I tried the first place on Thursday at dinner and the last two on Friday at lunch. The first is on International Parkway in a strip mall between the Lake Mary and Sanford exits. Near a Marriott. The second is near the police station on Ronald Reagan (one block in) near 434. The last is in a strip mall near a tropical fish store on the other side of 434 on Ronald Reagan.
Touken Sushi - I have no idea what it means. Opened last Friday. Higher end/price. Therefore, I had the teppan grilled salmon with steamed broccoli and carrots and fried rice for $22.50 (listed as $21.90) to go. It was good. I usually don't get the cooked items. The salmon was a tail cut (un-sushi-able part?). A tad overcooked for snobs. Nice glossy/oily exterior. No fishy flavor or smell. I thought the menu cited teriyaki sauce. I'm not sorry if they missed that. I've been served alot worse. The veg were plain. On the hard side. The rice was a bit odd. It almost tasted like brown rice. Little specks of veg. Egg yolk. Oily, yet, not oily at the same time. You could also have white rice. I'm not sure I trust a Japanese place serving fried rice. Chicken and shrimp were also available. The menu is mostly sahimi, nigiri and rolls. Nigiri started at $4 a piece. Sashimi at $3. Rolls were over $10. They had something named djos on the menu. Seven booths and six tables. Nice. Light gray and white. Modern. Not gauche. Kitchen in the rear. Sushi bar on the left. It was a Curio burrito place. No one was there because I was there so early. I hope. One waiter. Seemed like two or three in the kitchen. It will be interesting to see if they can compete at these price points.
The Good Way Cafe - Sadly the galette with curry tofu, sun dried tomatoes and onion was pretty good and I can't do my downward squatting expulsion pose (it is in a yoga studio) all over their reputation. I say this because it has everything I hate. Entitled white women (Ewws), veganism, yoga and substance abuse (whatever makes them so laconic). You thought I was going to end with ... the French. I actually am ok with them. The galette had more holes than I've experienced in general. I think it made it more delicate/superior. The tofu mimicked egg pretty well. The curry flavor wasn't a necessary mask. It came with a side salad of arugula and yellow and red cherry tomatoes in a vinaigrette. All fresh. It cost $12. A galette in France would probably run you 6E. The place is white. Three tables for two and two for four. Order at a counter. They had drinks, baguette, tartines, bean burger, etc. Some packaged baked goods that I am not sure are theirs. Slightly confusing to find. Look for Magnolia street. Had parking. Open for a few months.
Holy City Zoo - Opened a month ago. I took a half a pound of brisket and a pastrami sandwich to go for $15 and $17. They wouldn't let you choose the part of the brisket. I got round/point. The brisket seemed to be rubless. Thin bark. No smoke ring. Beefy. Fairly tender. I suspect they smoke it in foil. A guy there said they use indoor smokers. That seems suspect. It had a never-ending aftertaste of liquid smoke. I've had better. Not terrible mind you. Came with three pickle slices and two pieces of white bread. They offer up four sauces (sweet, hot, mustard and vinegar). Only sweet bbq was good. The way they do brisket makes them necessary. The pastrami was better. But, that may be because they may have grilled it on an oily flattop (and it has spices). Certain cuts were better than others. Some were half fat. Some were tough (because of the grilling?) and/or crispy. Came on dark rye bread (thick cut) with lackluster kraut and Thousand Island dressing and Swiss. They smoke 1/2 chicken (that looked great), sausauge, ribs, pulled pork. I think they ran $12, $6, $18 for a half slab and $14 for a half pound and less for a sandwich. The typical sides starting at $4. I didn't recall platters. They had other things. The pastrami was a special along with a tostada and fried twinkies. Beer, booze, wine. Heavy Metal theme. Van Halen, etc murals and boxed guitars. Tv playing Three Stooges. Red (including foam on the ceiling), black, aluminum siding, skulls, nick nacks, concrete floor, etc. Black metal chairs and gray topped, pressed wood tables. All twos. Clumped together in packets of four or five. Around seven clusters. Twenty one seat bar. Outside patio with three or four picinic tables. The owners had places in Illinois. Parking is limited. About a quarter full. A pick up truck may be required for entry. Food came out fast. Order at a counter. The first bite of pastrami had me in raptures. But on further inspection, I'm liking it (everything) less and less. This chemical aftertaste in my mouth won't go away. It has to be artificial. And I'm going to have to research indoor smokers. *Internet agrees with my assessmets. I think they have done a great job and it is a huge step up from what had been there. However, I think the experience will depend on your knowledge of true bbq and what you order. It needs more study. $30 a lb for brisket is pushing it. Some award winners in Texas charge less.
And that's all I have to say about that.
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