Hanaichi Express (Closed)

Hanaichi Express is the latest Japanese eatery to hit YEG! It just opened last week, 7 days ago to be exact, on Whyte Ave. Their menu is quite small with only 5 main dishes and a few appetizers to choose from. They will be adding sushi in the future and delivery is already offered through SkipTheDishes. It’s more of a fast-casual restaurant (is that what it’s called?) where you order, pay, then get your food. The seating area has only a few tables. I’m pretty sure that the tables and chairs are from the previous donair place as they are not very Asian or Japanese style!

Interior

Katsudon $12.50

I decided to try out their Katsudon because I haven’t found many Japanese places in the city that offer it. Their Katsudon dish consists of chicken thigh filet or pork cutlet with an egg, served with either rice or udon. I decided to get mine with pork cutlet and rice. The pork cutlet was breaded well, but the meat could’ve been slightly thicker. It was still tasty though. The egg added a nice texture to the meal, when combined with the pork cutlet. Their special “Katsudon” sauce accompanied the dish, which is a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, and mirin.  It was already mixed into the rice but wasn’t drenched in it. The sauce tasted like a mild version of soy sauce, with a bit more saltiness needed. My container of Katsudon was served with a salad that had no dressing. I found this to be a bit odd. I guess it makes sense that the food came in take-out containers since they are an “express” eatery.

Japanese Curry $11.90

My friend decided to go with their Japanese curry, which is the same as my dish except curry is added. The curry was a bit thick, kind of like a stew, with a few carrot chunks. My friend enjoyed it for the most part but he thought it lacked a bit of flavour. He agreed that the salad was out of place.

If you’re curious as to what the other 3 main dishes on their menu are, they’re: Yakiniku Beef with Rice or Udon, Kay’s Chicken (chicken karage on rice), and Udon Noodle Soup.

Mochi Red Bean

Since they are still in their soft opening phase, they gave us complimentary dessert. Served in a small plastic bowl, the Mochi Red Bean was a hot dessert consisting of red bean pieces and small mochi balls. I found the red bean flavour was very light, almost non-existent. As for texture, the mochi balls were squishy but lacked flavour.

I’d suggest stopping by here for a quick Japanese bite if you’re around the area. The food was very filling, especially with the odd salad. Keep in mind that they are fairly new which is probably why there were a few kinks during my meal! I wouldn’t mind coming back here again once they have settled in. Side note: this is literally the quickest review I’ve written, considering how I just ate here a few hours ago!

Address & Hours

10352 82 Ave

Edmonton, AB

Sun to Thurs: 11 am – 11 pm

Fri & Sat: 11 am – 2 am