Graze and the Sanctuary Diner, upscale sister restaurants owned by the SK Restaurant Group, have closed in Thornton Park near downtown Orlando.

“Both are simply victims of these tough economic times,” said Steve Kodsi, president of Historic Creations Design/Development Group and founder of the SK Restaurant Group. “I still believe in the South Eola District and I think exciting times are yet to come for this area.”

Celebrated local chef Jephanie Foster was hired in 2008 to oversee Graze but eventually became managing director for Fifi’s as well and orchestrated Fifi’s transformation into the eclectic Sanctuary Diner in February.

from orlando sentinel’s cooking gal: the dish

——————-

another one bites the dust…

another casualty of the Great Recession? or a victim of their own misgivings? Is it possible that it is due to service or the quality of the restaurant? a lot of central florida citizens are wondering the same question and some agree with the latter. I had not the opportunity to visit but would have loved to check it out for myself.

Its interesting to note that Sanctuary Diner had just been revamped from the previous dining establishment Fifi’s Patisserie.

Review from Orlando Weekly: “Sink the Pink”

http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf

THE FORTUNE COOKIE CHRONICLES: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food, by Jennifer 8. Lee. (Twelve, $13.) An American-born Chinese (and a New York Times reporter), Lee investigates the Chinese restaurant business — the origin of fortune cookies (Japan), the beginning of door-to-door delivery in New York, the relationship of General Tso to the dish that bears his name. She also looks at the difficult lives of Chinese restaurant workers.

About: Readers will take an unexpected and entertaining journey—through culinary, social and cultural history—in this delightful first book on the origins of the customary after-Chinese-dinner treat by New York Times reporter Lee. When a large number of Powerball winners in a 2005 drawing revealed that mass-printed paper fortunes were to blame, the author went in search of the backstory. She tracked the winners down to Chinese restaurants all over America, and the paper slips the fortunes are written on back to a Brooklyn company. This travel-like narrative serves as the spine of her cultural history—not a book on Chinese cuisine, but the Chinese food of take-out-and-delivery—and permits her to frequently but safely wander off into various tangents related to the cookie. There are satisfying mini-histories on the relationship between Jews and Chinese food and a biography of the real General Tso, but Lee also pries open factoids and tidbits of American culture that eventually touch on large social and cultural subjects such as identity, immigration and nutrition. Copious research backs her many lively anecdotes, and being American-born Chinese yet willing to scrutinize herself as much as her objectives, she wins the reader over. From Publishers Weekly.

General Tso’s Chicken, who some say never really made the dish, as it was created in America.

Who took a chomp out of my egg roll??

Oh, it was me

I have recently started reading The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food by Jennifer 8. Lee and so started to crave the fast food variety of the chinese cuisine. I stumbled upon China Chef after a recommendation from a friend and found it to be quite interesting: tucked between the abandoned k-mart and a abandoned movie theatre on Goldenrod road and University Boulevard lies this peculiar Chinese restaurant.

At first glance it appears that it is a chinese take out place, but after a closer look, it is fully a sit down restaurant with newly decorated furnishings. Nice, I thought to myself, maybe it’ll be worth the try.

And it was. The general tso’s chicken was fresh and hot out of the kitchen and had a tender, sweet and spicy flavor. The pork fried rice was steaming and flavorful. The egg roll however could have used some better quality ingredients as it was my least favorite. All in all this place was a nice stop on the way home for a quick chinese fast food fix.

TASTY CHOMPS!! RATING!!
3.5 out of 5 TASTY CHINESE CHOMPS!!!!!

www.chinachefwinterpark.com

THE FORTUNE COOKIE CHRONICLES: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food, by Jennifer 8. Lee. (Twelve, $13.) An American-born Chinese (and a New York Times reporter), Lee investigates the Chinese restaurant business — the origin of fortune cookies (Japan), the beginning of door-to-door delivery in New York, the relationship of General Tso to the dish that bears his name. She also looks at the difficult lives of Chinese restaurant workers.

Buy it here:

TASTY CHOMP’S RATING!
3.5 TASTY CHOMPS OUT OF 5

As any resident of Orlando, I have been watching the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs between the Orlando Magic and the Cleveland Cavaliers. I am glad that the Magic are doing well this season as it has been a LONG time and with the new upcoming performing arts center, I can’t wait to see next year’s games. I have one thing to say though: Lebron James is a beast and probably haunts many people’s nightmares. Dwight Howard is a beast as well and his beastly shoulders are an inspiration for my work out.

Although it is a chain, one of my favorite delivery chomps is Pizza Hut’s Supreme Pan Pizza. The pizza is baked with a thick pan crust and is pretty delicious especially with all of its toppings. This time we added pineapples to our pizza order and it went really well together with the zesty tartness of the pizza’s tomato sauce.

Another thing I love about pizza from pizza hut is that it is really good as a left over, either cold straight from the fridge, or simply placed in the toaster oven for 2-3 minutes to bake. It comes out crispy and hot and tasty like new.

Also, according to espn.com, Hedo Turkoglu of the Orlando Magic eats mozzarella cheese pizza from Pizza Hut before each game! WHATT

Tasty Chomps rating:
4 out of 5 TASTY CHOMPS!!!

I went to meet up with fellow alumni and bros at Fort De Soto Beach in St Petersburg Florida for a Memorial Day weekend barbeque. Ft Desoto Beach was actually named the top most beautiful beach in the US by TripAdvisor. I had a great time with the bros and had some great food which consisted over 80 lbs of ribs and chicken meat and more. The weather was great, sunny and slightly cloudy, despite having rained all week here in central Florida. It was good to see some sun again. We played a round of football and I got a little bruised up.

Tasty Chomps reader and bro Ed Ta and
his girlfriend Cecelia chompin down on some ribs.
I am currently on week 5 of his fatality work out plan and have
been seeing results. He is an inspiration and fellow foodie.

Chicken wings and ribs destruction

Corn on the cob, a crate full for $12 at Publix, as it is corn season

Watermelon chomps!

Chicken wings and ribs on the grill, marinated by my bro Jere Ngo

Vietnamese Goi Salad with beef

Assorted tasty cooked barbeque

“Ragu” A Vietnamese soup dish eaten with french baguetttes and made with ribs

Bros eating and having a good time

Grand little Chris Chen going in to join the elite eating group “Kobayashi” of which I had declined to join on this day. I did not feel like puking today. Notice the look on his face as he tries to finish his last piece.

Chomping down on his last chicken wing. He finished 17 mega chicken wing/legs, 8 pieces of ribs, and 6 corn on the cob and is finally a new member of the Kobayashi club.

Fable, the half chow chow half labrador doggie

9 members of the UF alpha class saluting with their corn

Bonefish Grill on Sand Lake Rd in Dr Phillips Area

On the way to watch the newly revamped Star Trek film at the Festival Bay mall’s Cinemark movie theatre, we stop by the Dr Phillips area on “Restaurant Row” to dine in for dinner. My partner and I had heard of Bonefish Grill before (not to be confused with Fish Bones down the street or Moon Fish across the street), and wanted to try their seafood offerings. We were in for a pleasant surprise.

Upon entering, there was lounge music playing in the background, alternating between bossa nova to other city sounds, definitely giving the place a urban-modern feel. The tan colored walls and dim lighting gave the restaurant a sophisticated atmosphere and yet at the same time still very relaxed and down to earth.

We begin our order with an appetizer: crabcakes (2 for $9.90). The crab cakes are crispy on the outside and filled with jumbo lump crab on the inside. Hardly any of the cheap “cake” breading that is often found in lower end crabcakes, and definitely more delicious lumps of white crab meat than anything. My partner remarked that this is the probably the best crabcake she has had so far in Orlando. The crabcakes came with a zingy tartar/mayo sauce.

We also get a cup of corn chowder with lump crab soup ($2.70 with entree) that was acceptable although not the best corn chowder ever, it was fresh and the lump crab meat was generous. It was a tad bit bland and may have needed some seasoning.

For our dessert, we ordered the incredibly rich chocolate brownie ($5.50) that was made without flour and served with a side of vanilla ice cream and raspberry sauce, topped with macadamia nuts and whipped cream. The dessert was as big as my head and tasted amazing. It was the best dessert I have had in a long time.

For the prices, everything at Bonefish Grill was reasonable and the portions more than made up for cost. Service at Bonefish Grill was good, the waitress was attentive and caring with a slight sense of humor. The dishes all arrived promptly to our table and we were able to catch our movie at Festival Bay on time. Star Trek proved to be a great revamping and had all the fun summer blockbuster features from explosions and exciting action sequences to high tech graphics. That “mall” needs a good revamping though, not sure why it sucks so much but they need to get their act together especially in this recession.

Tasty Chomps RATING!
4.5 out of 5 TASTY CHOMPS !!!!.

Bonefish Grill
7830 W Sand Lake Rd, Orlando

http://www.bonefishgrill.com

Village Tavern of Orlando at Millenia Mall is closed
(reblogged from Heather McPherson of the Orlando Sentinel)

-__- I was about to review this place too sigh.

Orlando – Village Tavern at Millenia Mall – CLOSED
4158 Conroy Rd Orlando, FL 32839 – (407) 581-1740

Their website has no mention of the Orlando location
http://www.villagetavern.com/

It just opened in early 2008. sigh.
—————————–
We came here to Village Tavern the other day to celebrate my partner’s sister’s graduation from her masters program at the UCF Rosen School of Hospitality. She chose Orlando’s Village Tavern at Millenia Mall on Conroy Road to celebrate and I was happy for this decision because I had previously enjoyed a delicious dinner here before with their lamb shanks and prime ribs.

The restaurant can be most accurately described as a upper middle end dining restaurant with prices that are quite reasonable. The decor is elegant and modern American with light browns and warm hues. Towards the back of the restaurant there is a great curtain that divides the room to a smaller private section and towards the center is a giant fireplace.

We start the meal off with the small plate sampler($14.95), a sampling of their popular appetizers: Calamari, Spring Rolls, Crabcake & Toasted Bruschetta accompanied by four sauces. The calamari was tender and tasty and served with a thai chili sauce. The spring rolls were a mix of chicken, Napa cabbage, garlic, soy and ginger. The bruschetta came with marinated tomatoes with capers, black pepper, basil pesto and shaved Reggiano Parmesan cheese. The crabcake was made of lump crab meat, house made tartar sauce, mixed greens, tossed in Miso dressing. The appetizers were all to our liking and were a great way to begin the meal.

A few of the dinners began with salad and I particularly enjoyed mine because of their unique Miso flavor dressing.

A man (imagine one of those guys from Sopranos) stands behind the counter, behind the glass cases displaying the specials of the day, resplendent pizza pies and strombolis, sicilian style grandma pizza slices and more. He asks in a Long Island accent, “what would you like to order today?”

Despite his looks, he was more considerate and especially attentive to our orders than what may at first appeared.

Something about the place reminded me of being transported back to the time when the first Italian immigrants came to America and brought with them the old world pizza and began transforming it into a distinctly American icon. The place is Pizzeria Valdiano at Winter Park Village, right next to the Winter Park Regal Movie Theatre.

I thought to myself that this place, this finally would be the place where I could come again and again for a slice of pizza pie heaven, after being disappointed for years with pizzas that were overly greasy, whose crust tasted as though they were made with cardboard scrapings, and tomato sauces straight from a can.

But I had no idea at the time.

I tend to prefer the Chicago deep dish style pizza and for a moment contemplated going for the Sicilian, a deep focacia style version, but after reviewing a menu that boasts over 30 Specialty Pies, I finally differed to the traditional pizza pizza, regular New York style.

I ordered the Pizza Valdiano ($3.25) and the pizza maker simply and quickly whisked the pizza into the hot baking oven and within a minute the pizza was ready. It looked so simple and easy and yet the tastes that were to come were completely infinitely times more complex.

Sausage, pepperoni, meatballs and green peppers, mushrooms and onions laid on the exquisitely melted mozzarella. An exact amount of oil was used, not too much that it would overly grease the pizza, but just enough to dance with the dough making it a perfect balance for the crust.

The crust was particularly crispy yet fluffy at the same time making it incredibly delicious. The smell of the pizza was absolutely intoxicating.

The pizza here was something special.

In addition to the pizza, I ordered the pasta of the day ($7.95): “Tortellini Primavera” (primavera means spring in Italian)

The legend has it that the tortellini came into conception after a man looked upon a beauty’s keyhole in an inn, and all he saw was the woman’s navel (she turned out to be Venus, the Goddess of Love). The man rushed to the kitchen in ecstasy and created the tortellini in its image. Kind of creepy, I know, but it still made for a great pasta design?

The tortellini was filled with mozzarella and served in a light creamy alfredo sauce ripe with plum tomatoes, red and green and orange peppers, red onions, minced garlic, fresh sliced mushrooms and chopped spinach topped with parmesan grated and two garlic rolls brushed with olive oil on the side. A satisfying meal for the palate and the heart.

On my way out the man asked how things were.

I told him truthfully,

“absolutely delicious”.

TASTY CHOMPS RATING:
4.5 out of 5 TASTY CHOMPS ! ! ! ! .
(food taste outweighs all else)

Note: Pizzeria Valdiano’s is a 6 time winner of Orlando Sentinel’s Foodie award for Best Pizza 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Pizzeria Valdiano
510 N Orlando Ave # 103,
Winter Park, FL
(407) 628-5333
pizzeriavaldiano.com

VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANTS AND LOCAL PLACES VIA
ORLANDO WEEKLY’S BEST OF 2009 POLL

Past Best of Winners
Orlando Weekly Best of 2008

I think I will do my own Best of Orlando restaurant list soon 😀

On my way to visit my bros Mike Cho and Xi Guo at their newly opened store, “Impress Ink Tees” in a warehouse right behind McDonald’s on Goldenrod and Colonial Drive, I stumbled upon this place:

Tortilleria La Mexicana

Seeing the words authentic, mexican, and $5.99 special got me in the door. The problem was there was a language barrier inside. Luckily the young cashier at the grocery store helped me out and let the waitress/order lady know what i wanted. (The tortelleria, grocery store, and even a ice cream store are all in the same place, kinda like a mexican super store for all your mexican needs)

I order one of the combos that came with a hard taco and two enchiladas with a side of rice and drink. I also bought a bag of habenero flavored chips.

This is Mike Cho, co owner of Impress Ink Tees in his t shirt making apron

Bag of Toreadas, habenero flavor

Overall the meal was disappointing, the meat was not freshly cooked and was rather rough and the taco shell seemed a bit stale. the enchiladas were just okay. overall i would give it a second chance especially seeing that they are reknown for their tortas. I will try their tortas next time.

Shameless Plug of the Day

Impress Ink Tees is a multipurpose t shirt making company that is located in the Orlando area. If you need their service, visit their website at http://www.impressinktees.com/ and tell them Tasty Chomps sent you.

Tasty Chomps Rating
2 out of 5 TASTY CHOMPS !!

Tortilleria La Mexicana
1718 N Goldenrod Rd
Orlando, FL 32807
(407) 384-8757

An article from the NEW YORK TIMES: A Chili Sauce to Crow About

While many mistakenly assume the sauce originates from Thailand or Vietnam, it turns out the zesty red condiment, manufactured by Huy Fong Foods, is very much an American sauce, “a polygot puree with roots in different places and peoples.”

Sriracha was created in Los Angeles in the early 1980s by David Tran, a Chinese immigrant from Vietnam, who developed it as his own take on a traditional Asian chili sauce. The rest is history. Today, it’s everywhere, inspiring cooks, copycats and competitors. You won’t find a pho shop without it.

Free Food: Free Lettuce Wraps from PF CHANGS!

Free Chicken lettuce wraps for everyone in America? It’s an offer from the popular restaurant chain P.F. Chang’s.

The china bistro says the free food is to celebrate the chipping skills of PGA Pro Briny Baird.

Baird is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and Nationwide Tour.

He’s known for his odd putting style.

Briny Baird has never won a PGA tournament but finished second in four of the tournaments.

get your coupon here:
http://www.pfchangs.com/briny/

Orlando Food Blog 010

Orlando Food Blog 009

As a long time resident of Orlando, you’ll find that its often rare to see any good Asian culinary choices outside of the Colonial/Downtown area. A new found place in the developing Lake Nona area where the upcoming UCF medical school and Nemours hospital/medical city are sprouting up, defies this conventional wisdom. That place is Durian Durian, a Thai restaurant near Moss Park road and Narcoossee road.

Durian Durian is staffed and managed by a very amiable and particular to detail young woman from Thailand. The owner remembers us each time and asks about our family and things going. What a unique and personal touch it felt.

Upon entering the restaurant, the elegant and simple Thai influenced decor brings about a warm feeling for the place. We are here for lunch where the prices are more than affordable.

My partner orders the Thai tea ($2.75), a delicious and refreshingly sweet beginning to the lunch.

There are a few specials today which include the samosa flat bread ($3.95) served as a appetizer. The bread is crispy and flaky similar to a fresh baked pastry and stuffed with peas, carrots, potatoes and sweet potatoes with a rich, sweet curry flavor sauce on the side for dipping. The samosa flat bread met and exceeded our expectations and we hope that they will make this a permanent item in the future.

My partner orders the beef panang curry ($6.95). The beef is tender and the curry has a tasty texture to it, although it was a bit too strong on the lemongrass side. Lemongrass is a common ingredient in southeast asia as a healthy and spicy ingredient with a decidedly sour aftertaste.

I order the spicy drunken noodle with beef ($6.95). The waiter asks if I would like the Thai Hot style and I reply after some consideration that yes I would love it. Too many times have I had thai food a bit too bland and always wondered why. When he mentioned Thai hot i remembered that Thai food is actually supposed to be spiced up with chili peppers traditionally and is eaten that way normally within the Thai culture. I like to make myself culturally aware and eat the way things are supposed to be eaten. The Thai hot proved to be a worthy adversary but complemented the noodles and the beef very well. The beef was very tender and succulent. Overall this was one of the best spicy drunken noodle dishes I have ever had.

Durian Durian is a fine restaurant with fine dining choices in Thai cuisine. Check it out today!

Durian Durian Asian Thai Cuisine.
10743 Narcoossee Rd
Orlando, FL 32832
(407) 282-2992
http://duriandurian.com/Main.asp

Orlando Food Blog 007

Seito Sushi Japanese Restaurant
Location: Baldwin Park in Orlando, FL

Holy crap! I looked down into the huge bowl that awaited for me below: a generous mixture of fresh romaine lettuce and salad leaves, luscious morsels of sashimi: tuna, salmon, white octopus, yellowtail and more, orange masago fish eggs sprinkled on top a bed of sushi rice. The Spicy Korean Chirashi bowl had just been whisked to my table and positioned in front of me as if challenging me to defeat it. The bowl was gigantic, a traditionally Japanese dish with a Korean spicy red pepper paste sauce to mix with on the side. The spicy korean chirashi bowl melded two of my favorite cuisines together into a delectable and scrumptious dinner masterpiece. I was glad that my friends chose Seito’s Sushi at Baldwin Park for tonight’s occasion.

The Spicy Korean Chirashi Bowl ($19)

The Spicy Korean Chirashi Bowl in its glory

Seito Sushi restaurant is located on Broad Street in the “downtown” area of Baldwin Park,one of the surprising pockets of communities that dot the Orlando landscape. A distinct slightly-eerie pleasantville atmosphere resonates in this area, a recreation of the American small town center and a call to return to the values and hometown community togetherness of yesteryear that had been so long forgotten by the advent of the suburban sprawl.

Seito Sushi is sleek and modern, a mixture of new city sophistication and Japanese influenced design and decor. A matching soundtrack of light jazz/electric/lounge music plays in the background.

We were without a reservation for a party of 10 but the hostess and staff at Seito’s readily and kindly accommodated us and we were quickly seated. Tonight we were celebrating a few friends’ graduation from UCF and a friend’s departure to the next part of her life as she trades Orlando for northern Virginia.

It must have been girl’s night out because I was the only male in the restaurant at one point. Young women in tables of ten filled the restaurant this evening, like a scene out of Sex in the City. I asked my partner why she thinks it is and we came to agree that its because sushi is all in all a seemingly sophisticated, exotic and at the same time healthy food choice . Fish are known to be high in nutrients and low in fat, and since most of it is raw, theres little frying involved. The raw food craze going on now thats been popularized was practically invented and perfected to a crisp by the Japanese.

Various rolls of Tasty Sushi from Seito

In addition to the spicy korean chirashi bowl ($19), I ordered the spicy volcano roll ($9), a crab roll topped with a blend of spicy minced crab, crawfish, lobster topping, baked and topped with a red masago called tobikko.

The Spicy Volcano Roll ($9) – CHOMP.

My partner orders the Bento box ($18) which comes with miso soup, salad, gyoza dumplings, two entree choices and rice. For the entrees, she orders the kal bi (soy-ginger-garlic blend marinated and chargrilled beef ribs) and the shrimp tempura for the entrees. Typically Bento boxes are served for lunch menus in lunch portions, but the bento boxes at Seito for dinner are enough for two to eat healthy. The kal bi beef was voluptuously tender and tasty and the shrimp tempura was also fresh and delicious. It was a great value for the quantity and quality of food.

Huuuge Bento Box dinner with Shrimp Tempura and Kal Bi short ribs

My other friends order various rolls of sushi including the dragon skin roll, winter park roll, torchamaki roll, and more, all enjoying their orders with satisfaction. The prices are also all very reasonable ranging from 6 to 15 dollars a roll.

Satisfaction!

Tasty Chompin!

The service was good. The gentleman who waited on our table was sincere and attentive and the food arrived relatively quickly for our rather large dinner party.

Dessert was tempura-fried cheesecake with ice cream . Scrumptious. Our friend Christina, the one who is soon departing from Florida, described “the yummy cheesecake was fried in a rich dough complemented by the icy coolness of the sweet ice cream and a slight drizzle of chocolate syrup.” That is definitely a sweet way to go out.

Orlando Food Blog 006: Mellow Mushroom in Orlando near UCF area

Orlando Food Blog 005: How To Eat Sushi – Instructional Video from Japan

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0b75cl4-qRE]

just kidding 😀

Orlando Food Blog 004: New Taco restaurant Del Taco in Oviedo!

Del Taco
Location: Oviedo, FL

There’s a new ranchero in town and his name is Del Taco (literally meaning “Of the Taco”). Taco Bell has some competition to contend to with California-based Del Taco which is also 24 hours a day (even if its only store in Florida is in Oviedo). Del Taco recently moved in where Fazoli’s used to be off of Red Bug Lake Road near the Oviedo Marketplace. This is the first Del Taco to open in Florida in the past few years and it is a welcome sight to see culinary options expanding here in Central Florida even though it may be considered by many as “fast food”. Food like this is meant to be fast though right? 😀

Fish Tacos originated in Baja California in Mexico.

I order the fish taco ($1.45), a big fat steak taco and big fat chicken taco ($2.09 each) and a churro to go (all adding up to about $7.45). Having only been opened a few weeks I could see the drive-thru service still had some kinks to work out as the computer order screen was apparently off-line and there was quite a car line waiting out the drive way.

The fish taco consisted of a fried fish fillet, crunchy cabbage, pico de gallo, and a sour cream/ citrus/mayonnaise sauce, all placed on top of a corn or flour tortilla and served with a slice of lime. The fish taco was just the right portion and had a zesty savory taste. Not too bad for starters. As Del Taco’s motto says “Go Bold or Go Home.”

My second item was the big fat chicken taco which consisted of a lot of lettuce, some shredded cheese, tomatoes, and grilled chicken on a taco bread. The bread was soft and sweet, the lettuce and tomatoes were fresh, and the chicken were succulent, tasty morsels. Definitely a tasty chomp!

The churro was a great end to the meal. Churros are typically fried until they become crunchy, and then are sprinkled with sugar. The churros at Del Taco are soft and warm, a sweet dessert to entice the tastebuds adieu.

Other items on the Del Taco menu include breakfast items such as steak and egg burritos, big fat breakfast taco, as well as a “American” menu with cheeseburgers. The super-size option is called “Macho” as in Macho Nachos or Macho Tacos or Macho Burritos.

Overall Del Taco in Oviedo is a slight step above Taco Bell and the prices are definitely not a issue. I think a little work on the service and it will do just fine here in the Orlando food scape.

Del Taco has announced the opening of its first restaurant in Florida as it begins its move to become the local favorite Mexican quick-serve destination.Del Taco franchisee Floridel LLC will open the first of 10 Del Taco restaurants planned for the Orlando area.

The first location is at 3551 Dovera Drive in Oviedo.Founded in 1961, Del Taco operates or franchises more than 510 restaurants in 17 states.

Del Taco in Oviedo Del Taco in Oviedo Del Taco in Oviedo Del Taco in Oviedo Del Taco in Oviedo Del Taco in Oviedo Del Taco in Oviedo Del Taco in Oviedo Del Taco in Oviedo Del Taco in Oviedo Del Taco in Oviedo Del Taco in Oviedo Del Taco in Oviedo
FAST FOOD.

One of my favorite Vietnamese food dishes include the Vietnamese Banh Mi (misspelled bahn mi) sub sandwich, which is known for its fusian of French culture using the french baguette bread and assorted deli meat slices all for less than $3.00 each! The New York Times recently did an article on this dish with a American twist after it made its migration to the States.
“Building Layers of Tradition” NY TIMES

A List of Places with
Vietnamese Banh Mi (bahn mi is misspelling) in Orlando:

• Pho 88
• 730 N Mills Ave, Orlando, FL 32803 – (407) 897-3488
• Phuoc Loc Tho Grocery Store
• 2100 E Colonial Dr Orlando FL 32803, 407-898-6858
• Tien Hung Grocery Store
• 1112 E Colonial Dr, Orlando – (407) 422-0067
• Saigon Subs
• 1242 E Colonial Dr, Orlando, FL 32803-(407) 897-1278
• Lollicup Boba Tea
• 1212 E. Colonial Dr. Orlando, FL – 407-897-1377

These banh mi (not bahn mi) shops are all located within the Mills-50 District of Orlando!!!
Check out their website at
http://www.mills50.org/ and shout out to KRISTINE!

Orlando Food Blog 001: Anmol Indian Cuisine !

Anmol Indian Cuisine Restaurant
Location: Orlando, FL

The best way to experience culture, in my humble opinion, is to experience through food. The sights and sounds are incomparable to the distinct tastes of a culture. Right beyond the University of Central Florida’s front entrance lays a passage to the land of India via the tastes of Anmol Indian Cuisine restaurant in Orlando, FL(http://www.anmolindiancuisine.com).

India, birthplace of Hinduism, Mahatma Gandhi, Bollywood films/musicals, and curry spices. The cuisine is characterized by its use of many rich spices and herbs native to India, subtly added to flavor and entice the palate. Each bite into the naan bread or the basmati rice dipped in chicken pasanda is a step into the centuries of cultural history of India.

Anmol Indian Cuisine Restaurant, local and family-owned, is conveniently located in the plaza behind McDonald’s on the northwest corner of University Boulevard and Alafaya Trail in Orlando, FL. The décor inside Anmol is similar to what you may find in an Indian living room: framed engravings of ancient gods in pose, paintings of decorated Indian elephants, the TV set interchanging between CNN International and some old Bollywood musical, flyers advertising Taj Mahal imported beer.

The menu at Anmol Indian Cuisine is diverse ranging from vegetarian dishes to chicken and lamb curry. During lunch time, there is a special which includes lentil soup, the entrée dish, a plate of yellow and white basmati rice, and naan bread all for $7.95. Naan is a light, flat bread made from a dough of super fine flour and baked in a clay oven.

Chicken Pasanda, in a almond curry sauce

Our group orders the samosa and special naan for appetizers. The samosas come in pairs, each fistful fried to a crisp, filled with potatos, peas, and other vegetables. The special naan is fluffy, tasty, and stuffed with boneless chicken tikka, vegetables, herbs and green coriander.

Special Naan, stuffed with chicken tikka, veggies, and herbs

For our lunch entrées, we order chicken tandoori, lamb curry, and chicken pasanda. These dishes can be ordered mild, medium, or for the adventurous, spicy. The chicken tandoori is a dish with pieces of chicken marinated in yogurt and mild spices, roasted in the tandoor, or clay oven. The clay oven, a traditional Indian cooking method, gives the chicken a fresh, boldly baked taste. The lamb curry arrives with pieces of tender lamb chunks, potatoes, and the curry sauce. The chicken pasanda, my personal favorite, comes in a small dish with savory morsels of chicken, in a rich almond flavored creamy sauce. The naan bread, slightly glazed with olive oil to a crisp, is luscious when dipped into these sauces. The mountain of basmati rice goes well with these entrees also.

Chicken Tandoori – cooked in the tandoor, the Indian clay oven

Basmati rice – mountains of fluffy goodness

Naan bread – buttery glazed and fresh

Unlike in western diets, meat in Asia is sparse and is used to complement the largely grain based diets of east and south Asians where rice and bread makes up most of the meal. The curry sauces help flavor the meal and by the end of it all we leave with our tummies thoroughly satisfied and quelled.

Lamb Curry

Other dishes recommended at Anmol Indian Cuisine include the vegetarian aloo mutter tamatar, made of green peas, tomatoes and potato cooked in flavored curry sauce. Also try the chicken tikka masala, chunks of chicken roasted in a clay oven and then folded in a creamy, tangy, tomato sauce. Wash it down with a mango lassi, a sweet yogurt based smoothie-like Indian drink that balances the more spicier tastes of India.

TASTY CHOMPS RATING:
4 out of 5 Tasty Chomps!!!!

Anmol Indian Cuisine
12239 University Blvd.
Orlando, FL 32817-2134
Phone: 407-384-8850

Lunch 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday-Friday; dinner 5 p.m.-10:30 p.m. Monday-Friday; Lunch noon- 3 p.m. Saturday; Dinner 5 p.m.-10:30 p.m. Saturday; closed Sunday

http://www.anmolindiancuisine.com/

Photos by Huy Phan

This site will be a collection of reviews and blogs of various eateries and dining establishments through out my travels across Central Florida, Orlando, the US, and the WORLD!