On October 8, Kappo Tsan in O-Town West announced it is changing its name to Kappo Sushi. Its new executive chef is Stone Lin, who led Natsu, the Michelin-starred omakase counter downtown that has since closed. Toshi Kishimoto stays on as chef de cuisine. He owned Hanamizuki on International Drive, which closed after nearly 30 years.
Taken together, that means the cooks behind two of Orlando's best-known sushi rooms that have closed are now working side by side in Suite 110 at 11815 Glass House Lane in O-Town West. A second omakase counter, Sushi Izuki, sits a short walk away on Fenton Street. For Dr. Phillips, this is a new kind of dining story. Its best-known restaurant addresses have always been the big rooms on Sand Lake Road. Its newest serious ones are small counters in a mixed-use district off Palm Parkway.
Where Kappo's kitchen came from
Kappo opened in December 2025 under David Tsan. Orlando Weekly's April 2026 review credits him with turning Winter Garden's Norigami into one of the area's most approachable sushi counters. Norigami picked up a Bib Gourmand in the 2026 Michelin Guide Florida, which Michelin announced on May 28. The same review listed who Tsan brought with him:
- Toshi Kishimoto, former chef-owner of Hanamizuki at 8255 International Drive
- Anthony Esquivel, who worked at Natsu Omakase
- Benjamin Coutts, a Michelin Award recipient and certified sake specialist
- Anna Rysavy, director of operations, who previously managed Morimoto Asia in Disney Springs
That list is from April. The October announcement adds Lin at the top. According to Tasty Chomps, he has also worked at Soseki and at Shuko in New York.
Natsu was a 12-seat counter at 777 N. Orange Ave. in the North Quarter. Orlando Weekly reported in 2025 that it earned a Michelin star after four months. By the Kappo review in April 2026, Natsu was described as shuttered. Hanamizuki's closing was reported in April 2025. So within about a year, downtown lost a starred omakase counter and I-Drive lost a Japanese restaurant that had been open for decades. Chefs from both now share one kitchen in southwest Orlando.
What the kitchen actually cooks
The cooking has its own identity. Michelin's inspector notes on Kappo Tsan describe kappo cooking blended with Tsan's Taiwanese heritage, a meal that is serious but playful. They single out Parmesan nigiri, charred Taiwanese cabbage, Taiwanese popcorn chicken and sea bream simmered in dashi. Orlando Weekly called it a "Taipei-meets-Osaka concept."
The restaurant made the 2026 Michelin Guide at the Recommended level. None of the Orlando-area restaurants that held stars in 2026 are in Dr. Phillips or O-Town West. All five one-star restaurants kept their stars, and Sorekara kept its two. Kappo now has an executive chef who has run a starred counter, though Michelin's 2026 Florida selection already came out in May.
The menu has also changed over the year. In April, Orlando Weekly listed a five-course tasting at $120, a nine-course tasting at $180, a nigiri-only option at $80, and à la carte dishes grouped by cooking method. Today, the restaurant's own site lists a 15-course seasonal omakase at the sushi bar for $165 per person. The October announcement says omakase will still be served at both the sushi bar and the dining-room tables, with new menu details coming in the next few weeks. Treat the April prices as history, not the current menu.
Two counters, a short walk apart
Sushi Izuki, at 8685 Fenton Street, Suite 150, is set up very differently. Kappo has a full dining room, a chef's counter and à la carte history. Izuki is built around one fixed meal for a handful of guests.
| Kappo Sushi (formerly Kappo Tsan) | Sushi Izuki | |
|---|---|---|
| Address | 11815 Glass House Ln., Ste. 110 | 8685 Fenton St., Ste. 150 |
| Omakase | 15 courses, $165 per person | 18 courses, $150 per guest |
| Seating | 30-seat dining room plus chef's counter | 8-seat counter plus 4 tatami-room seats |
| Days | Wednesday to Sunday, 5 to 10 p.m. | Wednesday to Sunday, closed Monday and Tuesday |
| Booking | OpenTable | Resy |
| Michelin 2026 | Recommended | Not listed |
On price, Izuki's 18 courses cost $15 less than Kappo's 15. On capacity, Izuki fits 12 people a night at each seating, and Kappo's dining room alone holds 30. Izuki's menu changes with the seasons, and you choose between the bar and the tatami room. At Kappo, OpenTable notes that booking the $165 omakase ahead guarantees a seat at the sushi bar. You can book it for one to eight people.
Both restaurants are closed early in the week, so in O-Town West omakase is a Wednesday-through-Sunday plan.
Before you book either one
Some details are changing right now, and the two restaurants' own listings don't always agree.
- Kappo's name. The OpenTable page and the Michelin page still say Kappo Tsan. The rename to Kappo Sushi was announced October 8, with no date given for the switch. Search under either name.
- Kappo's menu. Lin's menu details were still to come as of the announcement. The $165 omakase is what's listed today, so check before you go.
- Izuki's second seating. Izuki's website lists seatings at 5:30 and 8:00 p.m. and says the meal takes about 90 minutes. Its Resy listing shows 5:30 and 8:15. Go by the time on your confirmation.
- Party size. Izuki's room holds 12 at most at one seating. That works for a couple or a small group, not a big birthday table.
The rest of the block on a counter night
The Fenton Street side of the district gives you somewhere to go before or after. Agave Azul, a Mexican restaurant, lists its Dr. Phillips location at 8685 Fenton St. #120, the same address as Izuki, one suite over. Gator's Dockside opened at 8665 Fenton Street in December 2023, according to the Orange Observer. It shares a plaza with Hyderabad Cafe. If you have an 8 p.m. omakase reservation, you can get a drink or an early bite here without driving back toward Sand Lake.
Meanwhile, on Restaurant Row
Sand Lake Road lost one of its longest-running tenants this summer. The Orange Observer reported that Big Fin Seafood Kitchen, the boat-to-table seafood restaurant at 8046 Via Dellagio Way known for oysters and steaks, closed Monday, Aug. 24, after nearly 17 years. No new tenant for the space has been announced.
Big Fin's closing and Kappo's chef change both happened within the past two months. Restaurant Row's big Dellagio dining room is empty for now. A 30-seat room on Glass House Lane just brought in a chef who ran a starred downtown counter, working alongside a chef who ran an I-Drive restaurant for nearly three decades. The Kappo Sushi menu is the next thing to watch for, and the restaurant says details are coming in the next few weeks.
If O-Town West dinners are part of why you're thinking about the southwest side, or you'd like to know which nearby streets are close to Fenton Street, Omar Cotto can walk you through how the area fits together. Let's Connect.
