Orlando Foodie post by Annia Villa, Orlando’s Tiny Taster. Born in Peru and having traveled the world, she has a hunger for life and food. Experiencing the world through her taste buds, she’ll try anything!

Sushi is by far one of my favorite foods. What I love most about sushi besides its fresh (hopefully) fish, is the way it brings friends together. You can get one big boat of sushi and explore everything on it together, rating each roll in the process; I love having fun with my food! I have been to almost every popular sushi spot in Orlando, so that meant I just had to try this new Shakai Sushi Lounge.

Shakai opened up in late April after what used to be Ichiban Sushi.  From what was a simple and quiet sushi restaurant is now an exciting sushi bar ultra lounge! I got there and immediately noticed the difference in ambiance and décor. The warm lighting and art really brought the place alive from what used to be, definitely more inviting. There were only a couple small groups of people when I arrived, so I headed straight for the sushi bar.

Having heard amazing things about Shakai’s signature drinks I dove into that menu first, yum.  I wish they had a sampler option, all of these look amazing! I ended up having a Kanji Lemongrass Mojito with rum, lemongrass syrup, muddled strawberry, lime, mint leaves and lemon soda. It was so refreshing! I also tried the Lychee Tini and the Shakai Martini, both excellent and unique! I love fresh fruit in my cocktails.

We ended up ordering 5 rolls, amazing rolls…very unique. These were all unique takes on the standard rolls.

The Fire Ball had all sorts of fish inside with jalapenos on top; the Bamboo Roll had tempura shrimp with asparagus and avocado, a trio you can never go wrong with. The Hawaiian Roll was stuffed with spicy tuna and was topped with tuna, avocado and pineapple salsa, so fresh!

The Unbelievable Roll was recommended to us by our server and was definitely one of my favorites even though I usually don’t care for eel. It included crab salad and cucumber wrapped with tuna, eel, avocado and tempura crunch. Love that crunch with the creamy avocado!

Another one of my favorites was the Mango Madness Roll. I have a sweet tooth so the thought of mango in my sushi sold me instantly! This roll had tempura crab and avocado and was topped with tuna, mango, scallions and spicy mayo.  Pretty much the best ever, this roll was made for me!

I was delighted to speak with the sushi chefs who told me more about the menu at restaurant then I turned around and noticed the place was now packed. What a transformation already! By 10:30PM dining tables start to be moved out of the way and people pour in. This is on a Wednesday; I can’t imagine how alive this place is on the weekends when a DJ is rocking the place, people dancing, a full bar and no cover!

I cannot wait to visit this place this weekend, it is definitely necessary to experience this restaurant by day and night. With such good sushi, great music and a lounge setting, this place is sure to please the chic Orlando crowd looking for a sexy and stylish hangout.

Be sure to like them on Facebook for other great updates and specials like happy hour!

HELPFUL LINKS & INFO ABOUT - Shakai Sushi Lounge

WHERE 19 S. Orange Ave
Orlando - Downtown

FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/ShakaiSushiLounge

TWITTER http://twitter.com/shakailounge

WEBSITE