Take a Trip to Modern Tokyo at Sushi Pop

Making Peanut Butter & Jelly Sorbet

Sushi Pop restaurant in Oviedo is different than any other sushi restaurant I have been in. First, the decor: it's kind of pop-art-ish and I love the modern furniture and lighting. The hostesses and wait staff are dressed up kind of funky, with bright colors and purses slung across their shoulders. If you don't know the story behind it, it may seem very odd. However, Sushi Pop's executive chef and owner, Chau Trinh, was inspired by the "crazy clothes" that the young people in a certain area of Tokyo, Japan, were wearing when he visited a few years ago. 

After gazing at the surroundings, I wanted to get to the best part: the food. I have heard so much about this place from fellow foodies, in part because of Chef Chau's leaning towards molecular gastronomy. For example, one of the popular desserts at Sushi Pop is its Peanut Butter and Jelly Sorbet. This is a frozen concoction, made table-side using liquid nitrogen and topped with peanut butter powder and marshmallow foam. It is quite a show! In addition to the entertainment, I was blown away by how much this dessert tastes exactly like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Lobster & Almond Roll

Since this place obviously focuses on sushi, we were ready to be critical of each sushi roll. Fortunately, almost everything we ordered was delicious. I would highly recommend the Hot Mess, Gravlax, and Lobster & Almonds rolls. Red Hot's, which features spicy tuna, avocado, jalapenos and Siracha hot sauce, is ddecadent for those who like very spicy foods. The Butterfish roll was not one of the best - it just seemed like an odd fish to put in a roll. Even though this is a sushi place, it's other small plate dinners are delicious. I tried the Florida Snapper over rice and curry sauce. The crispy-skin snapper was moist and had an excellent flavor, as did the sauce. 

Florida Snapper 

Don't forget about appetizers: there are so many delicious hot and cold tastings to choose from. My favorite - so far - is the Sauteed Schichimi Pepper and Garlic Edamame. The pepper and garlic give the traditional soybean dish a nice kick. Overall, I would recommend eating at Sushi Pop, again and again. With its expansive menu, you can try something new and different every time.

Where: 310 West Mitchell Hammock Rd., Suite 900, Oviedo, Fla.