Written by Haru may be one of Middleton’s newest restaurants, but after our first family visit, it has already become our favorite opening so far.
The service was excellent, the prices felt fair for the quality and amount of food, and everyone at the table found something they enjoyed. That last part matters when you are ordering for sushi fans, cautious kids and people with very different opinions about fish eggs.
If you are heading to Haru for the first time, here is what we ordered, what stood out and what we would put on the table next time.
Our favorite: the White Dragon Roll
If you order only one specialty roll, make it the White Dragon Roll.
It is No. 1 on Haru’s chef-special-roll menu and was easily the favorite at our table. The roll starts with shrimp tempura and is topped with krab, spicy mayo, eel sauce, crunchy bits, masago and scallions. It has the right mix of crispy, creamy, sweet and savory without any one flavor taking over.
At $13.50, it also felt like a good value compared with many specialty rolls. This is the one we would order again without hesitation.
Also good: Sex in the Lobby Roll
We also tried the Sex in the Lobby Roll, No. 4 on the chef-special menu.
This one combines spicy crunchy tuna and shrimp tempura, then adds escolar, avocado, spicy mayo, eel sauce and black tobiko on top. It was good—there was plenty going on, and anyone who likes richer, more layered specialty rolls may love it—but it did not beat the White Dragon for us.
Our verdict: worth trying, but if we had to choose between the two, the White Dragon wins.
What the kids ordered
The kids kept it simple with a California Roll, and sometimes the best children’s review is the shortest one: they ate it all and did not complain.
Haru’s California Roll is $6.25, making it an easy, familiar entry point for kids or anyone who is not ready for raw fish or a heavily dressed specialty roll.
Haru also lists $14 kids’ meals for children 10 and younger, with choices including karaage chicken, hibachi chicken, hibachi shrimp, hibachi steak for $1 extra and rock shrimp. Those meals come with soup or salad, fruit, and a choice of fries, fried rice or steamed rice.
The “eggs on eggs” order
My wife went in the opposite direction and ordered what we called “eggs on eggs”: salmon roe, or ikura, topped with quail egg.
That is not my kind of sushi, but she said it was great. For diners who enjoy briny roe and richer, more adventurous bites, it may be one of the most memorable combinations on the menu. Haru lists salmon roe at $11, with quail egg available as a $4.50 add-on.
This is a good example of why Haru worked for our family: the menu has comfortable choices for beginners and more adventurous options for experienced sushi eaters.
An honest note about the house salad
The house salad with ginger dressing was good, but the dressing was not our favorite version of Japanese steakhouse ginger dressing.
We prefer a creamier dressing. Haru’s tasted more like a fruity ginger purée—fresh and flavorful, but not as smooth or rich as we expected. That is a matter of preference rather than a warning; someone who likes a brighter, fruit-forward ginger dressing may enjoy it more than we did.
The house salad is $6.50 when ordered separately, and soup and salad are included with many dinner entrées.
What we want to try next: the New Sushi Cake Roll
The New Sushi Cake Roll is already on our list for the next visit.
Haru featured it in the restaurant’s opening video and interview, and it may be the most distinctive-looking item on the menu. It has spicy salmon inside and is topped with tuna, white tuna, salmon, and black, green and red tobiko. At $17, it is built more like a colorful composed dish than a basic roll.
We have not tasted it yet, so this is not a recommendation based on our own plate. But based on the presentation, the ingredient list and the positive things we have heard, it is the menu item we are most curious to try next.
The sleeper value: Maki for 2
Here is one menu find that could make the second visit easy: Haru’s Maki for 2.
For $39, it includes four rolls—a California Roll, Spicy Tuna Roll, Sex in the Lobby Roll and White Dragon Roll—and comes with soup and salad. That gives two people a mix of familiar, raw and specialty sushi, including both chef-special rolls we tried.
For a couple who wants variety without studying the entire menu, this may be the smartest first order in the restaurant.
What about the hibachi?
We went for sushi, but the feedback we have heard from other diners about Haru’s hibachi has been consistently strong.
Dinner hibachi includes soup, salad, vegetables and fried or steamed rice. Current menu prices start at $17.50 for vegetables, $20 for chicken, $23.50 for shrimp, $24.50 for salmon and $26 for steak. Combination dinners include chicken and shrimp for $24, chicken and steak for $25, and steak and shrimp for $26.
Those prices make hibachi a practical choice for someone joining a sushi-loving group who would rather have a full cooked entrée. We have not personally tried the hibachi yet, so we will save the final verdict until we do—but it is absolutely part of our next-visit plan.
Our ideal first order at Haru
For a family or small group visiting for the first time, we would build the table like this:
- White Dragon Roll — our clear favorite
- California Roll — the easy kid-friendly choice
- Sex in the Lobby Roll — for a richer specialty roll with both raw and cooked ingredients
- New Sushi Cake Roll — the adventurous, colorful wild card
- One hibachi entrée — for anyone who wants a hot, filling cooked meal
If it is two adults focused mainly on sushi, skip the guesswork and look closely at the Maki for 2.
The bottom line
So far, Haru is our favorite restaurant opening in Middleton.
That is not because every bite was perfect. We would tweak the ginger dressing, and the Sex in the Lobby Roll did not impress us as much as the White Dragon. But the overall experience was excellent: strong food, fair pricing, attentive service and enough variety to make the whole family happy.
Most importantly, we left already talking about what we would order next. That is usually the best sign a new restaurant got it right.
Our must-order: White Dragon Roll Best easy choice for kids: California Roll Most intriguing next order: New Sushi Cake Roll Best built-in variety: Maki for 2 Overall first impression: Our favorite Middleton opening so far
Haru Japanese Restaurant 2165 Dr. Randy McDaniel Way, Middleton View Haru’s current menu Read HelloMiddleton’s opening guide
Editor’s note: This review reflects one family visit and personal taste. Menu items, ingredients and prices can change; check Haru’s current menu before visiting. Raw or undercooked seafood and eggs carry foodborne-illness risk.