Bikkuri Sushi - DJ

1915 E. Colonial Dr.
Orlando 32803
407.894.4494
www.bikkurisushi.com

Today the question of lunch came up around 11:25, “where shall we go?” DT suggested Bikkuri Sushi so off we went in the mini. Bikkuri which means to be surprised, to be amazed, or to be frightened, occupies a small store front on East Colonial. The restaurant has about 5 tables. The chairs are amazing heavy they must be made out of cast iron. The restroom had a frightening looking add on bidet attached to the toilet.

The menu items are displayed in large picture format on the wall beside the counter where you place your order. I choose the Golden Chicken Curry and a Garlic Sushi Roll.

The curry was served in a bowl with a scoop of white rice in the center. The curry was golden brown in color it had broccoli, carrots, and chicken pieces. The carrots where crisp, the broccoli was slightly over cooked, the chicken was just right. The curry sauce was mild and did not over power the taste of the other ingredients.

The garlic sushi roll had crunchy bits of fried garlic that were surprisingly strong in flavor. The flavor was so strong that I basically could not taste anything else. I thought that the rice was mushier than most sushi rice that I have had, and I did not have the taste of vinegar that most sushi has.

Rating: **
Service: ***
Price- Curry/Sushi roll: $9.25

What others are saying:
Orlando Weekly
City Beat

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

Sorrento’s - Jocelyne's - IL Pescatore by DJ

651 N Primrose Dr.
Orlando, FL 32803
407-896-6763

IL Pescatore is a place that I have rediscovered in the last few months. We use to go to Sorrento’s once a week for the manicotti lunch special, our visits trailed off as the restaurant changed hands and became Jocelyne’s in 1995. The lunch specials ceased and so did our weekly visits. The restaurant became IL Pescatore in 2000. I suggested that we revisit about 6 months ago and I glade we did.

Last night I got my standard dish at Sorrento’s/ IL Pescatore the manicotti and a salad with the house dressing. The house salad comes to the table accompanied with fresh baked garlic bread. The house Italian dressing – oil and vinegar with crushed spices is excellent. This is the restaurant I hold as the standard for manicotti. I preferred it when the 2 manicotti’s came out in au gratin dishes straight from the oven, but they are just as good presented on a plate. The tomato sauce is tangy and the cheese has a crusty surface. Top it off with crushed red peppers and this is all you need for a great meal.


Another member in my party had the Baked Ziti which is a huge bowl full of ziti topped with sauce and cheese then baked, how can you go wrong. I looked back over at the plate in a few minutes and it was gone. It must have been good. Other members had Fettuccini Alfraido, Ravioli, Eggplant Parmesan, and Eggplant Rollatini. All seemed pleased.

It was my birthday so I was also presented with a small cannoli which left me wanting more. The evening with friends in an Italian family restaurant was most enjoyable.

Rating: ****
Service: ***
Cost Entrée/Water: $11.50

Other Reviews:
Orlando Weekly
Orlando Sentinel

PR’s Mexican Restaurant - DJ

499 W. Fairbanks Ave.
Winter Park, Florida
407.645.2225

We went to PR’s today because I thought they could handle a big crowd (14) for lunch. We got everybody at the table, but two they set at the bar right next to our table. PR’s has been a Winter Park tradition for at least 25 years. It is the place to go for lunch on Fridays if you are in the mood for fajitas. The restaurant looks just the same as I remember it when I moved to Florida in 1982. It just has more graffiti and the bike made from copper tubing is missing from the wall there are TV’s in its place. The building still rattles when trains go by on the track a few feet from the corner of the building.

The food at PR’s has been pretty consistent since those early days. PR’s is Tex-Mex with lots of cheddar cheese. Today I had one of the combination lunch specials. I choose one Enchiladas, one taco and rice. I had chicken on both the enchilada and the hard taco. The chicken was all white meat which had been shredded. The enchilada was topped with a savory ranchero sauce and then capped with cheddar cheese that was melted under the salamander. A bed of lettuce was placed under the taco which kept it from becoming soggy with the juicy from the enchilada. The other end of the plate had rice which was topped with a red sauce as well. The presentation was nice. The meal was very good.


Vegetarians can eat well here too, as the list of filling include spinach, mushrooms, veggies, and guacamole.

The thing you have to remember at PR’s is don’t fill up on the chips and endless soda before your meal arrives. I’ve learned over the years to sit at the bar because your meal will arrive sooner and you aren’t as tempted to eat the whole bowl of chips.

Rating: ***
Service ***
Price: Combo/Soda $8.50

Caffé Positano - DJ

3030 E. Semoran Blvd.
Apopka, FL 32703
407.774.8080


I went with a group of friends to Caffé Positano over the weekend. It is located in a shopping plaza across Hwy 436 from Hunt Club Blvd. in Apopka. I have eaten at Caffé Postitano many times over the last fifteen years or so. I enjoyed most of the meals, some more that others. Today was a good day.

I chose the Manicotti. The meal began with a salad, with the house dressing on the side. The house dressing has always reminded me of “swill from Lake Eire” a reference from an old SNL episode with Bill Murray. The dressing has a thick consistence and has unknown items suspended in the mixture. Even with that said I like it. The manicotti was perfect today, the cheese inside was cooked but still firm to the fork. The sauce was excellent. The waiter topped the dish off with parmesan cheese which was pre-shredded; it added a nice nutty taste.


Our waiter Mike was funny as usual and quite entertaining. After I placed my order and the waiter had gone, I suddenly remember my last visit to Caffé Potitano. I had ordered manicotti on that occasion as well and it had been very bad. The ricotta cheese inside had been very bitter almost to the point of not being eatable. Someone else that day had the same thing but they thought theirs had been good. I should have sent mine back that day.

Today my experience was good at Caffé Postiano, leaving me with an “I want to go back there feeling”.

Rating: **
Service: *****
Price Meal/Water $9.25

AzTex Mexican Restaurant - DJ

745 Bennett Rd.
Orlando, FL 32803
407.893.4990

I spotted an ad in the Orlando Weekly for the Aztex Restaurant while waiting for a table at the Thai House last weekend. A new place for us to try next week!

I could not remember where a restaurant could be located on Bennett Road, except for the possible location of a old strip club. Turns out it was called Club Quest. The transformation has not quite been completed. The outside has been repainted, but the inside still looks like a former bar.

The wait staff was friendly and efficient, the chips and salsa flowed from the bar. There were two kinds of salsa: red and salsa verdé. Both were good but the red sauce had a bit of a bitter taste at first.

I ordered the Enchilada Dinner – Chicken and Cheese. The plate came with rice, pinto beans and pico de giao. The rice and beans were both ok. The enchiladas were topped with cheddar cheese. The chunks of chicken inside were large and had a good flavor. The portion was way too large for lunch. I could not finish it. I guess I should have tried the Tacos or something a bit smaller.

The overall experience was a good one. Although I don’t think it will top Paco’s on my list.

Rating: **
Service:****
Price- Dinner/water: $8.49

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