Tuesday, October 15, 2024



Kiko’s Japanese Cuisine and Sushi

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It may not look like much on the outside, but Kiko’s Japanese Cuisine serves up some very decent sushi and Japanese style cuisine, especially for those who are new to sushi or enjoy vegetarian dishes. Chef Jim is head of the sushi station while his wife, Kiko, takes care of the kitchen items, including but not limited to the deliciously fried tempura items.

Kiko's Sushi
Kiko’s Sushi

Chef Jim, a soft spoken man with a gentle heart, was trained in San Francisco and actually had a restaurant in Melbourne many years before moving to this corner of University and Semoran in Winter Park, just on the outskirts of Full Sail University.

The decor here is rather minimalistic, but quaint. The restaurant is staffed by the pleasant young daughter of the family along with other college-aged waiters and waitresses.

Sunomono with conch and octopus - with a "krab" roll
Sunomono with conch and octopus – with a “krab” roll
Hand rolls with spicy seafood mix
Hand rolls with spicy seafood mix
The sushi and sashimi combination at Kiko's
The sushi and sashimi combination at Kiko’s
Kiko roll - fried tempura roll with seafood
Kiko roll – fried tempura roll with seafood
"Crazy Roll" - with eel and krab
“Crazy Roll” – with eel and krab
Dragon roll
Dragon roll

Also of note, Chef Jim and his wife Kiko are vegetarians – maybe the first and only Japanese restaurant that I’ve been to in Orlando with vegetarian chefs. There is an extensive vegetarian/vegan menu here with over 50 items all made with fruits, veggies, and “faux” meat.

“Veggie” meat isn’t too popular in American cuisine yet, but in Asia, where Buddhist practictioners have favored vegetarian meals for centuries, it’s almost perfected to an art form. Almost all the savory meaty tastes without the guilty bad karma feels.

The Vegetarian Menu at Kiko's - all made with veggie, meat substitutes, and fruits
The Vegetarian Menu at Kiko’s – all made with veggie, meat substitutes, and fruits
The best "faux" beef BBQ skewer I've ever had - tastes just like real beef but totally made of soy and tofu
The best “faux” beef BBQ skewer I’ve ever had – tastes just like real beef but totally made of soy and tofu
Fried Stuffed Mushrooms
Fried Stuffed Mushrooms and Jalapeños
Eggplant stuffed with "chicken" - veggie chicken
Eggplant stuffed with “veggie ham”

Photo Mar 28, 7 48 57 PM
Salt and Pepper “Pork” – made with veggie burdock meat, green peppers, and onions

Jonnie Mildner enjoys his bento box
Jonnie Mildner of Lexus Orlando enjoys his bento box during a recent lunch break
Chicken Katsu bento box
Salmon Teriyaki bento box
Chef Jim of Kiko's
Chef Jim of Kiko’s

Overall, this is a nice standard neighborhood sushi place with a pleasantly good selection of vegetarian options – great for catering to vegetarian friends. I definitely enjoyed this humble sushi shop, especially its fried tempura options.

Kiko Japanese Cuisine on Urbanspoon









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