Hibino LIC

Hibino is one of my favourite restaurants in LIC. I love that they offer their lunch specials even on weekends. I always order their "obento box", which comes with a choice of an entrée from their daily-rotating list (so cute how they write them on a few chalkboards that they move around the restaurant for whoever's ordering). Everything I've ordered has always been delicious, from the various fish dishes (salmon / arctic char are particular favourites), the stir-fried pork, and their sushi rolls. The salad is invariably so fresh, and the small side of obanzai is always a treat :) Price point is unparalleled -- I think the bento was priced at $12 when I first came a few years ago, and it's still $12 now. Such a lovely cute restaurant -- service is fast and friendly, and the interior, while a bit small, is definitely very cosy and has that unique rustic Japanese aesthetic to it (including a lot of their tableware). This is definitely a must-try in the area, and I will no doubt be back very soon!

We had a great dinner. The only miss was the sake katsu - the salmon was really dry and we couldn't really eat. Kamo salad was refreshing. We had the tuna and salmon hako sushi, lobster tempura futomaki, and other rolls. Highly recommend!

Good price, good fish. The staff were kind and efficient. We shared the omakase special of the night, some appetizers and a roll that came with it. Highlights were the fresh tofu, and the toro which was exquisite. Parking was decent, with a bunch of one ways around the area so you will make a lot of loops before finding a spot but the restaurant is right by the 7 for those who love the subway. Tuesday, at 6:00pm we entered a calm and by 6:30pm it was bustling with families and couples meeting after a long day of work. This place was alive.

I think the food is pretty good. I just think the menu experience is poor. Is this an izakaya, budget omakase, or teishoku dining experience. I wanted more grilled fish entree options.

This small sushi spot in LIC was run by a single waitress and was surprisingly busy when we stopped by for weekend lunch. They offer bento box lunch specials, but we opted for the Kaisen don and the Hibino sushi plate. I didn’t expect their version of “spicy” tuna, was just a dab of spicy mayo on top of the roll. Unfortunately, the sushi was just average, a few pieces lacked the freshness you’d hope for. Overall, a decent neighborhood option, but not somewhere I’d go out of my way for.