Rangetsu

I am so bummed!!!
With an upcoming trip to Florida in the near future, I was planning to take some guests here and went on Unilocal to get the phone number. I was just crushed to see that it went out of business.
I was a frequent visitor from ’94 to ’08 as I had many business trips to Florida.
It wasn’t the greatest Japanese food, but the atmosphere and service level made it fun for me to keep going back.
I’m going to miss those karaage gator tails for sure. My favorite entrée was the sukiyaki. I wonder what happened to all the koi fish.
RIP Rangetsu and thanks for the great memories.

I just found out that Rangetsu has been closed. My husband and I were discussing the restaurant just the other day and were thinking of going soon. We would have been surprised when arriving in their darkened parking lot!
Rangetsu was one of the first restaurants we went to as a couple and I have very fond memories of it. The food was delicious in every way and they had a very unique sushi menu and drink selection. Since going there two or three times in the past, I haven’t been able to find udon noodles as good as theirs.
Now to see less than favorable reviews here on Unilocal makes my heart go pang pang. The restaurant never seemed incredibly busy but for Orlando locals, I think it was really a fun and romantic place despite the location.
Rangetsu, I hope you come back!

For over 24 years, Ran-​getsu has stood with its tranquil blue tiled roofs on the bustling International Drive and served Central Floridians and tourists alike with their authentic Japanese meals. Many friends have had their first dates here over with fresh sliced sushi rolls, or a steaming hot pot of shabu shabu soup, or a sizzling plate of sukiyaki beef.
This week is the last for Ran-​getsu, they will be closing their doors this Thursday for good. After many many years of good memories, the economy has finally taken its toll on the place.
This past weekend a few friends and I decided to visit Ran-​getsu one last time. We went during their special rolls menu was offered between 5−630pm where you could order 3 rolls and a soup/​salad for $ 12.95. My partner ordered a udon bowl and we also ordered chicken karaage (fried pieces of chicken with a lemon zest), spicy tuna seaweed salad, and some gyoza dumplings.
Some of the rolls ranged from the Black Alaska roll, Spicy tuna roll, Tempura Bagel Roll, Bagel roll, dynamite roll, eel roll, and more. All the rolls were quite delicious.
During our visit, there was also a performance by a traditional Japanese dance troupe who dedicated their last performance to Ran-​getsu. It truly is a sad occasion to say good bye to this iconic place which set the vanguard for Japanese cuisine and sushi’s cultural expansion into Central Florida.
Sayonara Ran-​getsu!

We are in town for a week of Disney and such and we were craving sushi. This hit the spot — from the wonderful setting to the koi pond (with lots of hungry koi you can feed with the restaurant’s cones of koi feed) to the wide range of sushi and sashimi and veggie options. Our seven-​year-​olds like everything they ate, though they only ordered drinks off the kids’ menu. Not cheap, but great value for money, especially considering how easy it is to spend a lot more for a lot less everywhere else in town.
Highly recommended!

My first comment that I would like to make apparent is that they are 100% AUTHENTIC. The owners of this restaurant are Japanese and their chef’s are Japanese. That plays a HUGE role in my dining experience. If I go to a Japanese Restuarant, I want Japanese owners and Japenese Chefs. If I go to a Greek Restaurant, I want Greek Chef’s. If I go to a Italian Restuarant, I want Italian Chefs.
Their food is delicious. The sashimi is always fresh. ⁹⁄₁₀ times a year that we come here we always get their Seafood Yosenabe. IT’S AWESOME. I highly recommend it.
Service is pretty good. We someone always get the same waitress whom is pretty nice. I guess we’ve come here enough to be acknowledge by the manager whom is a Japense man who’s always in a suit. He’s very friendly too.
For the items that we select in their menu which as I said is usually the Seafood Yosenabe and a few Sushi/​Sashimi dishes, our bill comes between $ 100-​$ 200 on average for a party of 5. The most expensive dinner that we’ve had here was about 450 which was the night we ordered their Shabu Shabu. Please dont let this scare you away from eating here, they have PLENTY of other choices that are not this pricey.
Overall, I say ⁵⁄₅.

I kept seeing this place highly rated for Japanese food, so I takes the Japanese boy out to give it a try. Not impressed. Maybe I’ve become jaded to the Disney-​ification of I-​drive, but I felt like I wasn’t go to enjoy it as soon as I saw the overly-​stylized Japanese building with the koi pond and the little foot bridge.
Apparently they are known for their sukiyaki and shabu shabu, but it didn’t feel like the right kind of place to order these items. We go for their sushi, and though good, I’ve had better for that price.
The service was good. The restaurant is large, so it seems very suitable for families.
The taiko drumming was a bit too touristy and contrived for my tastes. Especially if you’re eating long enough to hear it twice.

Took the wife and kids to Disney a couple of years ago. While staying on Disney resort, we got tired of the themed restaurants and I wanted to take my wife here since she loves sushi. So we managed to get sitters for the kids and leave the hotel at 9:00pm. We arrive close to 9:30pm with no reservations but the manager says it should be fine and they would be able to accommodate us.
We ordered our appetizers and some rolls right away as we realized that they were getting ready to close. The manager brings out our appetizers and informs us that the cook staff threw out the last of the rice. He was apologetic and suggested the chef’s sashimi plate — on the house. The freshest and best sushi I’ve had in a very long time.
Great food, top notch service and warm ambiance. Will definitely be back next time we’re in Disney but will make a point to get there earlier.

Really expensive for the quality, and kind of a silly touristy atmosphere. I did, however, really enjoy the curried tempura batter on one of our dishes– yum! Although I got to try some sushi items that aren’t generally offered elsewhere in the Orlando area (jellyfish, etc.), there are definitely better sushi bars out there with a more intimate environment. There just aren’t a lot of great options in the Orlando area for Japanese food that goes very far behind «sushi bar + tempura and teriyaki themed entrees».

Delightful Japanese garden/​koi pond between parking lot and front door. Great service. Average quality sushi. Horrible pop (Western) muzak that eventually drove us out of the place.
I would go back to try the Sukiyaki.

I’m Asian… I grew up in Japan and had the best of the best. Living in FL, who eats Asian food? Well, a friend recommended this restaurant and I took my boyfriend 3 years ago as our first date. Sushi only. The sushi looked and tasted just as I thought it would but was too pricey for my spoiled self. My frou frou plum wine was delicious; it was the «cheap» brand, Takara, that I grew up seeing at my grandparents. During the dinner, service was great, we even got a visit from the manager who explained that the only other restaurant Rangetsu had was in Japan. The highlight of the evening was being able to see the taiko drummers live (the same troupe that performs at EPCOT). They do live shows Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night.
Fast forward to the next visit (my birthday the following year).I made a reservation and we were seated in a «special» section for celebration parties. We tried the Sukiyaki. Yes, that is what they are known for and the price was worth every bite. There was even some left over for me to take home. My evening went great, all with a complimentary dessert and song for my birthday.
My boyfriend and I enjoy the atmosphere and sukiyaki at this restaurant and I cannot get over the fact the manager ALWAYS makes rounds to the tables to ensure your dinner is going well. (at least when I’ve eaten there.)
Not sure if they still do it but they had a frequent diner card that was punched for every $ 20 you spend and once you fill the card, you bring it in for $ 20 off your next meal.
I truly enjoy this restaurant but because the prices, we save it for special occasions.

MEH, is right. It was just OK.
My husband (who is Asian) and I went here for dinner one night while in Orlando on business. Not one thing was «outstanding», it was just OK.
We’ve had better sushi from Whole Foods, the atomsphere was pretty stiff, and although the service person was great, the food was just blah.
I love spicy tuna rolls, these were just OK, hubby had an assortment of sashimi that was mediocre. We shared the shabu shabu and a side of stir-​fried vegetables and everything was just vanilla ice cream. Even their wasabi was mild.
I would not recommend Rangetsu.

Apparently Unilocal isn’t as big of a thing in FL as it is in CA. How do people find out about new restaurants to try?! Word of mouth?!
But I digress…
Although Unilocalers seem to like Rangetsu, I was hesitant due to the limited selection of Asian food I’d seen in Orlando. Went out on a limb and visited on the last Friday of my vacay. Parking was not a problem at all, huge parking lot in front. The tea garden/​koi pond in the front was a nice touch even though it smelled a little fishy. It looked like they had ripped down some tree branches and stuck it in the pond as décor. Classy…
For a Friday night on International Drive, there were only about 6 tables filled. Fine with me… crowds aren’t my thing anyway. We didn’t even need a reservation!
Apparently the sukiyaki combo is the thing to try here, and it comes in 4 – 5 qualities ranging from $ 18 to $ 85. We ordered the second most expensive cut ($ 31), which came with our choice of appetizer (I recommend tuna tatta) and dessert. IT WAS DELICIOUS and SAUCY (i loverz sauce), from the fresh meat and colorful/​crispy veggies right down to the green tea crème brûlée. I wanna give a high five to the person who invented green tea crème brûlée. *high five* The BEST part of the meal was 20% off a bottle of wine. Scorrreeee!
Service was impeccable, chatted it up with our waitress the whole time she was cooking our food. $ 120ish for a three course meal AND a bottle of wine while on vacay? Not cheap, but not too expensive either.
I’ll be back Rangetsu (if I’m ever in Orlando again)!

One of my favorite places to splurge in Orlando. It’s a bit pricey, but worth it.
Went back this past weekend, and was sad to hear that the taiko performer’s contract had expired, and they were unsure if they would be coming back. In the past, on the weekends, there were nightly taiko shows. These shows were done on a floating dock, just outside the glass outer walls of the restaurant. The pounding taiko rhythm and delicious food combined for a great experience. I do hope that they come back, as it made this place really special.
Onto dinner. As with every time I go, I got sukiyaki. They cook it table side, family style. Most places I have been to have since stopped doing it this way, such a shame. Beautiful cuts of raw beef, fresh veggies, and a sizzling pan. Everything was amazingly fresh, and as I always do I sampled the beef raw before I cooked it. Melts in your mouth at even the lowest quality they offer (being a bit steep at around $ 26 per person). The waitress was very knowledgeable and friendly.
One of the managers came by to check on us, helped cook the sukiyaki, and chatted with me about what cuts of meat he uses to cook stuff at home (I’ve been obsessed with trying to make the perfect gyudon at home). It’s always a treat to see someone’s face light up when you talk about how much you love the food that they grew up on, or still make all the time. Much like when I order my food Thai hot.
I also tried my first bit of unagi, which was delicious. Not fishy at all, sweet and fatty and finishes with the slightest hint of a tuna flavor. Add a little soy and wasabi and wow. Also tried a chicken katsu roll that was new. panko friend chicken, asparagus, with a ponzu style sauce and spicy mayo. Normally I get my sushi on soy paper, as nori has a way of turning into a ball and getting stuck in my throat, but I forgot this time. What really impressed me was that the nori was hardly there. I didn’t notice it at all aside from a small taste. No chewiness or anything.
One of my dinner companions had a florida roll, but wasn’t too happy with the crab salad on it. The manage brought out a new sample of the salad, and asked her if it was better. In the end, he just took it off our bill. Such nice service.
Two thumbs up from me. A welcomed respite from the tourist packed trap that is I-​Drive.

This is a pretty cool spot for I-​drive (tourist hell). The entire restaurant looks over the garden in front, which helps you forget where you are.
My friend and I tried the sukiyaki, the specialty of the house, with the prime cut beef (couldn’t quite afford the Wagyu). Sukiyaki is where the entire meal is cooked in one pot, covered in the sukiyaki sauce which is like a sweet and spicy soy sauce. It smells wonderful, and the taste… it was amazing.
The waitress actually cooks the food at your table, so it’s not like fondue where you’re part of the action. So don’t order this if you want a private conversation during dinner.
The drink list was very impressive. A good selection of sake, and the mixed drinks! They did not disappoint. Expensive? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely.
What I didn’t like was the random lady who came over to take our picture and then wanted to sell it to us in cheap key chains or poorly printed photo paper. This isn’t a theme park, it’s a restaurant. And if you’re going to do that, at least invest in a decent printer.

Originally came here because the Bahama Breeze place had like a 2-​hour wait. Guess their key lime pies are that good? We took one to go and brought it to Rangetsu.
Very nice place… they have a koi pond right outside next to the entrance with a (floating?) platform, and as we were walking in there were some performers on the traditional Japanese drums (sorry don’t know the official name). Nice start to a unique evening!
The inside of the restaurant seems fairly new and although it was a slightly crowded Saturday night we were seated immediately. Started with scallop appetizer which was small for the price but good nonetheless. For the entrée I opted for the Sukiyaki (price looked pretty good for what you get), which I shared with my buddy. You can choose from 3 types of meat… can’t remember which we chose exactly but it was the mid-​range price. The waitress actually cooked everything for us… not sure if they do this all the time or if we just looked so clueless she was afraid we would cause a fire. It was delicious… we were initially unsure about mixing the meat with raw egg yolk but it complemented very nicely. I also had some of my wife’s sushi and it was pretty good.
Probably most interesting/​annoying moment was a random customer (dude) breaking out into full-​blown opera singing. It was pretty cool at first but then the guy kept it going for a few more songs… ok I get it, do you really even have to sing opera happy birthday to the table next to you too? It seemed like he was being spurned on by another customer from a different table (also dude) who was acting like it was the greatest thing he’d ever witnessed. The two exchanged phone numbers and we were sure they hooked up later that evening.
Oh and by the way we ended up trying the Bahama Breeze key lime pie… I don’t eat those but my wife and friends gave it a meh… not going to write a separate review for that place but just thought I should mention.

I had dinner here Sunday night and its the second time I’ve been to this place. The first time was New Years Eve, 2004, and our meal was very good and service was fantastic. This recent dinner was great, too.
I kept things simple and ordered the sashimi appetizer (which consisted of two pieces of tuna, two pieces of salmon and two pieces of a white fish), along with a side salad topped with tofu. The quality of the fish was very good; although I expected the variety to run a little more off the beaten path, since it was the «chef’s choice». The salad topped with tofu was a first for me; it gave me an idea of something to try at home.
My dining partner for the week ordered one California roll and the shrimp tempura appetizer. He liked the CA roll so much he ordered a second!
I walked there that night, but there is a parking lot on site. Located at the corner of I-​Drive and Jamaica Drive (or is it Court?).

Spent last night driving up and down International Drive looking for a place to eat. That street is a testmant to the power of the modern american restaurant corporation. They are all there with their neon signs and their come hither parking lots. You also see a couple of down at heel spots off the beaten track — George and the Dragon English pub, or the Murphy’s Irish pub. I did fancy those, but I wasn’t sure about the company of Central Florida’s anglophiles or hibernophiles, so I did another pass. (To be honest — i am never sure about the company of any anglophiles anywhere…)
Then I saw it. Like an oasis in the desert, a flower amongst the weeds, a shaft of golden light when all around is dark…
The first thing you see is all the Japanese paper lanterns slung all around the eaves of a long, flat, authentic looking japanese type building. Turns out they won an archtictecture award in 1986. Drive in, park, walk through the gate and immediately you are in a beautiful japanese garden — koi pond, bridge, exquistitely sculpted topiaries… a real haven. I’d actually just like to sit there and smoke a cigar.
Then you walk in the door and are greeted by a couple of UCF sorority girls wearing their gisha outfits and the platform flip flops.
«sorry — no space at the sushi bar — we’re an hour behind»
Monday night and the place is jumping.
I start with an absolutely magnificent flight of three sakes — each one better than the rest — the big boss man comes over to explain them to me. I am of course gasping for a drink –anything would do — but these are great and i feel the synapses open and the bad mood lift off me easily.
«over one hour wait for toro sashimi»
you are kidding me — that’s all i want… ok — i’ll wait…
«sorry — sold out of toro — no more toro»
so i settle for three rolls — they come quickly — probably a bit of pre-​prep in the back kitchen was going on — but tastes good to me …
for the birthday parties they come all out with the drums and the jingly-​jangly things… everyone loves it…
I just sit looking out the big window into the garden, sipping my beer and enjoying my sushi. We’ll see — I might even go back tonite to see if they have toro available… and to have a cigar in the garden.

If I had to describe this place in one word, it would be «Ehhhhh.» After reading all the reviews, I was really excited to try this place out. I went in a group of four people and here is a breakdown of our dinner:
Dynamite Roll — Sucked. Too salty. The «mayonnaise» sauce was rolled inside, instead of baked on. Do not order.
Shrimp Tempura Roll — I thought you couldn’t mess up this roll, I was sadly mistaken.
Salmon Roll — nothing special about this roll.
Rainbow Roll — probably the best tasting roll, but too pricey ($ 12.00)
Sashimi Platter — $ 22 for 15 pieces (5 fish — 3 pieces/​fish) — Ehhh… nothing special about this thing too.
Bento — Good variety, I thought the egg was a little on the sweet side, came with more sashimi
Salmon steak — pretty standard with a sweet asian type sauce you would find at the cheesecake factory
Chilean Sea Bass — Sauce covered the flavor of the fish, the sweetness was not a good compliment
NY Strip Steak — very good. very well cooked, very good size.
The one thing I agree with the other reviews is that this place is HUGE. You can probably have an entire wedding party, but you wouldn’t have a clue that they would be in there. The restaurant was also REALLY REALLY pink. The lanterns gave it a very pink hue and I think the windows may have been tinted pink. They may have thrown in some pink neon lights to accentuate the restaurant. Did I mention that it was really pink? Ok, I think I made my point. The waitress was very nice and she did a very good job. The coi pond was very large, but also smelled very fishy. They need to clean that piece.
Overall, I would only recommend this place if you can’t tell the difference between good sushi and bad sushi. You people know who you are:
«White people love Japan for a number of reasons. Sushi is pretty much the biggest one, since white people have spent so much time Sushi restaurants, enjoying the food, learning about how to eat it, and how to be snobby about it. This natural curiosity fills them with a need to pay a visit to Tsukiji and taste the freshest Sushi possible.» –Stuff White People Like (Blog)
2 for taste, 1 for service.

Walking into this gigantic restaurant, I was greeted with hostesses dressed in kimonos (tacky), a koi pond, and other things to attempt to bring you back to Japan.
The restaurant is HUGE. There are three «rooms», not including the humongous sushi bar. I started with the otoro nigiri. It was good, but it paled in comparison to otoro from the streets of Tokyo. For 2.50 a piece, it was fair. I tried my friend’s chilean sea bass in miso soy sauce, which was cooked well and had good flavor. The fish in general were very fresh.
My friend and I ordered the seafood yosenabe. It’s basically a seafood pot with a huge variety of fish (whitefish, salmon), mussels, duck meat, chicken meat, enoki mushrooms, shiitake, green onions, Japanese lettuce, and the list goes ON. Unfortunately, there was not enough udon noodles or soba noodles to make it as how I enjoy it. Even a few bowls of rice would have been good. You can’t really mess up yosenabe, and at $ 27.50, it was fair.
I have mixed feelings on this restaurant. On one hand, the food is good and fresh. On the other hand, the prices were a little high (probably to balance the high rent in the area its in). All in all, it was good food, I will give 3.5 stars!

Orlando is not known for fine cuisine, and definitely not ASIAN cuisine.
This is clear in their lack of individualizing the cuisines of Asia in their phone books and visitor’s guides.
I searched high and low online for reputable restaurants.
Ran-​Getsu was the restaurant I came across again and again.
I was a bit cautious when we approached the restaurant: a Japanese garden, bridge and koi pond. All authentic, but looked out of place in a stretched out strip mall in Orlando.
The European hostesses clad in full on kimonos further escalated my fears.
Maple wood was the décor of choice at this large, open & airy restaurant. There are three rooms: dining, cocktail lounge, & a banquet room that can accommodate parties of 200.
We decided to sit at the sushi bar. Three sushi chefs greeted us. Their sushi bar is s-​shaped and the longest in Central Florida.
I was pleasantly surprised they grow their own Japanese radish, bean sprouts, turnips, green peppers, onions, sato potatoes, eggplants and cucumbers.
All of their nigiri is individually sold.
Many regulars were eating here and our sushi chef mentioned that Ran-​getsu is constantly the Top 5 Japanese restaurants in America.
We met a man from San Francisco, everytime he visits Orlando, he makes time to eat at Ran-​getsu, on this particular trip he ate there THREE times already.
Our selections for the evening:
— Toro nigiri priced at $ 2.50 each, OMG, buttery, the fish came beautifully segmented.
— Spanish mackerel nigiri, usually not a fan, b/​c of the fishy nature, but it was delicious.
— Spicy scallop roll, 6 pieces, sized right, fresh, & the perfect amount of rice.
— Spicy salmon roll, 6 pieces, fresh & the sauce did not overpower the fish.
— Black cod, melted in my mouth, miso flavor was delicate, very good.
–Lobster Tempura, light batter, the shellfish was incredibly sweet.
— Gator bits, fried alligator meat, robust flavor, good.
During our meal we were entertained by traditional Japanese music and live Taiko drummers who marched through the restaurant.