I tried these places today at lunch. The first two are in the new apartments on 17-92 (Orange) and Howell Branch Rd. The second is techinically in Winter Park on Howell Branch Rd halfway between 17-92 and 436 (behind a 7-11).
Boku - You've heard me voice anger at the lack of clarity on it's hours of operation. After failing in my first half dozen attempts, I looked to see if they were open. They were. I had two of their lunch specials because I thought I was hungrier than I turned out to be and I wanted to report back on as much as possible. The first meal was a sushi and sashimi series for $15. It consisted of 4 pieces of sushi and 7 pieces of sashimi (I think I got 8) and a spicy tuna roll and a soup or salad (soup). The Good: red clam sushi, sea bream and yellowtail sashimi. The Meh: salmon sashimi (soft/little flavor), king salmon (skin on), octopus sahimi (does it ever not taste like rubber). The Ugly: tuna sushi (good color, stringy, soft), squid sushi (I hope that film underneath was some sort of sauce), tuna roll (mushy like the tuna it came from). The miso had mushrooms in it (enoki I think). A bit salty. Wasabe was old. Rice was ok. It wasn't molded properly. Fell apart. It came on a long wooden board. The second course wasn't much better. It was a tonkatsu (fried pork cutlet) bento box with salad or soup (salad), pork gyoza, vegetable spring roll, corn croquette, and brown or white rice or cold green tea noodles (noodles) for $12. The pork was dry and seemed old and was tatseless. The coating was ok. The sauce was bad. Too salty and sweet to what it should be. The gyoza were per usual. The spring roll wasn't cooked through. pasty inside. Same with the croquette. It tasted more like potato filling. Maybe a translation flub? The noodles were bad. A first taste for me. I didn't like the marriage. And the noodles were pasty. Old? Bad enough to begin with. Some edamame mixed in. It's a shame. They aren't far off from being respectable. Some better execution and fresher fish (and more attentive service) away. And maybe they could make sure the light bulbs didn't blink and a few other "blind eye" failings. Didn't see an owner/manager. maybe that is the issue? The menu is pretty large and offers many Japanese offerings and some pan-Asian fare (ie pad thai). The lunch specials alone would be some places whole menu. They have six bentos, seven sushi/sashimi meals, three rice and noodle choices and a two roll option with twelve rolls. They also had a seasonal menu. The main menu has cold and hot tastings (ie kobachi), makimono x 2 (special rolls), nigiri, sashimi, moriawase (chef constructed meals), ten hot entrees and desserts (they were actually interesting. hard to say for a Japanese restaurant. IE crepe, fried ice cream). The prices aren't outrageous. $3-4 for a piece of sushi. $5-9 for a roll. It's smaller than it seems. The left side of the door is the sushi bar area with three booths. I sat in the middle one. The ac blew right at me. I started at the first booth. The light there was blinking. That room had mis-matched (though nice) chandeliers. Behind the sushi bar is goldish stone. The booths were a shade of gray. The front walls are all windows. The right side booths look alike. They meander around in an reverse L shape. Perhaps they have outside seats? Service was spacey. First they were all over me. Then they disappeared. Then all over again. Too much ice in the $3 mini-glass. Limits the beverage and the type of ice they use makes it hard to drink. The ice slides into your mouth more than the soda. Refill was way overdue when it came. I kind had to draw attention to myself. There is one of those waving cats at the sushi bar. I don't think that is A Japanese thing. Maybe that is what is missing. Still has potential. I'll give it a lunch and a Covid exemption. It is under the overhang that you drive through to get to the back of the building. I guess it is open for lunch and dinner. I think it is coming up on a year in business. I think they said it means "I serve" or something like that. I presume it means "it's a place where everything is overseen by its creator". Need to see a little more from that guy.
Cookit - I saw this as I was passing Boku. It is closer to 17-92 on the same side (left). They opened a few weeks ago. It's the frozen (just refrigerated here) food aisle from your suppper market. Except it may be prepared with a little more care and may be a little fresher. I grabbed stuffed meatballs with tzatziki to go for $9. Meals go up to $12. I haven't tried it yet. They had around twenty meals and snack (ie hummus at $6). Mostly Indian, Med, Latin and some "traditional" offerings. Not huge portions. Served in generic, black plastic containers. Jury is still out. Not a chain.
Santa Rosa Mexican Grill - They said they have been open for two years. I think I've had them in the recesses of my mind for a year. Not down this road very often. They replaced a Nepalise or Tibetan place (I know - how could it not succeed) I wrote about. It was a locals diner before that. I grabbed a lunch special of two tacos and a quesadilla because I was stuffed and already had a to go meal in the hopper and I just wanted to go home and take a nap. It cost $8. Not bad. had it for dinner. Had a ground beef and a chicken taco in hard shells. I screwed it up by waiting until diiner, but, the shells seemed better than the usual. That thin kind I can never source. Ground beef was better than the chicken. Chicken was a tad dry. Microwave sauna didn't help. Both came with lettuce and cheese (white). Could have used tomatoes or hot sauce. None given. None in the fridge. Big portions of meat. The quesadilla was small in size, but, packed with cheese. Proper cheese. They have the full menu you'd expect. Lots of lunch specials. Street tacos (ie lengua). Chilaquiles. Basics and a few specialty items. The place looks the same inside. They replaced some art and hung some streamers. Two rooms.
*I saw a sign on a place in the corner of those apartments. It said Coming Soon - Outpost. I think I ate there before. In Winter Springs? Some sightings. Crab place on 50 near Mills only open at 3pm. A Chinese place opened next to Mamak. A noodle place across the street on the corner closed. Forget the name. Bovine in WP is only open after 4pm. There seems to be a new place (George?) down Park Ave in the Brandywine complex. Luma closed. Tabla and Financier are not where I thought they were to be. Near Prato. There is a Sushi Pop near the police station. Swine & Sons is in that market near the Rollins baseball field. Ravaneous Pig opened a brewery in the old PR's. You can tell I haven't been to that area in a while.
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