Location: 220 Park Avenue South
Cuisine: Japanese
Best Dish: The breakfast buns are by far the best item on the brunch menu. The appetizing filling between the soft steamed buns is a fun alternative to the standard breakfast sandwich.
Overall: A quaint casual eatery that is ideal for a lazy weekend brunch.
Sushi isn’t the usual go-to when it comes to brunch, but Haru hopes to change that with the introduction of its delectable brunch menu. Having been to Haru before and experienced the awesome Oscar Roll, I was excited to sample the new brunch offerings. Executive chef, Steven Ferdinand utilized his considerable culinary experience and created a menu that combines traditional Japanese cuisine with some familiar breakfast staples.
Our meal began with the “Chawan Mushi”, a Japanese dish of egg and dashi custard topped with poached shrimp, sautéed shitake mushrooms, scallions and Chasu pork. This is the Japanese equivalent of a breakfast bowl. The base of most breakfast bowls is usually grits, or some sort of potato; this version uses a gelatinous egg mixture or custard. The custard has an interesting flan like consistency, with a light delicate flavor. The toppings add a savory boost and some much needed texture.
While having our Mushi, we enjoyed the “Momo Bellini.” It has an effervescent mixture of Absolut Peach Vodka, St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur, peach puree and fresh lemonade.
Haru has created two new rolls especially for brunch. The “Brunch Roll” features Spicy salmon, tamago and avocado, topped with Applewood bacon dust, served with spicy mayo. Bacon dust is a new and exciting new treat. We could honestly have eaten a bowl of it alone, but combined with the spicy salmon and avocado it was a divine new surprise.
The second roll was the “Smoked Salmon Roll” made with Smoked salmon, shallots, capers and tomato, topped with scallion crème fraiche, fried potato and hardboiled egg yolk. The egg yolk is crushed and sprinkled over the top with the crispy bits of potato.
A Bloody Mary is a common choice for brunch and Haru offers its unique spin on the classic with the “Wasabi Mary”, a blend of Svedka Citron Vodka and Sho Chiku Bai Nigori Sake, shaken with cucumber and our signature wasabi-infused bloody Mary mix. The wasabi adds a spicy kick that is tasty but not overpowering.
For our last course of the day, we enjoyed the breakfast buns a unique take on the usual breakfast sandwich. Light and airy steamed buns are filled with egg Castella, scallion cream cheese and can be customized with your choice of Chashu Pork (Marinated and roasted pork belly) or Arabiki Sausage (Japanese smoked pork sausage). The pork belly is delicious but could be off-putting due to its fat content. Our favorite was the Arabiki sausage version. The meat was rich and savory grilled to perfection with a satisfying bite.
Haru is a tempting option for your weekend brunch needs. The menu gives foodies an exciting new experience fare removed from the typical French toast and eggs benedict usually served at this meal. Visit HaruSushi.com for information on their seasonal specials and their full menu.