I wish Mr. J offered more guidance for pairing the noodle types with the various dishes. And I’d like to say the staff is eager to help, but that wasn’t my experience.

Eight styles of noodles are displayed on a screen behind the counter where orders are placed. You make your entree choice and then select the noodle style.

The space on Lake Eola now occupied by the curiously named Osphere – previously the home of Spice Modern and, more famously, Lake Eola Yacht Club – has one of the best patios in town, an even more covetous feature in these days of outdoor-preferred dining.

A quick-serve assemblage restaurant.

I seriously don’t know what to make of Salt & the Cellar by Akira Back in the lowercased ette hotel in Kissimmee. On one hand, the food is as well crafted as you would expect from an internationally known chef, and it shows proof of the promised sourcing of fresh ingredients.

On the other hand… Well, there are several other hands.

Small – and very expensive – high-end sushi bar.

There are several restaurants in the area that specialize in Asian street fare, but Sticky Rice sticks to the foods of Laos. The title dish comes in a plastic bag instead of a bamboo steamer as it might on the streets of Vientiane, but you eat it the same, by pulling off a bit with your fingers and dipping it into one of the provided sauces.

Tako Cheena is the new concept from Pom Moongauklang, owner of of the popular Pom Pom’s sandwicherie. The name is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the type of food featured, tacos, and Moongauklang’s Asian heritage (she was born in Thailand). She combines Latin and Asian into true fusion cuisine.
It’s also pretty darned tasty. Moongauklang has a talent for making complex foods look simple, and for taking simple flavor combinations and giving them layers and textures that make them seem complex. It isn’t surprising that she worked at New York’s famed Nobu restaurant.
The menu is short. It offers a featured empanada and a roster of takos. I sampled an array of takos, and I liked every one of them. My favorite was the panko crusted cod, which had bite-sized nuggets of fish in the soft flour tortilla garnished with scallions and mixed cabbage. What really brought out the flavors, though, was the lusciously thick sweet and sour sauce that not only gave it a great taste but also made it look so pretty.
My second favorite was the Chinese barbecue char shu pork belly, with mixed cabbage, fresh cilantro and ginger oil, all topped with a crisp ribbon of crackling. I also liked the Thai peanut chicken, with its velvety peanut sauce, topped off with crunchy crushed peanuts.

Opened in July, 2020, this elegant dinner-only occupies a previously under utilized space at the Japan pavilion in Epcot. As with the other restaurants at the pavilion, Takumi-tei is operated by Mitsukoshi, the Tokyo-based department store.

Tasty Wok recently moved across the street to a larger space. It has its fans; I’m not among them. The food is good enough on its own but it isn’t worth putting up with an indifferent and unwelcoming staff.

It’s more bar than it is restaurant, and there is no table service – order food and drinks from the bartender and someone will bring your order to you. The food goes beyond bar food, however, and it’s all quite good.