Haiku by Hatsune

After our Wednesday (free!) margarita night and we had 7 slightly excited and giggly ladies. We were seated upstairs in the corner at a large Japanese table with the dug-out 'hole' where you put your legs in. Quite cosy and exotic!

The menu was definitely fusion and creative, with a modern Californian-Japanese touch. While there were normal sushi and sashimi dishes available we decided to concentrate on the rolls.

Our complimentary enoki mushroom and conch salad starter was zippy and a little spicy in a kimchi-y way. It was definitely a moreish dish for us peckish ladies.

I didn't get to try the vegetable tempura but the reviews at the table were good.

The cucumber rolls had thinly sliced cucumber as supposed to the usually chunky slab. I guess it made it easier to chew but didn't really add anything special to it. The seaweed were the usual supermarket sushi variety - not exactly melt-in-your-mouth type fresh.

The moto-roll-ah rolls were motolicious as the menu suggests. It was made with spicy tuna, snow crab, maguro and avocado. The snow crab was delish! I wasn't too keen on the mayo on top though.

The engen rolls (no idea what engen is) with tempura shrimp, spicy tuna, tobiko, avocado, unagi and green onion. The tempura shrimp was nice and crispy.

The vegetarian hotpot sucked big time! Everything in it was bland and flavourless. Blah, to say the least.

We went for more rolls. Amy roll had salmon, tobiko, avocado, ebi and spicy sauce. Good but very similar to Engen roll though.

And last the dragon roll with tempura shrimp, lettuce, salmon, maguro and special sauce. Tasty!

In conclusion: food was above average, rolls were made creatively. Service was good. A fun place to be with a big group, though there were lots of dating couples. The bill came to RMB500 for the 7 of us - great value! We will be back again.

Haiku by Hatsune

28B Tai Jiang Rd (near Heng Shan Rd), Shanghai. Tel:6445-0021