Edoboy takes a stand for new culinary experiences
There was a late summer monsoon going on as I rolled up for my 4 p.m. time slot at Edoboy. The other seven guests, including my dining companion, were already in place around the bar, which feels a little like the bridge of a starship where head chef Tyler Inthavasonga and second chef Francis Varias have the conn.
It runs like a ship, too. And at this hourlong experience, where customers line up for the city’s only standing sushi bar — it has to.
A staffer greets me at the door, takes my umbrella and escorts me to the place where I’ll mark my ticket with up to 12 choices amid a curated nigiri, aburi (torched nigiri) and temaki (hand roll) selection. A small beer and sake menu complements selections like madai, uni and shima aji flown in from different parts of the world.
The stand-and-eat concept is common in Japan — commuters roll in for quick bites in train stations and patrons can pop in on the fly right off the sidewalk. It’s fast food
— literally — and something restaurateur Sean “Sonny” Nguyen (Domu, Tori Tori) and his wife enjoyed very much on their trips to Tokyo and wanted to introduce here at home.
But various factors — including the fact that in Orlando both the concept and climate are hot — prompted a tweak in the
Japanese take, where diners generally wait in line for a spot.
“Here, we have 100-degree weather,” says Nguyen. “We didn’t want customers to have to wait in line for an hour or more.”
And so: time slots. These drop weekly online, every Monday at noon. And they fill up fast. After a soft opening in early July, Nguyen says they’ve got the concept down, and it’s a close match to what folks traveling to Tokyo experience.
“I’d say it’s about 70% the same,” says Nguyen. “We had to add our American touch to make it more available and comfortable for the everyday person in Orlando.”
At first, they went more Japanese — where the interaction with the chef, who keeps track of tickets — is more like that of a bartender. It proved confusing for both staff and guests.
“We made it more effective by having the customers pre-order,” Nguyen explains.
I’d say hyper efficient. Mark your selections from the 22 on the menu. Mix it up. Hand your ticket to the chefs. Uni and madai were out on my visit (I was more bummed for my companion, who’d finally amassed the courage to sample the oft-acquired taste of sea urchin, but hey — late planes happen), but we managed, settling into some silky nigori sake and taking in the room.
It was a mixed bag in all demographic directions — 30-something buds in T-shirts, a dressier couple getting date night started early — interacting with the chefs whose skills are on display throughout.
I didn’t choose 12, it seemed like too much, but it’s a good strategy even if you’re planning to max out.
“Watching everyone else get their pieces is part of the experience,” says Nguyen. “‘Ooh, that looks good. I wish I got that.’ That’s your opportunity.”
And actually what happened.
“Oh, I need one of those!” my companion said after sampling half of my aka ebi — a torched sweet red prawn beautifully balanced with uni butter ($6.50). It’s a large piece; chefs halve it for easier consumption — making it feel like a two-fer.
Upon sampling a bit of his sake-kewpie (torched salmon with mayo; $5), I did the same. That one’s a hot seller and like much of the menu is just what Nguyen and his wife enjoyed most in Japan.
“My wife and I love the mayonnaise torched nigiris,” says Nguyen. “That one is just so familiar: a cooked piece of salmon that’s rich and buttery and warm with a little bit of saltiness. It’s just so good.”
Pieces here range from $4 (Faroe Island salmon nigiri) to $10 for the sea urchin. Sizable hand rolls clock in between $7.508.50. They’re a welcome return for the early regulars at Tori Tori, Nguyen’s izakaya-cocktail bar mashup that’s about 40 steps away.
“One of the things people have been requesting at Tori since the pandemic have been the handies,” Nguyen says. “The pricing got ridiculous for fish, and we had to take them off the menu.”
They’re back at Edoboy and filling that void. Fried garlic and crunchy cuke made for a rich and textural experience on the spicy tuna roll ($8). My companion’s unagi (freshwater eel, $7.50) read almost dessertlike, as eel often does. Both were excellent. Light. And with a meal-ender of miso ($3.50), flavorful with the steeped bones of Edoboy’s sushi stars, we were primed for a post-meal walk.
To Tori Tori, in fact. Except we drove. The weather was a mess.
But we weren’t alone in our Domu Dynasty dinearound. More than half the Edoboy customers head over to Tori after they check out, says Nguyen.
“Tori does well on its own, but having Edoboy behind it is a good dynamic.”
And with 48 guests a night churning through former office and storage
Ordering at Edoboy is easy and pleasantly low-tech. (You’ll need a QR code app to see the drink menu.) AMY DREW THOMPSON/ORLANDO SENTINEL
space, a good business move, as well. Nguyen also hopes to see it build more “pedestrian” plans into Mills 50’s exploding scene.
“With [elevated Filipino restaurant] Kaya opening soon on the same street and [late-night lounge] The Moderne coming, hopefully this will promote more walking in the area, which I love experiencing in other cities.”
Edoboy’s success this far will have them expanding from four nights to five pretty soon. Most likely Mondays, so industry folks can get a turn at the bar. In its short time open, says Nguyen, they’ve already had repeat guests every week for something
that parallels an omakase experience, but is far more casual — and wallet friendly.
“For me, it’s about doing something different … to open up doors,” says Nguyen, who operates six culinary concepts in town, two of them Michelin-selected. “If Orlando can accept a restaurant from another culture where you have to stand to eat, then Orlando’s ready for anything.”
IF YOU GO
Edoboy: 728 N. Thornton Ave. in Orlando; edoboysushi.com