Star-chasing sushi houses continue to flock to Orlando in the hopes of affixing Michelin’s red plaque on their walls and, the latest — Aoba Omakase — will bring a twist to the multicourse, fish-filled affair when it opens Oct. 20 in the North Quarter.
Aoba will specialize in wet-aging fish using traditional Japanese and modern methods to differentiate itself from other omakase houses in the city. Chef Kenny Sze, who honed his skills at Hong Kong’s Sushi Ta-Ke and Kiyotaki Japanese Restaurant before coming stateside and impressing guests at Sakana Omakase and Umami in Philadelphia, will man the 12-seat counter that, most recently, was home to the lauded Natsu Omakase.
Sze dabbled with wet-aging fish at Umami in Philly and believes the procedure accentuates the true flavor of fish. “My favorite is isaki,” he says, referring to Japanese threeline grunt. “I aged it for three weeks and it tasted crazy.”
The process of wet-aging fish starts with a thorough washing, gutting and blood-cleaning known as the tsumoto method. After that, Sze says he’ll use the traditional kobujime technique whereby cleaned fish is aged between sheets of kombu (kelp), as well as the modern method of vacuum-sealing cuts.
The fish will then be stored in temperature-controlled coolers and refrigerators and aged for anywhere between one and three weeks for small to medium-sized fish, and up to two months for tuna.
Sze says the process of kobujime brings out the umami in certain cuts of fish, particularly smaller fish because of their lower water content as opposed to larger fish, like tuna and hamachi, which are more conducive to dry-aging.
“With wet-aged sushi, we’re not trying to change the fish,” Sze says. “We’re giving it time to become the best version of itself. The art is knowing when the fish has reached its perfect moment.”
Cooked dishes like shinjo (seafood dumplings), chawanmushi (steamed egg custard) and uroko-yaki (fried fish) will also make up the set for Aoba’s omakases which, Sze says, will comprise 10 to 12 courses.
Renovations to the space will be minimal and amount to some “minor touch-ups” from its stint as Natsu plus installation of new kitchen equipment. Nevertheless, the 34-year old chef, who owns the restaurant with partners Kevin Cao and Andrew Chen (Shima Aji, Kamiya 86 in Ponte Vedra Beach and Jacksonville), is clear about the restaurant’s objectives.
“Getting a Michelin Star is our goal,” he says, a goal achieved by the space’s predecessor after famously being open for just four months. The restaurant’s name, Aoba, translates to “fresh foliage” in Japanese, signifying renewal and vitality. And like those new leaves, Aoba is symbolic of Sze’s first restaurant and his fresh start in Orlando.
Aoba is located at 777 N. Orange Ave. (map) and will be open for service Tuesday through Sunday. Seating times will be 4:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Cost for the 10- to 12-course omakase will be $100 Tuesday through Thursday and $160 Friday through Sunday, not including sake pairings.
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