It's so hard to find good sushi in Tampa Bay and this place exceeded my expectations! I drove all the way from downtown St Pete on a IG recommendation (that's how little good options you have in this area unfortunately) and I was not disappointed. The staff and owner were very friendly and personable and the food was even better! I ordered the gyoza (this is fried and the filling is an in-house recipe pork filling, might be different from your regular gyoza but still yummy and worth trying), and had the Nigiri Flight which was amazing! I'll let the picture speak for itself, but you need to come in and try it for yourself. The fish was fresh and each one was better than the other. I even loved the tamago (which they prepare in house) and I normally am not a fan of it. All the nigiri were well sized and super filling, I could have done without the dumplings and the salad, and still would have been more than satisfied. The place is also very well decorated and styled, I truly think they hit all the points with food, service, and ambience. You can tell the owner puts his heart and soul into this place and it shows in the food and your time there. It was a very pleasant experience and I am so happy to have found Isekai! read more

Isekai Sushi and Cafe - Sushi flight - Sushi Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Fantastic lunch here on a recent visit to Tampa for business. As a Los Angeles resident who has spent 1/2 my time in Hawaii for work, I am an acclaimed sushi snob. I was excited by the great reviews on Yelp -- and was so happy that this place lived up to the hype! The fish was excellent -- fresh, well cut, super tasty. The toro was rich and delicious, the salmon and snapper fresh and pure, and as noted by others, the seasoned sushi rice with the accoutrements in the bowl (seaweed salad, thinly sliced pickled radish and carrot, and masago) made for an elevated lunch. I really appreciated the flexibility and options around my celiac disease (sushi can be tough because of the wheat in most soy sauce) -- including the kind note they attached saying the subbed some extra toro and masago for the Iburi which had been marinated in soy sauce. Lastly, I usually much prefer to eat-in for sushi (a sushi bar is my 2nd home), but really appreciate the details they put into the Uber Eats takeout package -- dressed it nice with shiso leaf and shaved radish AND have it all placed on little ice packs to keep the fish cold on their commute from the Chef's Knife to my belly. Great experience overall. read more

I first came here when they opened a few years ago and loved it, but since I didn't live nearby anymore I hadn't been back until recently, when I stopped in for a solo dinner. Once again, the food was amazing The Internal Combustion Roll was a standout smoky, creamy, with the perfect amount of heat and jalapeño kick . I also tried onigiri for the first time, and it was yummy, filling, and so good . They've added mock mojitos to the menu, which was such a nice surprise light, refreshing, and not overly sweet. Service was excellent, with the owner and staff checking in and offering great recommendations . The space is super cute inside with updated decor and lighting, and overall the food, service, and atmosphere were top-tier I left full, happy, and already planning my return read more

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Isekai was short of NOTHING. The service top notch, the sushi exquisite and the atmosphere, welcoming. We tried a variety of traditional and special rolls, each one more delicious than the next. The server made some great recommendations also! Unbeknownst to our table, a different roll was brought out than the one we requested. The gal came so sweetly and let us know the mishap and brought out our roll we originally ordered, on the house! I'm all about service style and substance, Isekai has it it ALL. I will be coming back, this place was amazing. read more

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Fresh sushi, cozy atmosphere, and friendly staff made for a pleasant meal today!!!!!!!!

This place understood the assignment! The sushi was so fresh it tasted like the fish had be given positive affirmations its whole life. Every bite = happy little serotonin boost. And the pork spring roll... WOW! That wasn't a spring roll, that was a love letter to pork wrapped in a rice paper. Generous, seasoned, and full of flavor. read more

Isekai Sushi and Cafe - Pork spring roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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**Isekai Sushi and Café: Where Chef Chris Said "What If Sushi Was... Honest?"** Okay, so there's this place called Isekai, and Chef Chris and Chef David are out here doing something wild: they're making sushi... correctly. I know, revolutionary concept. But here's what got me. They have a chart on the wall. Showing you where every fish comes from. Like they're so confident in their sourcing, they're basically challenging you to have questions. "You want to know where this tuna is from? BOOM. It's right there. We're not hiding anything. In fact, we insist you look at this chart." The homemade ginger dressing? Come on. That's the kind of detail that makes you realize other places have been lying to you your whole life. This is what it's supposed to taste like. *Oh.* So that's ginger dressing. Cool, cool. Everything I've had before was... what exactly? Now, every roll we tried was like a different personality. One roll is light and refreshing--very "nice to meet you, let's take things slow." The next one? Explosive. Flavor everywhere. Your mouth doesn't know what hit it. It's like they're teaching a master class in range. "You thought sushi was one thing? Wrong. Sit down." No tricks. No smoke and mirrors. Everything is exactly what they say it is, and somehow that makes it taste even better. It's transparent in a way that makes you wonder why every restaurant isn't doing this. Shout out to Britt, Zach, and Kirby for the recommendation. You three are the real MVPs. You sent me to a place where chefs are actually *chef-ing*, and I will never forget this. Go to Isekai. Look at the chart. Taste the difference. You're welcome. read more

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This little unsuspecting sushi spot in this shopping plaza off of Gunn really blew us away. We were greeted warmly when we walked in and sat right away. We were just stopping in for a light lunch and asked for some recommendations, their miso soup was great, and then I also had the Lemon Drop roll - I kid you not when I say this is my new favorite roll in all of Tampa. The flavor combo with the lemons and the peach vinaigrette is paired so perfectly in this roll, overall just amazing! The vibe here is super cute too, it feels very welcoming. Also - huge thanks to Chris for taking such good care of us while we were there. 10/10 in customer service for sure. Can't wait to go back! read more

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An EPIC sushi spot serving up the freshest fish and making omakase style sushi accessible to the public. My jaw was literally on the floor the entire experience. Located in an unassuming plaza in north tampa, Isekai sushi is legit! You can definitely tell the owner and sushi chefs take great pride in their art. Food: For an appetizer we ordered the pulled pork dumplings which are an innovative take on a classic. The edamame and seaweed salad were super fresh. The real star of the show for me was the chefs nigiri plate which featured 12 pieces of curated nigiri by the sushi chef. It's a sight to behold and truly felt special when the chef came to explain each roll, the ingredients of each and the flavor profile. Amazing!! We also ordered otoro handrolls and rolls. SO fresh. Drink: It's BYOB so account for that. There's a walgreens next door where we grabbed some beer. The restaurant sells boba and different types of teas, all which sound delicious. read more

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I've been enjoying Isekai for many years now. They've certainly grown and have created a great environment! Great quality sushi. Highly recommend! read more

What a gem. The space is super cute, small, and well utilized. I went during non-peak hours and was seated immediately. The owner, Chris, is also very friendly and knowledgeable about sushi. He recommended an assortment of 12 nigiri pieces that is served with either soup or salad. I usually avoid chef's choice because I like variety, and all too often, I see the same exact pieces served again and again. Not here. Their take on assorted fish was fresh (pun intended) and satisfying. I truly appreciated the selections they included. The house marinated shoyu ikura, in particular, was excellent - balanced and not too salty. read more

Isekai Sushi and Cafe - 12 piece nigiri - chef's choice - Sushi Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Incredible. We came here for a date night before the movies and were not disappointed. Brian, our server, was super attentive. The sushi was extremely fresh and we watched the team make and torch the rolls in front of us. Will definitely be back! read more

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This is a pretty good sushi place. I ordered the lemon drop roll which was excellent and the spicy tuna which was good. I got take out and my order was ready upon arrival. The menu is not as large as I would like for a sushi place but the rolls were pretty good. Overall this is a decent place. The interior restaurant was small. read more

Isekai Sushi and Cafe - 13. Lemon Drop Roll and Spicy Tuna - Sushi Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Came in for lunch. They have lunch combos that include a roll, tea and salad or fried tofu. We walked in and sat quickly. Order taken and not long after the food was out. Very good food and service. Highly recommend. The tea was quite delicious! We didn't get boba in our tea and I did opt for no sugar which made it perfect. read more

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Fabulous vibe, fabulous food! Love that they have traditional sushi and vegan sushi - ideal for my family of both fish eaters and vegetarians. It is very small so definitely reserve ahead! read more

The sushi here is top quality! Nice place and cozy , the drinks are good too. I will come back for sure

Where to begin.. the food was a 12/10. Great portions and amazing fresh flavors. Large selection available to cater to all palletes. The service was excellent, Chris came over and greeted us warmly. Made sure we were well taken care of. The location itself is easy to get in and out of, very chill spot. Cannot wait to come back! read more

Isekai Sushi and Cafe - A little of everything - Sushi Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Ordered from DoorDash. I ordered BYOB with the 2 sauces that come with and paid for a 3rd sauce. All on the side. It's my first time trying this place so I wanted to try a few different sauces before committing. My order arrives stapled shut, with the receipt stapled to the front as well. There's not a single sauce in the bag. I called to figure out what we can do. The phone was quickly answered by a "isekai please hold". Sat on hold for 12 minutes. Answered and called back. I am currently on hold for 5 minutes. I can't imagine that 40 minutes before they close they are SO BUSY, that for a now 20 minute (and counting) stretch of time someone can not answer the phone for a moment??? This is ridiculous. They ruined my dinner with their mistake and don't have the decency to speak to me. I believe they are waiting another 10 minutes until they close so that they can hang up all together. read more

HIDDEN GEM ALERT!!! I walked in here with no expectations and ended up very impressed! They have fresh and good quality sushi. The Kirito and Smoke the Dragon roll were both amazing. They use fresh ginger instead of the pink dyed garbage. Their homemade egg rolls were legit and one of my favorites in town now. This is my new favorite casual sushi spot! Staff and owner were super friendly and the interior decor was fun and trendy with an anime theme. read more

Took over an hour to receive our food. Seemed like they were more concerned with Uber Eats and take out. I very much enjoyed this place prior. read more

We've been here twice in the past few weeks. This is one of the few places that have onigiri! I had Thai tea with Crystal boba. I asked for the sugar to adjusted and we settled on having it unsweetened and the sweetener syrup on the side so I can adjust it myself. The Crystal boba was already a little sweet so I really didn't add anything to it. read more

Isekai Sushi and Cafe - Florida man bowl and krabstick salad onigiri - Sushi Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

The food and the service was amazing, definitely the best sushi spot in tampa. The atmosphere was exactly what we wanted. We will definitely be back next time we are in town! read more

Absolutely amazing! I can't believe I'm just finding out about this place -- what a hidden gem. The sushi was incredibly fresh, beautifully presented, and packed with flavor. You can really tell they care about quality. The service was friendly and attentive, and the overall vibe made it such a great experience. This is officially going into my regular rotation. read more

Isekai Sushi and Cafe - Sushi Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

This is a cute hidden gem in between Walgreens and LA Fitness. My husband and I wanted to get out of the house so we decided to have a dinner here. They are a mostly Japanese based menu. I love that they have mocktails! I had their mocktail special for that day. I ended up getting two rolls a spicy tuna roll and a shrimp tempura roll. They have other specialty rolls too. The service was prompt as well. Perfect for a quick bite! read more

Isekai Sushi and Cafe - Sushi Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Randomly found this place on Google when I was craving pho. I ordered takeout. I should've gotten some rolls as well since this place seems to have great sushi too but I just wanted pho that day. The service was very quick and my food was ready for pickup within 10 mins. The restaurant was small but the workers were nice and it wasn't that busy. My pho was so good. The broth was so delicious and it had a perfect amount of noodles and beef. For $13, I thought it was a great deal and hit the spot. I will be a returning customer for sure! Next time I'll try some sushi! read more

Isekai Sushi and Cafe - Sushi Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Overall loved this food place. The atmosphere speaks for itself. Some of the food was a touch off on the taste. Server apologized for the desert menu being incorrectly labeled. Rice had too much Rice Vinegar. The Korean fried chicken wasn't as spicy as I was expecting. Decent little place, hope with to visit on a future trip. read more

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The reviews do not lie, this place is amazing!!! Everything we ate from the bao buns, fish wings, karrage bowl, and sushi were delicious!! The service was also great and they were super helpful with understanding the menu. The restaurant has a great vibe and it's a chill spot. We'll definitely be back.! Just slightly pricey, but I think you pay for the better quality read more

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Warmly greeted by owner Chris, who went over the menu in detail, told us his favorite rolls and the freshest fish of the day. The smoke the dragon roll was a flavor bomb. Chris even showed us the fresh blue fin collar that just came in today! Wonderful experience and the best sushi I've had in Tampa. Refreshing to have an excellent local sushi spot. We will be back! read more

Isekai Sushi and Cafe - 14. Smoke the Dragon Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Great sushi and service! The smoke the dragon and lemon drop were my favorite :) would definitely recommend

Visiting the area and stopped by to try it. Our server bryan was super attentive and made sure we had a great experience. Loved everything we ate here. Will come back next time we are in Tampa read more

Isekai Sushi and Cafe - Sushi Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

This is a great place for take out as well. I love sushi platters. It's just fun to get a giant platter of sushi to share with friends. I had a playdate with two other families so I got the Deluxe Platter. Note to future self, this was a lot for three women and two children (only two of our children are actually civilized enough to eat sushi). I think the Deluxe Platter could feed up to five women. Being that we were eating it all and I wasn't paying attention to what I was eating, I can't tell you which rolls I liked and which I didn't, but I'm going to list out everything below so I just get exactly the same thing. The only one I'd consider swapping out is the pinwheel. I think I'm just a rice person at heart and the pinwheel didn't have rice. However, two children actually ate the pinwheel so I can be persuaded. The Deluxe platter comes with 6 classic rolls, four deluxe rolls and four either soups or salads. Next time I would do two soup and two salad, I'm not a huge fan of their ginger dressing, it's a little too sweet for me. Classic rolls: Spicy tuna roll Tempura Shrimp Argh! Roll Classic Eel Mr. Crab Chick Fried Chicken (which btw was delicious. So out of the box, but I'll 100% get it again.) Deluxe rolls: Lemon drop Luffy's Walk the Flank Kirito Roll Pinwheel If you're going to pick up it is better to call and order than order online. There is a surcharge online, most likely because they have to pay to use ordering platforms. Just take out the middle man and call them if you can. Even though we had to eat it about an hour and a half later, because my other friend was late, it was still delicious. I would highly recommend. read more

Isekai Sushi and Cafe - Sushi Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Cute curated little oasis! Feels like you're stepping into another world. I really loved the Pork Bao buns - the perfect bite and Gotcha machine - fun surprise. Exciting menu, fast service, and super fresh food. read more

Hidden treasure in a strip mall center. Fresh, inventive, and creative. Recommendations were delish. Loved it!

Ever have "one of those days"? I have been wanting to try Isekai due to reviews and it is literally the closest sushi place to me. So off I went! I arrived, walked in... a young lady came up and I think she said "sit anywhere" (will go into that more in a moment)! I turned to the closest table... and she said "not there, I haven't cleaned yet", lol. So I moved down to the next set of tables (there were a number open) and noticed a green onion top on one of them... and pointed it out. She said "not there, I haven't cleaned yet". So she directed me to a single table that had obviously been cleaned. Cool.. no big deal, just amusing. Then she started talking to me... and I could not hear her as the tv directly above this table was blaring music that sounded like Super Mario or something. I explained I am hearing impaired (although I do have the latest, greatest super duper hearing aid), and I could not understand her. She said she would turn down the tv (I got that much reading her lips, lol). She did turn it down. Then one the male waitstaff came up to wait on me... and I was concerned that I had offended the young lady or scared her off. Not my day! Although I am fine with male servers... not an issue there either. Ordered a two roll Bento box, and ordered the Spicy Tuna Roll and a Yellow Wolf roll, with a Pork eggroll. Also asked for a side of Ponzu... as I love the stuff for sushi. And a hot green tea! Got water and the hot green tea quickly. It was good. Bento box was delivered, sans Ponzu. No biggie, was not going to ask twice. Ginger salad dressing was really good... obviously made in house. Pork eggroll, ok ...very crispy but a bit bland. Yellow Wolf roll, good... Jalapeno was nice but the asparagus kind of overpowered everything else. The Spicy Tuna roll was much better, nicely done and nice portions of fish. I will go back again one of these days... and see if things are better, or if this was just an off day. read more

Isekai Sushi and Cafe - Two roll Bento Box. With Spicy Tuna roll and a Yellow Wolf roll. Ginger dressing was awesome! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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I would give them a 3.5, but rounded up because the man at the register was so helpful. I didn't even know this place was here as it's located in a rundown strip mall, but it's right next to the Walgreens. Since it was almost lunchtime, I decided to order a few items to-go. The inside of the place was clean and bright and the man at the counter was very friendly. He told me it would be about 10 minutes, and that was spot on. Everything was packaged well when I got home; they even provided soy sauce, napkins & chopsticks, although I told them I didn't need them. I would say the food was good, but nothing had a wow factor. I tried the Yellow Wolf roll with no jalapenos. I liked it, but I thought it was a bit skimpy on the yellowtail. The other roll I had was the Mr. Crab, and I wish the softshell crab had more flavor. For the next day I got an order of their spring rolls - one with grilled pork, and one with marinated oyster mushrooms. While I love the concept, again neither was as flavorful as I would have hoped. Plus, both spring rolls had split, and it was tough eating them with julienned cucumber falling everywhere. I had ordered a salad too, and this was very small for the price they charged. All in all everything was okay, but I would try different things next time. read more

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Sushi was fair rolled small, service good but long wait times if you order more food. Definitely short staffed

Hidden gem Thoroughly enjoyed the food, ambiance and people here. Shocked to find it hidden in a basic Florida strip mall. The menu is extensive with everything from sushi to pho with a lot of lesser known items in between. And using higher end ingredients and techniques you don't usually see in the burbs. Smells great the minute you walk in! Super cute decor. Very reasonably priced. We'll be back often. read more

Isekai Sushi and Cafe - 9. Follow the Rainbow Roll K11b. Fish Wings: Hamachi-kama - Sushi Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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I'd like to start by saying, if I could give them ten stars I would! Isekai was recommended to me by a friend, and my boyfriend and I went and tried it the same night. It's in a very unassuming spot, tucked away in a plaza out in Carrollwood. When we walked in, there were a few other diners but plenty of tables for us to choose our seat. We were informed when we sat down that because they do not yet have their beer/wine license it was BYOB! Very conveniently, there is a Walgreens right next door so my boyfriend went over and got us a bottle of our favorite wine. I personally thought it was great and made the date night even more unique. Now about the food - I don't even know where to begin. Historically, I've never been the biggest fan of raw fish but eat it because everyone around me seems to just love sushi. For the first time ever, I was actually a little concerned my boyfriend was eating more than half the food. This was some of the freshest fish I have ever had! Everything had such incredible flavor and we both had many speechless moments. We also got some time at the end of the night to speak with the owner, Chris. It was such a breath of fresh air to meet someone whose passion was consistency and quality over a trendy ambiance. This is one of the first meals in a while that really had me excited. I loved dining somewhere that I could have a conversation without shouting over loud music or a place so packed it's hard to get service and people are bumping into you. But honestly, even if it was a loud and busy place, I'd continue going back simply because the quality was next level and definitely rivals many of the trendy, quite expensive restaurants in the south Tampa area! read more

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A great experience. The food arrived in record time, everyone is very attentive to give you the best service and make you feel very comfortable, the space is very nice and invites you to come back. Rick, the chef, is very kind and gave us a tofu dessert as a courtesy for our first time and I think he has created two new addicts in my husband and me. read more

Isekai Sushi and Cafe - Shrimp 19. Tempura Shrimp Roll (C) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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I ordered 8 rolls from here for a Christmas party. They arranged all of them on a platter and I didn't even ask them to do that. The presentation was outstanding! The rolls were very good. Would definitely order from them again. read more