In the city's busiest square, above the noise of Leidseplein, sits something you wouldn't expect to find here. Ten chairs. A hand-built counter. And a chef who sits with his back to no one, because there's no one behind him. Sushi HANABi opened on the second floor of Leidseplein 10, directly above sister restaurant Yakitori HANABi, and the concept is deliberately kept narrow.
Head chef Shunsuke Okada is the driving force behind the kitchen. He works in the Edo style, the traditional sushi form that originated in ancient Tokyo. That means: technique over frills, each piece of nigiri as the result of years of practice. You sit directly across from him at the counter, and that's the whole setup. No tables, no room layout, no gap between you and what is being made.
There are two omakase menus: one for €90 and a more elaborate one for €130. Omakase means leaving the choice to the chef, and here that is by no means an empty gesture. Okada sets the pace, the order and the content. The nigiri takes center stage, as the most direct evidence of the Edo tradition he upholds. Guests who make reservations pay a deposit (€20 for the €90 menu, €40 for the €130 menu), which says something about how seriously the establishment takes its ingredients and planning. Staffing is so tight that one no-show already punches a hole in the evening.
You sit at the counter right across from Okada, and that's the whole experience: as close to the kitchen as you can get.
Tuesday through Saturday, the kitchen is open for dinner only. Pins are accepted, cash is not. Gluten-free, vegan or alcohol-free food is not in it, they communicate that openly and clearly themselves. The Jordaan and the Museum Quarter attract the most serious dining addresses, but HANABi proves that Leidseplein can also offer more than cafes and pizza. Ten seats, but every one of those ten counts. You sit at the counter right across from Okada, and that's the whole experience: as close to the kitchen as you can get.