Finally! A GOOD Thai place close to the Orlando International Airport. Good news for those who work out in that area.

My friend, Marilyn of Forkful.net, twitted that she was at Pio Pio one day. I was a bit surprised because that was so close to where I work. She then twitted, “has anyone been to this Thai restaurant next door?” and I thought to myself, “there wasn’t a Thai restaurant there before….hmm, very interesting!” After some tweets back and forth, we finally decided to set a date to meet up for lunch.
We decided to check out this place for lunch when I arrived, the place was so empty!
As Marilyn arrived, we promptly put in our order, I ordered Tom Yum with Seafood and Marilyn ordered Vegetable and Tofu Ginger Pad Khing. With our order, we received a complimentary appetizer of Cheese Bikini.

Cheese Bikini, cream cheese filled in Wonton shell

Those little cheese bikinis are crunchy and crisp. The cheese within the wonton triangle reminds me of crab rangoon. It comes with a side of  Red Chili Sauce.

Vegetable Spring Roll

They use spring roll sheets over the egg roll sheets, as seen in Chinese restaurants, which makes the skin of the spring roll very crunchy and is much lighter than egg rolls. This spring roll was very tasty! This picture was taken at my second visit to Thai Island Orlando. My friend ended up putting in an order of spring rolls to-go!

Vegetable and Tofu Ginger Pad Khing

The Vegetable and Tofu Ginger Khing looked fantastic! When I am in the mood to go vegetarian, I am totally going to order this. I think Marilyn really enjoyed it. She mentioned in her blog, Forkful.net, that she got hits of fresh  ginger in her meal. So I guess they really use freshly sliced ginger for their Ginger Pad Khing!–I like authenticity!

Tom Yum

I have been on a Tom Yum kick, well actually, I should say that I am on a noodle soup kick in the middle of summer. I have had Tom Yum at Durian Durian and to come pair the two, I prefer this one over the one at Durian Durian. It has fresh cuts of lemon grass and the broth was very flavorful. It comes in a very large bowl for (10.99) which was more than I wanted to pay but the healthy servings of seafood was well worth it. There were big pieces of squid and shrimp! MEGA YUMMO!

Red Curry Shrimp with a side of Rice

So my co-worker, at my second visit, ordered the Red Curry Shrimp. Let’s just say, there were some regrets on not boxing half of it before he started eating it because…. he cleared his plate! He said, “I just couldn’t stop eating, it was just so good!” He wants to be kept annoynmous for his shameful act but when it is good, it is good and I told him there is nothing to be embarrassed about. Although, for our future trips to Thai Island Orlando, I will remind him to ask for a box before he starts digging in.

Be sure to give this place a try, I know how hard it is to try to eat local while you work or reside near the airport but this place is fantastic and has made it on our list of approved lunch eateries by Mega Yummo & Friends.

My co-workers and I really like to go there for lunch. They have great lunch specials with offerings of a choice of soup or salad with you lunch entree. Lunch for under 10 bucks, including tip, is looking pretty good on the wallet. We like to get their Beef Noodle Soups, Spicy Angry Chicken, or the Drunken Noodles. But the last time we were there, they were featuring some new items for their menu. They offered Malaysian Curry Laksa Noodle Soup, Jicama Salad with Taramind Dressing, and Fried Eggplant with Thai Spices. My friends and I ordered the Malaysian Curry Laksa Noodle Soup and I ordered the Fried Eggplant for the table to share.

Jicama Salad with Taramind Dressing

The fried eggplant is fried Japanese Eggplant with a little sprinkle of salt and topped with Shredded Dried Pork. All simple ingredients but the taste is surprisingly unique. I am officially addicted and highly recommend you give this dish a try!

Fried Eggplant with Thai Spices

The Malaysian Curry Laksa Noodle Soup comes in a large bowl with a coconut based curry soup broth. The Malaysian Curry is less mild than you would expect from Thai/Indian Curry but carries it own strength in the coconut soup broth. It comes with rice vermicilli, bean sprouts, green onions, shrimp and chicken. Super Tasty and very Mega Yummo!

The Malaysian Curry Laksa Noodle Soup

I got to meet Rick Bayless, the celebrity chef who specializes in authentic Mexican cooking. He did a cooking demo at Macy’s at the Mall of Millenia. He demonstrated three recipes from his book, Fiesta at Rick’s, for the audience:

1. Bacon-and-Tomato Guacamole

2. Anchiote-Seared Shrimp with Quick Habanero-Pickled Onions

3. Fresh Fruit Cooler, Watermelon

His ingredients were made up of fresh produce from his roof top garden; like avocados, tomatoes, limes, and habaneros.

I was informed by Malika from beeverywhere.tv about the event at Macy’s and I am really glad she reached out so that I could have the opportunity to cover it! I had a really good time and got A LOT of pictures of Rick Bayless and some real good shots of the fresh dishes he prepared.

After the demo, he took questions from the audience and there was a person who asked, “When are you going to open a Frontera in Orlando?” Unfortunately, his answer was that he doesn’t have an plans to open one in Orlando because he is not a fan of commuting. Sorry guys! Can’t blame if he doesn’t want to fly around all the time… I mean, his book is called, Fiesta at Rick’s, if he had a restaurant all the around that would be the end of his all FIESTAS!  :)

I ended up buying the book, Fiesta at Rick’s, with my Macy’s gift card that was a gift I got from beeverywhere.tv and stood line to get it signed by Rick. He signed the book and I gave him a card for Megayummo.com. I told him he was going to be on the blog.  Smile for the camera! ;o)

This past Friday, we went to Nona Tap Room. This is a new sports bar in the Lake Nona area. I think this place is pretty good and here is why….

• Sports bar in Lake Nona with 50 beers on tap, those of you who live in Lake Nona area will appreciate the new addition to the neighborhood.
• Food is decent, taste like any other bar food, but what sets their food apart are their homemade chips. Not going to lie, they are pretty Yummo!
• Their beer selection is decent

Their menu has a good selection of appetizers, burgers, and sandwiches, but skimpy on the salad listings so those of you who are on a strict diet, this may not be a good choice for you unless you are on a liquid diet. ;o)

Their prices are fair on the food menu but one thing we noticed that the beer menu, on craft beers, were priced a bit on the high side. They couldn’t compete with Redlight Redlight’s prices and selection but they are competitive, on some, with House of Beer’s prices.

Great ambiance and awesome flat screen TVs with HD sports channels but limited seating. Be warned that if you are going there at a peak dining time, you may not be able to find a seat.

We enjoyed ourselves and we were satisfied with our meals. Here is what we had:

Mega Yummo definitely would recommend this place for those who are in the area. I know the locals are loving the fact that they don’t have to drive more than 10 miles to get to decent place to eat, drink, and hang out with their friends and family.

More information can be found here and participating restaurants and menus listed here

For more information about Orlando Magical Dining 2011

Pasquale's Store front

Store Insides

Mega Yummo

is sponsored by

Datz Deli

6427 S Chickasaw Trl
Orlando, FL 32829

Where can you find a good slice of pizza these days?

Well, I have just the place for you if you in the airport area. This family owned and operated restaurant has exceptional food and fast service. My co-worker and I come to this place at least once a week for our lunch runs. You have the option to dine-in or take-out. We prefer to dine-in.

They run a daily lunch special where you can get 2 slices and a drink or a slice, a drink, and a salad. We usually get the same thing, “2 slices of ‘roni and a coke.” I usually order mine extra crispy!

They have really mega yummo pizza and I always  enjoy taking my mid afternoon trips to Pasquale’s.

Their pizza is big and 2 slices will fill you up pretty quickly.        I always leave there satisfied!

If you are in the area, I recommend stopping by Pasquale’s and giving them a try. I love their pizza and their eggplant Parmesan.

Store Front

It is lunch time and you work by the airport…. You get the infamous question,

“What do you want to do for lunch?”

As some of you may know, the choices are pretty limited by the airport aside from the obvious franchise/chain selections.

But just recently, my co-workers and I wanted to do a little digging and go find a new place to try.

Nona Sushi, located in the Lake Nona area, served up a pretty MEGA YUMMO sushi and bento boxes. The lunch menu is reasonably priced and fair.

Inside Nona Sushi

Our waiter, Mike Pham, helped us out a lot with the menu. He did a great job breaking down the essence of each roll which helped all of us decide on what to get for lunch. There were 3 of us and we were determined to each get something different.

This is what we got from the Exotic Specialty Rolls:

Jade Dragon Roll:

Eel, cream cheese, and cucumber wrapped with avocado topped with eel sauce.

The Jade Dragon Roll

This had a very light and refreshing taste. The avocado flavor dominated the subtle hints of cream cheese and eel. For who loves the taste of avocado would like this roll

Special Crunch Roll:

Salmon, tuna, escolar (white tuna/butterfish), imitation crab, scallion, cream cheese, and asparagus, deep fried with spicy mayo, caviar, eel sauce.

The Special Crunch Roll

This roll was very interesting. It was lightly fried with tempura flakes but yet it did not cook the fish all the way through. The touch of spicy mayo and the contrast of the sweet eel sauce complimented the flavors of three fish. For someone who is interested in something unique, this would be the roll to try.

Bubble Roll:

Shrimp tempura, cream cheese, topped with shrimp, avocado, tempura crunch, spicy mayo, and eel sauce. I still do not know why it is called the Bubble Roll.

The Bubble Roll

It is crunchy and tasty. This is a roll for all those fried shrimp tempura lovers like me.

Fire Ball Roll:

Spicy tuna, cucumbers, tempura crunch, escolar (white tuna/butterfish), served with spicy sauce.

The Fireball Roll

I love spicy foods. I highly recommend, for anyone that can handle spicy foods, to always order something with a crunch and something with a little SPICE. The sauces that topped this roll did an awesome job accentuating the buttery flavor of the white tuna and then you get that last burst of the crispy tempura buried in the soft sushi rice.

For those who are not a fan of raw fish, this is a great option to try, from their bento box menu:

Bento Box:

Steamed Chilean Sea Bass with Ginger Scallions served with a Ginger salad, vegetable tempura, steamed rice, and a California roll.

The Chilean Sea Bass

Pairing steamed fish with ginger is always a good idea. It creates a sweet aroma that will make every bite worth taking. The sea bass was sweet and tender and paired well with the bright green zucchini and ginger scallions. Great combination, definitely worth trying!

This place has made it to one of my favorite places to eat for lunch. It is a bit of a drive but it is all worth it. They service is fast and prompt. They are knowledgeable and friendly and their taste and quality is superb.

Tuna Sashmi Rose

All and all, I would recommend this place to anyone who is around this area who has an undying love for sushi or Japanese food. Because this place is MEGA YUMMO!

Semoran Pio Pio located on Semoran Blvd. and Michigan Ave. serving Colombian and Peruvian cuisine.

Inside Semoran Pio Pio

My co-workers and I decided to try out this place for lunch. We work by the airport so the restaurant selections are very slim. Well slim in the sense of finding a MEGA YUMMO place to eat!

The menu is fairly priced. The quality of food and service is superb. You can always get a good idea that the place is good when you see the place fill up with the local Latin community.

The menu was extensive, my fellow co-workers and I were boggled on which lunch special to try. There were 4 of us and we all tried to get something different from one  another.

This is what I ordered

Instead of getting the rice and beans, I decided to go with something light, a salad.

Salad topped with their homemade dressing

This salad is great, it was basically a house salad but topped with a handsome amount of avocado. I love avocado!

What makes this salad unique is their dressing, it has a hint of garlic and spices that accentuates the creaminess of the avocado and the natural sweetness of the sliced tomatoes. It was a nice blend of flavors that boosted my salad to MEGA YUMMO!

Though I only had a chance to indulge my salad for a few minutes until the staff came marching out with all of our orders. I remember commenting on how that was really fast! One thing to note is that if you are on the prowl for a quick fix of Colombian food, this is a great place to get it!

My plate was sizzling and the smell of the sweet yellow onions was making my mouth salivate.

• The color was perfect
• The smell was fantastic
• The presentation was beautiful
• & the taste was… MEGA YUMMO!

I was ecstatic! And there was a moment of a satisfying silence as we all indulged into our MEGA YUMMO lunch.

Grilled steak with fried (cassava) yuca

All the ingredients were proven to be better. Fresh green cilantro topped my nicely grilled steak with tantalizing yellow onions overflowing the top of my juicy steak. It was a nice compilation that all went well with their special sauces.

Pio Pio special sauces

This is what I recommend:

• Green sauce slightly spicy but works great on all types of meats: steak, pork, chicken, fish, etc.
• White sauce, not spicy, but has a mild taste of garlic. Works great on veggies: steamed yuca, fried yuca, salad, avocado, etc.

Here is why:

• The attributes of the Green sauce is like the spicy kick is incognito which then it enhances the flavors of all the seasonings on grilled steak or grilled chicken. It really moistens up the meat and brings out all the flavors in a sneak attack mode.
• The attributes of the white sauce brings out the flavors of bland vegetables; it is almost like it is a super power serum that pumps up the flavors of boring tasting foods.

All and all, the portions were large and I had to doggy bag it. Since I liked the sauce so much I asked for some to go. This place is Mega Yummo and I highly recommend it if you are around the Orlando International Airport area. There are also 2 other locations in Orlando.

Tacos El Rancho's Store Front

It is Friday at noon and it is time to get lunch. My co-worker and I decided to get something quick and economical. It has been awhile since I have been back to the local neighborhood Taco place called Tacos El Rancho. It is this “mom and pop” shop located in the Publix Plaza off of Hoffner Ave. and Conway Rd.

Tacos El Rancho's Menu

Toppings!

They have a very extensive menu and the price is RIGHT! You pick what you want and you get to watch them put your order together. My co-worker got 2 soft tacos tacos and the staff got that all together for her fast! It was hot, fresh, and FAST! All their ingredients are fresh and very authentic.

Soft Steak Tacos

I mean just look at that! For 2 soft steak tacos with all your desired toppings all for just 4 bucks! This 3-man operation also took my order and I got their steak nachos ($5.75) and it was a large helping of meat and more meat!

Hot sauce on my Nachos!

Steak Nachos

This scrumptious pile of goodness had a combination of hot and cold, crunchy and soft, all intertwined together with melted cheese and freshly chopped vegetables.

It was so MEGA YUMMO!

It seemed for awhile that I was eating out of a bottomless pit of nachos but that did no hinder me from chomping away at it.

Authentic Mexican Nachos

On the Mega Yummo Scale, I rate it Mega YummO-O-O-O-O! 5 Os out of 5.