***** (5 stars)
Banner picked up our disassembled 200-year-old grandfather clock and expertly boxed, crated, and shipped it across the country. The packaging was literally a work of art. We opted for white-glove service, so at the receiving end the crates were unpacked and disposed of, and each item was carried inside and carefully positioned. Highly recommended.
Banner Packing & Crating
344 N La Cienega Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90048
https://www.yelp.com/biz/banner-packing-and-crating-los-angeles
**** (4 stars)
With a stylish interior design and an airy, bright space, this new restaurant offers an inviting place to enjoy traditional Korean BBQ.
Unlike some of the local Korean BBQ spots, Kang offers a full array of starter dishes, including assorted kimchee, salads, and more.
The meat offerings are excellent, and the grills and vents work great.
The downside is the price. Whether you order a single item prepared in the kitchen, or an all-you-can-eat feast, you are going to end up spending $25 to $35 per person, regardless of whether it's lunch or dinner. With a single beer and a coke, and the automatically added gratuity, our lunch for two was over $100.
By chance, we went to another all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ place in Lake Buena Vista last week, and thought it was expensive at $28. But the weekday lunch there was only $18. And that's a tourist area. I'm not sure $35 is going to fly with the locals.
That said, all the food was excellent, and we would definitely go back if in the area.
There is a very limited wine list — mostly sweet — and only one beer (although it is the delicious Terra Korean beer).
Service was excellent.
Kang’s Kitchen
800 N John Young Pkwy
Orlando, FL 32808
***** (5 stars)
I'm so happy a good restaurant finally opened after six places went through here in the past couple of decades. I love Korean BBQ, and this is one of the best I've been to.
There are two concepts here: Hot pot, where you select a broth (Tom-Yum is a great choice) and then cook your items in the broth, creating a sort of stew; or, traditional Korean BBQ, where you select items to grill yourself.
Both concepts offer dozens of protein and vegetable choices, and there are no limits, so you can just keep ordering them two or three at a time and incorporating them into your creation. Our selections appeared almost instantly!
Our favorites were the bulgogi beef, spicy bulgogi pork, salmon, smoked garlic pork belly, and steak. There were also garlic shrimp, mussels on the half shell, fish, mushrooms, onions, and more. We were stuffed!
A buffet offers a vast array of sauces and appetizers, plus side dishes such as kimchee, and some kid's items like french fries and fried chicken.
It's all one price, ten dollars less at weekday lunch. And if you want to do both hot pot and grill it's just five dollars more per person.
Beautifully custom-designed tables with four hot pot burners and a central grill. Really modern, trendy decor, and a K-Pop soundtrack. Full bar.
Our server, Christina, was fantastic.
KPot Korean BBQ & Hot Pot
8594 Palm Pkwy
Orlando, FL 32836
https://www.yelp.com/biz/kpot-korean-bbq-and-hot-pot-orlando-2
***** (5 stars)
I'm so happy a good restaurant finally opened after six places went through here in the past couple of decades. I love Korean BBQ, and this is one of the best I've been to.
There are two concepts here: Hot pot, where you select a broth (Tom-Yum is a great choice) and then cook your items in the broth, creating a sort of stew; or, traditional Korean BBQ, where you select items to grill yourself.
Both concepts offer dozens of protein and vegetable choices, and there are no limits, so you can just keep ordering them two or three at a time and incorporating them into your creation. Our selections appeared almost instantly!
Our favorites were the bulgogi beef, spicy bulgogi pork, salmon, smoked garlic pork belly, and steak. There were also garlic shrimp, mussels on the half shell, fish, mushrooms, onions, and more. We were stuffed!
A buffet offers a vast array of sauces and appetizers, plus side dishes such as kimchee, and some kid's items like french fries and fried chicken.
It's all one price, ten dollars less at weekday lunch. And if you want to do both hot pot and grill it's just five dollars more per person.
Beautifully custom-designed tables with four hot pot burners and a central grill. Really modern, trendy decor, and a K-Pop soundtrack. Full bar.
Our server, Christina, was fantastic.
K-Pot Korean BBQ & Hot Pot
8594 Palm Pkwy
Orlando, FL 32836
https://www.yelp.com/biz/k-pot-korean-bbq-and-hot-pot-orlando
**** (4 stars)
Great little diner with a small town feel. Features classic breakfast and lunch dishes and friendly service.
Jack & Mary’s Restaurant
2323 S Goldenrod Rd
Orlando, FL 32822
***** (5 stars)
I love cheese fondue, but I'm not a fan of boiling food in broth or oil, so I was delighted to discover that The Melting Pot now has a grilling option for the entree.
We had the Big Night Out dinner for two. We started with the fiesta fondue, which had some nice crunchy jalapeno bits in it. The California salad and strawberry pecan salad were both good, somewhat similar, but differing by type of greens and dressing.
Our entree included Filet Mignon, Teriyaki-Marinated Steak, Chicken, Shrimp, Salmon, and a pasta that we subbed for Potstickers because they grill better. My favorite was the Teriyaki-Marinated Steak.
For dessert, we selected a plain dark chocolate fondue. I particularly liked the crunchy chocolate chip waffles that came with it for dipping, but there is also the usual area of fruits and baked goods.
I recommend the Classic Pairing, four wines well-selected to match each course, at a reasonable price.
We went for lunch the day before Mother's Day, so it was very busy, and I have to say you couldn't tell. Tom, the manager, and Harrison, our server had everything totally under control. It was a great experience.
The Melting Pot
7549 W Sand Lake Rd
Orlando, FL 32819
*** (3 stars)
I wanted to like this place more, but it just seems pretty average. It's mostly outside, with a large bar that serves a decent variety of beer, and some interesting cocktails.
The menu is mostly sandwiches. We started with some bacon queso, which didn't really have any detectable bacon, but was saved by an excellent bottle of hot sauce on the table.
The grilled cheese and the lamb gyro were both fine, but unremarkable. Even though it was well past 1 pm and the place wasn't that busy, our waiter seemed way overworked.
Not bad, just not memorable. Your mileage may vary.
The Hammered Lamb
1235 N Orange Ave
Orlando, FL 32804
***** (5 stars)
Amazing experience all around! Since this is the Fairmont's only restaurant, we were expection more of a coffee shop feel, and indeed this would be a great place for breakfast, but it also has a wonderful evening ambience.
Our waiter was one of the best we've ever had, incredibly personable and knowledgeable about food and especially wine.
We started with the delicious baguette and chicken liver mousse. Then we shared a "plateau" of crab, oysters, and prawns, which was just the right size. We finished with a couple of cheeses, but there are plenty of tempting entrees.
We'll no doubt eat here again during this stay.
Lumière Brasserie
2025 Avenue of the Stars
Los Angeles, CA 90067
***** (5 stars)
Javiers has a truly striking interior. Even though the space is huge, it is divided up into enough interconnected areas so that it manages to seem both exotic and cozy at the same time.
We started with the Tuna Crudo, a generous portion served a bit like a poke bowl. Very fresh and flavorful.
For our main course I had the Enchiladas Mariscos, two delicious mixed seafood enchiladas in a tangy green sauce. They were great.
Chicken Quesadillas were a huge serving, accompanied by a giant mount of excellent guacamole.
The house Margarita was just okay. I'd explore alternatives next time.
Service was friendly and very fast.
Javier’s Century City
10250 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90067
*** (3 stars)
Back in 1979 we regarded Michael's as the best restaurant on the west side, but now it just seems a bit like it's on autopilot, without any real standouts. The hamachi crudo, the white asparagus side dish, and the pizza were all fine, but there was nothing noteworthy about any of them. The steak frites was good, but again a pretty pedestrian dish. Honestly, the nuts were probably the most stellar thing we ordered.
The wine list is extremely eclectic, yet oddly narrow in focus despite its size: lots of obscure French appellations with a narrow range of varietals and almost nothing above an every day table wine level.
The standout here is the ambiance; the rear dining space is a romantic garden of intimacy, albeit one that definitely looks like 1979.
Service was attentive and professional.
Michael’s
1147 3rd St
Santa Monica, CA 90403