50's Prime Time Cafe (Walt Disney World)

With us being stuck at Disney's Hollywood Studios for lunch, we bit the bullet again and shelled out the big bucks to eat at 50's Prime Time Cafe.  At the very least, the kids were having a good time at the Toy Story ride which was essentially a glorified animated shooting corral.  Seemingly simple, this was one of our favourite rides at WDW. Back to the restaurant, the main draw is its 50's decor emulating "mom's kitchen" complete with black & white TVs playing the classics.  Furthermore, the menu featured some pretty typical 50's dinners.

Instead of ordering the boring kid's meals, we decided to get some items to share as a table.  We started with the Fried Herb and Garlic Cheese on raspberry sauce.  It wasn't stated on the menu as Boursin, but it sure tasted like they fried a puck of it with herb breading.  In that sense, it was good with it's signature taste and soft texture which contrasted the crunchy breading.  I'm still not sure about the sauce, but it didn't offend.  We also had the Chicken Noodle Soup which was nothing special.  There was the usual ingredients such as pasta, carrots, celery and chicken in a bouillon-laced broth.  Okay I suppose.

For Viv, she went for the Chicken Pot Pie that came as a very generous portion with big chunks of chicken.  The white meat was predictably chewier than the dark meat.  I found the gravy to be rather light for a pot pie as it was not too thick nor too floury.  In terms of taste, it was sweet and okay on the salt.  For myself, I couldn't decide, so I went for A Sampling of Mom's Favorite Recipes including fried chicken, pot roast and meatloaf.  It was served with veggies, mash potatoes and gravy.  The best item on the plate was the fried chicken in my opinion.  The meat was relatively moist (while not juicy though) and well-seasoned.  The skin was fried nicely being not-too-fatty and crispy.  It tasted somewhat like a watered-down KFC (which was a good thing).  The pot roast was pretty decent being moist and not too stringy.  Good rich meat flavour though.  The meatloaf was moist and meaty while being very easy to chew.  Flavours were muted though as I couldn't pick out anything other than salt and ketchup. Again, nothing ground-breaking but decent eats nonetheless.  This was a pretty expensive meal though.

The Good:
- Food is a bit more interesting than counter-service
- Loved the decor
- Loved the themed-service

The Bad:
- As expected, expensive
- Okay food, but not worth the price

Earl of Sandwich

Eating anything at Walt Disney World is generally best described as highway robbery.  Depending on which restaurant, it may not be a culinary experience either.  Hence, I had Earl of Sandwich on my itinerary to give us a less costly option for eats.  Furthermore, it seemed like a good value considering the high ratings on various websites.  Unfortunately, I parked at the farthest point from where it is located in Downtown Disney which meant we had to listen to our kids whine all the way there.

We decided to go for 4 sammies (actually it was me who decided) including the Earl's Club made with turkey, bacon, Swiss, sandwich sauce, lettuce & tomato.  This typical and simple sandwich was decent with plenty of ingredients including lots of meat.  What made it better than the average was the bread.  It was slightly crusty on the outside, but plenty soft on the inside without being mushy or too dense.  I went for the Full Montagu consisting of roasted beef, turkey, Swiss, sharp cheddar, lettuce, tomato & mustard sauce.  The highlight of this sammie, beyond the bread, was the super tender and moist real roast beef.  It was buttery soft while tasting like, well, roast beef.

We also tried the Holiday Turkey with all the fixins'.  It included turkey, stuffing, cranberry and gravy.  Suffice to say, this was a messy proposition.  However, that was the point of it all with a turkey dinner in a sandwich.  With the plethora of thick gravy and stuffing, the whole thing was a bit salty though.  Finally, we got the Tuna Melt with albacore tuna salad (celery and onions) and a tonne of Swiss.  Another messy eat, but that meant there was more than enough tuna to overflow the sides.  This was pretty good as there was just enough mayo and other ingredients to compliment.

For dessert, we got a Brownie and it was surprisingly good.  The outside was crispy while the inside was chocolaty and chewy.  It was sweet but overly so.  This meal including 2 drinks was under $30.00 and we were stuffed.  Although the sandwiches weren't life-altering (and not many things are), they were very good especially for the price.  Definitely a cost-efficient and tasty option for WDW.

The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Lots of fillings
- Good bread

The Bad:
- Located at the end of Downtown Disney, you have to park at the end or it's a walk

Ming Court

Having lived in Vancouver my whole life, I've been spoiled by some of the best Chinese food on the planet.  Hence, everything else in my travels have paled in comparison.  With that in consideration, that hasn't stopped me from bravely trying Dim Sum where Dim Sum really shouldn't stand a chance.  Besides, my DNA prescribes that I eat Chinese food at least once a week, despite my location.  So on our trip to Orlando, we headed over to Ming Court to "yum cha" even though they boldly advertised Chinese food as well as sushi...

With a beautiful entrance way complete with a Koi pond, the restaurant was spacious and comfortable.  We started with the Haw Gow (Shrimp Dumplings) which were very small with a chewy wrapper.  The shrimp filling had a slight snap but was on the rubbery side.  It was predominantly seasoned with salt with little in the way of any sesame oil or white pepper.  The Sui Mai (Pork & Shrimp Dumpling) was not very good as the texture was far too soft and mealy.  At the same time, the chunks of meat were dry and chewy which created a strange feeling when eaten.  Again, the main seasoning we could taste was salt.

Up next, we tried both the BBQ Pork Rice Noodle Roll and Beef Rice Noodle Roll.  We liked how the noodle itself was quite thin.  It was relatively soft while being chewy at the same time.  The BBQ pork filling was meaty exhibiting minimal fat.  In that sense, that was a good rice noodle roll.  As for the beef, it was too soft where it merely blended in with the rice noodle.  Furthermore, it was quite bland, but the sweet soy sauce helped alleviate that somewhat.  My son actually enjoyed the BBQ pork rice noodle roll and ate most of it.  He also liked the Lo Mei Gai (Sticky Rice wrapped in Lotus Leaves).  It was a tad wet, yet benefited from the ample amount of dried shrimp which added both flavor (saltiness) and aroma.

Looking like it had a suntan from the hot Florida sun, the Seen Jook Gewn (Bean Curd Skin Rolls) exhibited a chewy exterior.  The color was probably due to old cooking oil rather than being result of over-frying.  The ground pork filling was on the drier side and chewy.  On the other hand, it did taste okay with a good amount of wood ear mushrooms and bamboo shoots. We weren't huge fans of the Pan-Fried Dumplings as the wrapper was far too thick and doughy.  Furthermore, the bottom of the dumplings were not crispy despite the pan-frying.  The pork and vegetable filling was too soft with barely any meat texture.  To top it off, the accompanying sauce should have been red vinegar, instead it was sweet soy.

On the menu, there was a weird item called "Beef Chop" which didn't match the picture.  To me it looked like Beef Tripe and Daikon...  and indeed it was.  Then it occurred to me they did a phonetic translation (but it was still wrong because it would be assorted beef offal instead of just tripe).  I found the tripe to be soft while still retaining a chew.  It was properly cleaned where there was no gaminess.  Rather, there was a pleasant gingeriness to the dish.  The Steamed Pork Spareribs were pretty decent except that there was far too much fat and cartilage. There was a good balance of flavors including a good amount of garlic.

Our last savory dish consisted of the Stuffed Eggplant with shrimp mousse. The eggplant itself was fried crispy while being tender inside.  The mousse was not as bouncy as I would've liked and the black bean sauce was pretty bland (not sure if there was actual black bean in there).  For dessert, we tried the Egg Tarts and they were too buttery.  Moreover, the custard was floury rather than silky as well as being too sweet.  Now to be fair, we can't possibly compare this with some of the very best Dim Sum I've had.  While we were heading out of the restaurant, an Asian tourist from Georgia asked us if the food was any good.  We remarked it was pretty average and the response we got was, "it will probably be better than what we get back home".  I guess everything is relative.

The Good:
- Spacious and comfortable environment
- Good service

The Bad:
- Below average Dim Sum, but okay for Orlando

Pinocchio's Village Haus (Walt Disney World)

This was the situation: we were stuck at the Magical Kingdom at Disney World without food.  We briefly considered leaving the park in search of eats, but seeing how we'd either have to take a ferry or monorail just to get the parking lot, it didn't seem like a good idea.  On the other hand, we ended up staying 15+ hours straight at the park which was not a great decision either... Begrudgingly, we made our way to Pinocchio's Village Haus for dinner.

Viv and I decided to share some items stating with the Chicken Caesar Salad.  Unfortunately, despite its good looks, the sliced chicken breast on top was not thawed out properly.  Viv couldn't really even chew through it.  I took it back and they gave me new one with the same issue and with only 2.5 pieces.  When I brought this up, the lady that was helping me declared it was a cold chicken salad.  I realized that, but nowhere did it say it was a semi-thawed chicken salad!  Happiest place on Earth my arse...  Fortunately, another employee decided to just replace the salad with a Meatball Sub and a side of fries  I got to keep the salad which finally thawed out 20 minutes later.  It was alright, but left a bad taste in our mouths literally and figuratively.  The sub was pretty filling with 4 large moist meatballs.  Despite the amount of melted cheese, it was rather bland in need of more tomato sauce.

We also had the Chicken Nuggets and Fries, which I though was pretty decent.  The fries were the typical generic version but the nuggets were whole chunks of moist white meat that was breaded and fried really crunchy.  The kids had the very reasonably-priced children's meals for $5.99 which included drink, entree, grapes and yogurt.  My son had the Mac n' Cheese and it was really cheesy, if not lacking in creaminess.  My daughter had the Cheese Flatbread and it was alright.  The crust was crunchy, but a little dry.  In the end, it filled our tummies with very little fanfare.  I guess that is why we didn't get the Disney Dining Plan...  If we were forced to eat this stuff every now and then (there are nicer places too), we would be longing for McD's...

The Good:
- It's convenient
- We got to enjoy A/C

The Bad:
- Typical theme-park food
- Frozen chicken doesn't constitute a cold salad...

The Plaza Restaurant (Walt Disney World)

Initially, when we had planned our trip to Walt Disney World, I vowed to not eat at any of their restaurants.  The thought of slapping down ridiculous amounts of money on mediocre food violated my food blogging morals.  However, we chose to remain in the Magical Kingdom for the entire day (which meant 15 hours), so we really had no choice but to experience some of Uncle Walt's food.  A quick google search (thanks for the free wifi  Uncle Walt!) revealed that the best sit down deal was at The Plaza Restaurant, hence, it was where we headed for some A/C relief.

Viv had the Cheesesteak Sandwich and it looked alright with the usual ingredients of thinly-sliced beef, peppers, onions and cheese.  And in reality, it was fine, especially considering it was only $11.99 (remember, this was in WDW).  However, if we needed to nitpick, it was far too salty and really, that is all she could taste.  The same could be said about my Meatloaf Meal with red skin garlic mash potatoes, corn and gravy.  The overarching seasoning was just plain salt.  As much as the meatloaf itself was a healthy portion (ironic I know) of 2 large pieces, it was not that memorable of a dish.  To be fair, the meat was pretty moist with a few meaty parts and a bit of barley mixed in.  The mash was decent, but the salty gravy did it in.

For the kiddies, they had the kid's meals which included a drink, entree and dessert.  My daughter ended up with the Turkey Sandwich and well, it was a turkey sandwich, but shaped like Mickey.  At least they put quite a bit of meat in it and the side of grapes was more than generous.  My son had the Cheeseburger and again, it was a cheeseburger.  The bun was soft though and the meat was not too chewy.  The fries were pretty good though being super crunchy and thick. A choice of beverage and dssert was included with each of their meals as well.  My daughter had the Sliced Strawberries while my son had the Cookies and Milk. In the end, the food was pretty regular stuff, but the prices were reasonable, especially since it was in the Magical Kingdom.

The Good:
- Relatively inexpensive for Disney
- You can sit, relax and enjoy the A/C

The Bad:
- Pretty run-of-the-mill food
- Limited menu

House of Blues

Due to the amount of time needed to travel to Orlando, eating at a restaurant was out-of-the-question.  Furthermore, connecting flights meant we were left with few choices for quick eats at the airport.  And we didn't even consider ordering anything on the plane.  The choices were as good as a high school cafeteria.  So after doing one of the theme parks at Disneyworld, I was eager to sit down for a real meal.  Not being too creative, we headed to the House of Blues in Downtown Disney,.

I was pretty hungry, so I did the usual "order-2-dishes-for-myself-protocol" starting with the Shrimp & Grits. As suspected, it was not a very large portion (as the server confirmed).  Hence, that would only serve as my appetizer.  Consisting of fried puck of grits and several shrimp in a chipotle garlic cream sauce, it was not exactly what I expected.  I was not a huge fan of the puck as it was dry and stiff.  I would've much preferred to see a more traditional serving of grits.  On the positive side, the shrimp were done right having a nice sweet snap.  As for the sauce, it was really rich being spicy and garlicky.  For my second dish, I had the Pulled Pork Sandwich which was actually pretty good.  There was ample tender pork nestled within a soft and moist brioche bun.  The accompanying BBQ sauce was sweet and vinegary while the side of coleslaw was very good.  I liked how it was julienned thin with a tart dressing.  I substituted sweet potato fries and they were alright.  They could've been more crispy.


Viv had the Jambalaya which was a lot spicier than we had anticipated.  That was a good thing though as too many places advertise spicy and then be the opposite.  There was no absence of chicken and andoiulle sausage mixed in with firm rice.  Each bite got spicier and spicier with cayenne and tabasco.  My son opted for the Mac n' Cheese which was a fairly large portion of big noodles and a creamy sauce.  I would say it was much creamier than cheesy as it was quite mild.  My daughter had the Chicken Strips and Fries which was not as good as it looked.  The chicken was dry and dense, yet the breading was quite good.  It was crisp and flavourful in a KFC kind-of-way.  We liked the crunchy fries. Overall, the meal filled our bellies, but was nothing particularly special (especially with a menu created by Aaron Sanchez).  I guess this is to be expected from this type of restaurant in a touristy area.

The Good:
- No absence of flavour
- If you like Blues...

The Bad:
- Food is a bit rich
- Pricey

The Union Bar

Quick.  What is the first food item you would think of when heading to a bar?  Wings?  Hamburgers?  Nachos?  How about a Banh Mi or a Vermicelli Bowl perhaps?  In Vietnam maybe?  Nope.  Located on the outskirts of Chinatown, that is exactly what The Union serves up with their beverages.  We made our way to this peculiar establishment after our Friday night league game.  With communal seating and 90's music blaring in the background, we immediately liked the vibe of the place.

Milhouse and I decided to share the Lemongrass Banh Mi to start and despite the $8.00 price tag, we liked it.  Sure, it passed the psychological threshold of $5.00, but hey, it ain't a Vietnamese Pho joint.  The baguette was light and crispy while the chicken was charred nicely.  It wasn't exactly juicy, yet it stayed away from being dry.  It was flavourful in a smoky way with only a touch of lemongrass.  The rest of the ingredients were spot on including the pickled veggies.  For myself, I had the Pork Belly Vermicelli Bowl which was modest in size but packed a wallop in flavour when I added the side of Nuoc Cham.  Sure, it was sweetened fish sauce, but the addition of Thai chilis made it lethal.  I liked it though because it was not a wimpy attempt at flavour.  The fried pork belly was fatty and tender with a light crunch.  Milhouse opted for the Sweet & Sour Fish version and despite the name, it was good.  The fish was still flaky and moist while sporting a very thin batter.  The sauce was kept to a minimum and was as advertised.

Sweet Tooth and Emilicious ended up sharing the Crispy Fried Tofu with spinach and shiitake saute in a Thai red curry.  The first order was a bit too salty and they sent it back.  It was happily replaced very quickly to our pleasure.  Seemingly like a tomato paste dominant version of butter chicken, the curry was mild but not lacking in flavour.  They actually got a side of naan to soak it up.  The tofu was on the firmer side and fried nicely.  They also had the Nam Prik Pla which arrived as mounds of chilled spicy fish, noodle crisps and cucumber pickle on lettuce.  It was a bit clumsy to eat due to the amount of filling, but it was okay with a nice crunch from the cucumber.  The fish was a bit dry, but didn't kill the dish. "Not bad" was the consensus from the group even though the prices were higher than one would expect for this type of food.  I guess you need to be in the right frame of mind.

The Good:
- Eats are surprisingly decent
- Nice vibe and music

The Bad:
- Hard to shake the comparisons with an actual Vietnamese joint, but c'mon it's not