Dining at Norigami
Winter Garden has a brand new dining experience within the Plant Street Market. Norigami is a sushi and hand roll bar run by head chef David Tsan. This eight-seat counter offers downtown Winter Garden an elevated experience to enjoy a variety of fresh pieces in a casual atmosphere.
THE VIBE
Norigami is located inside Plant Street Market in Winter Garden, so there isn’t any need to feel like you need to dress up, as the vibe in the market is pretty casual. The counter seats eight people at a time, so depending on when you visit, you may be elbow-to-elbow with someone or have little room to spread out.
Because it’s located inside the market, they can’t control the overall ambiance (country music accompanied most of our dining experience); however, chances are you will be able to block any market bustle out while you focus on engaging with Chef David and watching him work.
While the sushi counter itself is not accessible for all, I did see someone pick up to-go food, so you might want to look into that and see if taking food outside to enjoy in an accessible area is possible.
THE food
Print-out menus are at the counter, so you can start identifying what items you’d like once you sit. What is helpful to any sushi novice is a card that explains with pictures the difference between Nigiri, Sashimi, Aburi, and Temaki. There is also a price difference for each, so if you are on a budget or want to try different types of pieces, you can mix and match. There is also an appetizer and crudo (raw fish) menu and the option to let Chef David create a platter for you if you can’t decide.
WHAT I ORDERED:
SPICY CUCUMBER SALAD
POPCORN HAMACHI - (I didn’t order this, but the Chef was kind enough to let us try it)
TORO - Fatty Tuna
HAMACHI - Yellowtail
HOTATE - Japanese Scallop
UNI - Sea Urchin
KING SALMON
INARI - Tofu Pocket
Everything we got was delicious, with the stand out for me being the Toro, the Hotate, the Popcorn Hamachi, and honestly, the Inari was a sweet surprise.
The Hamachi was buttery and lightly sweet. It was a thoughtful addition to use the popcorn found locally in the market for some added texture, along with the perfectly pureed avocado.
Toro always stands out to me because of the melt-in-your-mouth texture and flavor.
The Hotate was new for me; I don’t believe I had a Japanese scallop before. It was very lightly sweet, but its preparation also gave me heat from a spicy Tobanjan aioli and brightness with a lime. For me, it had the most range of flavor in one mouthful.
I had finished everything I ordered initially, but I was curious about the Inari, so I added that at the end. Chef David quickly said it was one of his favorite snacks growing up, so I was excited to see what it was.
He placed down a little tofu pocket, and when I picked it up, I realized it was packed with rice. It had such a light sweet flavor that I could easily see snacking a few of these daily.
SHOULD YOU GO?
Yes! I wouldn’t hesitate recommending Norigami at all, and I plan to go back and bring others. I think it’s a great addition to a dining scene in Winter Garden that doesn’t often personally lure me to trek over there just to dine.
WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
The pieces are lightly brushed with wasabi and soy sauce unless you request otherwise. Chef David saw my reaction to one of the pieces due to the wasabi and immediately offered to lessen it for me, which was so kind of him, but I told him I wanted it just how he would typically make it. That, however, is one of the perks of eating right in front of the Chef. They watch, listen, and are accommodating.
Norigami has some water and soda options; however, you can also order a drink at the Crooked Can and bring it back to the counter with you.
Right now, the counter is only open Tuesday - Friday for dinner and Saturday - Sunday for lunch and dinner. The hours are still being assessed, so there is a possibility for more lunch hours soon.
Pricing depends on how you order, so it’s flexible to different budgets. Pieces range anywhere from $3 - $15, and the apps anywhere from $5 - $16. For two people, you can keep it under $100 (not counting any additional drinks) and leave full and satisfied.
Reservations are definitely needed at this time.
For those who have eaten at Edoboy, you may wonder how it compares. Regarding quality, I felt they are both on the same level. Edoboy is just a different atmosphere. One thing to note is that there are no limits to how many pieces you order at Norigami, and there is no timed component to your stay. That being said, once you finish, you need to exit the counter and not linger.
This is not a sponsored or hosted post. All food was paid for personally in full.