An Authentic Japanese Culinary Experience
Key West, Florida USA
Cuisine Style: Japanese, Sushi, Teriyaki
Average Price: $$
Overall Rating: 3/5
Dined in: January 2016
By Sean Overpeck (CFE)
**A full article and index glossary of restaurants, wines, recipes and travel for
Wine Dine and Play are in the pages section above, or by following these links:
Executive Chef:
Chef Masa Yoshimoto
In the ancient Greek myths, Ambrosia is sometimes the food or drink of the Greek gods, often depicted as conferring longevity or immortality upon whoever consumed it. My wife and I love Sushi and spotted Ambrosia Japanese Sushi restaurant while on our way to the Casa Marina for an event. Ambrosia opened in1998 with an elegant decor in a prime location offering a wonderful and bountiful selection of Japanese dishes.
We were both in town attending the Key West Food and Wine Festival, and had just finished one of the events, and stopped into Ambrosia for dinner. After the meal, we would finish the evening by attending a concert by Johnnyswim at the Key West Theater. My wife saw them on a show called Live From Daryl’s House with John Oats and Daryl Hall a few months before, and when she learned that they would be in Key West at the same time that we would be there, we bought tickets.
The lobby area was separated by a wall of glass with streams of water going down it into a fountain bed of black rocks with great designs of furniture including a chair that appeared to be made of straw that looked really neat. The dining room was on the opposite side of the glass.
There were about 25-30 tables in the main dining area along with a sushi-sashimi bar, and as it was still early we were one of about 4 tables occupied, but by the time we left, it was nearly pact out. The Ambrosia menu consisted of:
- Salad and Soup
- Cold Appetizers and Seafood Salad
- Hot Appetizers
- Meat and Poultry
- Seafood
- Sushi Bart Entrée
- Nigiri Sushi and Sashimi À la carte
- Fresh Rolls
- Cooked Rolls
- Vegetarian
Sake Menu
- Dai-Ginjyo
- Ginjyo
- Junmai
My wife ordered a glass of Romeo’s rosé from Julietta Winery based out of Clarksburg, California, south of Sacramento and further east of Napa and Sonoma. I had a large and hot Ginjyo Sake with some Miso and an avocado spring salad that we both shared. The salad was tossed with mixed greens in a miso mustard dressing with sesame and topped with an avocado garnish slices. Other salads on their menu consisted of mixed wakame kelp salad, a Hiyayakko salad with tofu and ginger, and a cold boiled spinach salad called a Goma-Ae.
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| Avocado Spring Salad |
For an appetizer, we enjoyed their spicy tuna tempura dish, one of several hot and cold starters from their list which also included sunomono, sashimi, karashi sumiso, ceviche, and tataki to name just a few. The one that interested me more for the next time would have been the Kobe Ishiyaki where you cook the premium beef yourself on a hot stone.
We bypassed the entree and sushi menus where they had items like Katsu, Tempura, Pork Ginger, local lobster, and the Ambrosia for one or two which was a 7 to 14 piece selection of sushi, 15 pieces of sashimi and 12 pieces of rolls, which was very tempting. In the end though, we settled on the cooked Rolls section where they had interesting names like the Cajun Sunset, California, Dancing Eel, the Dragon, the Florida, the Key West, and the Spider which my wife had containing jumbo shrimp tempura, avocado, cucumber, smelt roe, and a dynamite sauce.
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| The Spider |
I was torn between the volcano roll which was a seafood style bake, the dancing eel, or the surf and turf. In the end, the surf and turf won the day with a shrimp tempura, snow crab mixture, and asparagus topped with a seared New York strip and wasabi mayonnaise. My wife and I shared each other's dishes, and both were fantastic, well presented, and very filling. Normally I request my steaks medium rare, but with my wife, I bring them up to medium, but my wife said to keep it a medium rare, and she tried a few pieces.
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| Surf and Turf |
Dessert:
For dessert, we enjoyed some tea and more wine but did not have room for anything else, but there is always next time.
Please see these guidelines for Tipping in Restaurants and on following proper etiquette, customs, cultures, and avoiding assumptions when you dine out.
Other Noteworthy Japanese Articles and Restaurants:
5A5 Steak Lounge Modern Japanese steakhouse with chic design in San Francisco, California
Basil Asian Bistro Pan-Asian favorites from China to Vietnam with sushi specials in Canton, Ohio
Blue Fugu Japanese Steakhouse Table-side Hibachi with a sushi bar in St. Pete Beach, Florida
Junsui An eclectic taste of Asia with buffets at the Burj Al Arab Hotel, Dubai, UAE
Morimoto Asia Japanese and upscale Pan-Asian fare with sushi at Disney Springs Orlando, Florida
Osaka Sushi Thai Restaurant Thai and Japanese fare including sushi in Seminole, Florida
Sushi Sleek Japanese eatery with sushi/sashimi at The Grand Hyatt Dubai, UAE
The Lemon Grass Casual fusion of Thai and Japanese with tapas portions in St Petersburg, Florida
Zuma Contemporary Japanese restaurant, sushi, & cocktail mixology in Dubai, UAE
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary”
Other Key West restaurants and articles on Wine Dine and Play:
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Landmark bar since 1851, where Jimmy Buffet got his start
Key West, Florida, USA
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Laid-back bar with cocktails, wine, & Cigars
Key West, Florida, USA
|
Multi-day festival and tasting
Key West, Florida, USA
|
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Presented at the Food and Wine Festival
Key West, Florida, USA
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Globally accented tapas with innovative American fare
Key West, Florida, USA
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Landmark bar serving Floribbean and American classics since 1933
Key West, Florida, USA
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A Few Florida Favorites:
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A Jazzy Upscale Seafood Eatery chain in 9 States
Tampa, Florida, USA
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Relaxed eatery & comfort foods At the Albert Whitted Airfield
St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
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Global seafood with a comfort feel
City of Anna Maria, Florida, USA
|
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Relaxed Tuscan-inspired Italian chain eatery
Sarasota, Florida, USA
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Med-Latin & tapas café with 360 views
St Pete Beach, Florida, USA
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Convivial sports bar with Irish pub grub
Brandon, Florida USA
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See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary by country”
Final notes, review basics, observations and more pictures:
Most reviews are subjective, depending on the writer; but they should also be responsible, and respectfully written, upholding the truth, and accurately conveying the experience to the best of the writer's knowledge, even if it includes metaphors the restaurant may not like to read about. My ratings are by the stars I award (from 0 to 5). The rating is calculated on a point accumulation of six separate factors based on individual experience. They include wine and other beverage selections, plate presentation, customer service, restaurant or café ambiance, food quality, and wow factor. To see more details of this rating list, read this article:
Overall from this experience, and the score factors outlined in the ‘about page’ section, based on my individual experience and rating, I give Ambrosia a 3 out of 5 stars, meaning that they exceeded my expectations and were far above the average dining experience of most restaurants.
Scores are detailed in the factor chart below:
Formula Factor Conclusions and Overall Ratings
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Max Points Possible:
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Total Points Awarded:
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Total Points deducted:
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Ambiance
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9.5
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8.5
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0
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Food quality
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10
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7.5
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2.5
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Plate presentation
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8.5
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7
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1.5
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Customer service
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9
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6
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3
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Alcohol and other beverages
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9
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7
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0
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Total regular points awarded
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46
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36
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7
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Total percentage — less the Bonus
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0.782608695652174
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“Wow” factor BONUS
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5
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2
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0
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Total bonus percentage
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0.0434782608695652
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Total percentage and bonus for a final star rating
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0.826086956521739
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Stars Awarded (see chart below)
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0 - 5
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3
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**A full break down and explanation of the observations and point disbursement is available in the linked article above. To receive a detailed copy of your score, feel free to contact me at any time and I will provide it to you.**
***
Overall Star Rating:
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3 of 5 Stars:
83% Rating with a 2 point “wow” bonus
Exceeded My Expectations
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Wine List:
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Corkage fee’s:
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This Restaurant does not list any corkage fee’s however, most American restaurants charge
$25.00 per bottle
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Restaurant style:
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Casual dining
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Cuisine style:
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Japanese
Allergen or dietary accommodations:
Low Carb, Pescatarian, Vegan Options, Vegetarian
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Reservations:
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Not Required
Walk-Ins:
Accepted, but not guaranteed
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Dress code:
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Casual attire
It’s Florida, everybody wears flip-flops
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Child policy:
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The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a kids menu or cater to them; however, for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended that kids not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette.
If not then:
Hire a Babysitter!
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Experiences:
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Place for foodies, Contemporary, Hotspot, Great bar, Intimate, Classy, and a Neighborhood Gem.
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Payments:
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Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
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Parking:
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Street meter parking
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Wifi
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The restaurants reviewed on this site may have Wi-Fi, but do not require you to go online, because the excitement of the food and wine alone will keep you too entertained instead of checking your social media and emails.
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Noise level:
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Low
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Smoking:
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Nonsmoking restaurant
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Patio or terrace:
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No
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Wine Tasting Notes:
Wine & Grape:
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Nose (Bouquet):
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Palette Experience:
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Winemaker:
Rose of Tempranillo, A beautiful blushing rose wine, made in a Provincial style where the clusters go "direct to press" to keep the wine's color a pale pink.
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Winemaker:
Lip smacking acid that is refreshing and peppy on the palate. Aromas of strawberry shortcake, candied cherries, and honey crisp apple. Flavors reflect the aromas with a nice minerality that gives the wine some weight
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Food Prices
(excludes, alcohol, taxes & 20% gratuity’s)
$£€¥ - Under 50.00 (inexpensive)
$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00 (moderate)
$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00 (pricy)
$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00 (expensive)
$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00 (very expensive)
**Currencies reflect the world’s major travelers, restaurant, or wine connoisseur’s**
Currency:
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Price
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United States Dollar (USD)
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$$
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Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
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£
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Canadian Dollar (CAN)
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$$
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Chinese Yuan (CNY)
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¥¥¥¥
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European Union (EUR)
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€€
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Alcohol prices:
$19.00 USD
Ambrosia:
1401 Simonton Street
Key West, Florida
33040
Contact Information:
Restaurant website:
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Maître d or host:
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+1 305 293 0304
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Online reservations
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Webpage Contact:
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Serving hours:
Eastern Standard Time
(GMT, Zulu, or UTC - 5:00)
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Lunch: Mon-Sun
11:30 am - 2:00 pm
Dinner: Mon-Sun
6:00 pm - 10:00 pm
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Social Media
&
Accolades:
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****
The worlds best restaurants is a subjective list of who is writing it and changes on a regular basis. The Wine Dine and Play best experiences are based on my highest rated stared restaurants, meaning that the visit was an outstanding or extraordinary experience. From cafés, chains, mom + pops, hole in the walls, to fine dining including a few Michelin spots. Visit the Top 100 page to see the entire list.
A few to tease you with…
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Taste of tribal Zimbabwe cuisine
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
|
Vibrant Pan-Indian Cuisine
Colnbrook, Slough, Berkshire, England, UK
|
Stylish modern Spanish and global cuisine
Dubai Creek, Dubai, UAE
|
Other Pictures:
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| Front Entrance |
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| Bar picture courtesy of Ambrosia Restaurant |
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| Lobby furniture |
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| Glass of Water |
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| Miso presentation |
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| After dinner tea |
“Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things,
But in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
-Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661)
Who is John Galt?
TTFN
