Friday, November 1, 2024

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Hardee’s A-Hole B-Hole Biscuit hole ad

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Lol whatre they talking about ???


[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmpisOn4FmE]

I actually like Hardee’s burgers but the only one I remember seeing is on Lake Underhill Rd and Dean Rd javascript:void(0)in Orlando at a gas station.

Yak and Yeti Restaurant at Disney’s Animal Kingdom – Anandapur

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Yak and Yeti Restaurant at Disney’s Animal Kingdom – Anandapur

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During our trip to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, in the fictional South Asian “village” of Anandapur the annual summer rains began to pour over Central Florida. 🙁

This led us to find refuge in the halls of the Yak and Yeti restaurant, one of the only sit-in dining restaurants in the whole Animal Kingdom park. To my disappointment, there were no yak or yeti to be found on the menu that day (I am a fan of Andrew Zimmern’s Bizarre Foods on the Travel Channel by the way) but there was steak and shrimp as consolation.

I am typically wary of theme-park food: overpriced, tasteless, and usually completely battered and fried. I know that the parks have a virtual monopoly on the food business on premises and that’s how alot of money is made, but hey! its a recession… I guess that five day stay deal with unlimited meals really is a good deal after all (I’m not staying five days though 🙁

When we stepped inside, we were soaking wet and the place was freezing cold… At least we were out of the rain for the moment to dry up and take our seats at the table.

The first thing I noticed about the restaurant was the decor: random artifacts from Asia, statues of various deities from eons past, the cracked yellow walls like something out of British colonial India from A Passage to India. Quaint, I thought.

Tables were scattered through out the restaurant, mostly full with vacationing families.

At our table, our waitress was kind and helpful, always attending to our orders and requests and checking up on our drinks through out the visit.

The menu at Yak and Yeti was a Asian “fusion” which usually means a lot of different dishes but none done really well. I was surprised to find and at the same time afraid to try, the “pho” the national dish of the Vietnamese, a beef rice noodle soup, on the menu. It was also $17.99 here, when you can get a large bowl down in the Mills 50 district for no more than $7.50. I gave a sigh and moved on.

Our first order for appetizers were the steamed and fried pork filled pot stickers ($7.99). The dumpling skin was too tough and had the consistency of light rubber. The pork meat filling was flaky and chewy and definitely tasted like it just came out of the freezer, maybe even just microwaved. The bamboo steamer that the steamed dumplings came with was pretty cool though the banana leaves were a tad tacky as it did nothing to add to their “flavor”.

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Steamed Pork filled Pot stickers (I’ll stick with Ling Ling’s)

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Pan fried Pork Filled potstickers (not to die for)

For our entrees, we decided to split up and share our meals since the prices were pretty ridiculous. I ordered the Shaoxing Steak and Shrimp ($24.99) which came with skirt steak, tempura-battered shrimp, jasmine rice, veggies, and a sweet and sour dipping sauce. The steak was surprisingly good, seared to my order of medium-rare. It reminded me of the latin style churrasco flank skirt steak that I enjoy at latin restaurants but had a hint of a soy sauce marinade. The “tempura” shrimp really wasn’t authentically tempura as it was fried in what looked like a corndog batter. It was enjoyable nonetheless. The veggies were kind of plain and the rice was fluffy and warm (definitely a plus since I’ve known some places to botch even plain rice). Is it worth $24.99 ? Not really, but in theme parks where good eats are rare and hard to find at times, it was definitely a commendable dish on their part. I would say that its my favorite dish I’ve tried so far at Disney.

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The Shaoxing Steak and Chicken ($24.99)

I noticed that the dipping sauce they like to use is actually a thai sweet chili dipping sauce ( you can buy it at the local asian market.), they used that for everything.

I also got a side order of pork egg rolls ($5.99) and they were also surprisingly good. I don’t understand how so many places mess up such a simple dish but luckily Yak and Yeti did a good job with theirs. I think they used the same meat from the dumplings, but it was a good and meaty bite.

My fellow guests also enjoyed their plates (as seen below).

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Seared Miso Salmon ($22.99)
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Pork Egg Rolls

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Baby back ribs with chicken fried rice ($24.99)

Tasty Chomps rating!!!
3.5 out of 5 Tasty Chomps!!!

Yak & Yeti Restaurant at Disney's Animal Kingdom on Urbanspoon

Birthday today!

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Its my birthday today and I got this free banana dessert from Thai Basil at lunch!


nom nom nom

Any suggestions for places to go for birthday dinners?

Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Mickey Mouse premium ice cream bar

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Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Mickey Mouse premium ice cream bar

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I recently decided to head out to Disney’s Animal Kingdom for the first time with some family and loved ones. It proved to be a great trip for me, despite the hot Florida sun beaming down on us from above and then the torrential afternoon rains, no fault of the park’s of course. I really liked the place and would love to go back. I would recommend Disney to build a few more crazy rides to try out though 😀

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The Tree of Life – I think there are over 100 animals sculpted on this huge tree at the center of Disney’s Animal Kingdom @_@

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Her name is Divine or Da-vine, get it? – very cool street performer, she was in character and moved around like a acrobatic vine

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The Lion King show – Festival of the Lion Parade – what an awesome show it was

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Monkey Trapeze artists and Timon

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High in the sky Monkeys at Festival of the Lion at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

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Flamethrowing juggler to the tune of Scar’s Be Prepared

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Pink Flamingo (they’re pink cause of the pink shrimp that they eat)

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A Rhinosaurus chillin’ in the sun. RAWR

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The giraffe is getting food in the middle of the trunk lol

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this goat was tagged by Mickey Mouse

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semi racist statue at the Kali River Rapids

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not sure why his teeth are so big….seriously Disney why? 🙁

Mickey’s Premium Ice Cream Bar

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The Mickey Mouse ice cream bar was a welcomed confection to give some respite to the hot florida sun. the chocolate covered ice cream bar was absolutely tantalizing to the tongue. definitely a must try.

Ba Le Bakery and Vietnamese Banh Mi Sandwich shop

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Ba Le Bakery and Vietnamese Banh Mi Sandwich shop

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUSWsR9h4qY]
Youtube video: Anthony Bourdain No Reservations enjoying a Banh Mi in Vietnam

I decided to trek out to the Ba Le (located off of Mills Avenue in the Mills 50 District of Orlando about 8 blocks north of Colonial Drive) this afternoon to get my fix of their renowned Vietnamese Banh Mi, or Vietnamese baguette sub sandwiches.

Ba Le is actually an independently owned franchise (do not be afraid: they make and bake all their goods on premises) selling its famously good brand of banh mi, those French-influenced Vietnamese sandwiches that had its own journey of sorts across the Pacific Ocean to the shores of America.

The origin of the Vietnamese banh mi sandwich is a reflection of Vietnam’s history in itself; its French baguette bread: the influence of 200 years of French colonialism, its various pork meat cuts: a cousin of Chinese pork slices, and its Vietnamese fish sauce and pickled carrots and daikon and other ingredients all culminating in the conception of the banh mi sandwich. Even Ba Le’s own trademark logo is a tribute to the French influence with an image of the Eiffel Tower in its center.

The French baguette and the Vietnamese style baguette are similar but there are slight differences in taste and texture. I always think the Vietnamese style, crispy and crackly crusted, is a bit lighter than the French baguette found at the local grocery stores.

The fillings of banh mi vary from xiu mai (meatballs) to sunny side up eggs to chicken to grilled pork to almost anything you want to put in a baguette sandwich. Recently in the US, the banh mi continued its evolution with polish kielbasa sausage and other meats put into the mix.

However, the popular way to get it is the banh mi dac biet option (special combo) which puts together a slice of all the most popular cold cut meats into one sandwich.

The meats, as demonstrated by this diagram from a recent New York Times article about the transformation of the ubiquitous banh mi, include: ham, headcheese (a type of ham made with pigs ear for crunch), pork liver pate, and cha lua (fish sauce seasoned pork roll).


There is also a special Vietnamese mayo sauce made of eggs and oil that is spread on the bread that gives it its incredibly addicting taste.There are also hot chilis or jalapeno peppers that are added for that extra kick as well as salt and pepper and vinegar, fish sauce and soy sauce if you like to add it to the mix as well.

Banh mi is like the fast food of choice of the Vietnamese, quick to make they are easy to carry and snack on during long road trips and really cheap (they’re $3.25 each for the dac biet special option and buy 5 get 1 free!).

As I entered Ba Le, two teenaged sisters sit idly by at the counter of Ba Le bakery and restaurant, undoubtedly the daughters of the owners of the establishment, like so many other children of Asian-owned restaurants across the US on weekends. Help out with the family business; it’s your filial duty they say.

In addition to banh mi, Ba Le sells various bakery items including cakes and patechaud (or pateso) a pork-filled meat patty, deli meats to go, baguettes, banh bao (steamed pork buns), Vietnamese dishes such as banh cuon, and even jackfruit (its fruit season in Florida).

I order the banh mi dac biet to go and one of the sisters heads back behind the counter to assemble the sandwich as the other sister takes my payment. The banh mi is soon ready.

My banh mi was delicious: the bread was baked soft and slightly sweet, the meats were all high quality and tasty and the pickled carrots and daikon crunched as I bit into them. Ba Le Bakery and its banh mi are definitely a tasty chomp. Chomp.

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Ba Le’s deli display

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The Deli counter and the magical cold cuts of banh mi

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Fresh baked Vietnamese style French baguettes for sale

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Banh bao aka Steamed pork buns

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Cha lua or pork rolls, fried or steamed

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Jackfruit for sale!

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Pateso or Patechaud, the pork filled meat patty

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Beef jerky from Ba Le?

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Glorious Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwich

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Vietnamese Banh Mi Sandwich and the white radish daikon pickled and pickled carrots

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Tasty Chomps Rating!!!!
4 out of 5 Tasty Chomps!!!

Ba Le on Urbanspoon

There are other Banh Mi shops in orlando as described here:
http://tastychomps.blogspot.com/2009/05/vietnamese-banh-mi-sub-sandwiches.html

Sweet! by Good Golly Miss Molly – Waterford Lakes

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Sweet! By Good Golly Miss Molly at Waterford Lakes

After dinner and before seeing a movie at the mega outdoor mall / town center known as Waterford Lakes, you can always pick up a dessert at SWEET! by good golly miss molly.

The first time I went to Sweet! was back when it first opened a few years ago and gave out free promotional cupcakes. I found these cupcakes to be a great addition to the culinary offerings in Central Florida, even a bit sweet, and I returned to check out their new offerings of 4 mini cupcakes in a box. I thought this was a great idea because you can sample more of their creative flavors and also pack less of a punch to your sweet tooth at the same time. Its always a breath of fresh air to see creative and artful creations any where.

My favorite was the dulce de leche cupcake, a sugar spice cupcake with dulce de leche frosting and topped with cinnamon sugar.

Other flavors include:

High hat, a dark chocolate cake with vanilla frosting topped with dark chocolate
German, a dark choclate cake with german chocolate frosting and coconut and pecan pieces toppings.
Cookies and Cream, Boston, Red Velvet, Banana, Smores and more

Another thing I like about Sweet! is its community minded philosophy and its donations to various non profits around Central Florida. I’m happy to support Sweet! and their sweetie cupcakes knowing they are doing positive things for our area.


Sweet! by good golly miss molly
WATERFORD LAKES TOWN CENTER
| 711 N ALAFAYA TRAIL | ORLANDO, FL 32828 | P: 407-277-7746
http://www.sweetbyholly.com/

ps did you know they made Orlando Magic themed cupcakes too?


Pietrus enjoys Sweet!

Sweet! By Good Golly Miss Holly on Urbanspoon

El Potro Mexican Restaurant in Oviedo, FL

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El Potro Mexican Restaurant – Oviedo, FL

I enjoy El Potro for its authentic Mexiacan flavors, but especially for its special $7.99 all you can eat lunch buffet that includes tacos, chimicangas, tamales, enchiladas, fajitas, chicken wings, flan, fruit, salad, a sweet churro like dessert. Its a food overload for sure but worth the price! I’d eat here only once in a while though and in moderation because you don’t want to overload your body with 3000 calories for lunch.

man i love lunch buffets <3 El Potro Mexican on Urbanspoon

Sazon 436

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Sazon 436 Restaurant
1555 Semoran Blvd., Winter Park, FL 32792
(407) 628-9447
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I was attracted to Sazon 436 from its name and its reviews on urbanspoon.com. I mean, seriously a restaurant named after SR 436 aka Semoran Blvd? Sazon 436 also was the winner of Orlando Sentinel’s Foodie Awards for Best Puerto Rican – Reader’s Choice for 2008.

I decided to give it a try for lunch one day, and after driving past it a few times (the sign is rather hard to find from the road), I arrived at Sazon 436.

A elderly lady resembling what a grandma from Puerto Rico might look like greeted me and told me to sit wherever I liked.

The dining room was small: it can altogether hold only about 30 seats, I guess it creates an intimate feeling?

The place settings are simple and elegant with deep red napkin cloths and black tablecloths. Numerous still lifes bring to mind scenes from Puerto Rico. A view from a cabin window, fruits, a portrait of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo all hang around the room giving the place an ambiance of a Latin American art musuem.

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After looking through the menu I chose the chicharrones de pollo, a fried chicken pieces appetizer. The tender chicken pieces came out freshly fried and delectable, made with fresh spices and topped off with some red lettuce for garnish.

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I also decided to get the lunch special for $6.00 which I was told was churrasco (grilled flank steak) today but when it came out it was actually chuletas (grilled pork chops). The chuletas were a bit dry for my tastes but still very flavorful. The meal also came with a small side of rice and red beans (arroz con frijoles).

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Overall, I enjoyed my meal alot but would like to try it out for dinner at night to see how it is. It really was a cut above other Latin American restaurants in the area though in terms of taste so for that I tip my imaginary hat off to you, Sazon 436.

Tasty Chomps Rating!!!!!
4 out of 5 TASTY CHOMPS!!!!

Sazon 436 Restaurant
1555 Semoran Blvd., Winter Park, FL 32792
(407) 628-9447

Sazon 436 on Urbanspoon

Pollo Tropical grilled tropical wings debut June 29. Free samples on July 8

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Pollo Tropical restaurants debut their Grilled Tropical Wings menu items. The wings are available in your choice of five piece ($3.59) or eight piece ($6.59, includes a choice of two regular sides) portions.

To mark the occasion, the restaurant will be giving away samples on Wednesday, July 8 at the Pollo Tropical locations in Central Florida, Tampa, Cape Coral and Naples. Just flap your wings (that’s arms for you nonflyers!) at the cashier will receive a free two-wing sample. Those that don’t flap their wings will be offered a single wing sample.

Pollo Tropicals new Grilled Tropical Wings are dusted with mild Caribbean spices and served with two sauces: Pineapple Rum and Spicy Amazon.

from the
Cooking Gal blog on Orlando Sentinel

Curry Chicken and Bitter Melon soup

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I went home a few weekends ago and my parents cooked up some good old fashioned home cooked Chinese food.

My dad made a chicken mushroom dish and also a chinese-style curry chicken which we dip with french bread or eat with rice noodles. My mom made bitter melon soup, a acquired taste for sure. The bitter melon is truly bitter but very nutritious. I like to eat it with eggs some times.

Here is some info about Bitter melon that I picked out from wikipedia:

Bitter melon is often used in Chinese cooking for its bitter flavor, typically in stir-fries (often with pork and douchi), soups, and also as tea.Bitter melons stuffed with ground pork are served as a popular summer soup in the South.

Like most bitter-tasting foods, bitter melon stimulates digestion. Bitter melon is traditionally regarded by Asians, as well as Panamanians and Colombians, as useful for preventing and treating malaria.
Laboratory tests suggest that compounds in bitter melon might be effective for treating HIV infection and diabetes.

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Chicken with Mushroom

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Curry Chicken made with coconut milk, curry powder, spices, chicken, and other ingredients

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Curry Chicken with rice vermicelli noodles

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Bitter melon stuffed with mushroom, pork meat, and noodles

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Bitter Melon awaiting the pot

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beware the bitter melon soup.

Bitter Melon Soup recipe

recipe from holy basil blog

INGREDIENTS: (4 servings as part of a meal)

3 pieces of black (wood ear) mushroom, re-hydrated in warm water, and finely chopped
2/3 lb. ground pork
1 shallot, finely minced
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1 egg
2 med/large bitter melon, cut into 1 1/2 – 2 inch segments, removing spongy center and seeds
1 quart quality chicken stock
1 Tbl. fish sauce
1 small rock sugar cube or 1 tsp. raw sugar

STEPS:

Thoroughly combine the first 7 ingredients (black mushroom, pork, shallot, garlic, egg, S+P) in a bowl.
Equally divide and stuff the mixture among the bitter melon segments.
Bring chicken stock to a rolling boil and add the stuffed bitter melon.
Add the fish sauce and sugar. Bring to a boil.
Then, turn down the heat to low, cover with a lid and simmer for 30 minutes.
At this point, the stuffing should be cooked through, the bitter melon should be tender and its color has changed from jade green to olive green.
Taste the soup and add more fish sauce if necessary. Serve with steamed rice.

Bon appétit!


Tasty Chomps rating !!!

5 out of 5 TASTY CHOMPS!!!!!
(because it was made with tender loving care of my parents)

Oviedo Del Taco Celebration this weekend

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Oviedo’s Del Taco is going to make Florida’s largest burrito this weekend lol
Oviedo Del Taco Celebrates Grand Opening
With Florida’s Largest Burrito

on June 27 from 11 am – 7 pm

(Oviedo, FL) June 24, 2009 – — There’s a new taco in town and it’s time to party! On Saturday, June 27, Del Taco will celebrate the grand opening of its first Florida location with family entertainment such as face painting, games and prizes, free hot air balloon rides and a giant Macho Burrito that will be hand-made, cut and served at 5 pm. The new Del Taco is located at 3551 Dovera Drive in Oviedo.

The giant-sized replica of Del Taco’s popular Macho Burrito features 15 ov erlapping flour tortillas filled with beans made from scratch, taco meat, red and green sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole and freshly grated cheddar cheese. The burrito will be assembled, then cut and served.

“We’re excited to celebrate our new Del Taco restaurant with the community and this giant burrito allows us to showcase Del Taco’s great tasting food and quality ingredients,” said Steve Ruff of Floridel, the Del Taco franchisee. “We look forward to opening more Del Taco’s in the Orlando area.

Del Taco operates 24 hours and serves a wide range of Mexican menu items such as tacos, burritos and quesadillas as well as burgers, fries and shakes.

Del Taco makes all menu items to order using fresh ingredients including freshly graded cheddar cheese, hand-made salsa, lard-free beans made from scratch and chicken grilled every hour. Across the country, Del Taco serves more than 3.5 million customers each week.

For more than 40 years, Del Taco has been offering menu items that appeal to a broad range of tastes with a strong emphasis on quality and value. The menu includes Mexican offerings of tacos, burritos, quesadillas and nachos as well as American favorites like hamburgers, fries and milk shakes. Each item is made to order with quality ingredients including lard-free beans made from scratch daily, real cheddar cheese grated on site, chicken grilled fresh every hour, hand-made salsa and fresh produce.

Del Taco operates or franchises more than 510 restaurants in 18 states. Additional information is available at www.deltaco.com.

# # #

Dickey’s BBQ Pit – Oviedo FL

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We woke up one Saturday morning hankering for some good barbeque to chow on so we decided to head out to Oviedo to visit the recently opened Dickey’s Barbeque/BBQ Pit.

Dickey’s Barbeque/BBQ Pit is a national franchise based in Texas, most accurately called a fast-food place that serves barbeque. Chain barbeque places are almost always a disappointment and Dickey’s Barbeque/BBQ Pit would continue that general curve.

The decor here is as bland as some of its food. It’s lit by flourescent long tube lights which gives it a cafeteria like feeling and the ambiance is that of a dining room inside a K-mart.

You order your meal first at the counter, priced by the number of meats or cheaper if you get a sandwich.I ordered the two meats platter: sweet pork ribs and pulled pork with baked bbq beans and waffle fries for my sides. A few of my friends got the beef brisket and pulled pork with macaroni and cheese and waffle fries for their sides. They also serve spicy polish sausage, smoked chicken breast, and smoked turkey breast for meats and baked potato casserole (kind of like mashed potatoes) among others for their sides.

The food came out pretty fast and we began to chow down.

First, the bad:
The pulled pork was disappointingly bland and tasted like it was boiled, needing a lot of sauce to have any flavor at all. The baked beans and macaroni and cheese were both also lacking in flavor and tasted like they came out of a can/box.

Pulled pork and Beef brisket

Beef brisket and Waffle Fries

Sweet Pork Ribs and Pulled Pork

Sweet Pork Ribs and Pulled pork

Now, the good:
The sweet pork ribs were succulent and juicy falling off the bone. I enjoyed it the most out of the meal. There was a small ciabatta like roll that came with the meal and it was sweet and delicious and surprisingly warm and soft to the touch. I also mildly enjoyed the waffle fries but they seemed to have been sitting for a while.

My friend and fellow barbeque connoisseur Kha noted that the beef brisket was braised rather than smoked because of the lack of a colored ring around the meat which is typical of slow smoked barbeque. It tasted fine though.

Another of our friends Frank got the pulled pork sandwich and it was just okay.


Kenny from Maryland is in town to try Florida’s food offerings but decided not to come back to this place.

They also have a huge pickle jar where you can get free pickles. Also as a consolation to the mediocre meal is a much-welcomed, free soft-serve vanilla ice cream cone on the way out.



Overall, I think this place is just okay. Definitely avoid the pulled pork as it is tasteless but definitely get the sweet pork ribs. You would think they’d be more consistent with their flavor.

Tasty Chomps Rating!!!
3 out of 5 Tasty Chomps!!!

Dickey's BBQ Pit on Urbanspoon

Dim Sum on the run?

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The rain started to fall across the Central Florida sky as I drove up to the parking lot of Chipotle on University Boulevard near UCF.

I looked around cautiously before approaching the short man standing next to his pickup truck, wondering quietly what did I get myself into this time.

I had met the man once before at a event at Jay Blanchard park; he came up and asked me if I liked dim sum, the Chinese brunch dishes. I said why of course…

He slipped me a piece of paper with his e-mail and said to write him because he sells dim sum . Ok…..

So here I was, after a few email exchanges, in the parking lot of Chipotle, as he takes out a ice cooler and opens it up. Inside are the dim sum pieces, frozen and wrapped in plastic trays.

I picked up the packages and brought them home to try for dinner using the steamer.

After about 15 minutes of steaming, they were ready.

First, I tried the ha gow, shrimp dumplings. The translucent shrimp dumplings were small and bite sized and tasted okay. I would rank it slightly above the frozen dim sum dumplings that you can buy at the asian markets.

Next were the siu mai dumplings. The siu mai tasted of minced shitake mushrooms and mixed pork and were slightly softer than I was accustomed to.

Overall It wasn’t the worst dim sum ever, but definitely not the best I ever had.

The man with the ice cooler of dim sum also had zhong or sticky rice dumpling wrapped in banana leaves as well as custard buns and other dishes. I might be coming back for that another time.

Thai Basil for lunch – Winter Springs

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Thai Basil for lunch – Winter Springs

Day to day, I am always on the lookout for a place to go for lunch especially if there aren’t any leftovers from last night’s dinner. One of the most reliably tasty places that I have been to is Thai Basil. I’ve actually been here a couple times for lunch before and they have never disappointed.
Thai Basil sits behind Carrabba’s in a plaza on the corner of Tuscawilla Road and Red Bug Lake Road in Winter Springs, FL. Its menu features dishes such as the traditional pad thai, duck noodle soup, green curry fried rice all for under $7.50.
Inside, the restaurant has a elegant, magical feeling to it: huge framed mirrors line the walls creating infinite reflections of the dining area and long, sweeping purping curtains adorn the front end, and artifacts and paintings of scenes from Thailand are scattered throughout the restaurant.

The service here is always attentive and friendly. One of the young women who worked there was actually off the day I was there but charmingly told me she loved Thai Basil so much that she couldn’t stay away, so she had come to have lunch with the rest of the crew there.
Thai cuisine, much like the food of all peoples around the world, is a reflection of Thai culture: a belief in an intricate balance of the senses and tastes, sweet, salty, spicy and sour that all interplay in the Thai palate.
For my lunch, I ordered the pad see ew with beef ($7.25), hot (no, not thai hot this time). The pad see ew is made of wide rice noodles stir fried with a garlic see ew dum (a thick sweet soy sauce) and nam play (a very aromatic and strong tasting fish sauce) with brocolli, carrots, eggs and black pepper.
The amber-colored pad see ew is aromatic and delicious. The beef is tantalizing, tender and flavorful. All the titilating tastes of sweet, sour, spicy, salty all came together as one on my plate and satisfied my hunger for Thailand

 

TASTY CHOMPS RATING
4.5 out of 5 TASTY CHOMPS!!!!

Thai Basil
5800 Red Bug Lake Rd

Winter Springs, FL 32708-5082
(407) 699-8889

Thai Basil on Urbanspoon

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs – new film trailer

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This new animated film looks like its going to be a tasty chomp…

The new 3D animated film Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, based on the children’s book by Judi and Ron Barrett, follows young inventor Flint Lockwood. Flint invents a machine that turns rain into food and instantly solves the world’s hunger problems.


http://www.cloudywithachanceofmeatballs.com/

Brianto’s Original Hoagies – Avalon Park

Brianto’s Original Hoagies – Avalon Park

“Best Philly Cheesesteaks in Orlando!!”

It’s rare to find authentic food here in Central Florida, maybe because we are a city of transplants. Most of us have roots from somewhere else and came here to the city beautiful, and like Walt Disney did so many years ago, to make something of this once swampy wetland forest.

I heard about Brianto’s Original Hoagies and their notoriously good Philly cheese steaks from my friend Victor S. and after a few days of talking about it and checking the reviews for it online, we decided to give it a try and drive out to Avalon Park‘s Town Center to see what these Philly cheese steaks were all about.

The cheese steaks turned out to be, without a doubt, the best cheese steaks I’ve had in my life.

After driving allll the way down Avalon Park Boulevard, past the Publix, we found Brianto’s. Inside, the walls are adorned with photos of the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team and sports memorabilia from decades gone by, thank-you plaques from local little leagues that have been beneficiaries of Brianto’s charitable giving, and a huge sign regarding the Philly way of “How to Order a Cheese steak” by I.M. Hungry “wit or wit-out” onions of course.

I order the 6″ Philly cheese steak roll ( $4.99) and my friend Victor S orders the 12″ Philly cheesesteak roll ($7.99) at the counter.

The man behind the counter slaps the sliced steak cuts onto the hot griddle and a few moments later adds the chopped onions to the mix. The steak slices sizzle and steam as they’re cooked.

Later, he adds our cheeses onto the steaks. Victor chooses cheez whiz, that infamous thick processed yellow-colored cheese sauce that has become popular among cheesesteak connoisseurs while I choose the more old-school sharp, and a bit healthier, provolone cheese.

You could also order the pizza steak, which comes with Steak, Marinara, Mozzarella, and Parmesan Cheese, or cheesesteak supreme with Steak, Onions, Green Peppers, Mushrooms, and Cheese, the Chicken Philly, Italian Hoagies, salads, and more.

The cheesesteaks and hoagies are served on authentically Philly-made Amoroso bread. The crispy, rich, golden brown Amoroso bread is specially shipped by air in to Brianto’s daily to ensure Brianto’s has the authentic taste of true Philly cheesesteaks and hoagies .

The cheese steaks arrive at our table wrapped in white paper, beckoning our curiousity and hunger to open them and ravage the contents within. After breaking the taped seal on the breads, we unfold them out onto the table.

Our mouths began to salivate at the aromatic smell of the melted cheese and hot steaks. It was a hot mess that lay out before us.

The first bite: a delicate, delicious balance of cheese, steak, and bread combined to perfection and made with the finest ingredients that there could be and made with the great care and attentiveness as if by some great Philly cheesesteak master. It was divine.

My 6in was enough to get me full and the 12 inch was definitely more than enough for Victor, it was hard to imagine that the large is actualy 18 inches, a full 1.5 foot long.

Truly Philadelphia: Brianto’s also has a stockpile of direct-from-Philly Tasty Kakes cupcakes and pies as well as Herr’s potato chips found in Philadelphia.

Tasty Chomps Rating!!
5 out of 5 TASTY CHOMPS

Brianto’s Original Hoagies
12001 Avalon Lake Drive.
Orlando, FL32828
Phone: (407)382-2667
http://www.briantos.com/

Brianto's Original Hoagies on Urbanspoon

Tasty Wok – Orlando

Tasty Wok – Orlando

One of my most favorite places for Chinese food in Orlando is Tasty Wok. With reasonable prices and great heapings of authentic, home-cookin style, Chinese food, no wonder this place is almost always busy throughout the day, packed with Chinese families and friends having a good meal. Delicious though often greasy(I believe that’s one of their ancient secrets to the “tasty” in the “tasty wok”)

Tasty Wok refers to itself as a BBQ and Noodle house, both of which it does exceedingly well. The beef chow fun and the beef pan fried noodles are both exemplary noodle dishes, filled with luscious seared beef and heapings of stir fried noodles.

I visit Tasty Wok with a few of my brothers, Victor, also a Chinese food connoisseur, and Di. We had just awaken from a night out and called each other up for some lunch downtown in the Mills 50 district at the tantalizing Tasty Wok.

Victor orders the rice congee, a rice porridge like soup dish, mixed with a little bit of scallions, chicken, pork, and pieces of thousand year old egg. The “thousand year egg” isn’t really a thousand years old, but it is made by preserving chicken eggs in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, lime, and rice straw for several weeks to several months, depending on the method of processing. After the process is completed, the yolk becomes a dark green, cream-like substance with a strong odor of sulphur and ammonia, while the white becomes a dark brown, transparent jelly.

Congee is a traditional morning dish in Chinese families and is also served to those who are unwell to help them get better. After last night, I am sure Victor needed some of this.

He also ordered a side of yau ja gwai” or Chinese fried doughnut bread stick that is often dipped and ate with the congee porridge.

The Cantonese name yàuh ja gwái literally means “oil-fried ghost” and, according to folklore, is an act of protest against Song Dynasty official Qin Hui, who is said to have orchestrated the plot to frame the general Yue Fei, an icon of patriotism in Chinese culture. It is said that the food, originally in the shape of two human-shaped pieces of dough but later evolved into two pieces joined in the middle, represents Qin Hui and his wife, both having a hand in collaborating with the enemy to bring about the great general’s demise.

Thus the yàuh ja gwái is deep fried and eaten as if done to the traitorous couple. In keeping with the legend, yàuh ja gwái are often made as two foot-long rolls of dough joined along the middle, with one roll representing the husband and the other the wife.

Kind of cruel, I know, but tasty nonetheless. I guess it goes to show that its a bad idea to be traitorous…

Di orders the three meat rice combination plate, a great value and delicious offering from Tasty Wok. With this meal you can order any three barbeque meats on top of rice with a side of gai lan, or chinese brocolli. Di chooses cha siu, or roasted barbeque pork, soy sauce chicken, and roast duck.

Di’s choice for Three Meat combination on rice

For my order, I choose the three meat combination on rice as well and have it with roast pork, soy sauce chicken, and squid. The meats are delicious and succulent, tangy and sweet, and absolutely tasty on top of the white rice.

Tasty Chomps Rating!!!!
4.5 out of 5 TASTY WOK TASTY CHOMPS!!!!!

Tasty Wok on Urbanspoon

Woody’s BBQ for lunch – Oviedo

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Always on the lookout for good barbeque in Central Florida, I decided to stop by Woody’s. As a chain restaurant, its outlook was already not looking too great. There is a drive-thru option so I opted to get my barbeque to go.

I ordered the Woody’s Barbeque combo with pulled pork and beef brisket with baked beans and cole slaw as the sides (around $8.50) .

First of all the cole slaw tasted a bit off, the lettuce was chopped a little bit too small and so gave it too crunchy of a texture and the slaw sauce was eh. The bbq beans were better, and I liked how it was a tad bit spicy, but I got tired of it soon too. The beef brisket and pulled pork tasted the same, I really couldn’t tell the difference between them, it was just okay not the greatest but not the worst.

For dessert however, the banana pudding was absolutely delicious: sweet yellow custard creme over a soft breading mixed with slivers of banana ($2.99)

Tasty Chomps rating!!!
2.5 out of 5 not that tasty chomps!!

Woody's Bar-B-Que on Urbanspoon

Saturday Night Live: TACO TOWN

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http://www.hulu.com/embed/umxmTijZLcnMhDPJjmYd5g

i want some. not!

Lac Viet Bistro – Colonial Dr

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Lac Viet Bistro – Colonial Dr

Lac Viet Bistro, located just past Bumby Avenue on Colonial Drive in a stand-alone yellow house is reknown for their Vietnamese cuisine offerings, having won best of Orlando awards in the past for Vietnamese food.

Lac Viet continues to be one of my favorite Vietnamese restaurants in the area because of its beautiful decor and unique Vietnamese dishes. On this evening, I dined out with my friend Judy, who had never been to Lac Viet before.

The decor inside is subtle, light, earth tones with slightly dim lighting. Paintings of Vietnamese women hang on the walls, historically reknown for their beauty, elegance, and veracity (one of Vietnam’s national heroes are a pair of fighting sisters: The Trung sisters who fought off Chinese invaders and established their own dynasty). Each of the painted women wear the traditional outfits of Vietnam from Ao Dai from the south to the Ba ba in the north, playing string instruments or combing their hair in pose. The ambience is beautifully delicate and peaceful.


For our appetizer,we order the banh uot cha lua, or rice crepe noodles with pork roll slices. It is actually a entree, but I like to have it as a appetizer because of its bite-size good-ness. The banh uot is white chewy rice noodle-y deliciousness and the cha lua was a great accompaniment to the noodles along with sliced cucumbers and soy bean sprouts. Don’t forget to season the noodles with the provided fish sauce mixture.

Tonight I order the Bun Cha Ha Noi which is a unique vietnamese rice noodle dish stemming from the north in the capital of Vietnam Hanoi with a side of cha gio (vietnamese spring rolls). However when it arrived I got bun cha tom (fried shrimp paste) and cha gio instead. I asked the waiter kindly, is this bun cha hanoi?

He replied oh no. I told him it was ok since they already made it and he brought me out a bowl of grilled pork to make up for the mistake. score.

huge bowls of rice noodles: not what i ordered but still good…

Judy’s order: the Bun Thit Nuong or Rice Vermicelli with grilled pork

I like Lac Viet although the prices are a bit higher than most of the other Vietnamese places in the area. They also have a newly renovated outdoor dining option where you can sit outside and dine in a straw-laced setting (just like you were in Vietnam?)

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

Lac Viet Bistro
2021 E. Colonial Drive
Orlando, FL 32803
(407) 228-4000
http://www.lacvietbistro.com/

Lac Viet Bistro on Urbanspoon

Bento Cafe! part two

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I have reviewed Bento’s before here, but I visited Bento’s again recently for a going away dinner for an old friend who will be moving to New York soon.

It’s funny how many significant moments we share through life around the dinner table.

This time, I ordered a bento box with chicken teriyaki ($7.75). I enjoyed the dish quite well as I could taste the flavor from the grilling and the sweet marinade that the succulent chicken teriyaki was made from. The bento box came with a small salad, rice, noodles and even a small cake. It was a great meal for a great value, reminding me of home-cooked chicken dishes that my grandma once made in my childhood.

My friends and family ordered various other sushi rolls and bento boxes as can be seen below.


Cupid Roll ($10.95) – smoked salmon, crab, red snapper, asparagus, tempura fried and topped with eel sauce and red tobiko


Chicken Curry Katsu Bento Box ($7.75)- the orange colored curry sauce was spicy yet creamy and delicious at the same time


chirashi bowl!! a sushi bowl classic ($9.50)

Bento Cafe
151 S. Orange Ave
Orlando, FL 32801
(407) 999-8989
http://www.bentocafesushi.com

Bento Cafe on Urbanspoon

Lollicup Boba Tea and Coffee Zone

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Lollicup Boba Tea and Coffee Zone

I remember one of my first nights here in Orlando, full of hopes and dreams, as a freshmen attending the University of Central Florida. It was my first time away from home, away from family, away from everything I had known the first 18 years of my life. Full of romantic idealism, I looked upon the City Beautiful and said one day, I will leave this place better than I had found it, and anything was possible.

I didn’t know then what paths lay ahead for me over the next few years, the struggles and the success, the friends made and lost, the endless nights of talking til the sun arose and awakened the earth for another new day.

On one of these nights I had driven to the Pine Hills Chinatown development where, tucked in a corner, was Lollicup Boba Tea and Coffee Zone, one of their first stores in Orlando. Quang Vu was the warm and friendly owner of Lollicup in Orlando, a business school graduate of UCF who set out to make it out on his own as an entrepreneur. I’d always admired him for that.

At this point, Lollicup had two stores in Orlando: one here at Pine Hills and another one at the Fashion Square mall. Every weekend, young and hip teens would get dropped off for the company of each other and a taste of the sweet and strange-yet-fun sensation of black tapioca pearls in flavored milk tea. Sip, slurp, and up the giant straws go the little black balls, surprising the mouth with its soft and chewy sensation.

Today, those stores have closed but Lollicup continues on at three different locations in Central Florida, one across from the Florida Mall on Orange Blossom Trail, one downtown on Colonial Drive near Mills Ave, and finally one in a plaza on the corner of Semoran Blvd and University Blvd in Winter Park.

On this occasion near the Winter Park location, we celebrate the grand opening of Reign, a streetwear boutique also started by a few alumni of UCF. After always awe-inspiring “step up 2 the streets”-like performance in the rain by Fresh off the Beat dance troupe, I decide to head over to Lollicup with a friend for an old favorite: taro milk tea with boba, a thick and purply nectar of the gods.

Inside, the decor is hip and playful, filled with colorful tones and influenced by the furniture of the chic and swedish Ikea store. A place to go to hang out and enjoy some tea, or slush, or coffee, or as TI once said, whatever you like. Today they also serve sweet and tart, frozen yogurt at Lollicup.

Our server Steven is quick and fast with the boba tea making skills and we get our drink in almost no time before the rush comes in.

My friend and brother Victor, who himself is a avid dancer and lover of boba tea, enjoys the first sip.


Victor Ma, a dancer of the legendary Tinikling, enjoys a sip of almond boba milk tea

After all these years, the taste of Lollicup’s boba tea still remains the same: absolutely refreshing and delicious.

—-
Tasty Chomps Rating
4 out of 5 TASTY SLURPS!!!!

Lollicup Boba Tea And Coffee Zone
106 S Semoran Blvd
Winter Park, FL 32792
(407) 629-2622
http://www.lollicup.com/

Special Features include: free wifi for your lap top needs 😀

Lollicup Coffee & Tea on Urbanspoon

Padrino’s Cuban Pig Roast this Saturday June 13th!

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I just received this email regarding an event at Padrino’s Cuban Bistro off of John Young Parkway and SR 417 from Sarah. I will probably drop by because I have been dying for some lechon!

————

Check it out!

Padrino’s Cuban Pig Roast is on Saturday June 13th 12p.m.-3p.m.

Because of the great turnout for the first Pig Roast Padrino’s has decided to hold one the second Saturday of every month. For only $14.99 (plus tax and gratuity) a person, you can enjoy all you can eat carving station which includes white rice, moros, black beans, sweet plantains, yucca, and one drink (soda or beer)

For more information on the restaurant you can visit their website at http://www.padrinosbistro.com/

Padrino’s Cuban Bistro
13586 Village Park Drive
Suite 304
Orlando, Florida 32837
Ph: 407.251.5107Fx: 407.251.5109


this is what i hope to find this saturday. drools…

Hedo Turkoglu’s Pre Game Meal: A Slice of Mozzarella Cheese Pizza

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Hedo Turkoglu’s Pre Game Meal: A Slice of Mozzarella Cheese Pizza

GO MAGIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BEAT LA
Thank God, that was a close one -_-

According to Sports Illustrated, its from Pizza Hut, mozzarella cheese pizza

Fiddler’s Green Irish Pub and Eatery

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Fiddler’s Green Irish Pub and Eatery

Ireland is a land most of us know only from commercials for Irish Springs bar soap, Lucky Charms cereal, and St Patrick’s Day “celebrations”. But of particular interest to this blog, is that the beginning history of the Irish in America is intricately linked to food.

Potatoes had been introduced into Ireland from the Americas in the second half of the 16th century, initially as a garden crop and eventually came to be the main food crop of the poor.

The Great Irish Famine of 1845 to 1849, caused by potato blight, later left nearly 1,000,000 people dead and led over 2,000,000 Irish to immigrate out of the country and a lot of whom immigrated to America.

Today at Fiddler’s Green Irish Pub and Eatery, the food and beer (they had previously won Best Beer Selection by citysearch) are quintessentially Irish-American cuisine, characterized by its use of potatoes in addition to carrots, beef and lamb.

The wood-framed walls of Fiddler’s Green are the color of melted milk chocolate, a dark brown blending to black. Dim lights scattered throughout the restaurant, revealing the dark-wooded booths and chairs and creating the perfect mood for a night of drinking fun.

I imagined myself in some quaint old-world pub off a brick-laid sidestreet easily found in Ireland.

On this night, I visited Fiddler’s Green with a group of friends, most of whom were unfamiliar with Irish cuisine, including myself.

The first appetizer, ordered by my good friend Sarah, was the Boxty Potato Cakes with Smoked salmon ($7.95), a traditional Irish potato pancake cooked on a griddle.

Boxty Potato Cakes with Smoked salmon


“Is it like hash browns?” I asked Sarah.

“Kind of but not really, its much thicker, had more of a potato taste and then with the salmon complemented it with a unique taste, it just meshed right together.” she replied.

I ordered the Wexford wings ($6.95) ten large wings “Blimey” style, fried once then dipped in hot sauce and then fried again, created, I was told, by a patron of the restaurant years ago. The wings were large and crispy, slightly dry but with the special hot sauce, they were perfect.

Wexford wings ($6.95)

Ulster burger

Shepherd’s Pie with grated cheese ($12.45)

I ordered the Shepherd’s Pie which was ground sirloin in a rich brown gravy sauce topped with champ and veggies. Champ is a northern Irish dish, made by combining mashed potatoes and chopped spring onions with butter and milk.

I scooped into my mouth the creamy, baked, mashed potato-y champ and saucy, meaty ground sirloin. The Shepherd’s Pie delighted my tongue with its soft yet slightly crisp textures.

Bangers and Mash

At this point my eyes wandered across the intimate, dimly lit room; the Florida summer sun began to set down on the gold-lettered, dark green exterior of Fiddler’s Green Irish Pub and Eatery. The crowd begins to get rowdy and a band begins to set up to perform on the small corner stage. Beer and whiskey flowed freely here.

Looking outside Fiddler’s Green, the ever-present sight and sound of cars and engines driving by on the facing Fairbanks Ave in Winter Park reminded me that I was still here in Orlando and not a pub tucked behind the rolling hills of Ireland.

Tasty Chomps RATING!!!!
4 out of 5 Tasty Chomps!!

Go for the atmosphere, drinks, and go with friends. The food is great with a drink and is definitely pub fare.

Fiddler’s Green Irish Pub & Eatery
(407) 645-2050
544 W Fairbanks Ave
Winter Park, FL 32789
www.fiddlersgreenorlando.com

Note: Fiddler’s Green also serves a special Irish breakfast on Sundays for $7.95

Fiddler's Green Irish Pub & Eatery on Urbanspoon

Boston’s Fish House – Winter Park

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Boston’s Fish House: A Taste of New England – Winter Park

New England: one of the earliest settlements of America, dotted with seaside ports and harbors, home of Maine lobster, New England clam chowder, and other great American seafood fare.

This past weekend, after reading reviews for Boston’s Fish House on urbanspoon.com and also having a personal affinity towards seafood (something I partly owe to my Vietnamese descent), I decided to call up my brothers and met up for lunch at this Orlando area fried-seafood institution. Good food always calls for good company.

Boston’s Fish House has been operating in Central Florida for over 20 years now and after all these years, even on this rainy Saturday afternoon, you can see regular customers pouring in despite the rain outside.

Inside, a small statue of the iconic bearded-New Englander fisherman (resembling Ernest Hemingway?) greets customers as they arrive. The decor is an old fashioned New-England motif: old fashioned hardwood finish bordering the walls, various sports memorabilia of New England teams (plus one small banner at the entrance for the Orlando Magic), old-fashioned paintings of various seaside scenes from New England, and a huge mural towards the back of a New England dock. The place has a certain relaxed and feeling of home to it.

Here at Boston’s Fish House, you order and pay first at the cashier stall before sitting. No free loaders indeed.

There is a hustle and bustle to the kitchen; behind the revolving kitchen doors, waiters keep coming with more and more mountainous trays of fried and broiled seafood offerings. They hope to quell the restaurant patrons’ beckoning appetites.

I decided to share a meal with an old friend who I had known since middle school, Mike Cho. We were neighbors growing up, once sharing a wall in an old duplex during our childhood. We began by ordering an appetizer: the fried calamari rings ($6.50) accompanied perfectly by a rich, sweet and tangy marinara sauce. The portions were large and the calamari was good, despite being a tad uninspired for my tastes.

The Calarami Rings at Boston’s Fish House

The Calamari Rings with a delectable marinara sauce

For the entrees, I ordered the Seafood Dinner Platter ($21.95) which came with fried sea scallops, cod fish, coconut maine shrimp, clams and onion rings with a side of potato salad and coleslaw. The platter was a formidable feat to finish. I particularly enjoyed the fried onion rings which were surprisingly light compared to my past experiences with the side at other places, a welcome change. I also enjoyed the delicious coconut maine shrimp which came with a sweet pineapple dipping sauce, and the lusciously plump sea scallops. The cod fish and clams were just okay. The accompanying cole slaw was fresh and tasty but I did not care much for their potato salad.

Seafood Dinner Platter

Mike ordered the 9oz Fried Oyster Dinner ($16.70) with a side of broccoli and french fries. I enjoyed the fried oyster as it came hot and fresh out of the kitchen with their special breading. It should be noted that their seafood is flown in fresh daily and they close between 3:25pm to 4:00pm to filter out their old oil and replace it with new cooking oil. That is dedication right there.

Fried Oyster Dinner


Mike Cho, co-owner of Impress Ink Tees, enjoying a Tasty CHOMP


My grand lil Chris Chen enjoying a super tasty chomp from his pseudo po boy sandwich

Fried Catfish Dinner

Boston Creme Cake

For dessert, we “share” a bite of the Boston Creme Cake, a stunning, fluffy and filling cake made with a sweet custard creme drizzled with chocolate sauce; a perfect ending to the meal.

Other recommendations include the New England classic: Lobster Roll ($22.95), but due to budgetary constraints we decided not to order it this time although it is highly recommended by guests here.

I would not recommend this place if you are on a diet though as most of their good stuff is fried.

TASTY CHOMPS RATING!!!
4 out of 5 FRIED SEAFOOD TASTY CHOMPS!!!!

Boston’s Fish House
6860 Aloma Ave
Winter Park, FL 32792

(407) 678-2107

http://www.bostonsfishhouse.com/

Boston's Fish House on Urbanspoon