It’s actually kinda hard to get real Chinese food in Florida. At least from experience so we often substitute ingredients from around here. We normally don’t find daikon but it’s available in Florida because someone grew it in the state. Go to Chinatown which is actually being built up again around the highway 50/ downtown/ winter park area. It’s home to a lot of new trendy restaurants that have sprung up although it still has generational storefronts that never left. The newer Chinatown is around pine hills which was basically gang territory but the police reclaimed the area to become quite peaceful and the Chinese moved in establishing a couple of big shopping centers. Every part of Orlando has a different group and just know the territory you are in as some are Cuban, Chinese, Korean, and so on. Winter park is all old money while the Heathrow area is new money from Fortune 500 companies, investors, and high finance jobs. Orlando has really changed in the last decade with everyone trying to either move here or find something to make them stay. And Disney just isn’t a powerful enough draw to do that anymore. It’s something else that’s drawing people to the Orlando area.
My top 5 in tied for first, a fat doormat flounder, red snapper, Cobia, mangrove snapper and the well cut sheepshead fillet battered and deep fried with some hush puppies and french fries.. Coldwater oysters for the start.
Calling mahi-mahi “robust“ is a nice way of saying that even when it’s fresh as can be improperly prepared, it has a fishy taste and it also has very firm flesh. If you have a very clean grill and you heat it up first it’s probably safe to, cook on a barbecue grill as opposed to flounder will fall apart.
Ok, I'm born and raised in Florida. fry bread, bacon grease food based. Greens , fried chicken, groper, gator, snapper, frog, publix subs suck, orange juice sucks full of commicals, hooters sucks also.bbq and grilling is a plus., awesome video though , mom and pops pleases like latin food is a 8:57 plus. Im from Tampa
I’m also a lifelong Floridan and wholeheartedly disagree with you about Publix subs. I love them! They’re taste good (better if you choose Boars Head meat) and affordable. If I am getting a sub, it’s most likely to be from there and it will be an ultimate, turkey & ham, or chicken tenders sandwich on their grain bread. If I want to make a sub a salad, it will be an Italian (basically an antipasto salad) and I will put red wine vinaigrette on it when I get home. A half sandwich size is basically equivalent to a 6”, I can get it loaded down with higher quality ingredients, and it will only cost me about $6.50-$7.00. A whole (basically a footlong) one is about $10.00. Plus, like with all of the fast food places, I can order it ahead on their app and just grab it and go quickly so it’s a healthier option for work lunch breaks.
I've been with my florida born husband 52 years. His family's generations go back about 200 years. Where, please tell me can you find 'local' fish? He doesn't fish much anymore and although our neighbor runs a headboat there isn't any fish to spare. Everywhere we go it's farm raised out of the country - basa from the filthy Mekong river or stuff from the polluted waters elsewhere. Even the shrimp boats I see running the coast in front of my house douse their shrimp with chemicals to prolong legevity.
Tourist food. Get out of the cities and experience real Florida. Try some fish and grits (mullet preferably), fish tacos with mango salsa, and swamp cabbage stew just to name a few.
At the 6:25 mark. That should be south florida BBQ, not south Georgia. My bad
I love gator bites. First tried them in new Orleans and also had them when I lived in Florida
Yay! There’s so much good food in Florida 😁
The rock shrimp is fantastic!
Great recommendations
Thanks Nate!
My roommate made mofungo in the chicken OMG it was good.
Mofongo *
It’s actually kinda hard to get real Chinese food in Florida. At least from experience so we often substitute ingredients from around here. We normally don’t find daikon but it’s available in Florida because someone grew it in the state. Go to Chinatown which is actually being built up again around the highway 50/ downtown/ winter park area. It’s home to a lot of new trendy restaurants that have sprung up although it still has generational storefronts that never left. The newer Chinatown is around pine hills which was basically gang territory but the police reclaimed the area to become quite peaceful and the Chinese moved in establishing a couple of big shopping centers. Every part of Orlando has a different group and just know the territory you are in as some are Cuban, Chinese, Korean, and so on. Winter park is all old money while the Heathrow area is new money from Fortune 500 companies, investors, and high finance jobs. Orlando has really changed in the last decade with everyone trying to either move here or find something to make them stay. And Disney just isn’t a powerful enough draw to do that anymore. It’s something else that’s drawing people to the Orlando area.
totally right on the pub subs and the scallops
I love a good cuban sandwich. I tried it on my trip to Tampa and St. Petersburg.
My roommate has a smoker and has taught me how to smoke my food.
Gator is awesome but definitely unique
I can't imagine Wolters at Hooters. He seems like such a nice gentleman!
Do not forget rock shrimp! Dixie Crossroads in Titusville on Garden Street.
I'm only really familiar with the Fort Myers area and Prawnbroker is a must go for seafood.
Publix also has really good chicken fingers, and fried catfish every Friday.
Lone Cabbage Fish Camp on SR520 west of Cocoa for fried alligator or frogs legs.
Awesome! Nice guide!
Shrimp and crabs, Krystal Hamburgers lol
My top 5 in tied for first, a fat doormat flounder, red snapper, Cobia, mangrove snapper and the well cut sheepshead fillet battered and deep fried with some hush puppies and french fries.. Coldwater oysters for the start.
Had some conch fritters in key west, was like chewing a tyre, not for me, but the Cuban food was fabulous
Rock Shrimp and Vietnamese food in Central Florida
4:24 what is that fried rice looking dish?
Calling mahi-mahi “robust“ is a nice way of saying that even when it’s fresh as can be improperly prepared, it has a fishy taste and it also has very firm flesh. If you have a very clean grill and you heat it up first it’s probably safe to, cook on a barbecue grill as opposed to flounder will fall apart.
Shark tasted good
Ok, I'm born and raised in Florida. fry bread, bacon grease food based. Greens , fried chicken, groper, gator, snapper, frog, publix subs suck, orange juice sucks full of commicals, hooters sucks also.bbq and grilling is a plus., awesome video though , mom and pops pleases like latin food is a 8:57 plus. Im from Tampa
I’m also a lifelong Floridan and wholeheartedly disagree with you about Publix subs. I love them! They’re taste good (better if you choose Boars Head meat) and affordable. If I am getting a sub, it’s most likely to be from there and it will be an ultimate, turkey & ham, or chicken tenders sandwich on their grain bread. If I want to make a sub a salad, it will be an Italian (basically an antipasto salad) and I will put red wine vinaigrette on it when I get home. A half sandwich size is basically equivalent to a 6”, I can get it loaded down with higher quality ingredients, and it will only cost me about $6.50-$7.00. A whole (basically a footlong) one is about $10.00. Plus, like with all of the fast food places, I can order it ahead on their app and just grab it and go quickly so it’s a healthier option for work lunch breaks.
I've been with my florida born husband 52 years. His family's generations go back about 200 years. Where, please tell me can you find 'local' fish? He doesn't fish much anymore and although our neighbor runs a headboat there isn't any fish to spare. Everywhere we go it's farm raised out of the country - basa from the filthy Mekong river or stuff from the polluted waters elsewhere. Even the shrimp boats I see running the coast in front of my house douse their shrimp with chemicals to prolong legevity.
Tourist food. Get out of the cities and experience real Florida. Try some fish and grits (mullet preferably), fish tacos with mango salsa, and swamp cabbage stew just to name a few.