First Trip 1:30 p 8/2/2018 –

I’m doing this review, on the side. I travel around Orlando – A LOT! I average 140 miles per day driving. I see low income neighborhoods in Parramore, Orlando to $3 million dollar mansions in Winter Park, FL. So I see many sushi bars and restaurants around. Which to choose?

Near me alone there’s a a half dozen, and I’ve tried many. But the one I always come back to, for sushi and Japanese cuisine, is Hokkaido Sushi and Teppan in Winter Springs, Seminole County, Florida.

I’ve been eating at Hokkaido for 7 years. I’ve come alone, and with family. Over the years I had ordered sushi as an appetizer. I’ve loved Japanese culture since 1992. Like most American children, I was exposed to it on Saturday mornings with Anime (cartoons) like Dragon Ball Z, Ronin Warriors (called Yotoden Samurai Troopers in Japan), Sailor Moon, Ranma 1/2, and Tenchi Muyo!

I grew up in East Orlando – Azalea Park/Dover Shores. Sushi restaurants hadn’t existed yet. The only sushi you could get was at Goodings, who had a sushi bar made-to-order. Free samples drew me in, but whenever I brought it home, it wasn’t as good. When I moved to Casselberry in 1999, sushi restaurants were in larger parts of Central Florida. Buffets had sushi, but people were (and still are) weary of eating sushi of them. To date, I’ve only gotten sick once off buffet sushi and that restaurant is long closed in Altamonte Springs, Seminole County, FL. When I discovered Hokkaido not 4 miles away, I jumped!

Sushi, and a real sushi bar! Katsu, tempura, unagi udon, and now kimchi tofu! And teppanyaki: arguably the most recognizable Japanese dish outside of sushi in America. Where the chef does a knife and spatula show on the hot griddle in front of you, flipping shrimps and setting oil on fire.

I ate there two times a month. And still do! While we don’t sit at the teppan tables anymore (Hokkaido makes teppan in the back for you if you sit in the dining room), sushi is a mainstay.

Today, Hokkaido has just had a remodel, opening up the dining room so it appears much larger, with more Asian trinkets by the entrance (none are for sale). On the doors are hand written specials. The motif is modern Japanese/Japanese-American with fish wind socks (in Japan, these are for Boys Day). Upon entering, to the right is the dinning room, and to the left are 6 teppan stations. In the back is a six seat sushi bar. The colors are dark turquoise and black. The tourist feel of the teppan restaurant is not present here, replaced by a more calm and adult feel. The teppan though still has a fun feel if you bring grandma, crazy uncle, or the kids. When you enter, you’re seated in whichever station you’d like, given a menu and a sushi check-off sheet long with a lunch or specials menu.

Upon this trip, eating mid-week during lunch, it was slightly slow. The hostess was seated at the table in the back, not the front counter. I walked towards the bar and told her I’d be sitting at the sushi bar. She greeted me with a smile, handed me the lunch menu and regular menu and took my drink order. The sushi chef greeted me. The sushi bar has the rounded clear glass, with the fish and sushi ingredients behind it. The temperature variant has the glass fogged over so I cannot see the items, but as I watched him, the tuna was a dark beautiful red.

I ordered the tuna 3-way, something I’d ordered 2 weeks ago. It consists of a spicy tuna roll (8 pieces), 3 pieces of tuna sushi (nigiri), and 4 slices of tuna tataki. Tuna tataki is yellow fin tuna, seared, and served in a citrus soy sauce. Green onions on top for garnish and cucumber beneath (garnish and vegetables are variable). I watched him prepare the tataki with a propane blowtorch. The tuna 3 way comes with a house salad, which is an iceberg salad with onions, with a homemade dressing which is mild, creamy, and pleasant.

It took just under 10 minutes to have the sushi prepared, but instead of the chef handing it to me, he rang a small bell and the waitress came and took it around the bar (which is basically 3 steps). Soy sauce is on the bar, but no small ramekin was presented to pour it into. I had ordered 2 pieces of uni as well, and the small plate they came on became the soy sauce bowl.

The uni looked great. Tasted even better. I wish I’d ordered more. The spicy tuna roll was tasty with sesame seeds. The tuna was chopped a little too much for my taste. The tuna nigiri, as always, was the star of the plate. Tuna nigiri is the highlight of any dish for me. Rolls are like the potatoes in a steak dinner (unless I order o-toro; fatty tuna belly). The tuna tataki I had before. The first time I ever had it was so amazing. A mixture of warm and cold, with green onion in a citrus soy sauce. This time was also good, though seared a half second too long. The chef did not talk to me during the entire preparation, or as I ate.

When I had finished, the waitress asked if I wanted a refill of my drink, or one to go, though she did not ask while I was eating and took a phone call in the background.

Hokkaido has the atmosphere of a very modern, clean, and quick restaurant. As their signs boast many to-go and seasonal dishes (kimchi tofu hotpot is delicious, I had it two weeks ago). I would recommend removing a few of these signs and going for a seasonal board to greet diners.

I enjoyed this trip, as I usually do.

I look forward to my next trip shortly!

Hokkaido Sushi & Teppan is located at 5272 Red Bug Lake Road, Winter Springs, Florida.

Hours:
Tuesday Closed
Monday 11:30am-3pm • 4:30pm-10pm
Wednesday & Thursday 11:30am-3pm • 4:30am-10pm
Friday 11:30am-11pm
Saturday 12pm-11pm
Sunday 12pm-10pm
Phone # – 407-388-2888
Website – http://www.hokkaidofl.com/
Facebook – facebook.com/hokkaidowintersprings