Pei Wei

*** (3 stars)

This Pei Wei is organized a bit differently from the one I usually go to, with a U-turn in the queue and the menus against one wall. There’s a large wall of windows in the dining area, and a large outside dining area, too.  Other than that, it’s pretty much the same as all others.

There was a new item on my visit to this one, and I really like it: cauliflower fried “rice”. It was very good with the spicy Korean sauce.

And yes, they have Coke Freestyle machines, which are my favorite fast food device of all time.

Pei Wei
3337 Daniels Rd
Winter Garden, FL
34787
(407) 347-9928
https://www.yelp.com/biz/pei-wei-winter-garden

Hokkaido Chinese and Japanese Buffet

Buffets

Exterior

Dining room

Sushi

*** (3.5 stars)

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of this buffet. There’s an extensive selection of Chinese foods, and they are kept fresh, so the flavors and crispness are about as good as you would get by ordering off a menu. There’s even a lot of shellfish. But the real highlight is the sushi buffet, which is the largest I’ve seen. The quality and freshness are amazingly good.

The price is very reasonable given the quality and location.

Hokkaido Chinese and Japanese Buffet
12173 S Apopka Vineland Rd
Orlando, FL
32836
(407) 778-5188
https://www.yelp.com/biz/hokkaido-chinese-and-japanese-buffet-orlando-2

The Attic Door

Pork slider

Muffuletta

Interior

***** (5 stars)

Now under the new ownership of Laurie and Kevin Tarter of the Chef’s Table and Tasting Room across the street, the Attic Door has reached its full potential as a chill place to hang out and enjoy good food, wines, beer and live music.

Long-time fans will find that all of the Attic Door’s best features have been retained, but the food is now an order of magnitude better, the wine list more interesting, the beers vastly more interesting, and the seating more comfortable, and better suited to enjoying the food while listening to the excellent live music.

The service has the friendly professionalism you would expect from these experienced owners. There’s a passion here to make everything just right for guests.

There will also be an afternoon tea some days. Hearing about the research that has already gone into selecting the teas and scone recipes makes me excited to experience another unique offering.

The attic Door is definitely most chill place to hang out in Winter Garden.

The Attic Door
28 W Plant St
Winter Garden, FL
34787
(407) 877-0266
https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-attic-door-winter-garden

Singh’s Roti Shop & Bar

Chicken roti

Interior

**** (4 stars)

Singh’s offers a full range of Rotis and curries in a pleasant environment. It’s counter service, but very efficient and well-staffed. I’m a big fan of goat roti, but the channa and the chicken are also good. If you don’t like bones, there is even a version of the chicken that is boneless.

I suggest getting the roti separate rather than as a wrap. Their roti is HUGE, and it’s almost impossible to eat the grapefruit-sized thing! I think you also get more filling when they are separate.

The place is spotlessly clean, and there’s a nice outside patio and also a full bar.

Singh’s Roti Shop & Bar
5244 Old Winter Garden Rd
Orlando, FL
32811
(407) 253-2900
https://www.yelp.com/biz/singhs-roti-shop-and-bar-orlando

First Watch

Exterior

Interior

Veggie omelet

**** (4 stars)

I really like the interior decor of this place, with high, modern ceilings, and large walls of glass. It’s much nice than the other First Watches I’ve been to, and also the competitors.

I have to confess that I’m a bit old school as far as breakfast, and I actually prefer most of the items at coffee shops to here, but there are some more heathful options that are interesting. The veggie omelet is a good choice, for example.

The staff was friendly and service was quick.

First Watch
7910 Winter Garden Vineland Road
Windermere, FL
33125
(407) 612-2022
https://www.yelp.com/biz/first-watch-windermere

Southern Spice Indian Cuisine

**** (4 stars)

On my first visit to Southern Spice I was a bit disappointed to find it was a lunch buffet. Although that is fast and obviously popular, I’m just not a big buffet fan. The food was all good, and there were quite a few selections, but I wasn’t in a rush to go back.

Then I discovered you could also order off the regular menu at lunch. While not as good a deal, the food was much more interesting and fresh, and we really enjoyed our biryani and especially the Malai Kofta and the garlic naan.

Service was friendly and professional.

Southern Spice Indian Cuisine
7637 Turkey Lake Rd
Orlando, FL
32819
(321) 251-2244
https://www.yelp.com/biz/southern-spice-indian-cuisine-orlando