Sublime Sushi, Strip Mall Surprise

Located in a nondescript area of The Paradise Plaza Shopping Center, may not make a big first impression from the outside. However do not allow that first impression to fool you. Chef/Owner is preparing serious sushi, sashimi and Japanese cuisine. Recently expanded, Jpan offers two good sized dining rooms with a simple, minimalist but tasteful décor providing juxtaposition to the outside appearance.

The menu offers a wide selection of sushi, sashimi, appetizers, soups, salads and entrees including pork, chicken, beef and seafood. For our meals we chose the following:

• Wakame Salad: Japanese seaweed salad. $4.00
  • A small fresh and flavorful salad.
• Spicy Tuna Roll: Spicy tuna and cucumber. $6.00
  • Very fresh, slightly spicy with a crisp crunch
• JPan Roll: Tuna, avocado, cucumber rolled in crunch flakes $9.00
  • A very fresh mix of textures and flavors
• Kamikaze Roll: Shrimp tempura, asparagus, topped with spicy tuna and kanikama. $10.00
  • A great combination with a slight spiciness
• Samba Roll: Tempura salmon topped with avocado and passion fruit sauce. $10.00
  • An interesting combination of flavors and textures
• Volcano Chicken: Chicken served with a spicy ginger-garlic sauce. All entrees served with soup, salad, vegetables and rice. $15.00
  • Amply sized portion of chicken in a spicy, flavorful sauce, very nice.

All of the food was fresh, prepared to order, and very nicely plated. We found the wait staff to be friendly, informative and efficient. Jpan offers a broad selection of beer, wine and sake to accompany your meal. One note, we tried one of Jpan’s sake infusions and were delighted with the creativity and fresh taste; something I would definitely order again.

Although Jpan Restaurant may appear to be an ordinary strip mall restaurant, its cuisine if far from ordinary; give it a try, you will not be disappointed. 

Jpan Restaurant
3800 S. Tamiami Trail 
Sarasota, FL 34239
941-954-5726

http://www.jpanrestaurant.com