Hayato Sushi & Grill, 950 W. Foothill Blvd. (at Regis), Claremont

For years, Nogi was the only sushi bar in Claremont, and it wasn’t even in the Village, instead standing on Foothill in a center set back from the street and roughly across from Stater Bros. and near the restaurant that looks like a tugboat. Now there are by my count five Japanese restaurants in town, including one that took over the tugboat, and Nogi, which closed a few months ago when its owner retired, has been replaced by Hayato.

And Hayato is pretty good. The interior has been simplified and classed up with smooth, dark tabletops, a color palette of wasabi green and tasteful art. It’s a restful place.

I’ve had two meals there. First time, at dinner, I had a sushi plate (price forgotten; around $20) with a chef’s choice of nigiri sushi and rolls, plus miso soup; all were above average. Second time, at lunch, I got udon (about $6), a soup of long chewy noodles in a dark broth, plus a few pieces of tempura ($2). The latter meal is pictured above. It was surprisingly filling, not to mention tasty.

(Thankfully no one else was in the dining room at the time to observe my clumsy attempts to pick up the noodles with chopsticks. The spirit is willing but the dexterity is weak.)

I’m looking forward to returning to try more items. Something about the place appealed to me. The atmosphere was serene and the food a cut above. We all have our favorites, and I wouldn’t argue with anyone who prefers Kazama or Kinya, but Hayato just might offer the best Japanese food in Claremont.

Meg at M-M-M-My Pomona had positive things to say recently about Hayato as well.