? Hara Hachi Bu — the Japanese concept of eating until you’re 80% full — is the philosophy behind District 5’s newest sushi restaurant on the same name. While Hara Hachi Bu aims to introduce this mindful eating practice to local food culture, we’ve discovered that it’s quite challenging to follow when the food is this fresh and delicious.

Hold on to your chopsticks — we’re jumping into our favorites right away: The crazy Philadelphia roll had us completely enchanted. A signature roll, this creation delivers a burst of flavors and textures from the crispy shrimp tempura, delicate smoked salmon, tangy cream cheese, and the generous tower of imitation crab drizzled in teriyaki sauce.

The Torfyufu roll earned its spot as our second favorite, featuring salmon, imitation crab, and creamy avocado that balances out the fresh seafood. A touch of truffle mayo is what makes this roll special — the truffle doesn’t overpower the rest of the ingredients, it enhances them. And let’s be honest — is any dining experience complete these days without a truffle component?

Perfect for the fried sushi enthusiasts: If you prefer cooked sushi to raw, don’t miss out on the triangle hara hachi. This hot roll has an imitation crab, cream cheese, cooked salmon, and spicy mayo filling, and is fried in a batter infused with yuzu kosho — a fermented Japanese seasoning made from chili peppers, yuzu peel, and salt — giving it a unique green hue and complex flavor profile.

Before you fill up on rolls, try the Hara Hachi fries. These aren’t typical frozen potatoes that get thrown into a fryer — these fries are made of a potato dough with mozzarella cheese, shaped into a large fry. Once they’re cooked, they’re topped with a rich tonkatsu sauce and a side of smoky or truffle mayo — we picked the smoky mayo. Because it’s made out of a dough, each fry is perfectly crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Some hits, some misses: Not everything reached the same heights. The Aburi salmon maki lacked the distinctive character of the other signature rolls, and while it was still delicious, it didn’t offer anything you couldn’t find elsewhere. Similarly, classics like the tuna temaki and hoso shrimp tempura fell slightly short of expectations — instead, we’d recommend the salmon temaki.

Ingredient freshness sets Hara Hachi Bu apart from other sushi restaurants. Despite the well-executed but slightly underwhelming items, Hara Hachi Bu serves the freshest fish we’ve tasted in quite some time. The attentive service matches the quality of the food, with the staff expertly guiding diners through the menu options.

? Per person: EGP 700-800

? Outdoor seating: Yes

? Alcohol: No

? Accessibility friendly: Yes

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