I don’t think I’ve ever intentionally looked in the ICON Park area of Orlando for food options, mostly because everything around there is a chain. But with the opening of Nomikai, this is the first time something in that area actually caught my eye. Atmosphere & Mood The mood and atmosphere here is odd. The…
Burgers are something I really like but often just make at home, especially since getting a flat top grill, which has turned me into a home line cook in the sweltering Florida sun. But sometimes a restaurant burger hits differently because I would assume they have a more streamlined process and better beef than me…
Second attempt and first success at getting to the Filipino Saturday-only bakery, Kapé Kaya. I’ve been wanting to come here for quite some time, but as a dad to a toddler my weekends are more like extra long workdays. I finally got the rare opportunity of a free Saturday morning and the determination to wake…
Thai restaurants are abundant in Orlando, but when it comes to upscale Thai eateries, that hasn’t really penetrated the Orlando food market. The exception is Talay, which offers the most date night friendly Thai environment in the city. But this restaurant isn’t just all looks, the food here is solid and offers a nice coastal…
I enjoy fine dining but don’t do it as much as I used to since it’s an expensive hobby, and life just happened where we don’t have as much time to sit around for hours waiting dish by dish through a prix fixe. But I was browsing for anything new in the Orlando food scene…
YH Seafood Clubhouse was my all-time favorite place for dim sum in the Orlando area. Yes, it was much pricier than the other options in the city, but the quality and environment justified the premium. But after my latest visit I just have four words: what the hell happened? YH was never the most consistent…
Katsu isn’t something I would usually eat at a restaurant because I find a lot of times the cuts of meat they use are thin or dry or both, and I just end up eating fried breading. But I was pleasantly surprised trying Yumee Katsu and everything was well balanced. Tips for Visiting
Soup dumplings are having something of a moment here in Orlando. It seems like any Chinese restaurant that isn’t doing so well pivots to adding them to the menu to draw in a larger audience. But in Zen Dumpling’s case it was always the focal point, and they have done very well for themselves with…
I am not someone that eats a lot of American BBQ. I find it way too indulgent of an affair and I’ve been burned too many times by dry smoked briskets. My main motivation for coming to Smoke and Donuts was mainly for the donuts. Compared to the other barbecue joints I’ve tried in Orlando…
Kaya is like a pillar of the Filipino food community here in Orlando. I see them host a lot of different pop-up events and it seems great to have a local business support other small local businesses and help each other out. I have been to Kaya a few times back when they were focused…
