Beyond the glitz and glam of Disney World, Orlando is home to a thriving Viet cuisine scene in the Mills 50 (“Little Vietnam”), frequent food truck festivals in Thornton Park, weekly farmers markets across the Orlando metro area, and many restaurants dedicated to beautiful fusion cuisines (did someone say sweet plantain sushi?!)
My dad always planned to move out of NJ after I graduated high school, and now that the time has come, Orlando is my new home! I quite like it here – the sunshine, the food, the palm trees, the “perennial vacation” vibes. I started college in January 2022, so I really had the time to settle into this new home and city. It’s amazing that I get to open 2 new chapters in Orlando and LA, after closing a bittersweet chapter in Jersey.
20 million people visit Disney every year, but most visitors never see past the lifesize costumes of their favorite characters and the nightly firework displays. And quite frankly, you may not even need to! It’s hard not to leave with a huge smile (and sore feet) after a day there. Disney and Orlando are practically synonymous with each other, but living here is teaching me to separate and appreciate the distinctiveness of the two.
So for those who are curious about life in Orlando or are interested in exploring past Disney, here are some of my favorite spots I’ve discovered so far!
Nov 24, 2022 —
Meet the restaurant that made me realize how delicious the Cantonese food could be in Orlando. And since my first time eating here, I’ve been nothing short of impressed by the Cantonese restaurants in this city. If you walk into a Chinese restaurant and “seafood” is part of its name, you can expect it to serve Cantonese cuisine...