I expected to learn a thing or two about sushi during a recent visit to Sushi House to attend the Sushi Date Night. To say that I was not disappointed would be the understatement of the century; I could not have been more surprised and delighted by all the extras the evening entailed.
Couples fork over $80 to participate in this two-hour event, which takes place on select Monday nights each month at Sushi House’s location by Florida Mall. For that fee, they get a sort-of-from-scratch, hands-on schooling in the art of creating five different items.
I say ‘sort of from scratch’ because each couple is given a kit filled with prepared components such as balls of pre-rolled rice and containers of premixed sauces. If you’re the type that would rather start from scratch, opt for the Sushi Class instead, which I'm told is much more technical.
I actually liked skipping some of the more mundane tasks to be able to jump right into putting things like volcano rolls together. And it also meant that we got to the eating part more quickly, which, truthfully, was my favorite.
It’s definitely a casual, lighthearted affair thanks to the humor and personal stories that instructor Dun Chau weaves into his instruction. As he demonstrates a rolling or cutting technique, don’t be surprised when he tosses in a language lesson or imparts some sage advice about acceptable codes of conduct in the Japanese sushi culture. Dousing your sushi in soy sauce, for example, is a no no. You’re only supposed to use a teaspoon for your entire
meal.
I also walked away with some great tips for enjoying sushi more, such as always taking the first bite soy sauce free to really enjoy its full flavor, and also chewing a little ginger to cleanse the palate when going from something spicy to something bland.
The night wrapped up with a Saki lesson and tasting, which was equally as enlightening to a total Saki dummy like me. Thankfully, the fact that I have never ordered Saki has possibly saved me from the utter embarrassment of ordering it warm, which Dun says Americans frequently do, much to the chagrin of the chef.
People tell me all the time that when it comes to date night, they want an experience. I would tell those people to check out Sushi Date Night. Part cooking class, part culture lesson, and part etiquette tutorial, the Sushi Date Night at Sushi House is as much of a treat for the palate as it is for the mind. It’s officially date night approved.
Sushi House Orlando was one of my favorites years and years ago. I recently had taken my girlfriend to Sushi House, after weeks of me bragging to her how good of Sushi it was. Well it turned out that they moved locations from where they once were, which was beside Outback Steak House by the Florida Mall, but the same owner is there. In fact he came over to our table and spoke with us for quite awhile. He said he recognized me and I explained that I once attended his Sushi Class that at the time was actually several days long. The Wine came that we had ordered and my anticipation to have some of the greatest Sushi that I could remember was building. I was soon to be extremely disappointed. First we ended up sending 2 Glasses of wine back because it seemed to be stale or tainted. I have never sent Wine back, this was puzzling. Then the Sushi came and I immediately recognized the quality did not appear to be as I remembered, as you can see in the above pictures that is posted in this article the rice is not the right consistency for sushi, to dry and crumbles and the salmon is little slices. This is exactly what we found. Seems as though the business is not so good any more and quality of food selection has been sacrificed. The portions use to be generous and quality was some of the best. I would save you a trip and save from disappointment by suggesting you stay clear of Sushi House Orlando. From someone who was a huge fan at one time, it is disappointing to know the Sushi House I once remember is no longer.
I am a fan of the Great Dates Orlando, but some advice to be given is that NOT every place you review deserves raving reviews. We look for you to guide us on a great date that will be memorable and reliable. So far I have not seen and negative reviews of any place that has been reviewed which raises some flags. Sorry but this is my opinion.
My boyfriend and I took the Sushi Class a couple months ago and it was so much fun! We went without having any breakfast or lunch and figured they’d give us a roll to share but nope! We made 3 rolls and we left stuffed and totally satisfied. We also got to try the saki, the coconut was my favorite 🙂