, or the sound of us (me and Mario) talking to each other.  Not that we don’t love to hear ourselves talk, but a background music would have made been better.

Mario settled in pretty quickly with that slightly upturned corner of the lips indicating a really subtle smile.. ^_^ (what the...?!) Anyway, he's looking at something on the other side of the room... What could it be? But before that, spot the Hanako Express signage in the background?

This was what he was looking at, and also what influenced him to order Chahan rice. I like the lights.

Here's a shot from the center to the kitchen area. It's really just your basic restaurant and I think the brand "Hanako Express" is quite new in the industry so I doubt if there are any other branches yet.

About their Menu

Their menu was very thoughtfully put together.  It had a little bit of everything and something for everyone without making the choices too overwhelmingly plenty.  It was also pretty impressive with all the photos of the food so you’re not left guessing what you’re getting, although Mario preferred if the ingredients were also on the menu.  That’s not really a big deal since everything we asked the crew (about the items on the menu), they were able to answer (of course).

Here's the front of the menu. You have to admit, photos really play a big part in influencing a buyer, in this case, 2 hungry customers!

And here's the backside of the menu.

What We Ordered (with mini-boot rating / 5 is the highest):

Chahan Rice (39php) 

It was a more affordable version of Yang Chow fried rice and the price was just right.

Plain Rice (15php)  

It was normal rice (well, what is normal rice anyway..?).  It wasn’t Japanese rice which was what would have been perfect for a Japanese restaurant.  Sorry no picture for this…  I mean, do I really have to post a photo?  Anyway, we ordered it as extra.

Seafood Teppanyaki (139php) 

This was the dish that took the gold medal for us.  It was just a tiny bit saltier than what we would have preferred but that’s so minor and we still give it a perfect boot rating.  It has fish, squid, shrimps, vegetables, and a yummy sauce!  We’ll definitely order this one again!

Top view! There's squid! Veggies! Shrimps! and fish (which you can't see from the photo)!

Chicken Teriyaki (89php) 

I guess it’s hard to go wrong with a teriyaki dish but I love the fact that the serving was generous.  I had more rice than I can finish alone (good thing Mario was there ^_^) and lots of Chicken Teriyaki toppings to share!

Karaage (85php) 

I ordered this because I loved Tokyo Tokyo’s Chicken Karaage and I wanted to compare the 2.  The Hanako Express version was a little bland for me.  It wasn’t as tasteful as what I imagined or thought it would be looking at the photo and the actual dish.  It was served with a sauce but I forgot to ask what it was.

Miso (30php)  

Another normal dish so normal rating.  ^_^

***  The boot rating system is something new that I’m going to start this year.  I will rate each dish from 1-5 boots where 5 is the highest so that you’d know right away which ones I recommend.

Overall

We loved the place for 3 major things:  the proximity to where we live and they offer delivery!; the reasonable prices; and for offering some of the tastiest dishes in their category of restaurants!  We’ll definitely be back, again… and again… and again!

He posed for this thumbs-up photo before we even started eating! I guess it's because the place just gave us a wonderful first impression that we knew we'd be enjoying the food experience!

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Hanako Express

Location: In front of Holy Eucharist Parish Church / Moonwalk Village, Phase 1, Parañaque City

Delivery (Moonwalk, Betterliving and Multinational villages only – for now): 828-0254 / 384-5825