Lean, mean Japanese cuisine

Progressing from upscale bar food at Sidewinders, fancy avocado toast at Foxtrot and unique American cuisine at Tanglewood, restaurant owners Ellie and Blane Woodfin have opened yet another booming restaurant. Hachi Sushi Pub, located in the Market at Ferguson Farm, brings a new flare of Japanese food to Bozeman. 

Sushi is not only a classic feel good food, but there’s also something about the art of it that makes it all the more intriguing and tasty. Hearing word of Hachi’s opening made me eager to try it out. The Woodfin’s Blue Collar Restaurant Group already owns six other profound restaurants, which gave me high hopes for this one.

I gathered up some friends and went to explore the menu at Hachi. The environment was fun and spacey yet it had a quaint feeling to it. We sat at a cozy booth awaiting our menus.

The menu was sectioned off into izakaya, house rolls, crudo, nigiri, sashimi and cocktails. We started off with the karaage and calamari. The karaage was warm, saucey and the perfect amount of crispiness for chicken nuggets. It had a sriracha honey drizzle on top that added just the right amount of sweet and spicy. This was by far one of my favorite small dishes. The only problem I had with it was that they were gone too fast. The calamari was delectably crispy on the outside and buttery on the inside. I wasn’t a fan of the wasabi aioli but it tasted great with a little lemon and soy sauce.

The variety of exceptional flavors from the first two dishes left me eager to move on to the sushi. We ordered the Rachel, Fire, KB and Wasabi Fever rolls. The Rachel roll lived up to its name – flirty, fun and fresh. The hint of mint has you coming back for more, while the jalapeno keeps you on your toes and the touch of lemon keeps it light and refreshing. As delicious as the Fire roll was, it wasn’t as hot as the name made it sound. This roll was still delightful but I would’ve loved some more of that spicy aioli on top next time. The KB was more traditional tasting with the spicy salmon, mango and jalapeno combo. If you want a more simple but flavorful roll, this is the one for you. Mango always adds a nice sweet touch. Last was the Wasabi Fever, not as frightening as it sounds. I was very skeptical about this roll but I can confirm it didn’t send fire shooting out of my ears. The wasabi aioli brings together the hamachi and snow crab perfectly. One thing that none of the sushi rolls lacked was presentation.

I must say Rachel and Wasabi Fever were my favorites, surprising me with their odd but appetizing flavor combos. As far as small plates I have to urge you to get the karaage. I haven't had the chance to try the whole menu but from what I have had I can tell you that Hachi will not disappoint if you're craving some fresh and creative Japanese dishes.