Category Archives: Sushi Bars

Sushi Saint

Posted on by

Sushi Saint is brought to you by the chef behind Michelin starred Soseki. We liked the sushi at Soseki, but weren’t fans of the hot food there, so we were interested to try this hand-roll concept.

The location is a bit funky, in the back of an industrial building off a parking lot, but the interior is nice. It’s divided into several distinct areas, including booths, a sushi counter, and a private room. We sat at the counter.

The secret to hand rolls is temperature and timing. The rice must be at the perfect temperature, the nori wrapper fresh from the warming box to ensure its crispness, and the whole assemblage delivered within seconds.

Sushi Saint excels at this. And unlike other hand roll concepts we’ve tried, this is definitely not an assemblage place where the rolls are largely constructed from already prepared tartares. Here they are delicately assembled one ingredient at a time, and the results show the difference.

There are a number of preset combos that are slightly less expensive than ordering ala carte, but once you know your favorites it’s easy to order just those.

We started with a wonderful sunomono. The cucumber was elevated by the inclusion of onions and ginger.

Our favorite rolls were:

  • Akami 
  • Hamachi 
  • Salmon
  • Ikura 
  • Unagi 

The wine list focuses on sakes, but there are also several wines and sake-based cocktails.

Service was fast and friendly.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/sushi-saint-orlando

Mosonori

Posted on by

Chef Henry Moso is the magician behind Kabooki Sushi. Now he brings the quick service hand roll concept to Orlando. 

The secret to hand rolls is temperature and timing. The rice must be at the perfect temperature, the nori wrapper fresh from the warming box to ensure its crispness, and the whole assemblage delivered within seconds. Of course Mosonori nails this perfectly. I would expect nothing less from Chef Henry.

We attended the first night of the public preview, and service was already perfection. The friendly staff filled the place in minutes and made sure everyone was having a great time.

The menu focuses on about a dozen items, nearly all of them hand rolls. They can be ordered ala carte, or grouped into various combinations. All were excellent, but my favorites were the Yamaimo (a crispy white yam seasoned with spicy mentaiko [pollock roe]) and the eel, which was beautifully flambéed.

Hamachi Tasting
Lobster hand roll

Pricing is extremely reasonable.

Beverages will be limited to sake, beer, and some sake cocktails.

Chef Henry is not just a master chef, he also has a brilliant sense of decor, and Mosonori is a truly beautiful restaurant. I understand it will also be open for lunch, and perhaps all afternoon, which would be a great way to above what I’m sure will be a line of people waiting to get into this great new concept.

Note: Exterior signage is not up yet, but it’s unit A of City Place. Parking is available immediately north of the space, so don’t turn in to the south, or you can’t get to it. 

Sukoy Hibachi Express

Posted on by

This counter service stir fry and sushi place also has adequate inside seating. The stir fry is cooked to order, with fresh veggies and a tasty sauce. I particularly liked the scallops in my shrimp and scallop combination.

And how can you beat a lunch special with two sushi rolls of your choice, a ginger salad, and a drink for $8.99? The spicy tuna roll was actually spicy, and the salmon wash fresh.

Friendly service.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/sukoy-hibachi-express-ocoee

Roka Hula

Posted on by

Awesome! It’s a word I don’t think I’ve used in more than 1000 reviews, but Roka Hula exceeds all expectations. Visiting on their second night of business we encountered near perfection.

I had assumed this would be an experience aimed at the tourist and convention business, like its associated restaurant Voodo Bayou (you check in at their reception desk), which is good, but not earthshaking. But Roka Hula is not just an experience, but also an amazing cocktail/tiki bar and a superb sushi restaurant.

The first thing you notice, as with any Tiki bar, is the ambiance. From the creative entry (I won’t spoil the experience) to the overall decor and vibe, this is a great space–calming, mysterious, and exciting all at once.

The cocktail menu is expansive, and the three drinks I tried were all home runs. The gin and ginger Psycho Starlett and the complex and tart Saigon Suzy both went well with the sushi. And the Banana Old Fashioned (a complex mix of rums and a brulee’d banana syrup) is possibly my favorite cocktail of all time, a great way to end the meal.

As expected with a Tiki bar, the wine list is very limited, but contains four interesting selections.

The other star here is the sushi. I wasn’t expecting much, because food at a tiki bar is usually an afterthought, or cliched. But this place is serving some of the best quality fish in town, and some of the most creative sushi.

The Hamachi Tiradito and Salmon Sashimi were both excellent starters. While not inexpensive, the portions and quality justified the cost. 

Smoky Spicy Tuna Roll was one of the most creative sushi dishes I’ve had. Sure, we’ve all had dishes served under a smoked dome, but the hickory and apple smoke here was a whole other level.

The Buffalo Beef on Weck Roll was also really creative, with tenderloin wrapped in carpaccio and coated in caraway seeds.

Service provided by Thyas and the accompanying staff was perfect.

I am not often this surprised by a restaurant, especially in a tourist area, but Roak Hula blew me away.

UPDATE: December 2024

Best dishes: Tuna Carpaccio, Cucumber Salad, Smoky Spicy Tuna Roll.

To Avoid: dumplings, nigiri salmon.

Another good drink: El Narco (comes with a $100 bill and bag of cocaine!)

Good dessert: Vietnamese Affogato.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/roka-hula-orlando

Charm Thai and Sushi

Posted on by

It’s about time we got a decent sushi restaurant in this area, and Thai to boot! Excellent service and nice seating make this place a win,

The yellowtail carpaccio was really fresh and tasty, with just the right crunch to the jalapeños. Spicy salmon roll and Philadelphia roll were both good. And while my companion had sushi I had a delicious Yum Nua salad.

Now we don’t have to drive halfway across the county for good Asian food!

https://www.yelp.com/biz/charm-thai-and-sushi-windermere

X Sushi

Posted on by

High end sushi dining in Ocoee! Who would have thought?

The first thing you notice walking into X is the stunning decor, including a custom build-out, fanciful hanging lights, and bold artwork covering most of one wall.

There are an assortment of tables sizes, all elegantly set. Surprisingly, although sushi is prepared at an open counter, there is no sushi bar seating.

The quality of the fish here is what it’s all about. The menu claims it is all from the Tokyo Seafood Market, and that’s easy to believe. The Sashimi Moriawase selections were as good as any I’ve had in Orlando’s high-end expensive sushi restaurants.

Speaking of expensive, that fish comes at a cost, of course. Whether there is a market for food at this level in Ocoee is a question, but I hope so. You won’t find better.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/x-sushi-winter-garden-2

Sushi Storm

Posted on by

This is a nice interior and good service. There’s a good mix of standard sushi offerings, and Thai food. I found things tend to be a bit on the sweet side, through the use of a lot of Thai chili sauce, even in the spicy tuna roll and tuna tower. The Pad Thai was also was fairly sweet, and could’ve used a squeeze the lime, but I enjoyed it.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/sushi-storm-clermont-5