Category Archives: Sushi Bars

Union Sushi + Barbeque Bar

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**** (4 stars)

This restaurant combines sushi bar, robot grill and noodle shop all in one. The lofty main room is pleasantly modern and upscale without being dressy.

I enjoyed the sashimi, and a King crab special appetizer. The skewers from the robot grill didn’t really impress. Despite the elaborate menu descriptions of sauce, they were all fairly bland.

The ice cream trio for dessert was the highlight of my meal. The espresso was a real standout.

There are some excellent cocktails, particularly if you enjoy bitter and complex flavors.

Service is friendly. It can take a while to fill orders, even though there is a team of delivery people.

Union Sushi + Barbeque Bar
230 West Erie Street
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 662-4888
http://www.yelp.com/biz/union-sushi-barbeque-bar-chicago-2

Red Ginger Restaurant

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**** (4 stars)

This nicely decorated strip mall restaurant serves both Chinese food and sushi. Both are competently prepared.

Lunches come with two sides, and in some cases you can choose from some out of the ordinary offerings such as lo mein.

The sushi was well made. We particularly liked the No Name roll.

Service is friendly and efficient.

Red Ginger Restaurant
6300 N Wickham Rd
Ste 127
Melbourne, FL 32940
(321) 242-1167
http://www.yelp.com/biz/red-ginger-restaurant-melbourne

Zab Thai

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*** (3 stars)

OK, this is not a great Thai restaurant, but I had a much better experience than most of these other reviews.

It’s true that the server was completely untrained, and had no concept of when to turn in orders for food or to clear plates. So appetizer, soup and main course arrived spaced out by about 90 seconds each. And then plates started disappearing even while we were still eating off of them. So… 0 for service.

On the other hand, I’ve never been to such a beautifully decorated restaurant. With stone statuary on the walls, teak dividers, and elegant hanging lamps it’s really quite nice. If they turned off the glaring overhead lighting and completely went with the theme it would be one of the best decorated restaurants in Central Florida. So 5 for decor.

As for the food, it was okay. The sashimi was fine; a generous portion, fairly fresh tasting, excellent quality salmon. The Tom Yum soup was tasty, with crispy fresh vegetables added at the last minute. And the Pad Thai was good if not great, not as complex or citrusy as I like, but at least takeout quality. I really had to restrain myself at dessert time from ordering the yummy-sounding “Black glutinous rice pudding with young coconut flesh.” “Glutinous” and “flesh” are not things I look for in a dessert. Anyway… let’s say 3 for food.

That averages out to a solid 3 star rating. It’s a bit sad because that might make it the highest rated restaurant in Clermont, but that’s another story.

Zab Thai
1660 E Hwy 50
Clermont, FL 34711
(352) 242-1314
http://www.yelp.com/biz/zab-thai-clermont-2

Sushi Tomi

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***** (5 stars)

This is one of the better sushi restaurants in town. It’s at the extreme southern end of a particularly crazy parking lot.

The lunch specials are a good deal, and you can get sushi, tempura or noodles. They are equally adept at all three.

It’s designed like a classic sushi restaurant, with tables in the front and a sushi bar on one side at the rear. Service is fast and friendly.

Sushi Tomi
8463 S John Young Pkwy
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 352-8635
http://www.yelp.com/biz/sushi-tomi-orlando

Kabooki Sushi – An Extravaganza

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***** (5 stars)

We returned to our favorite sushi place (in the world) for an extravaganza, taking advantage of Dani being in town, and a visit from our friend Pamela from Australia. Truly, there is no better sushi in the world, and no more creative sushi chef than Chef Henry. Every visit offers new and spectacular selections, and this trip was no exception. Each course was accompanied by matching wine.

The kitchen

The kitchen

Tom yum soup with coconut broth, lime and head-on shrimp

Tom yum soup with coconut broth, lime and head-on shrimp

Kanpachi tartare

Kanpachi tartare

Our favorite, maguro truffle

Our favorite, maguro truffle

Sashimi patter featuring whole branzino with a ponzu-based sauce

Sashimi patter featuring whole branzino with a ponzu-based sauce

Kobe beef nigiri with black truffle

Kobe beef nigiri with black truffle

Pork belly with mushrooms

Pork belly with mushrooms

Chef Henry flames the lobster

Chef Henry flames the lobster

Lobster

Lobster

Three layer flan, molten chocolate cake, bread pudding, cappuccino creme brûlée

Three layer flan, molten chocolate cake, bread pudding, cappuccino creme brûlée

What an amazing meal! We’re ready to go back!

 

Kabooki Sushi
3122 E Colonial Dr
Orlando, FL 32803
(407) 228-3839
http://www.yelp.com/biz/kabooki-sushi-orlando

Koi

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**** (4 stars)

This was a delightful find. Wonderful interior design and lighting make this a place you really want to spend some time in, and we dawdled our way through close to a dozen dishes, all of which were excellent.

Some of the sashimi was particularly good, and the specialty rolls were quite creative. There’s also a nice assortment of non-cconventional cooked dishes.

The wine list is excellent.

Koi
730 N LA Cienega Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 659-9449
http://www.yelp.com/biz/koi-west-hollywood

Hanamizuki Japanese Restaurant

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**** (4 stars)

There are lots of places in Orlando to get sushi, but not that many to get noodles. This is the real deal, and an excellent choice for lunch (when all they have is pretty much noodles). Don’t be fooled by its proximity to the tourist area, Hanamizuki is where the locals go for authentic Japanese noodle dishes.

Hanamizuki Japanese Restaurant
8255 International Dr
Ste 136
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 363-7200
http://www.yelp.com/biz/hanamizuki-japanese-restaurant-orlando-2

Tao Asian

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**** (4 stars)

This neighborhood Asian restaurant has a menu larger than their storefront! There are an incredible number of pages of Chinese, Japanese and other Asian foods.

We had mostly sushi, which was all good. The sashimi dishes are particularly creative. The Pad Thai was also very good. Hot and sour soup was a standout and the spring rolls were good, too.

They do a busy Chinese takeout business, but it’s also a pleasant place to eat in.

Service was pleasant and efficient. I can’t imagine how their kitchen can turn out so many different things.

No beer or wine.

Tao Asian
13848 Tilden Rd
Ste 118
Winter Garden, FL 34787
(407) 347-8999
http://www.yelp.com/biz/tao-asian-winter-garden

Mikado Sushi

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**** (4 stars)

This is a classic sushi restaurant with pleasing decor and a nice selection of sushi and cooked items. It’s a particularly good choice for lunch, with an assortment of bento boxes, or the option of selecting any two rolls plus soup or salad. I like the sushi and sashimi lunch, which offers a generous assortment of sushi, nigiri and a California roll plus soup or salad for a reasonable price.

Mikado Sushi
6417 Raleigh St
Orlando, FL 32835
(407) 822-1080
http://www.yelp.com/biz/mikado-sushi-orlando