Juju - Review - Colonial Town Center - Orlando - The Infatuation

"We’d be a happier society if all abandoned Pizza Huts were converted into fun izakayas. Consider Juju a case study in this theory. The former strip mall Pizza Hut is now a very fun izakaya that serves great Japanese small plates while impressively skirting copyright laws. Inside, the salad bar is gone and the seats are now cushioned beer crates. The big menu ranges from sushi to yakitori. Juju is a great spot for grazing between cocktails, and works just as well for a big meal that consists of an overwhelming amount of grilled skewers. In addition to the architecture, Juju honors the restaurant’s past life with a casual, family-friendly atmosphere (and a cocktail that comes in one of those old-school red Pizza Hut cups). There’s also a $120-180 omakase counter that you’ll need a reservation for, but the izakaya is walk-in-friendly. Food Rundown That Old Pizza Hut Here are facts about this cocktail in descending order of importance. It has edible googly eyes. It’s served in a vintage Pizza Hut cup. It consists of whiskey, ginger-honey syrup, and orange zest whipped cream. It should be ordered with dessert. photo credit: Ryan Pfeffer Teba Wings Start with these wings, which have been stuffed with ground chicken, rice, shiitake mushrooms, and can be neatly consumed in two bites. photo credit: Ryan Pfeffer Pressed Salmon Sushi Order this if you want to leave full. The hefty, square pieces of sushi are bricks densely packed with rice, avocado, and salmon. It’s like if someone put a chirashi bowl into a trash compactor. photo credit: Ryan Pfeffer Okonomiyaki This pancake puck is sweet, chewy, and topped with bonito flakes that dance like no one is watching. It comes with a metal spatula so you can portion out slices for the table. PlayMute video credit: Ryan Pfeffer Mentaiko Udon Finish the meal with this. The nest of chewy udon noodles is coated in sake butter like a responsible pale person applies sunscreen during a heatwave. It only gets better when you mix in the spicy cod roe, ikura, and marinated egg yolk sitting on top. photo credit: Ryan Pfeffer" - Ryan Pfeffer