Kadence *

Orlando, FL

March 16th, 2026

To know Emma is to know her love, perhaps obsession, with sushi. We tend to blame it on the extensive tasting we did while Kira was pregnant at Morimoto in Philadelphia. In hindsight, there were clearly long-term implications; Emma developed both a love for and a craving for sushi at a very young age, something that has only become more refined as she continues to experience the work of some of the world’s best sushi chefs.

So, on night three of our self-curated (and still not sponsored 😊) Jabri Restaurant Week, we found ourselves at Kadence for the first of three omakase experiences planned for the week, yes, three.

Because when Emma loves something, can you blame us?

Kadence had been on our radar for several Orlando trips, but actually securing a reservation proved more difficult than expected. With just eight seats at the counter, and our requirement of three, this was not easy.

Fortunately, no one can secure a reservation quite like Carmine.

The restaurant itself is intimate in the truest sense of the word. Kadence reminds you why omakase remains one of the most personal ways to dine.

Given that family entrepreneurship is very much our vibe, we were especially happy to support another husband-and-wife owned restaurant. Owners Mark Berdin and Jennifer Berdin are simply delightful. Jen is someone you immediately want to sit with, sip sake, and talk about food for hours. Chef Mark is a character who genuinely loves interacting with their guests and answers questions while maintaining the rhythm of the counter.

Kadence is truly both a sushi bar and a sake bar. Jen and Mark are Advanced Sake Professionals certified by the Sake Education Council, and Jen has also earned her WSET Level 3 certification (per their website). Their knowledge shows immediately in the pairing program. If you enjoy sake the pairing is worth exploring. We discovered a few new favorites that will absolutely follow us home.

A quick pro tip- though admittedly after only one visit: the door can be hard to find. The entrance sits on the front of an unmarked black building. If you know, you know.

And now we know.

Kadence delivered exactly the kind of experience we hoped for when traveling with Emma, exceptional cuisine by people who genuinely love what they do. For a family that plans entire trips around restaurants, it’s exactly the kind of place that we are happy was part of “Jabri Restaurant Week”.