Grub Crawl - Oviedo: Kimchi, Meridian Court (Closed) and Pho Hoang Minh

I ate at these spots on 434/N. Alafaya Trail Monday afternoon. They are all in a shopping mall near Red Bug Lake Rd.

Kimchi - I had a Kalbi special they spell Gul Bi for $11. It was on of the pricier lunch specials. I can't remember a Korean place around here that can do a short rib properly. It was beyond tough. Seven pieces. The rice and kimchi were good. The fritter and gyosa like dumpling less so. The salad was good, but, more appropriate in an Italian restaurant. The picture on the menu also differed wildly from what they served. The place seats around forty. It was packed. Diverse crowd. The decor is appropriate. They have Korean beer and soju (although I see a sake like drink called this in a lot of places and it should be a vodka like drink). Service was quick. Parking is very limited.

Meridian Court - This should have been the worst of the trio, but, I found it to be the best value. It's a Chinese restaurant that was farther back in the strip mall for around 25 years. They made the mistake of moving up towards the road four years ago. It was empty. They say people won't park farther up and the other places make it hard for their customers to reach them (hog the spots). The place was empty. It's a shame because they do a good job of Hong Kong (most familiar to American diets) cuisine. I ordered Schezuan Chicken with white rice and a soda out of pity. It cost $7 (a little higher than most places charge for a lunch special. It was worth it. It came with tons of good white meat chicken and vegetables (red and green peppers, canned mushrooms, snow peas and water chestnuts. I asked for spicy. It was mildish and a little sweet (Hong Kongese don't do hot). I think they think it's low class. The place had pretty good furniture for a small Chinese place. Usually it's a mish mosh of reclaimed items from a supply company. They have a buffet. I know Chinese places are a dime a dozen, but, this place could easily go high end. Now they are chasing the "value" customer. I'd urge them to abandon the lower end and try and find a market segment that is under served.

Pho Hoang Minh - I had a Banh Mi Cha Lua (pork roll that they call pork ham) for $6. You usually get pork and pate on such a sandwich and I've had it for as low as $2 near Mills. However, what made this a colossal disappointment was that they use a roll from Publix instead of a nice baguette. The baguette is 50% why you order this. Shameful. I was all excited because you can never find a place that serves Pho and Banh Mi. It's usually one or the other. I hope they do better with their other dishes. The place looks clean and modern. It has a red color motif. Service was good and knowledgeable. I just can't beyond that bun. The place is named after the owner.