Pho 813

This Pho 813 location has a really lovely interior design. If it wasn’t in the nightmarish parking lot across from the Millenia Mall I would be a frequent visitor.

The lemon grass bun bowl has a broth different from other places I’ve tried. And the Bahn Mi, while not the best or cheapest in town, is a very credible rendition.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/pho-813-orlando

Camille

Exterior
Exterior
Private Dining Room
Private Dining Room
Interior
Interior
Counter
Counter
Summer Tasting Menu
Summer Tasting Menu
Wine Pairings
Wine Pairings
Chef Tung Phan
Chef Tung Phan
Tea Egg, Summer Black Truffle   Kaluga Caviar, Pâté Foam  Mr. Joe Duck, Black Sesame
Tea Egg, Summer Black Truffle Kaluga Caviar, Pâté Foam Mr. Joe Duck, Black Sesame
Kaluga Caviar, Pâté Foam
Kaluga Caviar, Pâté Foam
Spiny Florida Lobster, Passionfruit
Spiny Florida Lobster, Passionfruit
Iberico Pork, Lemongrass
Iberico Pork, Lemongrass
Manchester Farm Quail, Leeks
Manchester Farm Quail, Leeks
American Red Snapper, Coconut, Osetra Caviar
American Red Snapper, Coconut, Osetra Caviar
Bread Service: Focaccia, baguette, sour dough, butter with black salt
Bread Service: Focaccia, baguette, sour dough, butter with black salt
Bread Service
Bread Service
Dungeness Crab, Curry
Dungeness Crab, Curry
Dungeness Crab
Dungeness Crab
Kagoshima A5 Wagyu, Local Greens
Kagoshima A5 Wagyu, Local Greens
Banana, Ginger Caramel
Banana, Ginger Caramel
Watermelon and other sorbets with Bird's Eye Chili
Watermelon and other sorbets with Bird’s Eye Chili
Private Dining Room
Private Dining Room

***** (5 stars)

Camille is now in its new, permanent location in Baldwin Park, and what a knockout it is! We had a fabulous meal at the old pop-up in East End Market, and weren’t sure how it could be topped, but it was.

The space is intimate yet spacious, with seating for eight at the counter, plus just four tables, and an elegant glassed-in private dining room for six. It’s easily the most beautiful restaurant in Orlando, and one of the most striking restaurant designs anywhere.

Chef Tung Phan oversees a staff of highly practiced chefs who assemble the complex twelve-course (with actually closer to twenty dishes) menu in front of you. Most courses contain an element of Vietnamese cuisine, but I would not call any specific dish Vietnamese. It’s modern fine dining, with many elements unique to Chef Phan.

We happened to attend on the first night they were doing table service, and although we sat at the counter, it appeared that table service also progressed like they’d been doing it forever. (As of our visit on August 1, 2023 they are not yet doing private dining.)

It’s hard to pick a favorite course given so many astonishingly beautiful and tasty items, and since the menu changes regularly there is no point in my providing a complete run-down. Just feast your eyes on my photos! But I will call out two favorites my companion and I both agreed on in the hopes they will stay on the menu forever: Spiny Florida lobster served with passionfruit, hearts of palm, and various greens was an amazing salad. And the assortment of sorbets including watermelon sprinkled with birds eye chili was a remarkable palate cleanser and pre-dessert.

Two wine pairings are offered, and it is worth getting both if you are a couple, as every one of the selections was thoughtful, matched the food, and contrasted with each other in very interesting ways. Beverage Director Derrick Goodman is very personable, and had interesting comments about each of the wines.

Orlando suddenly has an embarrassment of fine-dining restaurants, and I would place Camille at or near the top of that list.

Camille
4962 New Broad St
Orlando, FL 32814

https://www.yelp.com/biz/camille-orlando

Camille

The counter
The counter
sommelier and cocktail service
sommelier and cocktail service
Duck salad
Duck salad
Shrimp
Shrimp
Tea Egg
Tea Egg
menu
menu
Pho
Pho
Pork Belly
Pork Belly
Mixology and food prep
Mixology and food prep
Palate cleanser
Palate cleanser
Lamb
Lamb
French bread and shrimp butter
French bread and shrimp butter
"Vietnamese Coffee"
"Vietnamese Coffee"
Chef and the staff
Chef and the staff

***** (5 stars)

Wow, world-class dining in Orlando! Who'd have thunk it?!

Camille is as good as any chef's bar I've been to around the world, including such icons as Joel Robuchon's l'Ateliers in New York, London, and Hong Kong.

Every course of this meal was just about as perfect as it gets, from the really unique Tea Egg that started us off, to the masterpiece "Vietnamese Coffee" dessert that finished it. It's hard to pick a favorite. Was it the smoked duck salad we assembled ourselves, and which my duck-hating wife loved? Or perhaps the incredibly complex and mouth-filling short rib pho? Impossible to pick.

The counter afforded a wonderful view as each dish was assembled by the very personable chef and his talented assistants, and all was hosted by our wonderfully personable sommelier.

Note that Camille will be moving from its temporary residence upstairs at East End Market to a permanent location in Bladwin Park, hopefully around the start of 2023. I can't wait to go back and experience it again!

Camille
3201 Corrine Dr
Orlando, FL 32803

https://www.yelp.com/biz/camille-orlando

An’Nam

Interior
Interior
Jalapeño Yellowtail Jalapeno Plate
Jalapeño Yellowtail Jalapeno Plate
Philadelphia Roll and spicy salmon
Philadelphia Roll and spicy salmon
Grilled pork over vermicelli
Grilled pork over vermicelli

**** (4 stars)

Can't decide between Vietnamese, Japanese, Chinese, and Thai food? You don't need to, here! Four pages of densely printed menu pretty much cover everything. It's not actually "fusion" since the cuisines aren't being combined in new ways, but they are all represented, and are done well, and with fresh ingredients. The dining area is bright and cheery, and the service is friendly.

An’Nam
234 W 48th St
New York, NY 10036

https://www.yelp.com/biz/annam-new-york-2

Bánh Mi Cali

Banh Mi
Banh Mi with veggies outside to go
Exterior
Interior

***** (5 stars)

Wow! Great bahn mi sandwiches! The key is fresh bread, and this place is baking their own, so it’s super fresh and perfectly crusty.

The roasted pork is very savory, and the veggies crisp and bursting with flavor. I also liked that they offered to pack the veggies separate from the sandwich for to-go orders, to keep everything fresh.

Best banh mi I’ve had ever!

Bánh Mi Cali
5210 W Colonial DrSte 154
Orlando, FL
32808
(407) 866-0208
https://www.yelp.com/biz/b%C3%A1nh-mi-cali-orlando-2

Ellie Lou’s Brews & BBQ

Pork platter

Exterior

Interior

Sauces

***** (5 stars)

Orlando is an excellent town for barbecue, with many great choices, and a lot of different styles, from Southern to Midwestern and more. I like the barbecue here better than almost anywhere I travel to, because of that diversity. And I have to say, of all the great Orlando barbecue places I patronize, Ellie Lou’s is the best.

I had the pork platter with two sides. I was expecting sliced pork, so I was pleased when something more like burnt ends appeared: succulent chunks of lean, moist pork, with a nice charred crust on some of the pieces. It was a generous serving, too.

I liked all four BBQ sauces on the table: Kansas City (sweet), Memphis, Hot, and Mustard. The combination of the first three was my favorite. All of them are made in-house, and it shows.

Also made in-house are the sides. The baked beans were loaded with chunks of meat; a squirt of sauce and they were perfect. One of my favorite parts of the whole meal was the potato salad, which was also obviously homemade, with big chunks of potato, a creamy dressing and lots of herbs.

The two slices of garlic bread were also excellent: fresh, crispy and with lots of garlic butter.

Perhaps the thing that most distinguishes Ellie Lou’s is the environment. It’s not crowded and is actually quite pleasant inside. And even though you order at a counter, the staff is very attentive once you’re seated, so it’s like a real restaurant. A real GOOD restaurant.

Ellie Lou’s Brews & BBQ
336 Moore Rd
Ocoee, FL 34761
(407) 347-9515
http://www.yelp.com/biz/ellie-lous-brews-and-bbq-ocoee

Soupa Saiyan

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

Restaurant BT

***** (5 stars)

Based upon the reviews I was expecting some fairly extraordinary food, and I was not disappointed. Everything we had was top notch. The complexity of the recipes and quality of the ingredients is definitely far above most Vietnamese restaurants I’ve been to.

At a recent lunch we worked our way through many appetizer courses, beginning with the fresh shrimp rolls and the mini crispy spring rolls. Both were elevated by the inclusion of very flavorful and fresh herbs.

Tuna Tai Chanh was a wonderful tuna tartare that was mixed with an unusually large amount of chopped fresh herbs that gave it a complex flavor, elevating it far about the tuna and sesame oil base.

We also tried two special. Pheasant pate was an excellent rough country style pate served with traditional French accompaniments of mustard, gherkins and chopped onions. Truffled burrata cheese was also nicely done, with a sort of pesto or chimichurri accompaniment.

For an entree I had the grilled pork banh mi. I’m a particular fan of that sandwich, and this one was as good as any I’ve had, with lots of fresh herbs, a savory soy marinade, and just the right amount of creamy mayonnaise.

I’m not sure I’d describe anything I had as “fusion” cuisine. Most of the dishes are gourmet Vietnamese, and the two specials we had were French, but I didn’t detect any fusing going on.

The wine list is reasonably priced and offers some nice choices. The Puligny Montrachet went well with the food, although not as well as the Chateau Carbonneau that we brought. The $30 corkage seemed a bit steep, but otherwise I thought the food pricing was very reasonable. I can only assume those complaining about the prices were expecting Vietnamese sandwich shop and the ingredients here mark this as a very fine dining restaurant that happens to serve lunch, too.

Restaurant BT
2507 S MacDill Ave
Tampa, FL 33629
(813) 258-1916
http://www.yelp.com/biz/restaurant-bt-tampa

Banh Mi Nha Trang Subs

***** (5 stars)

The house special here is not only the best Banh Mi sandwich I’ve ever had, it is the best sandwich I’ve ever had. The bread is incredibly fresh, and perfectly toasted around the edges. The meats are smokey and flavorful, and the vegetables incredibly fresh and piquant. Just an absolutely sublime combination of ingredients.

Located at the back of a court surrounded by old shops, the place looks pretty decrepit from the outside, and no better inside. There are no tables, and not even a register. You simply pick what you want from the list and wait for it to be handed to you.

Nevertheless, it is an awesome sandwich, and I will be back here often. See you tomorrow!

Banh Mi Nha Trang Subs
1216 E Colonial Dr
Ste 9
Orlando, FL 32803
(407) 346-4549
http://www.yelp.com/biz/banh-mi-nha-trang-subs-orlando