Its been over 12 years since I’d last been to Vietnam. In the summer of 1999, right before high school, I made the trip with my family to visit the homeland of my parents and ancestors. The trip was a memorable one that left deep imprints in my mind.

From the first moment I stepped off the airplane in Ho Chi Minh City, a distinct whiff of air infiltrated my nostrils, a mixture of durian and gasoline that I fondly grew to love for it was the smell of Saigon. I wondered if it would still smell the same this time around after so many years?

My flight would take me from Orlando to Dallas-Fort Worth and then onto Tokyo’s Narita Airport and finally stopping at Tan Son Nhut International Airport (SGN). Originally built by the French almost 100 years ago, Tan Son Nhut is the famous airport used as a airbase for the air force and American military during the Vietnam War. Its code SGN still recalls the city’s old name of Saigon before changing to Ho Chi Minh City after 1975 when the South fell and the country was united again.

In Dallas, I tried some of Cousin’s Bar B Q at the Dallas Fort Worth Airport. I ordered the beef brisket with mac n cheese and some casserole dish. I’ve had better, I thought the beef was a bit too “soggy”

After almost 30 hours of flight, lay overs, and waiting in terminals, I finally arrive at Tan Son Nhut International Airport. A frowning customs officer checking my passport, valets pushing carts with cardboard boxes filled with gifts from returning travellers, throngs of people outside the airport waiting for loved ones just beyond the metal gates. Familiar faces and a short moped ride. I have my first meal in Vietnam: bun bo hue, surrounded by family members on all sides.

 Last Meal in America

In Tokyo’s Narita Airport, there was this restaurant that displayed its food in the display case. Similar to the displays in Hong Kong that I’ve seen, the food was actually plastic models…pretty cool !

do you enjoy Indian food? ever want to try? Tasty Chomps is partnering with Eversave Orlando to give out a free voucher to Passage to India Restaurant near I-Drive!

want to win a free voucher for Passage to India from Eversave Orlando? e-mail tastychomps@gmail.com with your name and your reason why you want to go and you will be entered to win! winner will be announced Friday June 24 at 8pm so enter before then! http://eversave.com/go/4Lg0

Check out it out!

Engineer, UCF alumnus runs renowned food blog

http://www.centralfloridafuture.com/engineer-ucf-alumnus-runs-renowned-food-blog-1.2601037

I was recently invited to Anthony’s Special Media Blogger Event at Anthony’s Coal Fire Pizza off of Turkey Lake Road and Sand Lake Road in Orlando. This was a special event as Anthony, the founder, was also present to show us how everything goes. The pizza here is made differently than most pizza places, using coal fired ovens to make their pizza causing the pizza to have a charred, ‘well done’ taste. check out the photos below!

Anthony, owner of Anthony’s Coal Fire Pizza, also gave out a 25$ gift card to giveaway to our readers! This is all thanks to Anthony of Anthony’s Coal Fire Pizza and Toby Srebnik of O’Connell & Goldberg.

Goto our Facebook and leave the comment, “TASTYCHOMPS Rocks,” for your chance to win! http://www.facebook.com/tastychomps We will announce the winner on May 23rd! GOOD LUCK!

check out their website at http://anthonyscoalfiredpizza.com

Orlando Sentinel is also hosting tonight a Meet up with Heather McPherson and Scott Maxwell at Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza . Come enjoy some food and drinks with some of your favorite Sentinel personalities and meet the people behind the scenes at the best newspaper in Orlando. ORLANDO SENTINEL MEET UP

To celebrate Cinco de Mayo, all Orlando-area Chipotle Mexican Grill locations are offering a special for those who plan to throw a party at home or an office fiesta. On Thursday, May 5, those who place an order for 10 or more burritos through the restaurant’s Burritos by the Box program will receive half of their order for free. That’s at least five burritos, up to infinity, for free. 

Baja Fresh sits inside a new plaza built across from UCF just south of Gemini Boulevard off of Alafaya Trail behind the BP gas station.

I had initially written off Baja Fresh as one of the many iterations of fast casual “Mexican Grills” that had come to Orlando in the past few years in the form of Chipotle, Moe’s, Qdoba, etc., and thought nothing of the place until recently when one of my friends invited me to join him for lunch there.

Although the place is a franchise based out of California, Baja Fresh is owned by a local family here in Orlando who still work the cash registers and handle the cooking in the open kitchen area. I could tell this place would be good upon entering, observing that most of the seats were already filled by local UCF students and business people on lunch break.

I ordered the Burrito ultimo with charbroiled steak, grilled peppers, chilies, onions, melted jack and cheddar cheese, roasted Salsa Baja, rice and sour cream. I also ordered a side of the mahi mahi fish tacos.

The good people at Baja Fresh don’t kid around when they say that their food is “fresh”: you can taste it immediately in the quality of the beef and ingredients, cooked to order, down to the salsa that is made fresh daily.

I personally feel that Baja Fresh beats out Chipotle, Moes, Qdoba etc in terms of taste and freshness and would not hesitate for the chance to go back the next time I have a hankering for a good burrito!

Baja Fresh’ CEO David Kim was recently on Undercover Boss as well, check it out here:
BAJA FRESH UNDERCOVER BOSS CBS VIDEO

 

Check it outt from the daily city

TRUCKS
Red Eye BBQ  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Yelp
Korean BBQ Taco Box
CJ Jerk Shack Island BBQ Website | Yelp
Big Wheel Provisions Truck  Twitter | Website
The Yum Yum Cupcake Truck  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Email
The Taco Lady Facebook 
Papusas
Winter Park Fish Company  Facebook
The Crooked Spoon   Facebook | Twitter | Website | Yelp
The Treehouse Truck  Facebook | Twitter 
The Traveling Gourmet MAKING ITS ORLANDO DEBUT!
The Wing Commander FROM MIAMI!
Sunset Ice Facebook
Country Chuck Wagon

SOME HARD FACTS: 
This event can be tons of fun if you know what to expect before you arrive. So make sure you’re prepped and ready for a night of fun by reading this brief list of “hard facts.”

1. Expect to wait in long lines. While the food is delicious, it does not come fast. Why? Its not fast food. These are restaurants on wheels. Plan to wait.

2. We (The Daily City) have no control over the speed at which the lines move. The food trucks themselves control that.

3. Some trucks will run out of food. This can happen while you’re waiting in line.

4. Expect to experience 1 – 2 trucks. If you get to experience more, yay!

5. This event ends at midnight. If you’re in line and its midnight, your line will be cut off, whether you’ve ordered food or not. This is not our choosing.

6. If you want to sit down while in line or while eating, bring a chair.

7. Bring cash: ones and fives (not tens and twenties) are VERY welcome by the vendors. Some, not all, trucks accept credit.

As a food blogger, we get invited to all sorts of fun food events, previews, and what not where the restaurants or establishments showcase their new goods for free. This is usually a part of their PR campaign push to let customers know what they are up to and what is new.

Dunkin Donuts recently held one of these events at their store on University Boulevard.

Known mostly for their breakfast items, coffee, and doughnuts, they are starting a new menu to meet their customer’s PM snack cravings with stuffed breadsticks (pepperoni and cheese or cheeseburger varieties), warm apple pie, bagel twists (cinnamon-raisin or cheddar cheese flavors), and the big and toasty sandwich. The snacks are priced from $1.29 to $1.59 and are available at participating Dunkin’s locations. The new foods will be available on the menu all day.

To be honest, I think the stuffed breadsticks reminded me of hot pockets hah. I think they can work on the taste of the fillings and use fresh and local ingredients rather than processed meats and cheeses. I’d pay more for better tasting and better for you food. I think the big and toasty was a favorite at the tasting, made with bacon eggs and a texas toast bun. In general, I think its a good idea for Dunkin Donuts to move into the PM market to widen their base. maybe they can make a donut sandwich, just saying? I think the new hearty snacks menu is good for those busy at work and want to grab a quick snack.

Something that I learned about this Dunkin Donut is that there is actually a Baskin Robins attached to it where you can order your birthday ice cream cakes and have them specially custom made for whatever occasion you have. They also have a special event coming up (see photos below)

One thing about this dunkin donut is its staffed with some genuinely nice people. Kudos to the management team !

they also have a food truck coming… http://www.dunkindonuts.com/DDBlog/2011/04/road_trip_alert_the.html

Big n Toasty

Pepperoni breadstick

CAKES!!!!

The management team at Dunkin Donuts!!

This is a guest post from Kha Duong! check it out! this review was from a recent media event put on by Morton’s to check out their bar bites menu, a happy hour menu at their bar.

If you would like to guest post, feel free to email me at tastychomps @ gmail (dot) com

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Morton’s Steakhouse – Bar Bites – by Kha Duong

Morton’s Steakhouse is a prime example of tradition. You are greeted at the front door by a host with a warm smile in a nice tuxeudo. While tonight I was not here for the prime aged steaks but rather to experience there “Bar Bites” Menu. But Morton’s is doing what younger restaurants have been doing for quite some time. Social Media, both Twitter and Facebook, are now being used by the restaurant not only for promotion but also to share about the history and the people working there. Trying to reach a younger more connected generation of clientle.

But we are here to talk about the food. We started with salmon pizza and steak sandwiches. The salmon pizza was by far my favorite itemof the night. The classic combination of salmon and capers was fantastic, the capers’ salty flavor accented the salmon very well, with the pizza twist. The steak sandwiches were only average, the bread was uninspiring and the steak was slightly over charred. The next food item was the Cobb Salad bites with very clever presentation. However. the blue cheese crumbles and dressing overwhelmed the tasteless circular iceburg lettuce cutouts. The BLT Crabcake sandwich were delicious, but I recommend only getting the crab cake bites instead of the whole sandwich. The last item tasted was the Blue Cheese French Fires, which. while good. I believe these are just an after thought. The blue cheese overpowered the fries and this dish could have benefited from a different cheese blend.

A very good part of the meal was the 4 specialty beverages. A Cosmo, Pineapple Vodka Mortini, Moijito and Pomegranate Martini. All these beverages were well made and had distinct bright flavors. The pineapple-infused vodka martini was the best out of the four by far and their mojito made me a convert for that beverage.

The ending carrot Cake was a very good dessert and would recommend it as a good way to end the meal.

I would give it 3 1/2 out of 5 stars for their Power House.

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 26th Annual Taste of Winter Park presented by CenturyLink
by the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce

WHEN: Wednesday, April 20 – 5:00-8:00 PM
WHERE: Winter Park Farmers’ Market (200 W. New England Avenue, Winter Park)
COST: $35 for Chamber members in advance / $40 for non-members / $40 at door / $300 corporate 10-pack.

Tickets may be purchased through PayPal or ticket order form at www.winterpark.org.
Purchase tickets in person at Winter Park Welcome Center
(Mon. – Fri., 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.; Sat., 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.)

MORE INFO: For more information, call the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce at (407) 644-8281 or visit www.winterpark.org.

DESCRIPTION: The 26th annual Taste of Winter Park presented by CenturyLink is an epicurean indulgence featuring mouthwatering selections from popular Winter Park dining destinations, as well as new eateries destined to become your favorite. Enjoy an evening sampling food and drink from 40 local participants and live entertainment by Johnny Mag Sax.

SPONSORS:
Presented by CenturyLink.
Sponsored by:
Barefoot Wine &Bubbly;, Central Florida Lifestyle Magazine, Ferrell Wealth Management, Florida Blue, Full Sail University, Massey Communications, Orlando Home & Leisure Magazine, Orlando Sentinel, Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies/Orlando Health, WFTV Channel 9, Winter Park/Maitland Observer and 103.1 WLOQ

Hey Tasty Chompers! Check out this awesome event thats coming up at The Sugar Suite in Maitland/Winter Park!

My first time trying their cupcakes were at the Chocolate Festival at the Orlando Science Center. They were the best things at the whole event. Check them out below.

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Spring Cupcake Day at The Sugar Suite!

Juancho’s Grill is a new food truck located on East Colonial Drive just west of Alafaya Trail, right next to the Bojangles chicken place in a small dirt lot. You’ll know it immediately from the hot red paint job on its truck trailer. The place is owned by Juancho, a young man who decided to strike it out on his own to provide for his family and newly born baby daughter.

The specialty here is the Colombian burger ($4.99) and Colombian hotdogs ($3.99), a unique food unlike their American counterparts. The ingredients of the Colombian burger and Colombian hot dog include potato chips, strips of bacon, lettuce, ketchup, mayo, fried queso cheese, and a special sweet pineapple sauce that lingers on after your first bite. My friend Daniel and I shared them together and loved the symphony of tastes that occurred in each item. We washed it down with some Colombiana soda and manzana apple flavored soda.

Juancho’s Grill also serves hawaiian quesadillas, arepas, salchipapas (frankfurters with potatos), pinchos (grilled meat on skewers), and more.

They are closed on Mondays but open every other day of the week. Tuesday- Thursday 12 noon till 11 pm and Friday and Saturday 4 pm till 4 am and Sunday 4 pm till 10 pm.

Check them out soon!

 

It was a long trip out to the Great American Pie Festival out in Celebration, FL but it was well worth it. My favorite pies were the coconut creme pie from Wick’s as well as the Key Lime pie dipped in chocolate from the Key West Key Lime pie company. A pleasant surprise about the event was the exotic car show that was going on at the same time, full of Ferraris, Lambourginis, Maseratis, Deloreans, and more all strutting their stuff in the beaming Central Florida sun.

This year, there were pies featured from Bakers Square Restaurants and Pies, Bonert’s Slice of Pie, California Raisin Marketing Board, J. Horner’s Desserts, Kroger’s Private Selection, Publix Super Markets, Inc., Rocky Mountain Pies, Smucker’s Toppings, The Folger Coffee Company, Village Inn and Wick’s Pies.

If you missed out today, you can still go tomorrow to the Pie Festival!

Sunday, April 10, 2011, 12:00 pm-5:00 pm 

For more info about the event visit http://www.piecouncil.org/Events/GreatAmericanPieFestival/

Bonefish Grill on Sand Lake Road in the Dr Phillips area recently hosted a media event to spotlight their gluten free menu. A gluten-free diet is a diet free of gluten. According to Wikipedia, Gluten is a protein found in wheat (including kamut and spelt), barley, rye, malts and triticale. A gluten-free diet is the only medically accepted treatment for celiac disease. With over 3 million people in America who are diagnosed with celiac disease, a gluten-free menu is definitely a welcome addition to our restaurants. Also, with carbs from wheat and rye cut out, its also a healthier, lighter option for those who are looking for sensible items.

When customers arrive at Bonefish Grill and want to have the gluten free menu, they notify their “anglers” (or waiters) who proceed to go through the step by step process of ensuring the food preparation and menu is to gluten-free specifications with the store manager involved the entire process. This ensures that there is no contamination involved with any wheat products.

Surprisingly many of the items at Bonefish Grill are actually gluten free already such as their popular and famous gluten-free flourless chocolate macadamia nut brownie. For beer drinkers out there, they even have a sorghum based gluten-free beer called Redbridge which was pretty good. Fish, fruits, veggies, rice, seafood, pretty much everything with out wheat and rye are gluten-free items. Bonefish Grill even has gluten free bread and focaccia made from brown rice with hints of thyme.

to view the gluten free menu at Bonefish Grill, visit
http://media.bonefishgrill.com/menus/gluten_free.pdf

Flourless chocolate macademia nut brownie

Espresso Martini