Juju’s hambagu subconcept, Hikiniku to Sumi, launches in Orlando this winter

Lewis Lin, the man behind izakaya concepts Susuru and Juju, is going to have a busy few months ahead of him. Lin is putting the finishing touches on his wagyu shabu-shabu concept, Nabe, in Dr. Phillips, while Mao Mao, his 12-seat handroll bar, is still slated to open by the end of the year. But before that, Lin will introduce Japanese Hamburg steaks, or hambagu, in a lunchtime subconcept at Juju’s kappo bar called Hikiniku to Sumi.

The ground Japanese wagyu will be grilled over binchotan coals and served over steamed koshi-hikari rice that Lin says will be made in a traditional clay donabe pot. The wagyu, by the way, will be procured from Palm Beach Meats, who recently announced plans to open a shop/eatery in SoDo this fall.

Lin plans on using a 50-50 mix of A5 wagyu (the highest grade of Japanese beef) and American wagyu (a crossbreed of Japanese wagyu and continental beef) for his hambagu.

He’ll also offer fish hikiniku using tuna, salmon and madai.

Hikiniku, by the way, means ground or minced meat, and sumi means charcoal. Lin says he wants to eventually find a permanent space for Hikiniku to Sumi should the hambagu concept, ahem, catch fire.

Until then, follow @hikinikuorl for launch dates at Juju.

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This article appears in Jul 10-16, 2024.