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Fullerton is getting a new destination for sushi, sashimi and Japanese dining.
Haruka Sake & Sushi Fullerton is preparing to open its newest Southern California location at 1925 W. Malvern Ave., expanding the restaurant beyond its existing locations in Pasadena and La Cañada Flintridge.
Ahead of the opening, Echo Cravings got an early look at the new space—and, more importantly, some of the food headed to Fullerton.
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A New Haruka for Orange County
Haruka describes its approach around three things: fresh ingredients, traditional preparation and genuine Japanese hospitality.
The restaurant takes its name from the Japanese character 春, meaning “spring,” a season the brand connects with freshness, renewal and the tradition of enjoying high-quality seafood.
The Fullerton opening brings that concept into Orange County for the first time.
While the space is new, diners familiar with Haruka can expect the same menu style the restaurant has built its reputation around: sushi and sashimi, specialty rolls, Japanese entrées and more premium dishes designed for the center of the table.
What’s on the Menu?
If the food photos are any indication, this isn't going to be a menu where you order one California roll and call it a night.
Haruka's menu ranges from classic sushi and sashimi to more elaborate presentations built around premium seafood and specialty ingredients.
One of the restaurant's signature offerings is Haruka's Special 12 Monkeys, an assortment of 12 premium nigiri selections accompanied by a premium hand roll.
For sashimi lovers, Haruka also offers Moriawase Sashimi, with assortments featuring fish such as tuna, salmon, yellowtail, albacore, halibut and striped jack.
Then There’s the A5 Wagyu
One dish that immediately caught our attention is Haruka's Aburi A5 Wagyu Beef Tataki.
The dish features lightly seared A5 Wagyu finished with citrus garlic ponzu, truffle mushroom and caviar. Availability is limited, which makes this less of an everyday sushi order and more of a “we're getting this for the table” situation.
It's also a good example of where Haruka sits stylistically.
There are plenty of familiar Japanese favorites on the menu, but the restaurant isn't afraid to push into more premium ingredients and presentations when the dish calls for it.
Sushi Still Comes Down to the Fish
Of course, none of the extras matter much if the sushi itself doesn't deliver.
Haruka says its seafood is selected with freshness at the center of the process, with fish cut to order and attention given to everything from the rice to final presentation.
That matters even more with straightforward nigiri and sashimi, where there isn't much hiding the quality of the ingredients.
More Than a Sushi Bar
One thing we like about Haruka is that it doesn't force the entire table into the same kind of meal.
Someone can go heavily into sashimi and nigiri while someone else orders a cooked Japanese entrée, specialty roll or something from the sake menu.
That makes the restaurant easier to picture for a lot of occasions: a casual sushi night, date night, family dinner or the kind of group meal where everyone arrives wanting something different.
And with the Fullerton location joining a growing restaurant scene across North Orange County, that's probably exactly the audience Haruka is hoping to reach.
Cravings Take
There is no shortage of sushi in Orange County, so opening another Japanese restaurant isn't automatically enough to get our attention.
What makes Haruka worth watching is the balance.
You can keep things traditional with fresh sashimi and nigiri, move into creative specialty rolls, or turn dinner into something considerably more indulgent with A5 Wagyu, premium assortments and sake.
The Fullerton restaurant is still preparing for its official opening, but based on our early look, Haruka Sake & Sushi is one opening North Orange County sushi fans should have on their radar.
Haruka Sake & Sushi Fullerton
1925 W. Malvern Ave.
Fullerton, CA 92833
