Adia's Latin Food

1325 Sligh Blvd Orlando, Fl. 32806
407-540-0777

I saw a TV show recently about two guys searching rural barns and warehouses for rare collectibles and mis-valued antiques. I get that same sense of a treasure hunt when I take a turn off the main road and see a corner shop dressed with little more than the promise of a good meal. Adia’s, located behind the Arnie and Winnie Palmer hospitals next to the Amtrak station, is that type of place. As I drove by all I saw were the words LATIN FOOD in big yellow letters on the little storefront window. I was hooked and I wanted to know more.
I petitioned my coworkers to go with me for lunch but my only taker would be my Cuban friend, Senior Rubio. Due to its proximity to Amtrak, Orlando Regional and the Palmers, all parking is coin operated. Lacking coin, we circled Adia’s hoping to discover another kind of treasure - an unregulated parking space. Three laps and a little luck found us a spot in the back. The sign only said we would be towed. It did not say WHO could park there. I assumed it was for patrons just like us, so we chanced it.

We walked in to find a woman working the small kitchen behind the counter. She was attentive as she took our order and promptly returned with our drinks: water for me and a Kola Champaign soda for my friend. Lunch specials included baked chicken, stewed chicken or roast pork with white rice and red or black beans and maduros. My subject matter expert chose the pork with red beans and I opted for stewed chicken, red beans and a relleno de papa. No waiting here and the portions were good. The red beans were soft and full of flavor. The roast pork was tender but it lacked any of that crispy seasoned edge. The fried beef and potato ball held the hot sauce nicely and the sweet plantains were fun but the prize here turned out to be the stewed chicken.
Presented in a large glass goblet, this typically unremarkable dish brought some personality to the table. I spooned out the chicken, potatoes, carrots, olives and corn and balanced it all over the rice. Adding some broth I paused before parsing through the wonderful flavors and mixed textures. Notably, I enjoyed the satisfaction of that meal the rest of the afternoon.

Dine – A good lunch for a great price under $6
Drink – You have to try the Good O Kola Champagne soda.
Drive – The parking out back is not for patrons like us. Bring coin!
Diana – All business with a smile before you go.

Four Rivers Smokehouse - DT

Four Rivers Smokehouse
2103 W. Fairbanks Ave.
407.474.8377

John Rivers has blessed our community for the past five years catering fund raisers for various charities. Now his Texas smoked family recipe has developed into a full time concept located on the corner of Fairbanks and Formosa just one block east of I-4. I watched for weeks as the small brake shop was transformed and it soon became clear we were in for some new barbecue. Just walking into The Four Rivers Smokehouse is a treat. The smell alone was enough to get me hooked. I had the misfortune of walking in a few days before they officially opened and was kindly turned away. But I made up for it by going back three times this week. In a word, WOW!

I actually heard other patrons say it as they tried the signature slow smoked brisket, Texas sausage or the generous pile of pulled pork. I found that Mr. Rivers (not to be confused with long time Orlando entrepreneur Chef Johnny Rivers) cares about the details and if you’ve read my reviews before you’d know that I find big joy in small things. Like the side dishes. You don’t just get corn, you get roasted corn. Another side is called cornbread salad, but they forget to mention the bacon pieces and tangy red bell pepper. The mac and cheese, well it’s just mac and cheese but it’s really good mac and cheese. And the baked beans are everything I imagined baked beans should be. Meaty and sweet with a hearty spice, this is how baked beans should taste.
I just couldn’t pass on anything to make room for desert but the carrot cake and banana pudding are calling my name. I look forward to my next opportunity to try the smoked chicken salad, cheese grits, bacon wrapped cheesy jalapenos or St. Louis style ribs. I would like the line (there is always a line) to go a little faster however, you can always call it in ahead of time or you could just take in the smokehouse aroma while you wait. I really enjoy the outside seating during the fall. I may be getting it to go when the summer heat returns. Now that I’m a regular, I would dare say that thanks to John and his family recipes, I would not be surprised if Winter Park becomes “known” for its barbecue.

Stackers – Sandwich and two sides less than $10
Staff – Genuine and kind.
Seating – Outside with some of Winter Park’s finest.
Smell – Consider it an appetizer.

The Alamo – DT

55 Medway Rd Milford, MA 01757

Just a short plane ride from Winter Park, FL, I found myself cruising the beautiful little hovel of Milford, MA for a late, after flight dinner. You know me. Nothing mainstreet like Applebee’s or Uno’s will do. So I drove out 190 for a few miles to see if anything looked enticing. The Alamo caught my attention just a few blocks from the hotel. This old converted home advertised a Mexican menu and the parking lot was full, which seemed impressive since it was late on a Sunday night. The friendliness of the staff represented the best of New England and shortly after being seated, I realized the source of the attraction. Karaoke upstairs in the “bah”. I usually find karaoke upsetting due to some past restaurant experiences, but the frequent cheering and laughter actually made the place fun while I ate too many tortillas and salsa. Apparently the owners are the parents of ‘Dewie’ from “Malcolm in the Middle”. I love that show. Dewie is Malcolm’s younger brother. The one who gets all the best lines.
I immediately search for, and find, fish tacos on the menu. I am going through your standard fish taco phase. Whenever I mention to someone that I like fish tacos, they all make the same face but hey, New England is legendary for their seafood. This should be good. Three tacos to a plate served with beans and rice for less than $8. I asked about tartar sauce, and my waitress explained that they are served with a Jalepeno Ranch dressing. After two flight delays and an hour’s drive outside of Boston, I was not in the mood to be discerning. I don’t remember the first taco but half way through the second, I started to slow down and examine this treat. “It’s not bad”, I thought. Cut pieces of fried fish and your basic lettuce and cheddar with a thin line of ranch at the bottom. But something seemed strangely familiar. Upon closer examination, I realized this was not New England’s finest seafood, it was more like Milford’s best fish sticks. I may have come in with pretty high expectations and I have children so I am not too good to eat fish sticks. Heck, I once made cashew chicken at home with left over chicken McNuggets. My point is, while this particular fish taco does not rank at the top of my list, the service was awesome and for an out-of-towner eating dinner alone, I left full and I enjoyed the experience. Next time I’ll get the fajitas. No one makes a face when I mention those.

Quantity: Plenty
Price: 3 tacos and a drink under $11.
Service: As kind as they come.

Chai Thai - DT

ChaiThai
3334 Curry Ford Road, Orlando, Fl map
407.898.1181

Sa-wat dee. There’s new Thai in town. Chai Thai located on Curry Ford Road just a few blocks east of Bumby. The décor is clean and comfortable and the prices very reasonable. For this visit I met two friends of mine for a quick bite while their kids attended karate next door.

I see fresh summer rolls on the menu therefore I must have them. I love the fresh julienned carrots, and lettuce with a generous proportion of shrimp rolled in a rice paper wrap and served chilled. While smaller than other summer rolls I’ve tried, you get three to an order accompanied by a house sauce, sweet with a soy base and topped with chopped nuts. I asked the owner Toy what was in the sauce. She just smiled and said her husband Chai makes it special. While quite good, she allowed me to sample the peanut sauce as well.

My friend ordered the Tom Kha Gai, a gusty Thai tradition of white meat chicken and straw mushrooms in a seasoned broth of coconut milk and lime juice. He had the same soup at another restaurant recently and describes this bowl as better than most. The broth was spicy and smooth with a complementary blend of herbs.

My other friend ordered the Sweet Sticky Rice with Mango. A seasonal desert decorated with a touch of black sesame for contrast, the sweat creamy custard provides an effective bridge between the cold rice and the tangy, ripe mango. Most tasty with an elegant presentation.

Did I mention the awesome karate dojo next door?

Other reviews:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/chai-thai-cuisine-orlando

Service: òp òon (friendly)
Quantity: appropriate
Price: All dishes under $5 each.

Jade Bistro - DT

Jade Bistro is a stylish setting staffed by decades of experience serving select Asian favorites. We joined a group of ten co-workers for lunch in the College Park dining corridor just north of Princeton on Edgewater Drive. We walked in and were greeted immediately by an older gentleman who I assumed was the owner. The wait staff, while just as friendly and prompt served us with a diligence and efficiency usually reserved for the big city restaurants. Our group ordered Chinese staples such as Singapore Noodle and Mongolian Chicken. One member of our party even ordered Sweet and Sour Chicken. We asked if he could get the crayons and coloring sheet with that but after tasting the food you will realize this is no trifle effort. I chose the General Tso Chicken and fried rice with a house salad. A fine white ginger dressing over a simple chilled salad preceded the entrée. Other options included Miso or egg drop soup or a spring roll. The better parts of the chicken were fried in a firm batter but not overdone then glazed sweet and spicy with a significant garlic influence. Usually treated as unimportant, even the fried rice stood on its own merit. Before you leave, you must try the Tempura Cheesecake lightly striped with chocolate. I am looking forward to my next visit where I plan to indulge in the Japanese maki rolls. On my way out, I introduced myself to the older gentleman who indeed is the owner. His name is Joseph Duen. You will know him by his smile and his background includes 20+ years at the famous Four Seasons in Rockefeller Center New York. Somehow Mr. Duen has made the decision to give us all the class and elegance he is known for in our quaint little part of Orlando and at a amazingly affordable price.

Service - Impeccable
Quantity – Just right
Price – Lunch and water $7.50

Beto's Mexican Restaurant- DT

My friend JoAnna says Beto’s is muy bien. JoAnna is a gringa from the Southwest and one of the most discerning people I know, so we went. Located just east of the corner of 436 and 17-92 in Casselberry, I found that while it is not much to look at from the outside, Beto’s is equally unremarkable on the inside. I did however find it to be clean and spacious and simple. All signs that the food should be affordable. I had a difficult time at the counter deciding what to try. I love Chimichanga, but wanted to try something new. The main menu board had plates priced around $7 give or take. They had 3 or 4 lunch specials, including a drink, for around $6.50. I ordered the Pollo Asado plate. Marinated chicken and peppers served with rice, refried beans, sour cream, fresh lettuce, onions, and tomato mixed with cilantro and a large flour tortilla on the side. I guess I could have wrapped it all in the warm, soft tortilla but I chose to mix all of the flavors and use the tortilla as a flat bread. In the middle of the restaurant was a small salsa station. Along with your choice of red or green, they offered seasoned carrots with peppers. JoAnna really likes the carrots and peppers and said it was a mistake for me to pass on them. She reminded me that Beto’s is open 24 hours and recommends the machaca (breakfast burrito). Apparently it is something you pick up for breakfast on the way to work and finish for lunch. I’m now very curious. This is exactly the type of place we created this blog to showcase. If you are looking for flavor in a local food experience without the hype and circumstance, Beto’s will not disappoint.


Facility – Heritage rich flavor in a fast food setting.
Service – Broken English with a smile!
Quantity – I thought it was just right which may be a lot for most.
Price - $6.50 including drink.

black bean deli - DT

Caution – This review is full of hyperbole and I mean every word. black bean deli at 325 South Orlando Avenue has been around for a long time. Andres, the owner, talks to me like an old friend and tells me this is their 25th year. I remember my first visit to black bean about 12 years ago. I sat at one of their 3 or 4 stools at the window with my Cuban platter and Havana cola and it was awesome. Every time I go it’s awesome and everyone I know says black bean is awesome. I like to bring it back to the office so when the other geeks smell the hot roast pork and start prairie dogging, I just say “black bean” and they all just nod like I had made a wise decision and slowly sit back down. One thing you will not find here is a complex lunch decision. The menu offers a perfectly adequate choice of Cuban favorites like: papas rellenas and pan con lechon. Today I grabbed the Cuban platter again. Cuban sandwich served with black beans, yellow rice, simple salad and maduros. The beauty of the Cuban sandwich is its simplicity. Sweet ham, roast pork, swiss and pickle pressed hot on a six inch stretch of Cuban roll. The only thing missing from my black beans and yellow rice is that touch of Tabasco (I carry my own) and fresh minced onion (I forgot to ask for some). I do not look for much from a salad. It’s just a reason to taste their splendid house dressing. This vinagarette offers that little extra facet of avocado to an otherwise ordinary part of the meal. It’s that same feeling you get when you pick up that old shirt and find a buck in the pocket. The final course in this “dream lunch in a bag” is the maduros. Nothing tops off a meal like deep fried sweet plantains. That’s it. This blog is meant to showcase the culinary charms of Winter Park and the black bean deli is indeed charming. Next time, I’m getting the medianoche!


Service: Friendly
Quantity: I’m full
Cuban platter: $6 plus the one I found in my shirt.

Spice Cafe - DT

7536 Dr Phillips Blvd.
This could be the beginning of a curry phase for me. I told DJ that other than my wife’s curry dressing and the curry chicken wings at the church potluck this weekend, I had never been to an Indian restaurant. Several people within earshot piped up simultaneously “Spice Café”. I guess it must be good. It’s difficult to keep my expectations in check when it comes recommended by the crowd. I have nothing to compare this to so I truly did not know what I was about to experience.
Located across from the Albertson’s on Sand Lake and Dr. Phillips (I know, it’s not Winter Park), you will find this store in an upscale shopping strip. For lunch you can order from the menu or choose from several dishes already prepared at the counter. I had no idea what to get so I pointed to the chicken in a tomato cream sauce and hot mushrooms and onions in a dark broth. I determined later that I must have ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala. Lunch is served with basmati rice and toasted pita bread or “nan”. I was able to sample the Butter Chicken, another tomato and cream basd chicken dish as good as the Masala. I sat eating my meal thinking how will I describe this. I just have no idea how it was prepared. I can’t even compare this to another Indian restaurant. So I just let go and enjoyed. The mild tomato cream sauce is a busy mixture of spices and flavors that I couldn’t even begin to inventory. The mushrooms and onions were cooked in a broth of garlic and curry and… other stuff… resulting in a rich, medium spicy complement to the chicken and rice. So for not knowing what to order, I threw the dart at the Spice Café menu and I was not disappointed.

Service: friendly
Portions: plenty
Atmosphere: clean, comfortable
Chicken Masala, vegetable, rice, nan, water: $7.40

Potluck - DT

Potluck. Love it or hate it, I’m usually not disappointed. You could say I’m just easy to please or I have friends with eclectic culinary skills. Either way, we had a potluck lunch at church on Sunday and I discovered something remarkable and simple that I wanted to share. While helping clean up after the meal, there was left over fried chicken sitting next to what was a crock pot full of Curry Chicken. After considering how much I had already eaten, I decided I had room for one more so I poured some of the remaining curry stock over a chicken wing. OMGoodness! The curry stock is simple:
½ cup of butter
1 cup of honey
2 tsp salt
2 Tsp yello curry
Just simmer this in a small saucepan then pour over a pot of fried chicken wings, cover and shake. I plan to tweak this recipe a little so please let me know if you try this at home. I’d love to hear how you improve on this.

Bikkuri - DT

“I’m telling you the sushi is cheap.” My friends all laugh, “Are you sure you want to eat raw, discounted fish?” Hmm. I personally have never been ill from eating sushi so I still have sushibravado (the opposite of sushihumility). My Japanese friend taught me a new Japanese word the other day, sakoi - (loosely translated) Bring it! Put your pectorals away, the food here is quite good. I have been here once before and they serve other dishes as well. My friends can attest to the Teriyaki Beef with Vegetables and the Golden Curry with Chicken. Both are served in a bowl with rice and carrots and broccoli. They report overall taste and quantity were very positive. Today I had the lunch special, your choice of two maki rolls. The choices are mundane: California, Philly, Spicy Tuna, Eel or Vegetable. I chose the Cali and Philly while my friend opted the Eel and Spicy Tuna. We chose to eat half then swap so we were each able to sample four different rolls. Each roll is eight pieces so sixteen pieces was plenty for lunch. The ingredients were fresh, the fish was cold and not mushy and the seaweed was the seaweediest. DJ ordered a Garlic roll. Cucumber, cream cheese and crispy fried garlic. We think they should call it the Garlic Bomb. Tasty, but I do not recommend you eat this one all by itself and don’t let it be the last thing you eat before you leave. If you do, they serve Bubble Milk Tea for desert. I think I’ve made up enough words for the day. Lastly, don’t plan on having the office party here. They have a significant focus on take-out so seating is limited. Actual seating occupancy is around fourteen.
Bikkuri is located at 1915 E. Colonial Drive, about 3 blocks west of Bumby.

Quantity: good
Service: good
Atmosphere: take-out
Lunch special/water: $6.50

Aztex Mexican Restaurant - DT

Aztex Mexican Restaurant at 745 Bennett Road just north of Colonial is “Mexican food with heritage and pride”. The best part about being an amateur food critic has to be trying a new restaurant and liking it. I try to have no expectations before a visit to minimize any bias. The neat thing about Aztex…the décor actually lowers your expectations. I’d call it “Post naval station watering hole goes mexican”. While we waited for our meal, the chips and salsa kept coming. While I prefer my salsa chunky, they offered a tasty red pureé. After trying the red, our waitress offered us something a little more spicy. The green. You have to watch this stuff pour out of the pitcher to again, achieve the proper expectation for minimal bias. Don’t get me wrong. For lunch, this place rocks. The service was great. They treated us like we were the only ones there. OK maybe we were close to the only ones there but hey it’s Monday and they were very nice to us. I ordered the Chicken Chimi. This fried burrito contained chicken, refried beans and cheese, topped with the red sauce, more cheese and served with sour cream and chopped lettuce, tomato and onion. I always eat everything, except today. I thought it tasted great but the portion was big enough for me to take some home. In summary, the taste, portions, cook time service and value are all good. As far as the atmosphere, if you have been looking for that perfect combination of Freddie Fender, poker night and cervesa, I give Aztex a big thumbs up!

Service: Rocks
Fresh ingredients: Yes
Atmosphere: Plenty
Chips and a Chimi big enough for two: $8.49

Seito Japanese Restaurant - DT

Seito is located in beautiful Winter Park Village on the south side of the cinema. They also have a new location in Baldwin Park. Today I ordered the Chicken and Vegetable Tempura Bento. I like the bento lunches because you get a decent variety and quantity at a great price. The bento box was delivered promptly with Meso soup, a typical ginger salad, white rice, three beef dumplings, six pieces of California Roll and of course Tempura. The Meso soup was unimpressive. I actually didn’t finish it, and I finish everything. The simple ginger salad was fresh with plenty of dressing. The dumplings were pan seared and the filling, which is usually a paté, had a familiar beef texture. The Cali Roll was served cold and firm and complemented the Wasabi nicely.

Not satisfied with the sushi roll teaser, I ordered the Ichiban. A specialty roll that contained more ingredients than I can remember. Rice and Seaweed (obviously) rolled with cucumber and salmon then generously topped with avocado, tempura crunch, and crossed with a sweet beige sauce. This roll was impressive and the ingredients were fresh and in good proportions. If you enjoy a sweet sushi roll, I highly recommend the Ichiban. I don’t particularly enjoy sushi rolls that sweet but I did finish it.

Service: Excellent

Quantity: Excellent

Bento and Water $8

Ichiban Sushi Roll $11
http://www.seitosushi.com/

Pho 88 - DT

730 North Mills Ave

Once again we visit the Mills/Colonial section of Orlando sometimes referred to as "Little Saigon". While Pho88 is a Vietnamese restaurant that specializes in noodle soups, their menu is diverse and extensive (over 200 items). The dining area is large with a high ceiling and modest decoration. It could have previously been a small grocery. For a Thursday, the place was quite busy with mostly Asian patrons. I was anxious to try the cold Spring Rolls with shrimp and pork. You get two large rolls per order served with peanut sauce. I prefer the peanut sauce to be nuttier. The ingredients were fresh and the rice paper wrap was soft at the edges indicating that it had been prepared very recently if not to order. For lunch I chose the Grilled Pork on rice. It comes with a sweet fish broth and lettuce, tomato and cucumber. I like to pour the broth into the rice and the remaining peanut sauce over the simple salad. The pork was prepared in a tasty sweet seasoning and served with a generous pinch of chopped scallion. I would like to have had a leaner cut of pork. Today, I found it to be a bit fatty. The server was efficient and the management friendly. I look forward to trying something new next time.

Quantity: Plenty
Service: Good
Spring Rolls/Grilled Pork: around $9.00

http://www.pho88orlando.com/

Siam Garden - DT

Now that my favorite Thai restaurant is under new management, the search is on. Siam Garden, at 1111 Webster Ave just on the north side of the Winter Park Village, is said to have the best Pad Thai for the money. The atmosphere is clean and roomy. The lighting is dim and the reception was a bit more business than friendly. Typical number of customers for a mid-week lunch. I can’t pass them up so I ordered the Spring Rolls (a new item on the menu).

The spring rolls were fresh, good sized and provided adequate support for the peanut sauce. The peanut sauce could be a bit more peanutty. Even though everyone at the table was watching me eat them, I still feel this is a fair review. For lunch the Cashew Chicken is my favorite so I ordered #22, Stir Fried Cashew Nuts with Chicken, medium spicy.

The food was delivered in good time. The red curry base was not too sweet and spiced just right. The ingredients: Scallion, Onion, carrot, celery, water chestnut, chicken and cashews were all fresh and in good proportion, served hot but not overcooked.

Service: 4 (Out of 5)

Quantity: 4

Spring Rolls, Cashew Chicken and water $9

Homecooked Venezuela Potluck - DT

Hola. So I says to my friend KM, "I understand your mom cooks a mean Empanadas." She says, "No. She cooks a mean Empanadas and a mean Cachappas." So I says, "Since she flew all the way in from Venezuela, we should have a potluck in the office and invite your mom." So she did. Wow. Peer pressure still works at my age. Besides ten deserts from the less than ethnic members of our team, we enjoyed BBQ meatballs, yellow rice and white rice with red beans. Mama M. treated us to our fill of Empanadas and Cachappas. She graciously provided a choice of accompanyments: guacamole, mozzerella cheese and Honduras Cream.


The guacmole was simple and heavy with Cilantro. The Honduras Cream was pourable at room temp and tasted like cream cheese. The Empanadas were very good. A corn meal pocket filled with chicken, green pepper, onions, cilantro, garlic and smashed potatoes seasoned with Adobo and deep fried just right. Cachappas, also based on a corn mixture, are cooked like pancakes. Excellent with the Honduras Cream. MC, the Asian Latino, came through with a very honorable mention. A French recipe, light almond cookie. He says he used flour but you can't tell by looking at it. While thin, this cookie taste great. He didn't know what they were called so I found a very similar recipe for something called Lace Almond Tuiles. So for potluck, I think we all experienced something new and tasty today. So adios, au revoir, Tsai Chen. I'm really not sure what to call it today...

Tasty Wok BBQ & Noodle House - DT

My friend Mike says, “You need to try the Tasty Wok BBQ & Noodle House.” I trust Mike. So we went. He said, “Their English may be a little rough but get something in the pan fried noodle section of the menu.” So we did. He was right except their English was just fine. All of the waitresses were very kind and I’m starting to identify the Cantonese restaurants by their roasted poultry on hook display. I thought about getting the General Tso Chicken because I’m starting to crave Americanized Chinese food but, for the sake of the blog, I got the Beef with Pan-fried egg Noodle. DJ was also leaning toward the Sesame Chicken but settled on the Chicken, Pork, Shrimp with Pan-fried Rice Noodle (Mi Phen) with just Chicken. Our dishes arrived in no time. The quantities were huge and the food was hot. We switched plates since DJ’s contained egg and well I told him I didn’t know CPR. Seeing the look of concern on DJ’s face, the waitress even came over to make sure all was well. She taught me how to say egg noodle in Chinese. Don Mi. Both meals were quite good. I liked the combination of Chicken, egg, onion, scallions, sprouts and egg noodle. It was cooked in an oil that was light and buttery. The Beef dish was served with Kai-lan (Chinese Broccoli). The beef was tender in a brown sauce that was simple but tasty. The Kai-lan leafs were not over cooked and resembled spinach. Judging by how much brown sauce DJ had on his shirt, I think I can say he liked it.

Service: Excellent 5
Quantity: Enough for two.
Price: Meal/Water under $10

Viet Garden - DT

East Colonial, just east of Mills.

This is not my first trip to Viet Garden. I believe everyone I know has been there. Hands down the best garden rolls ever. Garden rolls, sometimes referred to as summer rolls, are rice wraps filled with rice vermicelli, shrimp, pork, lettuce and basil and served cold with a side of peanut sauce. I like to mix a bit of the red chili sauce in the peanut sauce. You can choose tofu instead of meat, but I wouldn't. I believe I have an unhealthy addiction to them. I picked some up on the way home last night. (It's not on my way). So far I have tried the Prig King Curry, the Cashew Chicken, the Grilled Chicken with lemon and the Pad Thai. They weren't bad, but they weren't standouts. Today I ordered the #58 Grilled Pork with Rice. It comes with their sweet broth on the side and a lettuce, tomato and cucumber presentation. The white rice is served with few crispy garlic chips. I mixed a touch of chili sauce in the broth before pouring it over the rice. I asked for another side of peanut sauce for the simple salad. I found myself tearing into this plate of food. I found it odd that the grilled pork was served cold. My friend ordered the same dish but his was served warm. I didn't care. It was outstanding! The marinade was light but sweet. I will find it hard not to order this again. Did I mention the Garden Rolls?

Shin Jung - DT

So Mike says “Hey you should go to the Korean place across the street from Barney’s”. I trust Mike, so we went. I think it’s been there a while. It was half full on a Friday. Again I am guessing by the demographics that this is “authentic” Korean cuisine. I hate the word cuisine. It’s so cliché. DJ ordered the chicken lunch, RB ordered the beef. I wanted the chicken but I thought I should get something different for the sake of the blog. I got the pork lunch. The lunch included miso soup, a very salty, marinated bean sprout served cold, cold kimchi, small ginger salad, white rice (fried rice $1 more) and the meat. Typical miso broth with scallions. The sprouts were ok. I found it best to just mix them with the fried rice. I’ve never had kimchi before so I can only say that it was alright. Salad was typical. I sprang for the $1 fried rice. More egg than I expected. The pork was prepared in a sweat marinade with lots of rub. Almost too rich but I ate it all…I always do. Overall, having never eaten Korean victuals before, (ahhhh not cliché) I enjoyed it. The atmosphere was chummy and the service good. I would eat here again.

Service: 4 out of 5
Quantity: plenty
Price: lunch/water just over $9

FHO - Topping Off Party - DT

We are appreciated at FHO. They treated us to a free lunch today. Hamburger, chips, watermelon, drink and fresh churned ice cream (with toppings). The ice cream was outstanding check 'em out. FHO treats us to a strawberry festival in the spring and a corn festival in the summer. This summer they opted to celebrate the "topping off" of the new tower by having a full blown picnic lunch. Not too filling and the service was good. For the money, I give it 10s all around!

Ming's Bistro - DT

Definitely not you average General Tao Chicken place located just off Mills and Colonial. I'm not an expert but compared to the Chinese food at every other stripmall, I would call it authentic. Being the only non-Asians in the place reinforced that impression. I ordered the Singapore Rice Noodles and asked for it to be spicy mild. It was just right. We all agreed the meals were prepared a little on the bland side but I can add my own salt. (You can't take it out). It was half full on a Wednesday. The waitress was very nice and even tried to help me pronounce "thin rice noodle" in chinese. I think it was "Mi Phen". I definitely enjoyed the roasted poultry (mostly poultry) proudly displayed hanging in the heating booth then cut up on a tree stump by the nice lady with the cleaver. Bonus! DMJ and RB ordered the noodle soup with roast duck. Not sure they cared so much for the more exotic parts of the duck. I would eat here again for sure. Colorful description aside, I found the place clean and relaxing and my new favorite place for Singapore noodle.

Service: Good (4 out of 5)
Quantity: Plenty (I told RB not to let me eat the whole thing)
Meal/Water: Under $8