As I continue my quest to find the best ramen in Central Florida, Jimotti's is by far the best I have had since visiting Japan. This has become my go to place for ramen and I go there a lot now. What makes this the best ramen is the broth. It is so tasty and the thickness of the broth is light. They also have sushi and it is so good. There's also weekly Chef's specials Don't expect an Instagramable or aesthetic place but I promise the food is delicious. Our server was friendly and welcoming. read more

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Highly trained chef's Japanese dining room offering traditional dishes for lunch or dinner. Service is outstanding and Ambience is so great Address: 2545 S French Ave, Sanford, FL 32773 Phone: (407) 952-3329 Nestled in the heart of Sanford, Jimotti's Restaurant is a delightful Japanese dining experience that transports you straight to Japan with its authentic flavors and dishes. This unique eatery, helmed by a former head sushi chef from Morimoto Asia, specializes in traditional Japanese cuisine, particularly renowned for its ramen. Guests rave about the Tonkotsu ramen and meatball skewers, which capture the essence of Tokyo's culinary scene right here in Florida. Its a Traditional Japanese Restaurant in Sanford. We have Sushi, Ramen, Appetizers and more. Enjoy our food, our chef came from Japan. read more

I would give this a 3.5 but I didn't want to knock them down to 3 because the service was good. This is kind of a weird spot to me. This building looks and smells like it's been around for a while and maybe was an outdoor / indoor fast food place back a long time ago. They converted it into a ramen/ Asian inspired restaurant . The ramen was good and the appetizers were okay , but for the price I think we'll just go someplace a little more decent and not somewhere that smells like a moldy retirement home. Our bill was over 60 dollars for two of us. The setting just kinda threw me off . read more

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Incredible! And I only got takeout, but the sushi and the ramen was so good! Can't wait to go back! The space was cute and they had indoor and outdoor seating. Service was fast and friendly! read more

The food was tasty, the service was okay (we did Take-Out), however, the serving sizes for the price we paid were absolutely NOT worth it. We were still hungry after spending $100. I'm glad I tried it, but we could have eaten like kings (and with leftovers) at one of our regular favorite restaurants. read more

Ramen was fantastic, spicy tuna roll was fresh, and bbq beef hand roll was fun. our server was attentive and courteous. We will definitely be returning. read more

Excellent first experience today at Jimotti's - a small but mighty Japanese restaurant near downtown Sanford. Not all 5-star restaurants are what you might call "fancy schmancy." Quality is what counts and Jimotti's is both delicious and charming. Lunch today was the simple Tempura Bowl - a small bowl of rice topped with pieces of vegetable tempura, including a couple of shrimp and pork. Nothing fancy - just good food and enough of it to sustain me. The family that owns Jimotti's are lovely, as was my server, and I have EVERY intention of returning soon with family. To be clear, I don't bring my family to restaurants that are anything less than stellar. My loved ones are going to love Jimotti's as much as I did today - as much as I hope you do and soon. read more

Jimotti's Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Sanford, Florida

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I was looking for spots close to the Central Florida Zoo, and this restaurant came up. My friend and I love Japanese and decided to try Jimotti's out especially due to the deal on ramen on Wednesday and the happy hour. I ordered a miso soup and from the happy hour: California roll, spicy tuna roll, and karaage. The chicken was the star and the rolls were good. I asked for spicy mayo for the chicken, as I prefer when it's served with a sauce. The spot is definitely a dive, but you can tell it's popular with the locals. Service was very attentive and friendly. I would recommend Jimotti's! read more

Jimotti's Restaurant - two pieces of sushi - Japanese Near Me - Sanford, Florida

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the place has been here for a long time and from the moment you're greeted you can tell the food'll be great! the wait time from ordering to the food coming out isn't that long and the servings delightful. I got ramen there with a sweet soy sauce broth and got home with my meal still piping hot. the noodles were thick but delightful and the onions were tasty! if you want a meal you don't think twice to fully finish, come here read more

This Asian restaurant has a lot to love. The vibe is cozy and sweet with vintage art on the walls. The server was efficient and brought out all of our food in a timely manner. The food was delicious! I would love to go back and try more off of the menu. An awesome and fairly priced spot. Great place to grab a beer and bites with friends read more

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Excellent service and food. The waitress Mary is so attentive, professional and friendly. Try it and you will not be disappointed when you take your first bite of your meal. Prices are good too! This is a little quaint restaurant but it's great! read more

Jimotti's Restaurant - Sashimi - Japanese Near Me - Sanford, Florida

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Stopped by this place to check out their version of the Japanese festival with booths. I never heard of this place as far as Japanese eats snd judging by the name you wouldn't know they serve Japanese eats. The festival they had only had 4-5 selling tables selling anime toys, Japanese used housewares and kimonos, green tea soap, bonsai trees and Japanese yarn craft balls. I didn't buy anything from the festival because lack of accepting transaction negotiations from sellers. One seller was selling kimonos for $20 which isnt bad but wouldn't negotiate $5 off each. I bought kimonos from the Kissimmee Japanese festival for $10 each and same fabric quality as what this seller was selling. Her booth was pricey to me for used housewares items etc. Her used tea mug was $10! I am all about supporting locals but sometimes they can rip you off on prices! Anyway back to the restaurant review! Its a small restaurant with wooden tables and chairs and also offers bench seating. The trash can was made out of home depot moving boxes with trash bag inside. I was kind of confused with the concept of the restaurant because it didn't look settled in. What I mean is it seemed open just because they had a festival? The menu was by the cash register and no other menu offered and they had coolers storing not sure what. It just felt like it was a pop up style eatery today. Not an establishment. As far as the food offerings, The yakisoba at $5 was served on a styrofoam plate with my ticket number on the side. The serving was portioned for a person serving themselves at a house party. It tasted like the yakisoba kits from costco. It was not served hot but warm and the sauce tasted slight salty. It consisted more of the noodles than vegetables and meat. It had a sprinkle of cabbage and 1-2 pcs of carrot. That's it. The pork belly Yakitori were delicious! This is what gives them 4 stars. You get 2 pcs for $5. It was freshly made from the grill and it was juicy and seasoned well. I re ordered 2 more sets if these. Susuru have excellent Yakitori sticks but these tastes delicious in a home made manner like someone's home kitchen. I would come back here for the pork belly Yakitori but since its so far from my side of town who knows when I will be back. They didnt serve the matcha parfait and the takoyaki are frozen per cashier. So be aware of the takoyaki freshness! read more

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Dead flies in the windowsill, completely ruined my appetite. Wooden interior. Business refuses to improve any part of it read more

Now serving Valencia College! Jimotti's will be rotating between campus' with a smaller selection from the menu. Grill items mostly and not sushi. Amazing ramen and the pickled ginger they add to the dishes is a delight. So happy to have them in the cafe as it needed the life back in it to serve hot food the students instead of just food trucks and vending machines. read more

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Driving around Sanford we found this place and it's advertised that a chef from Morimoto Asia it's the owner - As a foodie I got excited. To be quiet frankly I will say it's one of the worst Japanese places I tried. The food was bad, the service is dreadful and the place is dirty. After seating and waiting for the waitress; she showed up to our table for drinks. We ordered drinks and told her we were ready to order some appetizers as well but she said "oh, I will come back later because there is a table ahead of you" .. ??! The confusing part is that we didn't call her. She just came to our table and then decides - I am gonna go to another table? On another hand; the food always pretty bad. We ordered rolls, ramen and some appetizers and to be honest they were so badly that I just couldn't finish. The rolls were bad and smelled funny. The apps weren't great either. The ramen I will say a 3.5 our of 10. The place was so dirty that I saw dead flies near my window and I lost all appetite read more

Very delicious. Should have taken a picture. I loved this place. Best Ramen in Sanford, Florida for sure!

Believe it or not they have the BEST fried chicken in sanford. This place is great, I've been coming here for years and they never disappoint. All the food is amazing definitely a slept on spot in sanford that deserves much more attention. Food comes out so fast too and delicious. read more

You're here for the food. Not the atmosphere and dear God, definitely not the bathroom. The pork belly skewers were perfect. The sea bass sushi was perfect. The Dan Dan Ramen was a symphony. I teared up while eating it because it was beautifully balanced and flavorful (and also maybe because it is spicy!). Order Ramen. Exactly how Chef makes it. Trust me. ...but pee somewhere else. read more

Jimotti's Restaurant - Baby back ribs, Jimotti style - Japanese Near Me - Sanford, Florida

This saddens me to write, but the customer service and quality of the food is diminishing as of recent. My last visits here have been sub par, as the crew is understaffed and as of my last visit, the ramen was not good at all. I normally go in and devour their delicious food, to include the ramen, but it has not been good as of late. I hope they improve the staffing and the quality of the food returns to its old glory. I now have to find a new place to eat authentic Japanese ramen and kaarage read more

The tonkatsu ramen is always good whenever I go, sometimes once a week or every other week. But it's consistent and always makes me feel at home. The vibes themselves are very homey. On the weekends I get the yakitori skewers, so good I suggest going on a weekday at a lunchtime because there's always less people. Which is how I like it. the girls that work there are always super nice and they get really busy often so I always make sure to leave a tip so they know I appreciate them read more

Jimotti's Restaurant - Yakitori, Tonkotsu Ramen - Japanese Near Me - Sanford, Florida

The food is always very good here. However if you have something on the menu you should be willing to serve it. I came in and orders the shrimp fried rice and I was told the kitchen was not willing to cook it because it took too much time. I'm sorry, this is a case poor management and poor customer service. If you aren't willing to make the dish, take it off your menu read more

Jimotti's Restaurant - Fried Rice On menu - Japanese Near Me - Sanford, Florida

So good!! This place did a pop kitchen at my school and it was delicious, so my boyfriend and I decided to check it out. I got the Dan Dan ramen, while he got the tonkatsu ramen, and they were both delicious. The service was also very efficient. No complaints!! read more

Jimotti's Restaurant - Dan Dan ramen - Japanese Near Me - Sanford, Florida

Found this in my food. Owner was extremely rude/condescending and said I put that in myself....... read more

Jimotti's Restaurant - Piece of Dirty kitchen sponge in my food Eggplant Miso Tonkotsu Ramen Miso Ramen - Japanese Near Me - Sanford, Florida

BEST RAMEN EVER. So authentic and flavors are always immaculate. You wont find better ramen than this place. Must have. Service is always great small business that care about their customers too read more

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Very hole-in-the-wall place. Parking is difficult, dining room is limited, ramen and sushi was ok. We went out of our way to find this place but it might be a little while before we try it again. Our server seemed super new and struggled to keep up with the busy service. read more

Super authentic and flavorful dishes. I was so happy with my food I forgot to take photos. The restaurant is very kitschy and quaint. I felt like I wasn't in Florida eating here. It draws the locals and young people who know good food. The service is fast and friendly. read more

Sushi was not cold.. I've also had better ramen. Not worth the $. The dumplings were ok but not good enough to have me return.

Went here a few days ago with the wife and it was a wonderful experience. Very personable and great ramen/egg plant. Service was timely and they were accommodating when we expressed we were too cold. read more

fantastic food and service. An excellent selection of Japanese cuisine. Best ramen I have had outside of Japan.

What an awesome Ramen and sushi spot! I've passed this place many, many, many times and never thought to stop by until one day I became curious and looked up the reviews for this place! Dennise was one a mission! Finally, I stopped by and placed my order to go! Cute little restaurant, right on 17 - 92! My experience here was a positive one and I'll tell you why! 1) Welcoming atmosphere (the music helps) I love it! 2) Happy customer service - great conversationalist and welcoming 3) Comfort food at its Asian finest! - loved my ramen bowls! My recommendations are; visit here and try for yourself! My favorite ramen bowl so far is the Dan Dan! Spicy but not too spicy. Flavorful and the added veggie goodness makes me happy! Also, may have to dial it down with the soy, let people add more if needed (considering there was more soy in my take out bag). Other than that, a little salty for me but good. All in all a great joint to experience in Sanford, there's nothing like it! Whenever this pandemic ends, my family will definitely visit! read more

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Small Japanese restaurant in Sanford. Awesome ramen soup, appetizers, and more. My husband and I had dinner here tonight. We got the classic pork ramen and share a chicken appetizer. Really tasty and good. One lady runs the whole restaurant with a young woman, maybe her daughter. Service was great. Food was served quickly. It was hot and delicious. I will have to try the sushi next time. It looks good. There is limited seating inside and more picnic tables outside. Parking in front of the restaurant. read more

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My boyfriends friend gave him a recommendation to try this place so why not?! Upon entering I could hear a baby crying and a girl not older than seven tending to the baby. It literally not only made me feel uncomfortable, but broke my heart. This place is getting two starts for our service but the food was so bad. My chicken in the chicken fried rice was so dry I couldn't eat it so I picked at the rice. My friends meal was dry and had to ask for extra sauce to even eat it. My boyfriend said his burger was "ok", but would he get it again. NO. He said it was juicy it just didn't hit the spot. Overall experience not that great and we're not open to giving it a second shot. Hopefully you'll have a better experience. read more

Jimotti's Restaurant - Jomottis Burger - Japanese Near Me - Sanford, Florida

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The food was good with that service not so much kind of acted like I was an inconvenience

We have tried. So many times, we have tried to eat here and have a good experience, but I think it is time for this restaurateur and former head chef of fine dining Japanese restaurants to admit that he has lost his passion and interest in persisting with this restaurant. The food here has generally been hit or miss over the years we've been coming here, but lately it's just all sad, stale, soggy, microwaved, bland, and awful. We've had the ramen, udon, karaage, fried noodles, appetizers, and other items over the years. Sometimes it has been good, but other times... less so. Our most recent experience, yesterday, involved a few sushi items from the dinner menu on our way out to enjoy our evening. What a massive disappointment. My wife's spectrum of sushi is pretty broad (I usually eat vegetarian sushi, so I'm less useful in that space). She's dined in one of the famous 8 seat top rated spots in Tsukiji Market in Tokyo, with fresh and appropriately aged cuts of the finest products right there in the most famous fish market on the planet (before the fish market moved across town), but also can legitimately enjoy a roll from Konbinis, or even from Sprouts or Whole Foods refrigerator sections here in the US, not to mention the whole spectrum of decent sushi-focused restaurants in between. Excellence is obvious to her, because she has had it, but she speaks kindly of a chef putting in effort out of love for sushi. She would sincerely eat sushi every day if she could. So, for her to feel how soulless, uninspired, bland, and awful this sushi was comes from a place of loving sushi so much and having experienced a broad spectrum of what is possible in the form. Sincerely, while my wife and I ate, it was like we could taste the chef/owner of Jimotti's disappointment in how the restaurant has gone for him, how much of a burden it had all become. The rice was flavorless (overcooked, no sense of vinegar, or at least we couldn't taste it), and it was mushy. The vegetables looked like they had been frozen or in a can (they had that "overdone" translucent pale quality, and tasted just as limp and dead as they looked). The avocado, actually well selected and fresh, was present... which is about all you could say for it. The tuna itself was "okay," I hear, so no blame on the fish. As for the rest, though, no care or attention was put into seasoning, no salt, no umami, no sweetness, no attempt made to elevate anything. It's a subtle art, sure, and if I didn't think this chef was capable of it, maybe it would be less disappointing and depressing. There was no depth, no vibrancy. It was, rather, constructed like a book shelf might be by a person who doesn't read. I get the move - if volume is down, some chefs find cheaper ingredients and convince themselves the local patrons don't have the palate to tell the difference. This is what inflexible and passionless chefs do, and it usually ensures regulars stop coming and first timers don't return. Sadly, at Jimotti, there are no more corners left to cut, and unless this chef has another plan or other tricks up his sleeve, I can't see where else he can go with this place but down and closed. This chef, whose other less-than-charming ability to interact with patrons directly is documented here on Yelp, will, I hope, throw in the towel and figure out another plan. The servers here have always been nice and we will always tip a server for their work. Honestly, no complaint there. It's just the food. I get that when you're having hard times you just do what you have to do, but so much of what is going badly here seems to be in the decline of a once promising chef who walked away from a career at the head of a kitchen to strike out on his own and couldn't handle the realities of what ownership has meant. I've seen this restaurant listed for sale before on either Craigslist or Nextdoor (can't remember which) by the owner. Midnight regrets will lead to some desperate choices. I hope for his family that he can find passion and interest again, maybe with another restaurant, perhaps as a chef for an owner who can take care of and manage the things this person cannot and give him the space to bring forward his talent and the soulful flavor of West Japan. read more

As someone who lived in Japan for several years while I was in the Navy, Ramen became a weekly staple of my life. When I moved back that craving never went away and Jimottis is a fantastic spot to fill that. The inside is relaxed and comfortable and Chef Junichi's Ramen makes me feel like I'm sitting back in Yokosuka. I've only had his Shoyu and Tonkatsu ramens, but I highly HIGHLY recommend it. read more

Jimotti's Restaurant - Shoyu Ramen, Gyoza and Jimotti's Chicken Kara-Ague - Japanese Near Me - Sanford, Florida

Imagine eating delicious Japanese cuisine inside a gas station bathroom. Well, this is kind of what it feels like, the outside of the restaurant looks like the opening small town scene of an 80s horror film. Would totally give it 5 stars if either the prices went down or if the amount of protein in each dish went up. read more

Tummy is soooooo happy right now! After searching the many options for authentic Japanese food, we finally found this restaurant on here. Hubby has been mad craving takoyaki... and this is the only place we found with it on their menu. They are located on 1792 in Sanford, and well worth the drive from anywhere. We were one of three customers when we arrived, but by the time we were finishing the placed was packed. Everyone knew how good their food was! We order apps first from the super friendly waitress. Takoyaki, pork Gyoza, California roll, and Chicken Karrage. The takoyaki was so good it made hubby's eyes roll. I really enjoyed the pork gyoza and karrage too. Everything was hot and delicious. For entrees we had the DanDan Ramen, Niku Udon, Tempura Udon, and the Tonkotsu Ramen. The portions were very large and everything was amazing. We will be back again for sure! read more

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My gyoza, side salad, and yellowtail collar were delicious. This is a very home style Japanese restaurant. The casual, former drive thru diner type bldg is amusing too. I enjoyed eating here and recommend it to anyone looking for authentic Japanese food like mom used to make. Thank read more

Do I want to write a good review for this place which makes more customers show up? Nope, not really but to be honest it was surprisingly good! The ramen was banging and the happy hour (that lasts all evening on Wednesday) was perfect. Tried a little sushi roll, some traditional pork ramen, fried chicken thighs, and the "Sausage Bros." appetizer and I was hooked! This is a little mom and pop sushi and ramen place and it hit all the high notes for me in Sanford (of all places). A humble restaurant with genuinely helpful servers and really good food. It's a bit small inside and the bathrooms are outside on the backside of the building, and really that's the only drawback I can think of. Otherwise, come here and have some ramen and chill. Very good and I know this place will be hopping once the word gets out on the delicious food, good service, and decent prices. Keep Sanfording my friends! read more

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Order the ramen. Yep, that's all you need to know. Service is friendly, the menu has some authentic and fun items, and their ramen is delicious! Honestly, Jimotti's is a no frills type of place. You come, order, and eat. If you are wondering what to try then get the chicken karaage to start or the takoyaki if you are more adventurous. I got the spicy miso for my entree and it had the perfect spice level. For curiousity's sake, I also ordered the Mentai dish since I never heard of it before. It's a dry noodle dish thats buttered and then mixed with salty caviar for taste. It reminded me of like a more chewy version of buttered spaghetti. Anyway, order one of the ramen bowls as your entree and thank yourself later after you're done slurping down the last noodle. read more

Jimotti's Restaurant - Mentai - Japanese Near Me - Sanford, Florida

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