I was certainly surprised when I stepped inside Kabooki Sushi. The location, at the corner of Colonial Drive and Maguire Avenue, across the street from the Sears Auto Center at Fashion Square Mall, and the facade, an unassuming storefront in a mini row of businesses, didn’t prepare me for the chicly styled restaurant inside.

The sushi bar and kitchen are at the far end of the room — far being a relative term, as this is a fairly small place — with comfy looking stools. There is a row of banquettes along one wall with white tufted leather seat backs. The other wall has a row of booths. In between are conventional tables and chairs. Large light globes hang about, and the burnt orange walls sport some Japanese paintings amid the omnipresent flatscreen tvs.

But instead of sports programming or opinionated news channels, these televisions play a video that shows fish and the road they take from the sea to a sushi bar. That includes some bloody scenes that might upset some diners.

The sushi I sampled was very good. The hamachi nigiri was a perfect room temperature, which enhanced the buttery smooth texture of the raw fish slices. And it was prettily presented with a single green sprig on each slice.

Kadence offers a unique dining experience, a multi-course omakase meal of the finest sushi and sashimi available. There are only nine seats, and you don’t make a reservation, you buy a ticket (nonrefundable). No menu, the chefs make the choices and everyone is served the same thing at the same time. It is also one of the finest restaurants in the area.

I enjoyed everything else about my breakfast, from the sincerely pleasant staff and simple decor to the delicious food.  I ordered a sausage and cheese omelet with home fries. And because I knew that the first Keke’s started life as the Florida Wffle House, I wanted to see how this Keke’s flapjacks were, so I asked if I could order just one. I’m glad I got only one because it was huge. The buttermilk cake filled the plate (which was square, but that didn’t bother me) and was nearly three-quarters of an inch thick. (Yes, I measured it.) It had a fluffy texture and a golden hue, and while it might have been a bit hotter so as to melt the butter — they’re also called hotcakes, after all — it was delicious. So was the omelet, which was dotted with bits of sliced sausage and had gooey cheddar cheese folded inside. The home fries were good, too, and had the perfect bit of greasiness, but the wheat toast went uneaten — the pancake was bread enough.

La Campana has a lot of intriguing items on its menu and it makes no claim to being authentically Mexican – a note at the top of its online menu says it is “inspired by Mexican food.”

A move from its original space in an office complex across the street gives La Fiesta a bigger and nicer dining area, plus a full bar. Just wish the food was a little better.

A closer-in location for the popular UCF pizza joint. The signature here is the comically large slices.

LL is a sort of buffet type of operation, but not exactly. All the food is in front of you in steam trays when you approach the counter, but you’re separated from it by a wall of glass. A staff member does the dishing. You choose the type of rice you’d like (plain white, yellow, congris, etc.) and the meat you want to go with it, and a side dish. The staff member then scoops your choices in startlingly large amounts onto a plate or into a takeout container. Then you pay at the end of the counter and either take a seat at one of the tables in the large and unadorned dining room or take your food to a secluded spot where you can pig out in private.

Here’s the best part. The huge platter of food came to a grand total of $6.39. And there was enough to enjoy over two mealtimes. That makes this a real bargain. Who cares if the place has no atmosphere?

See the website for two other locations.

Ask any longtime Central Floridian to name a favorite dive restaurant and Lee & Rick’s is likely to be the reply. There are no pretenses, no airs. You come here for oysters and beer, ample amounts of both. Order anything else and you’re on your own.

The Licking, out of Miami, bills itself as “Soul Food to the Stars” and lists DJ Khaled as its brand ambassador and co-owner along with Elric “E-Class” Prince, the founder of Poe Boy Records.

This is the oldest restaurant in Central Florida, in operation since 1947. It remains a favorite of locals, though it’s somewhat of a mystery to some. Maybe it’s the diner-like attitude of the servers, or the family-style décor. But it’s probably that the steaks are consistently good, if not great, and they still come with a side of pasta. Note: closed Sundays following Father’s Day until October.