Soseki Modern Omakase

Entry
Entry
Interior
Interior
Caviar on blue fin tuna, a standout course
Caviar on blue fin tuna, a standout course
One of seven nigiri offerings
One of seven nigiri offerings
beat and uzi sorbet, a wonderful palate cleanser
beat and uzi sorbet, a wonderful palate cleanser
Tile Fish on risotto
Tile Fish on risotto
shrimp of mashed potatoes
shrimp of mashed potatoes
Making nigiri
Making nigiri
Ceasar salad soup!
Ceasar salad soup!
Oyster, crab, salmon, buri
Oyster, crab, salmon, buri
The full staff at work
The full staff at work

***** (5 stars)

Ten-seat Michelin one-star omakase bar with top-notch service and a friendly atmosphere. The cold dishes are the highlight, with extremely high-quality nigiri.

The menu changes daily, depending on what locally sourced items are available. For example, on our visit dessert included a strawberry that had been foraged that morning and was simply sliced in half. Sounds simple, but it was sensational.

The standouts for me were the caviar course and the buri sashimi.

Two palate cleansers served during the meal were also noteworthy.

The fish from the nigiri is sourced from around the world, mainly from Japan, but most other ingredients were local.

We were not particularly excited by any of the hot dishes, but these change often. Chef said they had served over 400 different dishes in the less than two years they have been open!

I recommend the “Past, Present, and Future” wine pairing, the more expensive of the two offered, which was extremely well curated.

MENU

Saturday | January 28, 2023
Otoshi*
BRÜLEE (oyster] | TART [dungeness crab]
BANH KHOT [salmon] | SASHIMI [buri]
Et fu…?*
anchovy | parmesan | hydro-crunch lettuce crouton | pentas
  • 2004 Champagne Tarlant, ‘Cuvée Louis Tarlant’-(Euilly, Vallée de la Marne, France
Chips-n-Dip*
tuna caviar aonori | wasabi | crème fraîche | purple rice
Beets by K.*
beetroot | yuzu | yogurt | almond | sudachi | sorrel
  • 2020. Foradori, Nosiola, ‘Fontanasanta’-Mezzolombardo, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy
Shima Aji* [Ehime]
Ishigakitai* [Nagasaki]
Hirame* [Korea]
Toro* [L’Ametlla de Mar, SP]
  • 2018 Akishika, Junmai Ginjo Namagenshu, ‘Black Moheji’ –
Osaka, Japan
Akami* [L’Amella de Mar, SP]
Uni* [Hokkaido]
Anago* [Nagasaki]
Dashi tile
  • Kikuhime, Yamahai Ginjo Genshu, ‘Origarami’ –
Ishikawa, Japan
Mosaic Tile*
file fish | carrot micro salad | tomato water middlins
Fung(uy)i*
chestnut mushroom | hopper shrimp | potato | truffle
-2021 Littorai, Pinot Noir, ‘Les Larmes’-Anderson Valley, Mendocino County, California
Basque(ing) in the Sunshine* cheesecake strawberry streusel
  • 2014 Prà, Passito Bianco delle Fontane – Monteforte d’Alpone, Veneto, Italy

Soseki Modern Omakase
955 W Fairbanks Ave
Winter Park, FL 32789

https://www.yelp.com/biz/soseki-modern-omakase-winter-park-2

Old Sugar Mill Pancake House

Exterior
Exterior
Griddle
Griddle
Mill gears
Mill gears
Bacon, eggs, and batter
Bacon, eggs, and batter
Bacon, eggs, two kinds of pancakes
Bacon, eggs, two kinds of pancakes
Exterior
Exterior
Grillin'
Grillin'
Interior
Interior

***** (5 stars)

NOTE: Do not follow your GPS's directions as it will likely lead you to the gated service road in back. You need to enter Ponce DeLeon State Park ($6 fee per car), drive through the parking lot, and then it's a short walk to the restaurant building.

I've always wanted to go to this place, but I was afraid of the wait, which I understand can be very long on weekends. The trick is to go at an unlikely time. We chose a bit after noon on a Thursday, and there was no wait.

Some of the reviews mention poor service, but our server was great.

Obviously you go here for the novelty of cooking your own breakfast on your table, and it is quite fun. It would be a great family activity–let the kids cook breakfast for the adults! But I have to say, the food was EXCELLENT! The eggs were really fresh, and the bacon was meaty.

Of course, the highlight is the pancakes and they didn't disappoint. You can choose between buttermilk batter or a five grain specialty blend. Our server suggested I try both, and indeed, although the buttermilk was nice and fluffy, the five grain blend was also fluffy, plus it had a nice texture and even more flavor.

It's along way for us to go for breakfast (about a 90 minute drive) but I'd definitely like to bo back.

Old Sugar Mill Pancake House
601 Ponce Deleon Blvd
De Leon Springs, FL 32130

https://www.yelp.com/biz/old-sugar-mill-pancake-house-de-leon-springs-2

Old Sugar Mill Grill & Griddle House

Interior
Interior
Griddle
Griddle
Bacon, eggs, and batter
Bacon, eggs, and batter
Grillin'
Grillin’
Bacon, eggs, two kinds of pancakes
Bacon, eggs, two kinds of pancakes
Mill gears
Gears
Exterior
Exterior
Exterior
Exterior

***** (5 stars)

NOTE: Do not follow your GPS’s directions as it will likely lead you to the gated service road in back. You need to enter Ponce DeLeon State Park ($6 fee per car), drive through the parking lot, and then it’s a short walk to the restaurant building.

I’ve always wanted to go to this place, but I was afraid of the wait, which I understand can be very long on weekends. The trick is to go at an unlikely time. We chose a bit after noon on a Thursday, and there was no wait.

Some of the reviews mention poor service, but our server was great.

Obviously you go here for the novelty of cooking your own breakfast on your table, and it is quite fun. It would be a great family activity–let the kids cook breakfast for the adults! But I have to say, the food was EXCELLENT! The eggs were really fresh, and the bacon was meaty.

Of course, the highlight is the pancakes and they didn’t disappoint. You can choose between buttermilk batter or a five-grain specialty blend. Our server suggested I try both, and indeed, although the buttermilk was nice and fluffy, the five-grain blend was also fluffy, plus it had a nice texture and even more flavor.

It’s a long way for us to go for breakfast (about a 90-minute drive) but I’d definitely like to bo back.

Old Sugar Mill Grill & Griddle House
601 Ponce Deleon Blvd
De Leon Springs, FL 32130

https://www.yelp.com/biz/old-sugar-mill-grill-and-griddle-house-de-leon-springs

Cask & Larder

Interior
Interior
Exterior
Exterior
Menu
Menu
Drinks
Drinks
Grilled fish
Grilled fish
Crispy cauliflower
Crispy cauliflower
CL burger with cheddar
CL burger with cheddar
Interior
Interior
Spinach dip
Spinach dip
Cheeseburger
Cheeseburger
Cuban sandwich
Cuban sandwich

*** (3 stars)

This restaurant is the best table service choice in Terminal A. Over the past few years the menu has become a bit more conventional. The most welcome change is that they now offer Pepsi products instead of their own weird sodas.

Breakfast is hearty, but the best choices are BBQ and burgers at "dinner", which begins at 10am.

Cask & Larder
1 Jeff Fuqua Blvd
Orlando, FL 32827

https://www.yelp.com/biz/cask-and-larder-orlando

Dim Dim Sum

Sesame ball
Sesame ball
BBQ Pork
BBQ Pork
Beef Chow Fun
Beef Chow Fun
Interior
Interior
Exterior
Exterior

**** (4 stars)

They've done a great job of transforming this former counter-serve pasta assemblage place into a nice sit-down dim sum restaurant.

The menu offers a full range of traditional dim sum, with photos to help those not familiar with the cuisine.

We particularly enjoyed the honey glazed roast pork, cucumber with minced garlic, and shrimp pork siu mai.

Service was attentive, and prices are reasonable.

Dim Dim Sum
4700 S Apopka Vineland Rd
Windermere, FL 34786

https://www.yelp.com/biz/dim-dim-sum-windermere

New York Beer Project – Orlando

Beer flight
Beer flight
Interior
Interior
Interior
Interior
Interior
Interior
Interior
Interior
Pretzel
Pretzel
Hot wings extra crispy
Hot wings extra crispy
Pepperoni pizza
Pepperoni pizza

***** (5 stars)

Wow, this place is HUGE. Fortunately the ceilings are high, so noise levels are reasonable. And the interior decor is very nice, with giant fake trees.

Kudos to management, because opened only three weeks this place was extremely busy, yet running like clockwork.

The menu is extensive. We started with a giant pretzel, and the sauces that came with it were amazing, especially the house sauce, a mixture of mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and black pepper. The pizza dough was also very good, and the chicken wings, ordered extra crispy, were truly HOT.

This is a real brewery, and offers only their own brews. The four beer sampler is a good deal. They also have a full bar.

New York Beer Project – Orlando
9230 Miley Dr
Winter Garden, FL 34787

https://www.yelp.com/biz/new-york-beer-project-orlando-winter-garden

Cedar’s Restaurant

Interior
Interior
Lunch veggie platter
Lunch veggie platter

***** (5 stars)

I realized it has been ten years since I've left a review of Cedar's on Yelp! Blissfully, nothing has changed. It's still the best Middle Eastern food in Orlando. In fact, I've traveled the world and have yet to find better.

The hummus and tabbouleh and baba ganoush can't be beat. The falafel is never greasy, and the pitas are baked fresh and replenished multiple times during your meal.

Service is always friendly, and you can tell they are really happy for your business.

Perfection.

Cedar’s Restaurant
7732 W Sand Lake Rd
Orlando, FL 32819

https://www.yelp.com/biz/cedars-restaurant-orlando

Sajoma Latin Fusion

Interior
Interior
Exterior
Exterior
Bar
Bar
Ceviche
Ceviche
Hummus
Hummus
Caesar salad
Caesar salad
Grilled shrimp
Grilled shrimp
Yuca Nests
Yuca Nests

***** (5 stars)

This is a beautiful restaurant with great food and service. We shared an assortment of appetizers, and they were all very good.

Highlights were the ceviche and the very creative green pea hummus with fried pitas. The grilled shrimp and the Caesar salads were also both very nice preparations. I liked the goat filling in the Yuca nests, but the yuca was a bit heavy.

We went for a late Sunday lunch and it looked like they were setting up for evening live entertainment.

They also have outside dining.

Sajoma Latin Fusion
1600 W Osceola Pkwy
Kissimmee, FL 34741

https://www.yelp.com/biz/sajoma-latin-fusion-kissimmee