Hana Sushi - return visit.

After the carb overload at JP earlier, I was in a sushi mood. Luckily Tara was agreeable and we went back to Hana at Missouri and 7th Ave. Again, we managed to miss any crowds and had the sushi bar all to ourselves in front of the chef. Tara wanted another Hana roll and also got a yakisoba noodle dish with shrimp. I got the shrimp tempura appetizer for starters and some nigiri: tuna, albacore, and unagi. We also ended up getting an order of the scrumptious tuna ceviche on tortilla chip appetizer. The tuna has always gotten raves, and it lived up to it. Silky, buttery, and melt in your mouth. I loved it. The albacore wasn't as good as the last time. Something tasted bitter in the sauce over it. The eel was a return to excellence. Perfectly toasted with just the right amount of sauce. The tempura was very good, although I missed getting a hunk of sweet potato. The Hana roll was very good as well and vanished in short order between Tara and myself. Tara's noodle dish was also very good. The noodles had a nice body and texture, and the spices came through well. The shrimp were cooked perfectly. Tara really enjoyed it. The ceviche was addictive. We got the usual four chip complimentary plate, but had to order more. The srichi sauce gradually got the best of Tara, but I managed to polish off the remainder. We each were given a small bowl with two cream puff tempura balls and a two halves of strawberry moochi covered with hot chocolate and whipped cream. Apparently you only get them when you dine at the sushi bar. They are wonderful and were a perfect capper to a great meal. We went a bit overboard and the bill with tip was about $70 for the two of us. However, given the quality and the fact that it's sushi, it's still a pretty good deal. Most of the waitstaff remembered us from our prior visit, mostly because we were the only ones left and Tara did some Midwest bonding with the Wisconsin-born staff. We are torn because we really want to go more often, but it's not cheap.