Sushi Pop is set up out in far-flung Oviedo – a place probably known more for their live chickens than for sushi – but the location belies the kitchen’s truly creative and carefully crafted takes on Japanese cuisine.
Helmed by Chef/owner Chau Trinh, Sushi Pop brings a steadfast dedication to freshness and quality of their seafood, all set in a wonderful, modern setting. Chef Chau left his role at Shari Sushi Lounge in downtown Orlando for the more quieter, closer to home locales of Oviedo.
Glowing pink squid-like lamps light the room, an intimate place accented by neon pinks and plush white leather seated booths. Anime films like the Hayao Miyazaki classics Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro play on the large flatscreen TVs along the walls. The neon lights all remind one of the busy street lights of Tokyo rather than the outer reaches of Orlando.
A large open kitchen area overlooks the room where diners can watch as chef Chau and his team (which sometimes includes his mom Mrs. Trinh) prepare their dishes. The waitresses here take their cues from the streets of Tokyo’s Harajuku district, popular for their counter-culture youth and costume plays.
For an appetizer, start off with an order of the hamachi pop, shichimi pepper seared hamachi fish grilled and topped with guacamole, purple and green shiso, toasted garlic, and served with fried rice, kimchi vinaigrette, and spicy honey mayo, all bursting with umami flavors.
For those wishing to sample something besides the sushi, the hot kitchen items provides an adventurous menu as well. The Kurobuta tacos are savory, made with rich, braised Berkshire pork belly, and topped with dollops of hoisin sauce, green scallions, micro cilantros, and slices of avocado.
The sushi rolls here are also stars – the hot mess roll was a favorite, a roll made with smoked salmon, avocado and tempura flakes and honey kabayaki, then topped with a symphony of baked tuna, salmon, yellowtail, flounder, spicy mayo, smelt roe, chives and rendered bacon.
The luscious ceviche roll is constructed with hamachi fish with avocado, tempura shallots and chipotle lime sauce topped with seasonal whitefish, sriracha hot sauce, micro cilantro greens, Hawaiian pink salt and a wedge of lime.
If you are not sure what to get, call ahead a few days in advance put your trust in the chef and pre-order the Chef’s Omakase, a multicourse tasting menu created personally by chef Chau, sure to delight the tastebuds.
For dessert, order some of their popular PMS, a deconstructed, molecular gastronomy type of dish made with powdered peanut butter, molten chocolate, and salted caramel ice cream. Overall, a very fun, bold take on the traditional Japanese cuisine.
Sushi Pop
310 West Mitchell Hammock Road,
Oviedo, FL 32765
(407) 542-5975
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