Kabooki Sushi is always a vibe — the flow, the fish, the drip, the whips — and that’s the way chef-owner Henry Moso likes it. I’ve gawked hard at the sick fleet of high-powered automobiles parked out front of both the Colonialtown and Sand Lake outposts, and been late for my reservation on a couple of occasions as a result.
So it seems more than fitting that Moso’s new hand roll bar sits directly across the street from the soon-to-open McLaren dealership on Orlando Avenue in Winter Park. I can already see fast and furious collabs in Moso’s future — pricey parties where perhaps Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri nibble on “F1 Constructors’ Champion” hand rolls stuffed with salmon the color of McLaren Racing Orange.
No doubt, I’ve charged through a field of fish-filled hand rolls since Mosonori opened back in November, swallowing up everything from Faroe Island salmon glistening with white soy to aged branzino delicately slicked with shio and yuzu oil. Moso sets it all into sushi rice tinged with just the right amount of warmth. But the rolls weren’t perfect in those early days — the nori in particular. Moso was using a premium product from Yamamotoyama and toasting it before wrapping and serving. But the first bite, the bite that matters most when it comes to hand rolls, was just too chewy. It tainted, perhaps unfairly, the high-class ingredients inside the tubular rolls. (Rolls at Mosonori aren’t conical in shape, as Moso would prefer every bite to be uniform and balanced.)
Not one to accept mediocrity, Moso searched New York and Miami until he happened upon a very reputable importer based in the northeast who brought Moso into his very tight circle. Long story short, the nori Moso now uses is of unmatched quality, grown and harvested in the Ariake Sea and processed by a small local operation in Fukuoka, Japan. “It’s very hard to source good nori right now,” this individual importer told me, “but the nori Moso is using is definitely of the highest quality, and it’s not sold in the United States.”
A difference-maker? Judging from every face I saw seated at the gorgeous horseshoe-shaped bar (kudos to GDP Designbuild for the stunning interior), they were loving nori v2.0. “I don’t even need to toast it, it’s that good,” says Moso. And it truly is. I’ve had rolls with hamachi, white soy and shallots, and rolls with lobster lushed with mentaiko mayo, then had them again. And as great as those ingredients are, it’s the nori’s wispy crackle and briny aroma that lingers.
As far as those rolls, your best option is to go with a set menu ($19 for three rolls; $25 for four; $30 for five; $36 for six) so you get a variety of options that won’t break the bank. Other faves of mine: fatty ko-ika (golden cuttlefish) spiked with house hot sauce, king crab with mustard mayo, toro flecked with chives and crunched with takuan (pickled Japanese radish) and wagyu cooked with shallots. There’s an “omakase” ($38) option that gets you five rolls along with a hamachi tasting — slivers of yellowtail set in ponzu and yuzu oil garnished with serrano peppers — that’ll leave you gratified. I’m preferential to the toro tartare ($14) as far as tastings go. The fatty fish, the crunch of bubu arare and the punch of truffle ponzu is why I get it every time I go. That and a bottle of Dassai 45 sake ($45) that effortlessly pairs with damn near everything offered at Mosonori.
Now, the idea behind hand roll bars is to enjoy a quick meal and get out. But most of Mosonori’s patrons have been lingering for upward of an hour, and I don’t blame them one bit. The driving soundtrack, handsome digs and people-watching-friendly layout makes it hard to just dine and dart out of there. Hell, I too have been guilty of parking my seat at the bar for bit too long. I’ve even felt bad about it, considering Mosonori has a no reservation policy. What can I say? Eating for me is often an exercise in endurance, and hardly ever a race.
Mosonori
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This article appears in Jan 29 – Feb 4, 2025.