Newfound Love for Asian Cuisine at Tabla

There are some Indian dishes that we never knew we liked until the skilled chefs at Tabla
Cuisine made them for us with the highest quality ingredients, including meat, herbs and peppers. The Chinese and Thai dishes at this restaurant are also spot-on.

But, before I address food, I must brag that Tabla displayed the magical trifecta of a quality restaurant: great service, atmosphere and food. The hospitality displayed by management and servers was outstanding, taking care of our every need - including food sensitivities. The atmosphere - the restaurant recently underwent a major renovation - is gorgeous. We loved the modern decor and the artistic china that our delicious food was served on.

Here are the top dishes you should try at Tabla:

1. Tabla Lamb Chops. The flavor and cook was perfect on these juicy, tender chops, which were served over a serving pot with burning charcoals. The presentation was impressive.

2. Lamb Biryani. The succulent Tandoori lamb is mixed in with a deeply-flavored rice, steeped in saffron and other herbs and served with quail egg.

3. Hara Murgh Kabob. Marinated with green chilies, mint and cilantro, I could eat these chicken kabobs every day.

4. Red Curry with Fish. The fish was cooked perfectly and the flavorful red curry sauce was much lighter than other Thai curries I have had. I would have enjoyed this dish a bit spicier. 

Sugar-free Kheer

5. Chocolate Samosa with Masala Chai Latte Ice Cream. We wanted to lick the plate.

6. Pineapple Kheer. A sugar-free rice pudding with cardamom and pineapple. This was such a nice, refreshing treat to end our meal.

7. Mango Lassi. The mango yogurt drink was well-balanced, light and refreshing.

8. Naan and Garlic Cilantro Naan. The breads were toasted to perfection and had a wonderful flavor.

We loved our experience at Tabla, and cannot wait for our next meal there. The best part was this classy introduction to certain Indian dishes which we now love.

Where: 5827 Caravan Ct., Orlando.

Loving the Unique Flavors at Spice Thai

Soft Shell Crab Curry

It is not often that I recommend a restaurant that has poor service. That is because, in this case, the eatery had excellent food that I want to go back and get more of. Perhaps they were just having a busy Friday night at Spice Thai on Semoran Blvd. in Orlando. While servers were not that attentive, food for a table of six was brought out piping hot.

Now let me tell you about the excellent food. Spice Thai does not feature your average curry dishes. Instead, it has several signature dishes that are different from any other Thai restaurant I have visited. I had the Soft Shell Crab and Curry, and was impressed at the crispiness of the crab, even with the curry sauce and vegetables. Plus, the flavor of the yellow curry sauce was excellent.

Tiger's Tear Steak

We also loved the Spice's Lemongrass Fried Rice, which includes shrimp, squid, mussels and scallops with eggs, onions, bell pepper and basil in a spicy house sauce. Mmm...we savored every bite. We were also impressed by the Tiger's Tear Steak, which was brought out on a steaming hot plate, which always makes for great entertainment and aroma! The grilled New York Strip streak, which was cooked perfectly, was accompanied by sauteed onions, bell peppers and mushrooms, and served with two sauces.

The apps were okay. My favorite was the Chicken Wontons, but the Pork Dumplings were pretty greasy inside and burnt on the outside. The other thing we were not impressed with was the Coconut Milk Soup (Tom Kha), which was watered down and lacked flavor. Unfortunately, it was not like the authentic dish from Thailand.

Where: 6125 S. Semoran Blvd., Orlando

Avenue Thai and Sushi Gets Both Right

When I was craving Thai food the other night, I decided to visit a place I have been wanting to try for months: Avenue Thai and Sushi on Park Ave. in Winter Park, Fla. I am really glad I did! It was surprising to see an affordably-priced restaurant with a great atmosphere and food on Park Ave.

I tried the Green Curry, which featured the perfect mix of sweetness from the coconut milk and hot spice: not overdone, but not too little. The chicken was slightly overcooked, but I liked the flavor so much that I didn't mind too much. The dish was $12.95, and I had leftovers for lunch.

I have heard great things about Avenue Thai and Sushi's many sushi rolls, too. My friends love

Photo Courtesy Avenue Thai & Sushi

the Mango, Soft Shell Crab and Tempura Shrimp roll, along with the Spring Rolls and Chicken Satay dish. Next time I visit, I will try more sushi rolls, and let you know how they are.

If you have been dying to try Avenue Thai and Sushi, now is the time! There is a Refer Local deal that is $10 for $20 worth at the restaurant for a limited time only. Here is the link: https://referlocal.com/offers/winter-park/10-for-20-to-avenue-thai-and-sushi.

A Thai Must Try: Blue Elephant

Photo by Shad Bookout

I was thrilled to find out recently that our Lake Mary side of town got a Blue Elephant Thai restaurant, since International Drive sports the only other Blue Elephant in the area. This is upscale Thai cuisine at its finest. I appreciate how authentic the food at this particular location really is: the chef only speaks Thai!

When I first walked into Blue Elephant, I was struck by the beautiful decor, including fountains with floating flowers and candles, and an amazing glass light sculpture over the bar. After being greeted by an attentive server and manager - who visits every table - the next thing I was impressed by were the prices. For a place with such beautiful decor, I did not expect to see several choices of curries on the menu for $12.95 each (the traditional Basil Sauce Curry is one of the eatery's most popular curry dishes). Plus, the new restaurant is going to be offering several lunch and dinner specials.

Whole Snapper Rock - Photo by Shad Bookout

Although all of the appetizers were tempting, we started with the Tuna Tartar Wonton ($11), which includes rare tuna, avocados, wasabi, and jalapeno atop a crispy wonton. This was flavorful, and different from any other tuna tartar we have had. We also tried the B.E. (chicken) Dumpling which was so good. For $6, we were served six dumplings, so that was a great deal!

For dinner, we decided to try a couple of the house specialties as a treat. The Crispy Whole Snapper Rock ($24) was delicious and had a very unique presentation. The glaze - a sweet chili sauce with bell peppers and onions - slightly overwhelmed the dish, but the flavor was still amazing and the fish was cooked perfectly. We also loved the unique Crispy Duck Zee's ($19), crispy duck breast served with red curry sauce, pineapple, basil, tomato, lime leaf, and bell peppers. The curry sauce was truly the best curry sauce that I have had to date: very light and flavorful. And the combination of curry, rice, pineapple, and duck all worked together very well. The duck was slightly dry, but that is to be expected when a dish is fried.

B.E. Dumpling
Photo by Shad Bookout

We also were very impressed with the number of signature cocktails on the menu - two pages worth! - and how tasty they were. I would highly recommend ordering "Inspire", a mix of Mekhong Rum, pear liqueur, and ginger liqueur, and the "Thai Fantasy", which sort of tasted like a Screwdriver.

Where: 951 Market Promenade Ave., Ste. 1101, Lake Mary, Fla.