Author Archives: steve

Omo by Jont

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How fortunate we are to have this level of restaurant in Orlando now! There was a time when you had to go to New York, Chicago, LA, or, yes, Washington DC, where Omo’s two-star Michelin parent is located, in order to have this type of dining experience. Now we have a wealth of fabulous omakase experiences in Orlando. But Omo isn’t like the other omakases, because it isn’t about sushi and sashimi, like Sorekara or Soseki. It’s closer in concept to Camille, but with the added experience of moving from space to space as you dine.

You begin in the lounge for a series of “snacks” featuring foie gras, wagyu, and caviar. Then you progress to dinner at an L-shaped counter that seats 16.

Each course was a thoughtful and complex construction, meticulously assembled in front of us, and accompanied by a dazzling assortment of dishes, cutlery and yes, one set of chopsticks.

Finally a flurry of sweet bites are served in the dessert room.

The menu offers two levels of dining. We opted for the more elaborate version, The Jaunt. It’s twenty or so courses included many pricey ingredients such as truffles, wagyu, and caviar. At about twice the price, it was an indulgence, but I don’t know that the experience was otherwise significantly different for those who opted for the simpler menu.

There were many stunning dishes, but the one that sticks in my memory was actually an intermezzo of peeled heirloom cherry tomatoes, wasabi, and verbena, served with basil sorbet!

Service was as you would expect from the offspring of a two-star Michelin.

Wine pairings are available, but we opted for a couple of bottles from the excellent wine list.

There is a lot of competition in Orlando now, but I would say that as of this writing Omo is the city’s most spectacular restaurant.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/omo-by-jont-winter-park-9

Kosher Grill

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I had high hopes for this place based upon reviews, but it was just okay.

The concept is a bit odd, as it’s a strange conglomeration of different cuisines, from Middle Eastern to Asian to deli to American.

They were out of my wife’s first choice, so she just had a Caesar salad, which was weirdly sweet, as if they made it with honey mustard dressing.

Given the name, I opted for the falafel and hummus, and both were just okay. If you really want great hummus, falafel, and pitas, it’s only a few minutes to go to Cedar’s on Sand Lake Road, and there’s no comparison.

There isn’t really much atmosphere, just some rows of long tables in a brightly lit storefront. Service was a good team effort.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/kosher-grill-orlando

Vincenzo Cucina Italiana

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We’ve gone to Ciao Italia for many years, so we thought we’d try their sister restaurant, Vincenzo. It’s located in a more visible, tourist-accessible spot, and is in a newer space.

The interior is nicely designed, with an appealing bar, and good acoustic design in the dining room. Lighting levels are pleasant.

The menu is similar, offering classic Southern Italian cuisine. My Shrimp Diavalo appetizer was excellent, and its $20 price quite reasonable for a generous serving. My wife really enjoyed her Fettuccini Alfredo, which was made in the classic butter and parmesan style, rather than inundated in cream sauce.

The wine list is well-considered, and service was pleasant.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/vincenzo-cucina-italiana-orlando

Sushi Saint

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Sushi Saint is brought to you by the chef behind Michelin starred Soseki. We liked the sushi at Soseki, but weren’t fans of the hot food there, so we were interested to try this hand-roll concept.

The location is a bit funky, in the back of an industrial building off a parking lot, but the interior is nice. It’s divided into several distinct areas, including booths, a sushi counter, and a private room. We sat at the counter.

The secret to hand rolls is temperature and timing. The rice must be at the perfect temperature, the nori wrapper fresh from the warming box to ensure its crispness, and the whole assemblage delivered within seconds.

Sushi Saint excels at this. And unlike other hand roll concepts we’ve tried, this is definitely not an assemblage place where the rolls are largely constructed from already prepared tartares. Here they are delicately assembled one ingredient at a time, and the results show the difference.

There are a number of preset combos that are slightly less expensive than ordering ala carte, but once you know your favorites it’s easy to order just those.

We started with a wonderful sunomono. The cucumber was elevated by the inclusion of onions and ginger.

Our favorite rolls were:

  • Akami 
  • Hamachi 
  • Salmon
  • Ikura 
  • Unagi 

The wine list focuses on sakes, but there are also several wines and sake-based cocktails.

Service was fast and friendly.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/sushi-saint-orlando

Norman’s

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I wasn’t expecting to be wowed by Norman’s based on previous restaurants, so we put off visiting for more than a year, but absolutely loved our experience here. The interior is beautiful, and just what I am looking for in a fine dining experience: classy, not noisy, and not brightly lit.

The food really stood out for us, too. The dishes seemed more cohesive than those we’ve had in his past restaurants, with a perfect melding of complex flavors. We opted for six small plates so we could sample many things. Standouts were:

House salad: this was startlingly good! Mixed greens with a light but complex vinaigrette, pepitas, dried fruits, and some crumbled blue cheese. Rarely has a simple salad been so memorable.

Shrimp Ceviche: not really a ceviche, but more of a cooked, creamy combination with some tomato in the sauce and a dollop of avocado crema.

Octopus: absolutely tender and flavorful, so hard to find prepared this well.

French Toast Foie Gras: I had read about this dish, and it did not disappoint! The perfect combination of sweet brioche and lightly seared foie.

Pumpkin Cheesecake: I would call this a pumpkin s’more caramel taco!

Service was impeccable–professional, friendly, and attentive.

I wasn’t a fan of the Norman’s at the Ritz Carlton (mostly due to the coffee shop atmosphere) or his Mount Dora effort (LOUD!) but this one absolutely nails it, with a classy, romantic interior, great acoustics, and subdued lighting. Highly recommended.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/normans-orlando-7

The Monroe

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This place definitely has a hip atmosphere. It looks like it could get boisterous, but we were there for a late lunch and it was great.

The concise menu has lots of interesting selections, and we enjoyed everything we tried. We started with the hummus, which was served with fresh-baked pitas. The hummus was topped with an assortment of herbs and seasonings, which made it fun to experiment with different combinations.

I had the three-piece fried chicken, and it was terrific. The crunchy, complex batter kept the tender, moist chicken steaming hot throughout our meal. The accompanying macaroni salad and cucumber chunk salad were both excellent.

My companion had the steak frites, a classic preparation with perfectly seared steak and a huge pile of nicely crisped truffle fries.

There are some interesting wines by the glass. I finished with the very intriguing root beer latte.

Service was cheerful and attentive.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-monroe-orlando

San Jose’s Original Mexican Restaurant

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There are quite a few San Jose’s in the area, but this one is definitely better than the others. It serves an extensive menu typical of American Mexican restaurants, so there isn’t really much in the way of authentic Mexican food, but it will seem familiar. 

There isn’t much in the way of acoustic treatment, so it can be quite noisy, even when not at capacity.

Note that the top shelf maragarita is made with a lot of orange juice, which is rather odd, so if you want a more traditional margarita maybe go with the house margarita.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/san-jose-s-original-mexican-restaurant-orlando

Mosonori

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Chef Henry Moso is the magician behind Kabooki Sushi. Now he brings the quick service hand roll concept to Orlando. 

The secret to hand rolls is temperature and timing. The rice must be at the perfect temperature, the nori wrapper fresh from the warming box to ensure its crispness, and the whole assemblage delivered within seconds. Of course Mosonori nails this perfectly. I would expect nothing less from Chef Henry.

We attended the first night of the public preview, and service was already perfection. The friendly staff filled the place in minutes and made sure everyone was having a great time.

The menu focuses on about a dozen items, nearly all of them hand rolls. They can be ordered ala carte, or grouped into various combinations. All were excellent, but my favorites were the Yamaimo (a crispy white yam seasoned with spicy mentaiko [pollock roe]) and the eel, which was beautifully flambéed.

Hamachi Tasting
Lobster hand roll

Pricing is extremely reasonable.

Beverages will be limited to sake, beer, and some sake cocktails.

Chef Henry is not just a master chef, he also has a brilliant sense of decor, and Mosonori is a truly beautiful restaurant. I understand it will also be open for lunch, and perhaps all afternoon, which would be a great way to above what I’m sure will be a line of people waiting to get into this great new concept.

Note: Exterior signage is not up yet, but it’s unit A of City Place. Parking is available immediately north of the space, so don’t turn in to the south, or you can’t get to it.