JUJU — Restaurant in Orlando

We always explain to our friends that Japanese food is not only limited sushi, it is an astonishingly unique cuisine with a never-ending variety of fabulous dishes. Juju truly encompasses this statement. Boasting an awe-striking menu riddled with some of our favorite dishes, Juju has become one of our most loved restaurants in this entire country. From their complex and traditional okonomiyaki, to their simple and nostalgic susuru gohan bowl, you will be blown away by every single bite. Our waiter, Kenji, was an absolute pleasure. He was extremely attentive, and helped guide us through the menu. Kenji is also fluent in Japanese, which made for amazing conversation! The atmosphere was absolutely adorable and extremely traditional. Warm lighting, and fun signs and trinkets riddled throughout the eatery. The owner of this restaurant has amassed an extremely fun collection! We kept ordering until we were so full, that we, quite literally, could not take another bite. Every dish that was presented to us was elegantly plated, and every ingredient was very clearly well thought out. Our first dish was the dry aged fish tasting, which showcased a beautifully aged otoro. Topped with freshly shaved truffles, and sturgeon caviar, this dish was an absolute delight to our palates. We then received our assortment of kushiyaki. We ordered the beef tenderloin, ribeye, and pork jowl kushiyaki. The pork jowl was by far the best. The ribeye tasted a tad old, sadly. That was our least favorite bite of our entire meal. The pork jowl was phenomenal and extremely tender. It was perfectly prepared. We quite honestly do not even know where to begin with their flawless tempura plating. The sweet potato was ineffable, and the green pepper was a pleasant surprise. Perfectly done tempura is difficult for many restaurants to achieve, and Juju’s highly skilled tempura dish absolutely blew us away. To be able to cook lotus root to absolute perfection definitely deserves an honorable mention. The okonomiyaki… wow. Just, wow. Truly traditional, all while achieving a beautiful balance of bold Japanese flavors. This was the best okonomiyaki we have ever had. “Wow” is the best way to describe every bite. The susuru gohan bowl was a great classic. Nothing beats a fresh egg yolk over properly seasoned rice. The A5 wagyu was very nice. Clearly a true Japanese wagyu. The Japanese cucumbers were a great pairing. The dish had a lot going on, and it definitely could have been a much simpler plate. This A5 wagyu plating would have obtained absolute flawlessness if it was simplified and served with a side of fresh wasabi. When we requested fresh wasabi, the food runner was confused, but it is a very traditional plating in Japanese cuisine. After finishing this amazing assortment, we wanted more. We ordered the hamachi crudo and it was lovely. Light and fresh, a great way to finish our meal. Drinks wise, Juju had a very solid drink selection. We would definitely recommend adding plum wine to the menu. The Matcha Mule was a huge surprise. A very interesting and enjoyable pairing. The strawberry pocky was a cute touch. Our experience at Juju was one of the best we have ever had. We look forward to visiting again when we are in Orlando. We can’t wait to try their black sesame ice cream, it’s one of our favorites. We are so thankful for...

Decided to go out of my comfort zone this year and try an entirely new kind of dining experience for my birthday. Me and my party arrived just before 6 pm and were seated immediately. The atmosphere was eclectic and very vintage as it is a retro Izakaya. Bar service was excellent as our cocktails were served in a timely manner which was very quick. However, a great atmosphere and phenomenal cocktails is about the total extent of a good review this establishment deserves.

As the evening went by, the service just got progressively worse. We had put in our food orders and waited about 20 minutes just for one pork belly skewer to show up to the table. Then some more of the food trickled over one order at a time, very slowly within the next 45 min. All of our orders never made it to the table. Walking into an hour and 30 minutes, half of our food was missing but other tables around us were satisfied. Everything was getting cold as we were waiting to eat together, our cocktails were pretty much drank already and one of my guests was convinced she was never going to get her order. The entire execution of the whole dinner service seemed to only cater and give the most attention to diners participating in the 7 seat Kappo Bar experience (over $150/person). The Izakaya room just felt neglected.

Portions sizes were not as advertised online, as seen from other previous reviewers and JUJU's Instagram page. The Chasu Gohan bowl ($8) was about 1/4 cup of rice with maybe 2 oz pork, and the manager admitted that the portion is now much smaller. Pork belly wrapped enoki ($5) comes with only 2 tiny pieces of meat (which didn't even fit a full skewer) when the pork belly shishito came with 3. The ribeye skewer looked extremely skinny and my boyfriend tried to exchange it before he was to only be served one disappointing bite-sized piece of it.

We didn't come to have a free meal, we wanted to spend money , but the service was so appalling that we didn't even see it worth a penny to dine at this first "MICHELIN GUIDED" restaurant we've ever been to. We didn't even want to eat the food for free because we couldn't enjoy it hot, without feeling short-changed, and eat it all together as a group. I've been to many local tapas style restaurants where the cuisine isn't served fashionably late, portions sizes are actually decent, and never had to worry if I was going to get my money's worth or not.

It's a shame because out of all places in the entire city of Orlando I chose to come here for my birthday, being so excited about it since it opened. It was my only opportunity as I never really get weekends off of work anymore being a chef myself. The food being served to other tables looked fantastic. Just wish there was more of it and that people had time to stay 2 hours to...

I would rate this place a 3.4. Could almost be 4 but not quite and here are the reasons. Madai Crudo: The Madai didn't taste fresh to me with a slight "muddy" flavor. The unique korikori texture a good piece if madai has was non existent. (Reminded me of cheaper madai you would get at a super market in Japan) This was unfortunate as the plating was pretty. Sauce had a pretty good flavoring also. I guess that at a restaurant like this, with a very casual atmosphere, this quality of fish is expected but I think it should be priced lower if they cannot source a good quality piece of fish. I would have definitely been dissapointed if had this dish as part of the $160 Kappo meal. Toro Tartar: It seemed like maybe 10% of the tuna was maybe Chutoro and 90% was regular akami. I can tell that they "tried" with the plating. I posted the photo of this dish in Instagram and received a lot of laughs. " Haha look at those things standing. So silly". I agree with them and now I can't unsee. The Tuna itself didn't have a whole lot of flavor, but the different flavors of the topping /garnish was fun and enjoyable. $17 I still feel is a little overpriced for this item, and at this price point, I would expect a good presentation also. (I'm a type of person that would be happy to pay hundreds of dollars for good fine dining / Quality food) Karaage: This was pretty good. Very similar if not same as the Karaage at Susuru. I would marinade the chicken a little longer, and try to fry in the way it keeps the juice inside a little better. If I was cooking, I would consider quick tossing in light sauce immediately after it comes out of the fryer. (This is soft opening so I'm sure they are still adjusting). Yuzu Mayo is fun and I think it goes well.

Kushiyaki and Yakotori are fairly good. Smaller than your typical Japanese Yakotori so keep that in mind!

Over all, I think it was a good experience. The restaurant does smell fishy and smokey (I don't mind as this is common in some izakayas in Japan. Part of the experience) but some folks I came with were bothered. Keep this in mind before coming here. The number of items in the menu really needs to be increased to be able to be called izakaya style. Perhaps more carbs. (Again this is soft opening so I believe they have limited menu).

Also, noone in the kitchen or the servers were wearing masks, so if you are worried about the covid/monkey pox, keep this in mind!

I'm excited for another Japanese inspired restaurant opening in Orlando, and hope this becomes...