Does anyone know about the new Japanese Restaurant opening on 1st Ave West? I guess it’s called Hanabi Japanese Cuisine and it is located at 110 N. 1st Ave West. Not sure when they open or what their menu is going to be like. I did hear someone mention Zen House opening a Downtown location, is this it? Or is this a totally different thing?
33 thoughts on “New Japanese Restaurant”
On their website it says they will be opening in August of 2009… Hmmm….
https://hanabimn.com/Home_Page.php
I can’t even picture where they moved into…just up the avenue from Sammy’s? I Googled the address and it came up Women in Construction. Obviously they didn’t make their opening date. They are applying for a liquor license on Wednesday, so maybe they’ll be opening soon.
They’ve been doing a lot of work in that Women in Construction Building on 1st Ave W for a long time, months, maybe over a year. If that is the spot it will be convenient for me to go there once in awhile for lunch. Hopefully they succeed brilliantly. Sammy’s has been across the street for decades, and Coney Island a 1/2 block away for just about as long … You know, 1st st gets a bad rep, but it really is a vibrant den of small business. Almost all local with one or two exceptions. Thanks for the heads up
I wrote to hanabimn@hotmail.com and I received this reply:
“Well hopefully we will be open by nov 1st our menu will be a mix of traditional Japanese as well as some new York style fusion sushi ie specialty rolls let me know if u have any other questions
Sent from my iPod”
Sounds interesting, can’t wait.
Zen House was to open in the Holiday Center. But perhaps this is it? Or two Japanese restaurants near the same location?
Hanabi is unrelated to Zen House. My understanding is the owners of Hanabi have two other sushi places in the metro area. They like Duluth and decided to open another location here. Exciting to soon have not zero but TWO sushi options downtown!
Women in Construction owns the building and their offices will still be next door to the restaurant. The renovations have been not just to the restaurant but to the new apartments upstairs.
Someone will post here when they get a firm opening date.
Just ate at Zen House on Friday, and they had a sign saying they were opening a second location in Holiday Center in December. This new place is unrelated.
Now, will we get a good Ethiopian and a good Middle Eastern restaurant? With Indian, Thai, Greek and Sushi, I’m almost covered.
Good to hear that it’s still happening. I noticed their “sign” written on the window (across the avenue from the CHUM, for those still trying to figure out where it is), but then it was wiped off, so I thought maybe they changed their minds.
I’m just hoping they have ramen, because I’ve been dreaming of opening a real ramen shop forever. I have no interest in business or cooking — I just want ramen (and not Noodles & Co.’s idea of ramen). If they have that, I can almost guarantee to be there at least once a week.
Lebanese…
I miss The Cedars back in Seattle…awesome Lebanese.
Walking thru the Holiday Mall this past week, I saw the windows of the former Shanghai Express covered in paper with a sign there that stated “Future Home of ‘Zen House’ Sushi Restaurant. So, it looks as though there will be a sushi place in the Holiday Mall too.
Glad to hear of the new sushi place on N. 1st Ave W too. Cool.
Great! I have a cat named Hanabi, so maybe they’ll let her eat there. Unfortunately I’m now allergic to soy so I have to avoid most Asian food 🙁
Thanks for the update. When you go, please be sure to review them here and by the way, we were not able to find a phone number. Thanks:-) https://www.restaurantzoom.com/hanabi-japanese-cuisine
When last in the cities, I talked to the Wine Thief owner and they are looking for locations in Duluth. Encourage them!
Maria got it exactly right (hi Maria) It will be located in the old WIC workshop, and their office space will be just uphill from the sushi bar. Apartments above will be housing for downtown workers.
https://www.facebook.com/home.php#/hanabi.duluth?v=info&ref=ts
I agree on a good Ethiopian place. You’d think with such big populations of immigrants in Winnipeg and the Cities we’d be getting one second gen family that wants to feed us awesome food.
Duluth, two hours ahead of and 10 years behind California.
I am so excited! SUSHI! Ya ta!
Ethiopian or anything like that would be great.
I love the Somali food in the Twin Cities – it’s a bit like Greek or Middle Eastern type food, somewhat like Indian food even.
Hanabi was hoping to be open by now but construction was held up – waiting for approval from the health dept. But now construction is underway and we hope that we to be done by the first part of November. Hanabi will be located at 110 N First Ave West in the building owned by Women in Construction who is doing the work.
Hanabi will offer a full liquor bar, sushi bar and fine Japanese Cuisine. In addition, private parties can dine in the Tatami room or on the roof. The chef’s are very experienced sushi chef’s and we can all expect a great dining experience.
Hanabi is not part of the Zen House expansion but a separate business all-together.
On a side note, Women in Construction is also completing 9 studio apartment above the sushi bar which will be available by Nov 1st, the units are fabulous and rent for $425-450/mo. The units are urban-condo syle with tall ceilings, in-floor heat/polished concrete floors, maple kitchens, tiled bathrooms. Income restrictions apply: must make less than 60% of area median income. call 733-1451 for more info.
Thank god this place is opening…. I was sick and tired of eating sushi in a gas station! Haha
What, wait… were getting 2 sushi places!?! Please serve booze and sushi till 2!
Oh my jesus god — like someone else said, 2 hours ahead and 10 years behind California. Actually, make that 20 years behind Cali. I am absolutely thrilled. When I moved to Duluth, it was a culinary wasteland. I really wondered how long i’d last here. Now we have veggie places, Thai, sushi. . . Ethiopian is sure to follow. Happy days. This is fabulous.
This is excellent news. So excited to have more central sushi locations opening up. Can’t wait to try Hanabi. I’ve loved Zen House for years, and I’m extremely happy that they’re opening a second location.
Our apologies for the link to Hanabi. It appears to be in error. When IT has it fixed we will repost and appreciate your patience:-)
I just moved here from Washington state and I couldn’t stand the offerings of that other sushi place. Please jeebus be better then that other place in Duluth, mn not GA!! lolz
Wait,wait….. so let me get this straight, your telling me I get a new call of duty and sushi in november?? Hellsyeah
Glad there’s another JApanese restaurant opening. Yes, we do need more ethnically diverse eatery places nearby. Duluth is behind cali 20 yrs! I am from Ca and relocated b/c there are no jobs in S.calif.! I was driving back to the Cities for good food for awhile and am pleasantly surprised about Habani.
Thanks!
jenna
it says on facebook that they will be opening this saturday…..yay
opening tonight! 4:00 until 8:00
My daughter and I had dinner at Hanabi this evening. The place is very LA cool — a large space, high ceilings, industrial look to it. The music is jarring, I wish they’d turn it down a notch. The food was good. Not great. Good. My kid had vegetable gyoza and shrimp shumai. She liked the shumai, did not like the gyoza, but I liked the gyoza. I had salmon skin salad, sake sashimi and hamachi sashimi. The salmon skin salad was a bit salty, but still delicious, and the sashimi was good — not great, but good. I think, once this place works out the kinks, it’s going be a lot of fun. I am definitely going to check it again, it’s a great addition to the restaurant scene, and seriously, I do feel like I am in LA there. Oh, and I saw Ironic1 while I was there, looking forward to hearing his take on the place. Pricewise, OK, we had the above, plus I had a half-bottle of sake with dinner, it came out to $40.
Finally finally descent food that isnt steak or baked potatoes or pizza and Chinese the major market up here in Duluth. Have always wondered how such a tourist destination could lack so in cultured cuisine. Hitting the saki and for sure and spicy tuna tonight!!