Category: Featured

Zukku-San Is Taking Its Place Among Wesley Chapel’s Best!

If you somehow haven’t seen it as you crawl to or from I-75 on S.R. 56, or you haven’t seen the ads (or my previous shorter writeups) in these pages, a favorite from Tampa’s Armature Works has opened in our area.

Zukku-San Sushi Bar & Grill opened towards the end of 2020, next to Crumbl Cookie, and has brought that great Tampa vibe along with it.

But, while the Zukku Sushi location in the Tampa Heights Market at Armature Works is set up (like most restaurants in that space) as a faster-food mix of “curated” sushi, poké bowls and sushi burritos, co-owner Ferdian Jap and his possible future brother-in-law and co-owner/Executive Chef Gia Tran (Ferdian’s girlfriend is Gia’s wife’s sister) have brought the same “works of art” feel to the coolly elegant Zukku-San, which is much more of a sit-down, fine dining restaurant, featuring a super-premium, full liquor bar.

Gia, who spent several years at Sushi Alive in the Westshore Business District, followed by five years at Ocean Prime outside of the International Plaza, says that Zukku-San allows him to get even more into his unique combination of knowledge and love of the freshest sushi and the ability to create more upscale works of art that he learned at Ocean Prime.

In fact, “Zukku” is a canvas commonly used by artists to create their masterpieces and “San” is a title of respect added to a name in Japanese. Amazing food is the art form and the chefs are the artists who use the finest ingredients to create these culinary masterpieces. In fact, there even are large and small sushi and sashimi palettes served on a custom artist’s palette. These folks are not playing around when it comes to food.

If you spend a few minutes with Ferdian and Chef Gia, you can tell just how excited they are about their latest venture together (they also have a Zukku Sushi location in Charlotte, NC) — and they’re not the only ones.

Although fans of Zukku-San pack the place (but please note that there are few eateries better set up for social distancing) for dinner virtually every night, Gia and Ferdian only recently unveiled a new lunch menu, so the lunch crowd is just now building.

But, while you can get the full dinner menu if you go at lunch time, there also are lunch-only items, like excellent tuna and other poké bowls and tender short rib and other bento boxes, all of which include salad, rice, two fried gyoza, or pork dumplings, and Zukku-San’s amazingly fresh and delicious sautéed veggies. The bottom line is that whether you go for lunch, dinner or drinks and appetizers, you really can’t beat the quality — or the artistry — of Chef Gia’s food at Zukku-San.

For Starters…

Jannah and I haven’t always gotten a full meal when we visit Zukku-San because the starters are just so delicious.

But, every dine-in visitor to Zukku-San also receives a towel that puffs up when your server pours hot water on it. But, neither photographer Charmaine George nor I got a picture that really does this magical process justice, so you’ll just have to check it out for yourself, OK?

And, even though Jannah and I aren’t as big on sushi as some Zukku-San diners, the fish is always fresh and excellent, as is the seared ahi tuna tataki. Also outstanding are the fried vegetable spring rolls (served with a unique orange chili sauce), the skewers of beef tenderloin and chicken yakitori (shrimp and scallop yakitori also are on the menu; all are skewered with fresh sautéed onions, peppers zucchini and even broccoli) and the fried pork gyoza.

But, our favorite starters are probably the wide variety of Tempura a la Carte options. Jannah’s favorite is the zucchini and mine are the broccoli, carrot and amazing whole soft shell crab tempura (right). Also on the tempura menu are shrimp, sweet potato, tofu, whole giant squid, avocado, scallops, hamachi (yellowtail) collar, asparagus, onion rings, red and jalapeño pepper and even whole lobster tail tempura.

“Most Japanese restaurants give you an order of tempura that may have some vegetables you don’t like,” Ferdian says. “But, we give you four pieces of zucchini or broccoli or whatever vegetables you like, for only $2.95 per order. At Zukku-San, you pick only the tempura items you want.”

There’s even “Chef’s Features” available, like a tender bluefin tuna appetizer, topped with caviar. Ferdian says that the bluefin appetizer is likely to become a regular menu item in the future, but Gia says other “Chef’s Features” also are coming soon.

There also are soups and salads available as starters, but other than the ginger salad that comes with the entrées, Jannah and I haven’t sampled any of them…yet.

From The Wok & Grill

Just in case you’re still hungry for more than just appetizers, Zukku-San offers mine and Jannah’s favorite chicken teriyaki (above), which is served with those aforementioned sautéed veggies. Also available are dinner portions of those tender, delicious grilled short ribs, plus items we haven’t tried yet, like soy butter glazed baked salmon, miso garlic scallops or tofu, and wok-fired hibachi and udon noodle dishes, all with your choice of protein, or just with veggies.

But, it’s really hard for us to ever pass up the Japanese-style fried rice, which is jasmine rice with egg, peas, carrots and onions and available with chicken, beef, shrimp or fried tofu protein options, but our favorite is the veggie fried rice, which adds red peppers, broccoli, zucchini and amazing baby bok choy. The rice has a nutty flavor that is hard to match.

Zukku-San also has a kids menu, but while the items aren’t cheap, the portions seem adult-sized to us. There’s also a variety of desserts, from triple chocolate cake to matcha green tea cheesecake, fried ice cream and more, but we’ve honestly never had room left over for dessert. There’s also a variety of hot and iced teas, as well as boba milk tea, but Jannah usually gets a wine or hot saki and I usually have either an Asahi Dry or Sapporo beer, or a whiskey.

Zukku-San Sushi Bar & Grill (25916 Sierra Center Blvd., Lutz) opens every day at 11 and is open until 9:30 on weekdays, 10 p.m. on Fri. & Sat. & 9 p.m. on Sun. For more information, visit ZukkuSushi.com, call (813) 419-1351.

Annual Chlorine Disinfection Begins Today

Beginning March 8 and running through March 29, the Tampa Water Department (TWD) is temporarily changing its water disinfection process from chloramine to chlorine to disinfect the water distributed to all TWD customers.

If you get your water from the TWD, you might notice a slight change in what you are tasting and smelling coming out of our faucets the next three weeks. However, chances are you won’t.

Your water is safe to drink and does not need to be boiled, according to the TWD. Customers who are sensitive to chlorine may notice. If so, it is recommended you run the tap for a few minutes before using, fill a pitcher of water and let it sit for a few hours to allow any residual chlorine to evaporate or consider installing a carbon filter on your faucets or replace existing filters with new ones.

The TWD uses chloramine (ammonia added to chlorine) to disinfect the water, but as a sustainable alternative to losing millions of gallons of drinking water by flushing the system, at least twice a year for three-week periods it switches to chlorine disinfection, which is stronger. TWD says the temporary change kills bacteria and ensures the water remains safe to drink as it travels through the water mains and service lines.

“We work closely with the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) to ensure that we comply with EPA guidelines for using chlorine and chloramine to disinfect Tampa’s drinking water,” it says on the TWD website.

Those who already take special steps to remove chloramine from tap water, such as dialysis centers, medical facilities and aquatic pet owners, should take the same precautions during the temporary switch to chlorine, says TWD.

For more information, contact City of Tampa Utilities at (813) 274-8811, Option 2, or visit tampa.gov/ChlorineDisinfection.

chlorina water

Rep. Driskell, Wharton Students Team Up On Environmental Bill

If a bill gets passed during this upcoming State of Florida legislative session that helps eliminate food waste and, in the process, provides the Sunshine State with environmental benefits, you might just have some Wharton High students to thank for it.

During a Zoom class on Jan. 28 moderated by District 63 State Rep. Fentrice Driskell, the Wharton students were asked to debate three potential bills they had been given, and whichever one they found to be the most preferable, Rep. Driskell would take with her to Tallahassee when the 60-day legislative session begins March 2 and work to get it passed.

“This is a new initiative for me,” Rep. Driskell said. “I have heard of other members doing this, but I wanted to put my own spin on it.”

Each of the bills debated had a strong climate change component to them, something near to Driskell’s heart — before attending Harvard University and Georgetown Law School, she was an officer in the environment club at Lake Gibson High in Lakeland.

“We were setting out to save the world,” she told the class. “Never doubt that young people can save the world, and part of the reason we are having real conversation around climate change is because the younger generation is pushing us to do so.”

The students in the class of Mary Johnson (AP Environmental Science) and Chad Reed (AP U.S. Government) chose a version of the Rhode Island Refuse Disposal Act, which ensures that the organic-waste materials generated by educational facilities are recycled at an authorized composting facility or anaerobic digestion facility.

“There is a lot of food waste,” said Sarai Guzman, a senior, who added that since she moved to Tampa she has noticed excessive waste, especially in schools. “We need to help those who don’t get as much food.”

Zoe Craig, a junior, agreed. She said she has volunteered a lot in a local food pantry, and sees the need for food in the community.

Sonya Patel, also a junior, also voted for the food waste bill, stressing its environmental benefits.

“It would lead to less going to the landfill, and the less landfill, the less we burn, which (means) less greenhouse gas,” she said. “There is a whole chain of reactions involved with that.”

Senior Mark Johnson agreed that the gashouse effect of less waste would provide a large benefit to society.

The other bills presented for discussion included one dealing with testing for and eliminating lead in the water of schools and child daycare centers, and another focused on an energy security and disaster resilience pilot program to create solar energy storage systems at certain facilities which could provide needed power following natural disasters.

The Lead-Safe Schools and Daycares Act also was a popular choice of the class. Kylie Lewis said she thought the transparency of the bill — requiring testing results to be made available to district leaders and parents — was great, while senior Vlada Pitner said the safety issue was important.

“There have been a lot of problems in the district in Hillsborough County with lead being in the water,” Pitner said. “It’s a big issue and I feel like a lot of people overlook it. And, it affects the next generation, who we want to be healthy.”

Senior Jonathan Arms cast his vote for the solar energy bill, primarily because of the possibilities it could open up.

“If we could prove to the other states that solar energy is viable and can properly be used as a back up, then there is no real excuse it can’t be used as a primary source,” Arms said. “Maybe we can start using solar energy for big projects, maybe we start making, I don’t know, solar-powered cars. That would be kind of cool. I kind of like (what this bill could mean for the future).”

In a non-Covid world, Driskell says she would have liked to break off into groups for further debate. Instead, she put it to a vote, with 47 percent of the class picking the food waste bill. She called the experience a success.

“It went better than I expected,” Driskell said. “The kids were so impressive to me. They were engaged the whole time. I couldn’t have asked for it to go any better.”

Driskell said the class was the first of many she would like to do in New Tampa, and that she will approach other schools in the future. She chose Wharton for this one because of her relationship with principal Mike Rowan, whom she met in 2018 shortly after being elected for the first time.

She will now take the bill, rework the language in it, and work on getting it sponsored. It would then go into committee and, if deemed favorable by the House committee and by a House vote, it would be sent to the Senate floor for a final yes or no vote.

Driskell joked that she will tell the Senators that there would be some angry high school students calling them if the bill doesn’t pass, telling the Wharton students to be ready to go.

“I didn’t grow up knowing elected officials,” she said. “I had no sense of how accessible government is on the local and state level. I hope this sparks curiosity in the minds of these students. Maybe it gets them engaged at this level, at an early age, and they will want to stay engaged for the rest of their lives.”

Is tonight the night for Zach’s Second Shot At ‘American Idol’?

If you remember Zach D’Onofrio’s first appearance on ABC-TV’s “American Idol” in 2018, we have news for you.

You ain’t seen nothing yet.

The kid that gave socks to the judges, danced with Katie Perry (see photo on next page) and then wowed with his voice — when it transformed from Kermit the Frog to Frank Sinatra to earn a golden ticket — is now older and wiser and back on the show.

The Wiregrass Ranch High graduate, who now attends Florida Southern College, will appear on the audition shows in the coming weeks. He did not appear in the season premiere, which aired locally on Feb. 14 at 8 p.m. on WFTS-TV, or the second episode. He hasn’t been told when his episode will air. But he did leave a teaser on his Instagram this weekend.

So, what happens this time? A lot.

But we can’t tell you.

Just like last time, Zach has been sworn to secrecy until the episode airs. His family, a good friend and his girlfriend know, and we are privy to a few of Zach’s twists and turns this time around, so we could tell you, but then we’d have to…well, you know how the saying goes.

Zach’s return to “Idol” actually began in August when he signed up for Zoom auditions. The producers instantly recognized him, and he sang “No Fire” by S. Grant Parker while playing the ukelele, and the following round, sang the same song and also played piano while singing “Places We Won’t Walk” by Bruno Major.

Zach wasn’t sure he had passed, especially when August passed, and so did September. Then, a friend received a rejection email, so Zach thought he might still be alive. In mid-October, he finally got word that he was headed to Ojai, CA — which is in Ventura County about 90 minutes northwest of Los Angeles — for live auditions the first week of November, and mum’s been the word ever since.

“It’s kind of fun keeping the secret,” Zach says.

Although it was his second time in front of judges Lionel Ritchie, Luke Bryan and Perry, Zach says he still felt a little trepidation about his second chance.

“I was pretty nervous seeing the judges again because it’s been so long,” he says. “When I walked out, they were like, ‘Oh, we know Zach.’” He sang “Golden Slumbers” by the Beatles.

“And, that’s pretty much all I can tell you,” he says, chuckling.

A lot has changed since Zach, then a squeaky-voiced 16-year-old who had only started singing a year before, was cut following the first competition in Los Angeles.

He returned to Wesley Chapel, won a few singing competitions, graduated from Wiregrass Ranch and was accepted into the University of South Florida, where he was going to study biomedical science and become a doctor one day.

But, “American Idol” had awakened something in him. He wanted to hone his singing skills. He wanted to help make music. He wanted to follow what had become his passion.

After one year at USF, Zach, now 20, transferred to Florida Southern and is now a music management major. He says he would like to manage artists one day, help them with auditions and, of course, cut his own first album.

“I think only reason I wanted to be a doctor was because they make a lot of money, but would that make me happy?,” Zach says. “(Being on) ‘American Idol’ made me happy. Singing made me happy. I liked the performing and talking to fans. So why not commit to music fully?”

Why not try “American Idol” again?

The last thing Zach told us in 2018 after his surprisingly quick end on the show was that he was encouraged by fellow contestants to try again — and he told them he would. And, that thought has always stuck in his head.

His girlfriend, Catie Turner, was on the show with Zach in 2018 and finished sixth. While she can’t compete again, she never stopped encouraging Zach to try.

“It’s always been kind of stuck in the back of my head that I would go back and try again,” Zach says. “It was inevitable. I want to prove to myself that I can do it again. My goal was to make it farther this time than last time.”

Zach says being in California during the pandemic was concerning, especially making the trip out there. But, with Covid-19 tests every other day, and the threat of being sent home if you tested positive, Zach says the auditions were smooth. Each contestant was encouraged to stay confined to their room.

“It was kind of like house arrest,” Zach jokes. “But I felt safe the whole time. Everyone wore masks. You won’t see people wearing them while on stage, but anyone who wasn’t singing at the time had masks on.”

Zach says people still recognize him in public as the “American Idol,” though most seem to remember his affinity for socks. But his “socks appeal” is gone, and this season’s version of Zach might be best described as “sweater late than never,” as he makes his return with a different style.

As for the rest, Zach says you’ll have to tune in on Sunday nights.

American IDol Zach D'Onofrio

Yo Murphy Performance Expands To Wiregrass Ranch

Llewellyn Murphy, Jr., better known as Yo to Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ fans, remembers tearing his quad muscle in 2001. But, with the help of a performance therapist and fitness coach, Murphy was able to get back to playing wide receiver in time to help the St. Louis Rams make it to Super Bowl XXXVI on Feb. 3, 2002, which the Rams lost to the New England Patriots, the first Big Game win for QB Tom Brady.

Murphy, who played seven games for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1999 and was an electric kickoff returner, says he didn’t have a Plan B at the time, but the rehabilitation experience and how it helped him play four more seasons of professional football crystallized one for him.

“It showed me how much value that has, and how much impact you can have on someone’s life when you do this job and focus on what they need,” Murphy says. “I just fell in love with it.”

Murphy ended up becoming the only player ever to play seasons in the NFL, Candaian Football League (CFL), the XFL and NFL Europe. He also is the only player to suit up for the Super Bowl, Grey Cup and World Bowl championship games. Murphy is now a 15-year veteran of the performance training industry, and is expanding from his Westchase location to the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County.

Yo Murphy Performance should be up and running later this month.

At the 11,000-sq.-ft. Westchase location, 38 professional and professional-to-be athletes train as part of his clientele, including Washington Nationals outfielder Kyle Schwarber, Kanasas City Royals first baseman Carlos Santana, 2020 Heisman Trophy winner Devonta Smith (from the University of Alabama) as well as NFL hopefuls getting ready for the NFL combine, like Smith’s teammate at Alabama, DT Christian Barmore and speedy Auburn WR Anthony Schwartz.

While prepping professional athletes for a combine or upcoming season may be a specialty, Murphy says his training center also caters to a few hundred “corporate,” as well as more than 100 youth athletes.

“We treat the regular dude like a serious athlete,” Murphy says. “People get in ruts when they just go to the gym (to go). The only difference between the athlete and the regular dude is, while in the gym training, athletes have a start and an end date. We are good as humans when we have goals and we have deadlines and we have discipline involved. That’s what we focus on. We treat everyone the same.”

Murphy says he was alerted to the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus by his director of basketball, Darryl Hepburn, who Murphy says has held NBA combines but saw a need for a facility with more courts. Once Murphy visited, he saw the Wiregrass Sports Campus, with its 98,000-sq. ft. of indoor space to be “a perfect fit.”

Yo Murphy Performance caters to the serious athlete, whether professional or amateur. The Wiregrass Ranch location, he says, will offer memberships for adults, and even offer 1-on-1 training and combines for those corporate athletes.

Expect a fair share of professional athletes to be sharing that space as well. Murphy said NFL wide receivers like Diontae Johnson (Pittsburgh), Deon Cain (Baltimore) and Auden Tate (Cincinatti and a Wharton High in New Tampa graduate) all live near the facility and plan on training there in the offseason.

Murphy expects a more than two dozen NFL players to make Wiregrass Ranch their training home now that the Super Bowl LV is over.

For additional information about Yo Murphy Performance, visit YoMurphy.com.

Yo Murphy