Category Archives: Soup

Olive Garden Italian Restaurant – Temp. CLOSED

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Interior
Interior
Exterior
Exterior
Bar
Bar
Salad, breadsticks, Alfredo sauce
Salad, breadsticks, Alfredo sauce

**** (4 stars)

This is one of the very first Olive Gardens because Orlando is Darden's test market for new restaurant concepts. They definitely kept it fresh, with lovely remodeling. The bar is well-separated from the restaurant, and the dining room is open, spacious, and airy, with lots of windows.

The food is Olive Garden standard, so not much more needs to be said.

Service is good. The Darden restaurants have recently gone to table top devices for ordering and paying, no doubt to deal with staffing challenges. I'm not sold on the efficiency, but time will tell.

Olive Garden Italian Restaurant – Temp. CLOSED
12361 State Road 535
Orlando, FL 32836

https://www.yelp.com/biz/olive-garden-italian-restaurant-orlando-24

Olive Garden Italian Restaurant

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Interior
Interior
Exterior
Exterior
Bar
Bar
Salad, breadsticks, Alfredo sauce
Salad, breadsticks, Alfredo sauce

**** (4 stars)

This is one of the very first Olive Gardens because Orlando is Darden's test market for new restaurant concepts. They definitely kept it fresh, with lovely remodeling. The bar is well-separated from the restaurant, and the dining room is open, spacious, and airy, with lots of windows.

The food is Olive Garden standard, so not much more needs to be said.

Service is good. The Darden restaurants have recently gone to table top devices for ordering and paying, no doubt to deal with staffing challenges. I'm not sold on the efficiency, but time will tell.

Olive Garden Italian Restaurant
12361 State Road 535
Orlando, FL 32836

https://www.yelp.com/biz/olive-garden-italian-restaurant-orlando-24

Russell’s on Lake Ivanhoe

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Bar
Bar
Interior
Interior
Exterior
Exterior
Breakfast club
Breakfast club
Vietnamese spring roll and shrimp salad
Vietnamese spring roll and shrimp salad

*** (3 stars)

I wanted to like this place more because of its lovely setting on the lake, but everything about it was pretty mediocre, from the so-so cocktails to most of the brunch food. The charcuterie plate was the best thing we had, particularly after we asked for the surprisingly absent mustard. The Vietnamese Spring Rolls and Shrimp Salad would have embarrassed the Vietnamese restaurants in town, with the bland vermicelli-like stuffing in the rolls and the mostly undressed greens. The Breakfast Club sandwich was essentially avocado toast with club sandwich ingredients and an egg inside, but it was surprisingly flavorless, with the ingredients fighting with one another and the "secret" sauce keeping its secrets to itself. We probably won't be in a hurry to return.

Russell’s on Lake Ivanhoe
1414 N Orange Ave
Orlando, FL 32804

https://www.yelp.com/biz/russells-on-lake-ivanhoe-orlando-2

Sides Hardware and Shoes – A Brothers Restaurant

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Grilled cheese
Chicken sandwich
Interior

**** (4 stars)

This cute little vintage building near the center of Los Olivos offers excellent salads and sandwiches.

I tried the chicken sandwich on our server’s recommendation, and it was great; such a delicate batter on the chicken, and the slice of bacon steak was tender and not overwhelming.

The grilled cheese was also very nicely done.

Service is prompt and efficient.

Sides Hardware and Shoes – A Brothers Restaurant
2375 Alamo Pintado Ave
Los Olivos, CA
93441
(805) 688-4820
https://www.yelp.com/biz/sides-hardware-and-shoes-a-brothers-restaurant-los-olivos-3

Samurai Blue Sushi & Sake Bar

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Interior

Sashimi bento box

**** (4 stars)

This is a very cool space for an experience a bit different from the rest of Ybor City. The towering brick walls and exposed wooden rafters create a surprisingly pleasant ambiance for decent sushi. The lunch bento boxes are a good deal, and the sushi is good, if not particularly inspired. Service was pleasant.

Samurai Blue Sushi & Sake Bar
1600 E 8th Ave
Ste C208
Tampa, FL 33605
(813) 242-6688
https://www.yelp.com/biz/samurai-blue-sushi-and-sake-bar-tampa-2

Mo-Chica Ceviche Peruvian Grill

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Chaufa and 1/4 chicken lunch

Causa (shrimp)

Tuna

Disco sour

Bar

Interior

***** (5 stars)

So far this is the best Peruvian food I’ve found in Orlando.

Of course I had to have a Pisco Sour. It was nicely made, with lots of frothy egg white on top, although it was a bit sweeter than I like.

Our server was nice, but there was definitely a language barrier. However we managed to mostly convey our order, although she didn’t understand the concept of appetizer, even though there is a section of the menu labeled that.

The Causa is extremely good, three small towers of the yellow pepper mash topped with fresh shrimp and a delicious sauce.

The Tiradito de Tuna Mikey was a very interesting preparation of sashimi style tuna slices in an Asian sauce and topped with chunks of sweet potato and avocado. The tuna was very good quality, and the sauce was excellent.

On the back of the menu is a small lunch section, with items for $9. Unlike the rest of the menu, there is no translation, so it requires a bit of research. I tried the Chaufa con 1/4 de Pollo a la Brisa. It was rotisserie chicken over fried rice. It was good, but not as good as the other items we had.

Because the tuna and shrimp were so good, on my next visit I will definitely try one of their many ceviches.

Prices seem a bit high, but not unreasonable for a tourist area. The place had only been open a couple of weeks when we went, but there wasn’t much lunch business. I’m rather surprised they opened here, because this shopping center is getting a bit tired, and I thought they were planning to bulldoze it to make room for a luxury hotel. But as long as it lasts I will be a regular visitor, because this is an excellent Peruvian restaurant.

Mo-Chica Ceviche Peruvian Grill
5700 International Dr
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 723-8416
http://www.yelp.com/biz/mo-chica-ceviche-peruvian-grill-orlando-2

Nine Spices Hot Pot

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Interior

Veggies

Table

Sauces

Conveyor

**** (4 stars)

This is a fun and healthy place for dinner, or for lunch if your budget will handle it. The idea is to use a pot of boiling broth to cook your own vegetables and meats at your table. At lunch you can select vegetarian, which is reasonably priced, or one meat, which is rather pricey, or all you can eat, which is definitely dinner pricing.

The fun thing about the all you can eat option is that you then select your ingredients as they pass by on a conveyor belt that makes its way around the whole restaurant. This seemed to be what most customers were doing. Note that there is an advantage to being “upstream” on the conveyor, as you have first choice of ingredients.

I went with the vegetarian lunch and the “original” broth. This was a good choice, because the “spicy” broth was pretty spicy, and there is a condiment bar where you can add your own desired degree of spiciness and other flavors.

My favorite ingredients were the corn on the cob and the rather spicy “pickles” on the condiment bar. I also used lots of fresh cilantro.

I won’t say it was my favorite lunch of all time, but it was a fun experience, and I’ll probably go back someday.

Nine Spices Hot Pot
5320 S Kirkman Rd
Orlando, FL 32819
(321) 270-0830
https://www.yelp.com/biz/nine-spices-hot-pot-orlando

Tom + Chee – Orlando

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Exterior

Interior

Tomato basil soup and BBQ+Bacon grilled cheese

*** (3 stars)

This is a quick serve place that offers a variety of grilled cheese sandwiches, variations on tomato soup, and some odd-sounding cheese donuts.

I tried the BBQ+bacon, with American cheese, bacon and BBQ potato chips on white sour bread. It probably wasn’t the best choice, as I usually prefer a more flavorful cheese. I should also have realized that the expected flavor of BBQ sauce was not going to be there, since all the flavor came from the BBQ potato chips which, of course, taste nothing like BBQ. I also feel the bread could have been a bit more grilled.

The basil tomato soup was good, with lots of fresh basil leaves in it.

It’s useful but also discouraging that they list the calorie counts of everything on the menu. It’s not good news.

Tom + Chee – Orlando
12533 State Rd 535
Orlando, FL 32836
(321) 395-4930
https://www.yelp.com/biz/tom-chee-orlando-orlando

Soupa Saiyan

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Line

Chicken wings

Beef broth, ramen, brisket, veggies, lime, basil

Exterior

Interior

Menu

**** (4 stars)

This is a true Asian noodle place, common in big cities like Chicago, but fairly rare in Orlando. It’s a quick-serve operation where you order at a counter and they bring it to you–assuming you can find a seat. The place is very popular, and a line forms within minutes of opening.

The menu is extremely clear, enabling you to build your dish step by step. You start with a broth flavor, select a noodle type, and then two ingredients. I had beef broth with ramen noodles, beef brisket and mixed vegetables. The serving was really huge. The basic flavors are fairly subtle, so I was happy I’d asked for lime and basil as fresh accompaniments. These came in a separate bowl, and were generous helpings.

I also tried the chicken wings, which were simple fried wings and legs served with duck sauce packets.

Service was fast and friendly, but be sure to arrive early if you want to eat there.

Soupa Saiyan
5689 Vineland Rd
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 930-3396
https://www.yelp.com/biz/soupa-saiyan-orlando-2

Kim Wu Chinese

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Buffet

Exterior

**** (4 stars)

This place has been in business a long time, and has a loyal following. I remember eating here long ago, and it seems they’ve expanded since then. But unlike some old restaurants, this one still seems fresh and clean.

Lunch is a buffet, and there are many dishes to choose from, including nearly all the American Chinese restaurant standards. They did a nice job of keeping the items on the buffet fresh and well-stocked.

When I eat at American Chinese restaurants I always find the food a lot heavier and oilier than those in Asia, and this one is no exception, but I can’t fault them for it since it seems to be the accepted style.

My lunch included hot tea, my choice of soup, and even an eggroll from the buffet, so for $10 it was a good deal. My server was fast and friendly.

Kim Wu Chinese
4904 S Kirkman Rd
Orlando, FL 32811
(407) 293-0752
https://www.yelp.com/biz/kim-wu-chinese-orlando