Hana Tokyo, a Japanese hibachi and sushi restaurant chain based in Alexandria, Va., recently opened a branch in Connecticut.
Owner Alan Wu, former head chef at the original Hana Tokyo in Virginia, moved to Connecticut to start his restaurant franchise at 1275 Post Road in Fairfield. The restaurant has locations in Virginia, Arizona, Ohio and Washington, D.C.
Wu, who moved from China to the U.S. in 1993 after studying in cooking school, worked in sushi restaurants in New York City before landing a job at Hana Tokyo in Virginia, where he began in 2002. After working there for 12 years, he is bringing the business model to Connecticut and adding his own contemporary twists to traditional Japanese dishes.
Hana Tokyo features a tiki bar, large hibachi tables, al fresco dining and a sushi bar constructed from reclaimed wood. It also features a mural of a Japanese woman in a kimono, which was painted by local artist Suzanne Bellehumeur. The main dining room includes eight hibachi tables, where chefs host cooking shows to entertain guests.
Michael Lin, who worked at Tengda Asian Bistro in Greenwich, is the head chef at the restaurant. At Hana Tokyo, his signature dish is the “pizza sandwich,” which includes spicy tuna, avocado, tamago, masago, crab and lobster salad topped with eel and wasabi sauces.
