Foreshadowing, this is an extremely positive review. JUJU is both an izakaya and an omakase. I had been to Susuru, an izakaya owned by the same folks, a couple of years back. I am a sucker for a great omakase, so I had been looking every now and then for an opening and usually they are booked out for a few weeks. After a long, off week, I checked to see if they had anything and found an opening. So, of course, I decided to treat myself (as though I don’t regularly [eyeroll at myself]).
The Parking: I am surprised I never noticed the restaurant before. I’ve been in the area and have even been to Target (I no longer shop at Target), but I didn’t realize it was in that same shopping center. The traffic is a little chaotic in that lot, but there is an endless amount of parking, with plenty right in the corner by JUJU.
The Vibe: To me, it looked kind of like a shack. I loved the quirky decor all over. It has a very homey, lived-in, welcoming feel. The staff was super sweet. I was on the last few percentages on my phone, and the hostess up front was wonderful and hooked me up. My server throughout the night was simply the sweetest. The vibe at the Kappa Bar itself was intimate, beautifully curated, and still so approachable.
The Drinks: There was a bit of a wait to get started to ensure the whole group was present. While waiting, I lounged in a cozy area with couches and ordered my first drink. Most of the cocktail menu is whiskey-based. If you’ve been on this blog before or know me, you know I’m a tequila girly. I wanted something unique and not overly strong. Another thing people who know me know is… I love whipped cream.
I saw a drink with orange zest whipped cream on the menu. So I took a gamble and went for it, That Old Pizza Hut. I came to find out that the building used to be a Pizza Hut, hence the fun drink name. My jaw almost dropped when it came out. It was a heaping amount of whipped cream. A dream come true. Starbucks could never (I don’t order there anymore either). Am I lactose intolerant, possibly? I did get tested once, and it came back negative. I’m not fully convinced. Has it stopped my whipped cream addiction? No. Anyways, underneath the mountain of whipped cream was a refreshing whiskey with ginger honey syrup cocktail, served in a Pizza Hut cup. I almost chugged the whole thing in a few sips, but I had to pace myself. The buzz hit rather quickly, too. I am getting old.
I got one more drink during my meal. I asked my wonderful server for a recommendation and landed on the Chu-Hai, a shōchū-based drink, like a highball. There are a few flavors: yuzu, green tea, lychee-jasmine, and calpico. All of them sounded interesting, but I went for the yuzu. It’s simple and leaning sweet, and pleasantly refreshing. Also very reasonably priced at $11. The first drink was $13, so not too bad. I’d order both of them again, but for the second drink, I’d try the other flavors.
The Food: I absolutely loved this spring menu and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. The owner/chef introduced all the components of the 8-course meal. He showed us the different fish, explained how they source the ingredients locally from Tokyo, and keep their menus seasonal. Each dish was unique and flavorful, and the presentation was absolutely stunning. Here is a peek at the menu.
The first dish was presented beautifully! A spread of spring, with gorgeous flowers and an adorable cat decoration. These were new flavors to me, and I appreciated getting to try all the local, seasonal ingredients. I enjoyed the soramame, especially the bright sauce they added in. Next up was one of my highlights, the Chawanmushi, a steamed custard egg, topped with uni and Japanese snow crab. I love crab, and it was a good piece. The egg was perfectly silky, and the combination was comforting and delicious.
The ‘Appetizer’ course, which at this point was course 3, included Ainame and Hotaruika. I’ve never had either before. The Ainame is a Fat Greening fish which I am not familiar with. This was probably my least favorite dish, a matter of preference. I don’t know if it was the fish itself or the broth. It just wasn’t my favorite flavor profile. I was surprised I enjoyed the Hotaruika, which were firefly squid. I found those to be rather good. I liked them in this dish more than in the donabe rice later in the meal.
The sushi portion with six dry-aged nigiri pieces was definitely a highlight, with each piece even more delicious than the previous. The last 3 were my favorites. I am maybe one of the few folks who doesn’t love truffle, but I am learning it’s probably because it’s not straight truffle. There are many truffle-flavored things around these days, and I’m not a fan. Yet, I remember a pasta in Italy that had truffle on top, which I loved. The last piece, Otoro, which is decadent and delightful on its own, was elevated with truffle shavings. Absolutely luxurious bite.
By this point, I was reaching my limit. The grilled dish was good, a young sea bream rolled up around seasonal asparagus. The presentation of the soup course was gorgeous. I loved that the soup was flavorful and came with salt and pepper on the side to add per your liking. It reminded me of my family’s congee, which comes just as rice in hot water, and we add salt to our liking. It made the dish feel so homey. I was overly stuffed by the rice dish, but it was a great example of no waste, repurposing, and using what’s available. It had a few elements from previous dishes combined to make a hearty plate of rice.
As stuffed as I was, the final course, last but never least, was dessert. A matcha tiramisu and sakura strawberry gelato alongside a lovely cup of green tea. I enjoyed the tiramisu; it was sweet and creamy. I am not sure if it was actually ladyfingers inside; it tasted more like a light pound cake, but I could have been delirious at that point by how much food I’d had. The gelato was so wonderful. I love ice cream/gelato in general, but this was the strawberry-est strawberry flavor I’ve ever had. It was refreshing and the perfect sweet end to a fantastic meal.
The worst part of this meal had nothing to do with the restaurant; it was the couple next to me. This is not a cheap meal, coming in at $180/per person. In this current world, I am well aware of how fortunate I am to splurge on a meal. I won’t be doing this often, if at all, because who knows what the state of our world will shape out to be. I find it incredibly rude to act disgusted by food, even more so if it is not part of your culture. The woman barely ate the meal and was grossed out by several dishes. Our lovely server talked to her, and the woman basically said they had done omakases or had Japanese food before, but usually just the fish with rice. Thankfully, she wasn’t rude to the staff. I may have been livid if she were. This menu had a lot of things I had not tried before, which I found exciting. She was not prepared for items beyond sushi, it sounded like. Which is fair, many omakases are like that. But what really upset me was in preparation for one of the last dishes, the chef asked her if he should leave certain things off that he noticed she didn’t eat. She said no, to keep it, then proceeded to eat none of it. Such a wasteful act. I get that it is their money, but in this time, to be that wasteful is ignorant. Rant over.
Overall: Was it worth the $180? Yes, I actually do. Unique, authentic, seasonal flavors and great service and presentation. They even gave everyone a thank-you treat to take home. I can see all the attention to detail and thought put into the menu. I love that the overall vibe inside isn’t snobby or pretentious, but rather cozy and inviting.
Do I recommend you go out and try it? If you have the means and want a fantastic meal, absolutely. Given the quality of this experience, I’d think the izakaya is just as great and at a more affordable price.
This has been my favorite omakase experience in Orlando to date, and one of my favorite meals in general.
Rating: 9.7
Address: 700 Maguire Blvd, Orlando, FL 32803
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