Banshoo Sushi Bar

Orlando’s newest sushi bar and hot spot, Banshoo Sushi bar, which officially opened at the award-winning Rosen Centre hotel in the heart of International Drive. Banshoo, which is Japanese for “sunset,” makes a perfect addition to Rosen Centre’s laid-back, yet sophisticated, Florida style and also rounds out the hotel’s acclaimed dining options, including the South-Florida-themed Everglades Restaurant, which offers prime steaks and seafood, Café Gauguin, with grand buffets as well as a full-service menu, the Lobby Lounge & Pool Bar and Red’s Deli.

Offering an inventive selection of specialty sushi rolls, fresh sashimi and inventive signature seafood dishes as well as distinct cocktails, wines and sake, Banshoo is fueled by the masterful culinary skills of 20-year sushi expert, Chef Tadayoshi “Yoshi” Kohazame.

I had the opportunity to meet chef Yoshi and experience the wonderful sushi and was certainly amazed by his sushi presentation DELICIOUS. The fresh selection of Japanese dishes are six signature sashimi and seafood presentations, nine Nigeria sushi and sashimi selections, 12 signature sushi rolls as well as daily chef specials. Among Banshoo’s signature, not-to-be-missed offerings are the Banshoo Sunset Signature Roll, a blend of lobster, crab and scallops topped with tuna and salmon as colorful as the Florida Sunset, and the HaRo Surf and Turf Signature Roll, a hearty combination of lobster and seared sirloin. Chef Yoshi’s specialty seafood dishes include a citrus-infused Banshoo Ceviche Usuzukuri made of thin slices of tuna, white fish and salmon served with a lime ponzu sauce, and the Alaskan Cucumber Boat filled with spicy scallops and lump crab.

As well as offering an incredible sushi meal or light bite before dinner, Banshoo also offers locals and visitors a place to unwind after a long day of work, meetings or sightseeing with refreshing signature cocktails such as the Banshoo Sunset Punch, made with Mount Gay and Myers dark rums, peach schnapps, banana liqueur, crème de cassis, and orange, pineapple and cranberry juices or the Asian Mojito, made with Tyku Asian Citrus Liqueur, Cruzan Rum, fresh mint, lime juice and club soda.

Guest of Rosen Centre's Lobby Lounge, Everglades restaurant and Cafe Gauguin may also order from the Banshoo menu, and guests may even place orders from their rooms for pick up. Pre-made rolls are also available in Red's Deli, open 24 hours. Banshoo is open to hotel guests as well as the general public from 5-10 p.m. daily. Guests receive complimentary valet parking when dining at any Rosen Centre restaurant.

Trained in Okinawa, Japan, Chef Yoshi has spent the last 20 years working for some of the finest Japanese and sushi restaurants in Central Florida. Chef Yoshi was instrumental in helping select a name for the new sushi bar, having grown up on the island of Okinawa, witnessing orange sunsets rising from pure blue waters. Sunset is a time for families and friends to come together. Chef Yoshi’s love for his island, passion for fresh seafood and creative abilities led him to discover his culinary talents as a sushi chef. His belief is that the highest quality ingredients and artistic presentation create an unforgettable dining experience.

Chef Yoshi’s experience includes opening The Venue in St. Petersburg — a new concept sushi restaurant, tapas bar and nightclub. He also served for seven years as the Sushi Chef at Rangetsu of Tokyo on International Drive in Orlando, where he made sushi for restaurant patrons as well as for guests of large conventions including the PGA Show, Surf Expo and Florida Restaurant Show.

Banshoo is located at the front of the hotel adjacent to the Lobby Lounge, and features six seats at the sushi bar as well as a communal table at bar height that seats 12. The sophisticated and contemporary restaurant blends perfectly with Rosen Centre’s existing décor, incorporating tones of teal and terra cotta throughout. Banshoo’s regal columns are wrapped in a mosaic of chocolate brown tiles accented with teal glass tile bars. Asian influences come into play with a kabuki red wall covering and coordinating kabuki red bar stools as well as a variety of Asian-inspired accessories. The bar area is illuminated with LED lighting and an opaque rice paper acrylic to create a glowing shoji screen effect while directional track lighting highlights the glittering Black Galaxy granite bar. The overall effect is a comfortable yet upscale eatery that’s ideal for casual conversation and relaxation and of course, great sushi and the Rosen touch of class service.