You guys, I feel like I had been knocking Orlando in my own brain for so long. That it wasn’t as good as ‘NYC’, “LA”… or other major cities when it came to food. But honestly, Orlando has been pretty solid and so many new options keep popping up. I don’t know that it will ever match NYC, but honestly, I don’t think anywhere ever will for me. There are so many spots I’ve thoroughly enjoyed and still have on my list to go to in Orlando. There is no shortage of options!
Apparently, Mills 50 is my favorite part of town, cause all my reviews are for spots in this area. I wish I was a bit closer, clearly, I don’t mind making the trip though. Tori Tori had been on my list and I finally went with a friend for girl’s night. Tori Tori describes itself as a Japanese pub or traditionally called an izakaya. It was an experience.
The parking, compared to all the places I’d mentioned on Mills 50, was a bit harder, and a bit of a hassle considering how busy it gets. Speaking of busy, they don’t take reservations so it will be a gamble when you get there. It was definitely a busy night when my friend and I went. We luckily found a couple seats at the bar.
And for the ‘negative’ piece of this review, it gets loud. It’s definitely a bar, bordering on club vibes. That isn’t to steer anyone away from this spot, it is just something to keep in mind. I can see it being a cute date location if you already know the person. Not a first-date spot. Honestly, it was hard to have a conversation and hear the person sitting directly next to me. But, I was loving the late 90s/early 2000s music so much that I was basically looking for a dance floor! The music was fantastic! Loud, but loved it.
Let’s start with drinks! For reference, the definition of izakaya is “a type of Japanese bar in which a variety of small, typically inexpensive, dishes and snacks are served to accompany the alcoholic drinks.” So think of great cocktails and tapas-styled dishes. I ordered the Oaxaca Flocka Flame – because, how could I not?! Aside from it being the absolute best cocktail name, it was a tequila & mezcal-based drink so I was all about it. I tried the Mexican Firing Squad afterward, also tequila & mezcal-based. The first was leaning towards a version of an old-fashioned, and the ladder was more similar to a margarita/fruitier cocktail. Both were fantastic in their own right.
Onto the bites! We shared a plate of Lamb Karubi Lollipops, Chicken Thigh – both salt & tare and Pork Belly – tare. I cannot remember if I ordered the Brussels sprouts as well, but it sounds like something I would definitely order. What I do remember is everything was delicious! My friend is a huge fan of lamb, so of course we ordered it, and thank goodness because it was outstanding. Cooked and seasoned perfectly and paired with a small light salad-type deal, it was wonderful. It’s a more expensive item on the menu, but we knew it would be worth it and we were right! I’m a pork belly fan and it didn’t disappoint either. I’m glad I got it in the tare, we preferred this style. We ordered the chicken thigh in both tare and salt, and I definitely recommend the tare. The salt was decent, but it was lackluster. The tare style gave the chicken and pork belly the oomph it needed.
Honestly, the atmosphere was a bit overwhelming for me. I’m generally a quiet person, and as I’m getting older, the less I can hear. It’s not going to be a staple spot, but it’s definitely somewhere I’d go again… and again. I just have to be in the right mood or go on a less busy night. If there is a replica of this place where the volume was turned down 80%, I’d be a regular, no question!
Rating: 9.2/10
Leave a Reply