Oza Izakaya — Restaurant in Dr. Phillips

If you’re looking for an unforgettable Japanese dining experience that combines tradition, artistry, and extraordinary flavors, this sushi restaurant is a must-visit. From the moment you walk in, you’re transported into a serene and authentic environment that echoes the essence of Japanese hospitality.

🍣 Atmosphere & Ambience (5/5): The interior strikes the perfect balance between elegance and minimalism. Warm wooden tones, subtle ambient lighting, and clean, Zen-inspired décor immediately create a peaceful vibe. The soft background music, traditional touches like noren curtains and sake bottles lining the shelves, and the welcoming scent of freshly prepared rice and fish set the tone for a true omakase-style experience.

👨‍🍳 Service & Hospitality (5/5): Service here is impeccable. The staff are gracious, attentive, and deeply knowledgeable about the menu. If you sit at the sushi bar, the chef may even engage you in light conversation, explaining the origin and preparation of each dish. Whether you’re a seasoned sushi lover or new to the cuisine, the team makes you feel comfortable and cared for. The pacing of the courses was flawless—never rushed, yet never too long between dishes.

🐟 Food Quality & Presentation (5/5): The sushi here is nothing short of spectacular. The fish is incredibly fresh—melt-in-your-mouth quality—with cuts that are precise and artful. Every piece is thoughtfully composed with a balance of rice, wasabi, and fish that highlights the natural flavor of each ingredient.

Standout selections included: • Otoro (fatty tuna): Rich, buttery, and sliced to perfection. • Uni (sea urchin): Briny and creamy with a sweetness that lingers. • Hamachi (yellowtail): Clean and delicate with a hint of citrus. • Tamago (egg): Lightly sweet and custard-like, showing the chef’s skill beyond raw offerings.

Even the miso soup and pickled sides were elevated. The rice was warm, slightly vinegared, and held together beautifully—clearly made with intention.

🍶 Sake & Beverage Pairing (4.5/5): The sake menu is diverse and curated with care, offering something for every palate—from crisp and dry to floral and smooth. Their pairing suggestions are spot-on, enhancing each course without overpowering the flavors. If you’re not into sake, they also offer Japanese beers, green tea, and a few elegant cocktails with yuzu or shiso accents.

💸 Price & Value (4.5/5): This is not a budget sushi joint—and it shouldn’t be. You’re paying for exceptional craftsmanship, quality ingredients, and a transcendent experience. For an omakase or a full-course meal, the pricing is absolutely fair, especially when compared to similar-tier restaurants in Japan or big cities.

🌟 Final Thoughts: This sushi restaurant is a hidden gem (or maybe not-so-hidden!) that manages to honor centuries of Japanese culinary tradition while making you feel personally valued as a guest. Whether you’re celebrating something special or simply seeking the highest caliber of sushi, this place delivers on...

This place left a lot to be desired. Making a reservation was easy, there was plenty of open options a few hours before our reservation time. We showed up and got sat quickly. The atmosphere was cozy and dark, felt very nice and intimate to be here on a date night with my partner. We sat in a booth in the corner by a register and there was a worker there who was just standing 90% of the time and just looking at us/looking at all the guests. I believe he was a busser, but at one point we had 2 empty dishes and an empty jug/pitcher/container of water and he did nothing to clear it. He was just waiting for someone to tell him what to do. Our server was nice but seemed like he was rushed the entire time, and it took around 10 minutes after we finished our meals for him to check in on us to offer us dessert/the check.

The menu was mobile and clear. I’ve been to many izakaya restaurants, including some in Orlando, and this menu seemed great at first. They had a great happy hour for drinks which was one of the best things about this location ($4 saporro, kirin draft, $8 cocktails and wine) I was excited with the menu and ordered a tonkatsu ramen, the Wagyu roll, NY Strip skewer, Ribeye skewer, beef tongue skewer, the truffle tofu, the chicken thigh skewer, the fried chicken with Japanese mayo sauce, and the cheesecake with strawberry sauce (actual names vary).

I will say the best thing we had was probably either the chicken thigh skewer or the dessert. The chicken thigh skewer was flavorful and reasonably priced. The dessert was tangy and had a great strong palate cleansing profile. Everything else was not as great as expected. The fried chicken was ok, but nothing to rave about. The steaks were seriously lacking in flavor and were strongly overtaken by the chimichurri sauce. The Wagyu roll needed salt, it was well textured but the flavor severely lacked. I had to dip it into soy sauce in order to have a savory flavor. I’ve had other Wagyu rolls before and this one left a lot to be desired at a $27 price point.

My partner who had the tonkatsu ramen said she believed maybe it’s the strong fishy flavor of her PORK ramen, but that when she tried the water, it tasted a bit fishy/“off”. The tonkatsu broth was very fishy flavored for a pork dish, the noodles were good though.

Overall we ended up paying over $150 for our meal and in my opinion, was definitely not worth the price. I’ve eaten at many restaurants and would typically rave about wagyu rolls when I’ve had them before. Cant say I will go back to this restaurant, and my partner felt the same.

If you want a better value for your money, with way more flavorful dishes, but less of an intimate...

This brand new izakaya (居酒屋）style Japanese restaurant just opened up. It is still under soft opening with omekase and liquor Licence on the way. We decided to give it a try. First of all, u ll need to know what s izakaya. It is basically a restaurant Bar with tapa style food that goes well with drinks. Etc: JuJu, susuru, ToriTori. This one, the location is very close to my house. Easy for ppl coming to seaworld or Florida mall area. Has a huge parking lot. Beautiful atmosphere and deco. It is more on the fine dining side in which encouraged ppl to settle and indulge more. Enjoy the experience. Personally, I think this ppl is more for dating, friends hanging out, business… etc. not a very kids friendly environment. So come back to our visit. I will first mention couple of shortcomings. We had reservations on line at 9, then changed to 915. But part of the party arrived at the restaurant at 9pm. There s no hostesses at the front. We waited for a while, then finally realized that we need to go inside and ask. Maybe because we seated late, and kitchen close at 10, so all the food came pretty fast. Our table was crowded couple of times, makes us to increase the speed of dinning. The female bathroom, after we wash our hand, there r paper towel and an electric hand blower, but no trash can for paper towels. Like I said, I understand it is soft opening. So I’m sure things would improve as they go. All right, the good part! Server is super nice! The manager also came by and told us the origin of the restaurant name. The dishes are in right portions for the price and atmosphere. Very pretty presentation and tasty. 4 of us are all enjoyed the restaurant and all want to come back. I did not get chance to walk around the restaurant to see if they can accommodate large parties. But I am thinking about get some social gathering events here. 4 of us end up spend around 230. Very full. But compare to 260 last time at Kura, this place is much better...