Pictured: The bluefin tuna cutting at JPAN. Photo by: Wyatt Kostygan

Diners looking to taste the ocean enjoyed an evening of inventive Japanese cuisine on March 22 and 23 at JPAN Sushi Bar and Grill’s University Town Center location. The night kicked off with the cutting of a 170 lb bluefin tuna. “That fish is actually pretty small,” says Daniel Dokko, the owner and chef at JPAN, “and the average size tuna we use is about 250 lb.” Curious guests crowded around the chefs’ station to watch them carve up the fish, known for its ability to speed through the ocean. According to Dokko, the bluefin tuna can hit maximum speeds of about 45 miles per hour.

Attendees rushed to their tables at a similar speed to sample the eight-course tasting menu prepared by Dokko and his team. The community-style seating arrangement encouraged everyone to engage in discussions about the fish and the meal. Many diners anticipated the sashimi course, which featured three different cuts of raw tuna. For the first course, Dokko served beef tartar with caviar and toast presented on a bed of ice. Guests challenged themselves to spread the caviar and beef onto the toast using chopsticks, the night’s star utensil. The second course refreshed the palette with a shrimp salad topped with shiso, a Japanese herb. Dish number three, a sushi handroll, incorporated the toro, a fatty section of tuna. The seaweed that enclosed the roll was thin and had a pleasant crispiness, making it easy to gobble down without being too chewy. In the fourth and fifth courses, the presentation wowed the diners. A plate of tuna noodles and edamame puree sat atop a bowl of smoked and seared tuna cured in soy sauce. The smoke pouring out of the bowl and the edible flower atop the tuna created a beautiful visual contrast. A spicy tuna and warm crab salad hand roll followed as the sixth course and a grilled seabass with ginger scallion sauce for the seventh course ushered in the main event, the sashimi cuts of tuna. Guests devoured the sashimi, then tasted a bite of sushi with wagyu beef and a brilliant orange sea urchin nigiri. Fresh cantaloupe cleansed diners’ palettes at the end of the night.

“We want to be fun for the community and increase our events throughout the year,” says Dokko, “and people love seeing a big tuna getting cut up and tasting it.” Anyone who missed the tuna cutting should fear not, as JPAN has plenty more fish in the sea for hungry patrons. In April, the restaurant will host a similar event featuring nine different fish. From longtime sushi enthusiasts to newbies to Japanese cuisine, JPAN welcomes everyone to sample the rich bounty of the sea.

JPAN Sushi Bar and Grill, 229 N. Cattlemen Rd., Sarasota, jpanrestaurant.com.

Pictured: The bluefin tuna cutting at JPAN. Photo by: Wyatt Kostygan