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.
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 TastingLobster 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.
Expansive, nicely decorated (inside and out) purveyor of standard Tex-Mex favorites. The sampler platter is a good way to get a taste of a large variety of offerings.
This counter-service place serves acceptable pizza. There’s nothing really exceptional about it, but it’s fine.
The best was the cauliflower crust garden pizza, which didn’t have much in the way of sauce, but had a nice collection of vegetables. The thin crust pepperoni pizza was cut into squares Tavern style, which I like. There’s really no atmosphere, but they did bring the pizza to the table when it was ready.
I really like the interior design of this new, airy restaurant in Flamingo Crossings. The staff is very welcoming, and the ambiance is great.
The menu offers a nice variety of upscale Italian fare. We started with the sauteed mussels and clams (which were okay, but could have used more garlic) and the tuna carpaccio, which had a marvelous lemon dressing on the accompanying arugula.
That same fantastic dressing showed up on the Salad Capri, one of the best salads I’ve ever had. The combination of the slightly sweet lemon dressing and the bitter greens was amazing, as were the other surprising ingredients: banana peppers, melon, candied walnuts, and olives.
We happened to go for lunch on a Wednesday, which is lasagna day, and the lasagna was very good. It seemed like something an Italian grandmother would make.
Because it’s in a tourist area, prices are not cheap, but I would definitely return for the amazing salad and excellent service.
Nice neighborhood Thai place with a very reasonably priced lunch. Pretty much all the common Thai dishes are on the lunch menu. Very friendly service and good food.
This is a nice new Gators with a very friendly staff. I love the way that Gator’s menu has gotten so creative lately, with lots of temporary specials. This is a great venue for watching sports, but also just a good place for traditional bar food plus some creative variations on same.
Shakers recently won a people’s choice award for best breakfast in Orlando, and I can see why. My Western Omelet was overflowing with fresh vegetables and savory ham. Hash browns were extra crispy, just like I ordered them. And my server’s suggestion to grill my biscuit was pure genius.
I also loved the decor, with unique salt and pepper shakers on every table, and many more lining the walls.
Service was excellent, and all the servers I encountered were very friendly. Indeed, this was the best breakfast I’ve had in a long, long time.
UPDATE, MAY 9, 2024
Breakfast Quesadilla
Shakers still makes the best breakfasts in town! My new favorite is the breakfast quesadilla. It’s perfect!
This counter-serve place is light and airy, with nice seating and a great vibe.
My Grilled Pork Banh Mi was as good as any I’ve ever had. The secret to a great banh mi is great bread, and this baguette was fresh, yet crusty, and filled with crisp veggies. The sauce and pork were spot on, and there was plenty of cilantro and jalapeno. Just a terrific sandwich.
