I tried these spots on Friday at lunch. The first two are in a strip mall south of Central Florida Parkway on International Dr near Sea World. The last is in a strip mall near Pointe Orlando. I believe a Walgreens is on the corner.
Moon Wok - Opened two weeks ago. I sense it is Cantonese. I had the sauteed chicken with mixed vegetables for $12. Good. The veg (carrot/snow peas/broccoli/peppers) were the star. Very fresh. The chicken was a bit tough. The common light colored sauce that I believe is made from chicken or vegetable stock and starch. The rice underneath (in a bowl) was a tad mushy. Closing in on congee. Although, it made it easier to pick up with the metal chopsticks. Decent sized for a "half" lunch portion. Seemed full to me. They said the dishes are family size. The menu was small. I almost went with a two meat (duck and char siu pork ribs) option for $19. I remember Dan Dan Noodles and General Tso's Chicken. They had around seven apps and dim sum. $8 or $9 for siu mai, shrimp balls, char siu bao, mochi meat dumplings or shrimp dumplings. I believe this is twice what I am willing to pay. I'm a hard liner. I'll just pass if this is where the market is going. Especially if I don't know if they are hand made or frozen food section. The place looks nice. The floor plans in this strip mall make for long, bowling alley floor plans. A thirteen seat bar is on the right (plus two tables). The steel, open kitchen is over there too. The middle has several larger group tables. The left wall has five or six gray uphoslstered booths with black table tops for four. There are trees and leafy branches all about. Paper lamps. Inner tube shaped white lights. Lit up back splash between the bar and the kitchen with cubes holding curios. Ivory looking disc with heron looking bird behind the bar. Black, red and gray color schemes. Lounge-y look. Three tables occupied. Decent cutlery and ceramics and stemware. Service in black unis was good. They have booze. Solid addition.
El Genio del Shwarma - I went in once and the guys seemed sketchy, so, I left. Now it appears to have been handed over to Venezulans. The menu is that plus the shwarmas. They talked me into the mixed (chicken/steak) shwarma. I figured it may be the last one I could safely order for some time. It was shockingly good. SOOO much meat. Little bits and regular sized pieces. Not shavings. I didn't find one bite of gristle. The steak was very tender yet with a crusty shell. The veg and sauce weren't great. They didn't have a traditional tahini or tzatiki or hummus. Just their Venezuelan green garlic sauce. The wrap was ok. It did take a while for the one cook to get this done. It cost $18. Big menu. Categories: arepas (12), empanadas (12), cachapas (7), snacks (9), pastelitos (5), sides (4), grills (3), pepitos (4), patacones (6), mixed (4), shwarmas (10), hot dogs (6), hamburgers (7) and some funky drinks like pina colada. Rectangular floor plan. Less narrow than Moon Wok. Three row of tables and both. Rustic. Large, four combined tvs on one wall. Order at a counter. Open kitchen. Five tables occupied. All ex-pats. Probably worth a second look. The music was too lud and annoying.
Fin Siam Thai - Opened a month or two ago. I just grabbed a tom kha shrimp to go because all the rice or noodles dishes STARTED at $22. The soup looked a little modest when I pulled out the container. But, probably more than a serving in house. It was also very good. Three fresh, plump shrimp. Nice coconut milk flavor. Fine heat. Quartered, real mushroom. Probably worked out better for me than a main dish. It cost $10. The place is a bit worn for a new opening. Wood on wood. Some Thai decoration. Maybe eight tables. One seated. Open for lunch or dinner.
*There was a Brazilian Steakhouse called Da Silva in the first strip mall. Open for lunch. They had non-beef, well priced (mid teens) lunch specials (fried mojarra, lasagna, tilapia, etc). I thought it was a pm place. Also there, a Chocolate Museum cum shoppe and a sketchy Indian place and a ice cream/drink place and a beer spa. I checked in to the strip mall on Central Florida Parkway that has Oza Izakaya (pm only). A sushi place and something I think was called Arepecita (after 3pm) there too. I also popped back into Slap! for a good $8 crispy pancake with braised pork that I had denied myself the first time. Like an arepa. When exactly was the last American/European restaurant opened in this town? Seems like every place I try is some kind of Colonial Spanish or Asian. The new Divers-city.
No comments:
Post a Comment