Casa Sensei

Casa Sensei opened on Las Olas Boulevard in November 2018 with a concept that could have easily felt gimmicky: Pan-Asian cooking filtered through Latin American technique and flavor, served in a waterfront dining room with a Zen garden out back. Instead, the pairing has held up, helped along by an ownership team, Victor H. Diaz and Patricia Lara, working alongside executive chef and co-owner Richard Huang, that clearly had a specific vision rather than just chasing a trend.

The menu bounces between traditions in a way that mostly makes sense on the plate. There’s an omakase sushi program for people who want the more traditional Japanese route, alongside Korean dishes like bulgogi and grilled steak finished with chimichurri, a direct nod to the restaurant’s Latin half. Signature plates include a Mongolian Peking duck and a Korean BBQ bulgogi that regulars point to often, and the Latin side shows up clearly in dishes like lobster guacamole and a red shrimp ceviche. Weekend brunch takes a different, more indulgent turn, leaning into wagyu burgers and fried chicken and waffles alongside a bottomless cocktail program, which has made it one of the busier weekend brunch reservations on this stretch of Las Olas.

The setting does a lot of the work too. Casa Sensei sits directly on the water, with dockside seating that looks out over the New River, a marble sushi bar with leather seating for anyone who wants to watch the rolls being built, and enough private and semi-private space, including two private dining rooms and a VIP area, to make it a natural choice for a bigger group or a celebration. It’s also pet-friendly, which is a small but appreciated detail if you’re walking the dog along Las Olas and want a patio table rather than saving your plans for later. The restaurant has picked up recognition that lines up with what regulars already suspected, including an OpenTable Diners’ Choice award and local nods for best Asian restaurant in Fort Lauderdale.

Pricing sits toward the higher end for the area, with brunch entrees generally running from the high teens up into the $40 range and specialty cocktails around $15, so this isn’t really a casual weeknight stop unless you’re comfortable with that range. It’s better suited to a planned dinner, a date night, or a brunch you’ve actually put on the calendar. Hours are broad enough to cover most schedules: closed for lunch on Mondays but open from 4pm, and running from late morning through late evening the rest of the week, later on Thursday through Saturday when the bar scene picks up. If you’re looking for a Las Olas restaurant that leans into its waterfront setting rather than treating it as a bonus, Casa Sensei delivers that, and the fusion menu gives you a reason to come back and try a different combination of dishes each time.