Long before it became the world’s largest city, Tokyo, Japan was a small fishing village named Edo. It was during the 265-year Edo period — the city was renamed Tokyo in 1868 — that sushi became popular.
There were even sushi restaurants then but, since it was long before refrigeration, customers walked up to a counter and ordered their fresh fish dishes, to-go style.
So, it’s fitting that Orlando’s first stand-up sushi restaurant, Edoboy, carries that in its name. There aren’t many stand-up sushi restaurants in the United States but they are still common in Japan.
Edoboy was founded by Tori Tori Japanese pub owner, Sean Nguyen, and is being built as an extension directly behind the pub in the Mills 50 district at 728 N. Thornton Ave. It is expected to open in late 2021 or early 2022.
The eight-person sushi bar will offer a selection of nigiri, a small, delicious treat in which a thinly-sliced piece of raw fish is draped over a bit of sweet and salty rice, as well as the more traditional sushi rolls. The sushi bar will have two tiers. The lower tier, which will wrap around the bar, will be handicap-accessible as will the bar’s restroom.
Guests will walk in, be led to an available spot at the bar, and be greeted with an “oshibori,” or wet towelette, according to Tasty Chomps. Guests will be encouraged to order a few pieces at a time, enjoy those and then order “the next round.” Just as in a regular bar, when finished, the customer will signal to be given the check.
“By removing the server as a middle man, we can expedite things and give the customer immediate satisfaction. Not having seats keeps things fast and flowing,” Nguyen said.
