David Tsan, the man who fashioned Winter Garden’s Norigami into one of the most approachable, affordable and exceptional sushi counters in the greater Orlando area, is now making a play in the chain-riddled heart of the tourist sector with Kappo Tsan. And he’s assembled an all-star roster to help bring his unique Taipei-meets-Osaka concept to life: namely, Toshi Kishimoto, former chef-owner of the venerable (and now-closed) Hanamizuki Japanese Restaurant; Anthony Esquivel, who sliced and diced at Michelin-starred (and also-shuttered) Natsu Omakase; Benjamin Coutts, Michelin Award recipient and kikisake-shi extraordinaire; and director of operations Anna Rysavy, who managed the ever-bustling Morimoto Asia in Disney Springs.
The idea, of course, is to lure locals, visitors and — let’s be honest here — clueless inspectors from a global rubber manufacturer who’d do well to take a seat at the counter and witness some actual cooking in this inviting little wabi-sabi space. The menu, while focused, extends great variety in how guests can indulge in Tsan’s and Toshi’s creations. There are five-course, nine-course and nigiri-only tastings ($120, $180, $80) in addition to à la carte options segmented by kaiseki-style cooking methods — “snacks,” “raw,” “simmer,” “fry,” “grill” and “rice/noodles.”
And like a drunken late-night stagger into the food aisles of a Ginza konbini, there are no wrong choices here.
A tasting may start with custardy chawanmushi with shrimp, chicken and ginkgo nuts, before moving on to an assortment of seasonal bites like blue crab croquettes formed with creamy mashed taro, or slippery glass eels in a bowl of tsuyu sauce with grated ginger. When sushi rolls around, beltfish kissed by ogatan (a more affordable charcoal alternative to binchotan), madai salted with asin tibuok and the rare icefish graced with a shiso leaf and ginger could find their way atop warm, vinegared rice. Ingredients are always changing, but one constant is that the flavors will impress.
In the tempura round, David presented freshwater ayu (sweetfish) before filleting, frying and serving it with a light, savory tensuyu dipping sauce with balsamic soy. He also presented a plate of live Japanese soft-shell river crab, or sawagani, one of which made a valiant dash for freedom before being photographed and duly scooped back into the vessel of doom. A few moments later, the lightly fried crawler was in my mouth being crackled and crunched like a popcorn crustacean should. A glass of funky, creamy Mana 1751 sake ($16) poured by Coutts was the daring pairing the crab needed.
But the à la carte menu is where Tsan really gets to spotlight his Taiwanese heritage, in dishes like savoy cabbage ($8) steamed and wok-fired until caramelized before being tossed in spicy tobanjan soy and finished with crispy garlic and fried shallots, or middleneck clams ($14) in a basil-forward sauce flavored with sesame, soy and sake. “Some bread would be great to sop this up,” said my pal of the green liquid and I couldn’t help but think how good a slice of shokupan would’ve been at that moment. Admittedly, just slurping it down was plenty enjoyable.
Of course, there’s Taiwanese five-spiced fried chicken ($14), and shiitake mushrooms ($11) pan-seared with butter then smoked over that ogatan charcoal. They tasted as meaty as a ribeye. Went well with Afuri’s mushroomy-scented “kuro-koji” sake ($19), too.
Crafting a DIY kaiseki meal here is a cinch. If you choose to go that route, consider the black miso cod ($24) with its charcoal-blackened skin from the “grill” section and, if your stomach allows, a clay pot of crab and ikura rice ($30) to end.
Our stomachs did — just enough to allow us to down three scoops of ice cream ($6 each) presented in black sesame, hojicha and Okinawa black sugar flavors. What’s more, we never felt rushed to leave, which is saying something for a tasting menu joint, even with its hybrid menu. It just felt very relaxed, casual even, with the low lighting and low volume of music. The bill didn’t raise eyebrows, either.
Like Norigami, the restaurant is approachable, affordable and exceptional. You’ll just need to dodge tourist traffic and suffer through the mess of I-4 construction to get to the Land of Chain Restaurants otherwise known as O-Town West.
But there, in a corner space, looming in the shadows of White Castle and Portillo’s and cloaked by a couple of palm trees, you’ll see the Land of the Rising Tsan.
Kappo Tsan, 11815 Glass House Lane, 407-778-1050, kappotsan.com
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This article appears in April 15-21, 2026.
