Raw Passion

Fresh out of college and living in Tampa, Jeffrey Karasawa was offered a chance to move to Texas to revive one of his uncle’s restaurants. He took the opportunity—or, as he says, the experiment.

“I was used to a certain food, a certain way, in my own culture. I want it to be raw. I want it to be fresh, simple, elegant,” says Karasawa, who was born in Japan and lived in Asia until age 15. “I found out in Texas that wasn’t the case. Th ere you have a lot of fried, you have a lot of sauce, you have the Mexican influence.”

He rose to the cultural food challenge and with the guidance of his uncle flipped that restaurant’s fate, gleaning info from other area sushi places but finding ways to set their restaurant apart. It was at the restaurant that Karasawa also made a new friend, Samuel Ray, who would soon work alongside him and eventually become his business partner.

“We worked together to come up with a menu that was a little bit different than other places but still had Japanese influence,” says Karasawa. “We slowly made changes here and there, and it worked!”

In 2016, Karasawa and Ray took hold of another opportunity: this time to breathe life into a struggling restaurant in Sarasota. The result: Tsunami Sushi & Hibachi Grill, which now holds a beloved spot in the local restaurant scene. When they launched as the Tsunami we know today, they had a secured a great location, recruited talented chefs, and created a fantastic menu. They offered something truly distinctive, but what they really needed was more customers. With little left to fund advertising, they took their sushi out into the community, participating in as many events and catering opportunities as possible. Seven years later, word-of-mouth backed by their phenomenal Asian-fusion food and stellar service has earned Tsunami the reputation it holds today: treasured and craved by all ages.

In addition to a top-notch dining experience, the flagship Downtown Sarasota location in the base of 100 Central offers a buzzing, yet cozy atmosphere, creatively decorated, perfectly paired with a unique menu and one-of-a-kind craft cocktails.

“We try to make sure everybody can get something they don’t normally get in other places,” says Karasawa. “We can do the simple rolls, but when you come to Tsunami we want to make sure you have a different experience.”

Take the Stephanie roll, which went up against 36 other rolls in a Tampa sushi competition and walked away with the “Golden Spoon.” With unique ingredients like cilantro and pine nuts, it’s not your typical sushi roll but it is purposefully different and delicious beyond words.

“We have confidence in what we make,” says Karasawa, who flies in bigeye tuna from Hawaii—the next day. “We are going to give you the best quality of fish, the most flavorful sushi, if you give Tsunami a try.”

And, oh, the cocktails. They’re great on their own, but they truly complement the food. Take the Hibiscus Rose. Shochu (Japanese liquor) infused with hibiscus tea, Pamplemousse liqueur, lemon juice, and ginger beer. It’s a refreshing sweet-tart cocktail that goes quite well with any roll or meal on the menu. Tsunami also offers a robust sake menu.

As catering was a huge part of their humble beginnings, you’ll also still find the Tsunami team out serving the community “almost every night of the week,” according to Jason Klamson, who joined the team as the general manager last summer. Klamson estimates Tsunami does nearly as much business in catering as they do dine-in service. While they excel at private parties, Klamson says some of the team’s favorites are charity events where they don’t just cater, they also support the cause.

“It’s important for us to give back to the community and show them how much we care about and appreciate them,” says Karasawa.

Much to the delight of those who’ve been traveling from north to the downtown location, by the time this is published Tsunami Sushi & Hibachi will have opened a second location in the Green at Lakewood Ranch with some exciting new features to behold.

“We are bringing a little bit more of a sexy sushi vibe to that location,” says Karasawa.

Tsunami LWR boasts plenty of seating, including a mezzanine space they intend to use for events, parties, and overflow seating. Restaurant goers can expect live music and a late-night scene—the first in the area. The menu offers many of the Downtown SRQ mainstays, but they’ve upped the appetizer ante to attract a lively happy hour crowd, who will also see some intriguing cocktail options. Picture a dirty martini that comes out black or fish eggs as a garnish in your drink.

“We bring an Asian flavor into the Western drink in a very sophisticated way,” says Karasawa. “You might see something unique and different, but that still has great flavor and pairs with whatever food you get.”

Cocktails and Asian tapas are just a little taste of what Tsunami LWR will offer on its family-friendly menu, though. The Tsunami team hopes the LWR community will embrace them as enthusiastically as the Downtown Sarasota location has.

“I think we have the most loyal customers, “says Karasawa. “It’s like a big family.”

>Tsunami Sushi & Hibachi: 100 Central Ave, Ste 1022, Sarasota; 941-366-1033; tsunami-sarasota.com