Capa steakhouse at Four Seasons Resort Orlando offers a “From Matsusaka With Love” special for Valentine’s Day weekend –
In February 2016, for the first time in history, Matsusaka beef, the ultimate within the Japanese beef industry, will be directly imported from the Matsusaka Region of Mie Prefecture, Japan and introduced at Capa restaurant at Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort.
For six evenings, February 10 to 15, 2016, the Matsusaka beef will be on the menu at Capa in a special tasting called “From Matsusaka with Love.”
Read more from their Press Release below:
————
Japanese beef, known as wagyu, is famed for its soft, buttery texture, high marbling ratio and superior taste.
Matsusaka beef from Mie Prefecture has been recognized and honored with the highest rankings for decades in the Japanese beef market. Four Seasons Resort Orlando Executive Sous Chef Sam Faggetti travelled to Japan in March 2015 to learn about Matsusaka beef.
Later this January, Stephen Wancha, Director of Food and Beverage for Four Seasons Resort Orlando, will travel to Japan as well.
“We strive to offer a variety of exceptional meats on the menu at Capa, and our wood burning grill gives our steaks an amazing flavour profile,” says Faggetti. “It has been a privilege to travel to Japan to learn more about the care and preparation of the Matsusaka beef, and we are honoured to offer this special tasting at Capa.”
For six evenings, February 10 to 15, 2016, the Matsusaka beef will be on the menu at Capa in a special tasting called “From Matsusaka with Love.”
The tasting menu is offered for USD 250 per couple, with an optional wine pairing available for USD 75 per person.
The Matsusaka Beef Tasting for Two includes:
– Trio of wood grilled special grade Matsusaka beef: 3-ounce strip loin, tenderloin and ribeye
– Served with side dishes of patatas bravas, blistered pimientos, roasted asparagus and truffle aioli
– Trio of steak sauces: rioja, peppercorn and verde
By definition, Matsusaka beef cattle can only be virgin female cows of the Japanese black wagyu variety that have spent the majority of their lifespan, up until the time of slaughter, in Matsusaka City and its surrounding area and are registered under the Matsusaka Beef Identification and Management System.
Some cattle farmers provide beer to cows to stimulate their appetites and give them thorough massages to improve blood circulation and encourage even fat distribution. Many farms raise their cows in individual rooms so they can be finely managed and assure a comfortable, stress-free life for their cows.
Matsusaka beef producers spare no effort to produce the highest quality, richest, most finely dispersed marbling possible while managing their cows on a day to day basis. The rich marbling results in an exquisite taste.
Reservations to experience the Matsusaka Beef Tasting for Two at Capa can be made by calling 407 313 6161.
Here are some photos from a recent media preview of the Matsusaka Beef Tasting at Capa:
New York Strip Tataki Nigiri
Filet Flash Seared Sushi Roll
Raw Filet Maki Roll
Hand Roll
48 Hour Sous Vide Short Rib
Served with a Red Wine Natural Reduction and Baby Tatsoi (Micro Green)
Grilled New York Strip (left) Filet Ribeye Seasoned with Maldon Salt (middle) Filet Seasoned with Maldon Salt (right)
Dessert from Assistant Pastry Chef Peter Whitley. An Open Face Macaroon with Green Tea Cream and Raspberry Jelly.
Staff and chefs of Four Seasons Resort Orlando and Capa
Best of Orlando award!
Photos taken by Tasty Chomps! author Gina Nguyen
Photographer at GTNphoto
Book your shoot at http://www.gtnphotography.com
It’s a tiny place off of Fern Creek and Colonial, just behind the Chevron gas station – but The Sanctum Cafe, a new vegan and vegetarian cafe, packs a lot of flavor in its dishes.
Kabbage Krunch Slaw
As owner Chelsie Savage tells us, “Ain’t no sissy salads here, yall.”
No sissy salads, indeed – their plates are piled high with healthy greens, nuts, fruits, and other flavorful combinations to make for a very satisfying meal.
The cubed, spiced tempeh, a fermented and cultured soy product (think – firm tofu) with cultural origins in Indonesia, gives an additional wonderfully “meaty” texture and taste to round out the dishes we tried on our recent visit.
Chelsie explained to us why she started The Sanctum, “Pretty simply I’m a health advocate with particular foodie tastebuds. Staying healthy and taking care of myself, my family and teaching others to do the same is one of the things most near and dear to my heart.”
“And along with that, I’ve always grown up being a lover of good food and I want to show people you don’t have to sacrifice flavor for health. The best food comes from the best ingredients, prepared mindfully by someone who cares.”
“There is this misconception that food is something that needs to be restricted, counted and measured to achieve good health and if you’re enjoying it it must not be good for you but food is community. It brings people together and nourishes and heals.”
“There is a reason why every single culture has foods and cuisines that are associated with it.”
“My mission with The Sanctum is to bring people back to this with good for you food and to create a menu that made people fall in love with health promoting foods.”
Shiva Salad
How did the idea for The Sanctum Cafe come about? Chelsie Savage, The Sanctum Cafe – I have run a nutrition consulting business the last 5 years in Orlando where I taught integrative nutrition and cooking lessons that evolved over the years. It started as just nutrition and I quickly found it wasn’t that more often than not, it wasn’t that people didn’t know how to eat healthy, it was they didn’t know how to make healthy food that also tasted great. I started teaching nutrition lessons and courses paired with cooking classes and the feedback I kept getting was “will you just open up a restaurant so I can eat your food everyday”. After hearing this feedback client after client, year after year, you start to think – “maybe I should open a restaurant so people can eat my food every day”. My husband and I put our heads together and we created The Sanctum!
Most Popular dishes so far? Chelsie: All of our bowls have been getting a lot of love but The Sassy Thai has definitely been a crowd favorite as well as the Sedona Bowl. The Mo’Rockin blows peoples mind because of the complexity of flavors and there has also been a lot of love for the Shiva Salad. The Savage Salad is my personal favorite – my slightly spicy rosemary vinaigrette and tons of veggies – cooked and raw – is my definition of the perfect meal.
What do you do outside of The Sanctum?
Chelsie: Along with running my health coaching business, I’ve been teaching yoga all over Orlando since 2010. I’m taking a short hiatus from teaching to get The Sanctum up and running but plan on returning soon – on a smaller caliber of what I used to teach – but returning nonetheless. I’ve got a dedicated yoga practice and also like running with my dogs. By nature I’m an introvert and really just love spending time with my family. My husband (and also co-owner of The Sanctum) love to travel, eat & practice yoga and we make a habit to do so often!
Take a look inside:
SHIVA SALAD
Massaged kale, roasted butternut squash & house spiced tempeh tossed with pink lady apples, celery, carrots and raisins. Tossed in our curried peanut dressing and finished with candied walnuts, toasted chickpeas and coconut shreds. Full Salad $13 | Half Salad $8
KABBAGE KRUNCH SLAW
Shredded kale, red & purple cabbages, mint, cilantro, carrot, beet & finely chopped red onion. Topped with shelled edamame, grape tomatoes, dried cherries, sunflower greens, avocado, slivered almonds & tossed in our ginger-miso dressing. Full Salad | $10.5 Half Salad | $7 | Add Maple Miso Tempeh $2.5
The Sanctum Cafe’s Philosophy
“Food made with real ingredients, because we care just as much about health as we care about about indulging in life’s greatest pleasure— a damn good meal.”
“We love everything about meal time— the cooking, the community and even the clean up (as long as we’re doing it together). But our REAL mission is debunking the myth that if food tastes good it can’t be good for us. With every coffee we serve and every mouth we feed, that mission is further accomplished.
We are health advocates with foodie tastebuds committed to redefining the way people think about healthy food. We are educated about nutrition, skilled in the kitchen, sassy in attitude and conscious in the way we live our lives and conduct business.
We put health promoting foods front and center and make people fall in love with them.
If we wouldn’t serve it to our family, we won’t serve it to you. We do plant-based, sustainable, gourmet food, not because it’s a trendy, but because it’s a conscious way of living. It’s good for this body, good for this planet—everyone wins.”
The Sanctum Cafe
715 N Fern Creek Ave, Unit D.
Orlando, FL 32803
407-757-0346
Tabla, a proud sponsor of TastyChomps.com, just finished a multimillion dollar renovation to their restaurant and have updated their lunch menus with new recipes and creations.
The executive chef, Ian Piamonte, former head banquet chef at Ritz Carlton Amelia Island, is leading the culinary team in bringing dishes inspired by India, Thailand, and China to Tabla.
Most recently, their team had the honor of catering for the wedding of US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy in an intimate setting in south Florida.
The new lunch specials include a soup or salad, choice of entree (from over 15 choices), basmati rice, samosa, naan bread, and a dessert choice for just $9.99. They will also be unveiling a new corporate catering menu for lunch as well!
Chicken Tikka Salad
Fish Curry
Red Curry with Fish
Tamarind, sweet chili, and mint chutney
Tofu red curry
Chicken Tikka sampler
Garlic Naan bread
Mango Lassi
Gulab Jamun dessert
Fried banana spring roll with strawberry ice cream
By Ricky Ly of TastyChomps.com on Feb 06, 2016 09:28 pm
On far-flung World Center Drive, near the Epcot area, you can find authentic Shanghainese Chinese cuisine at the newly opened iShanghai. It’s a hidden gem that is a welcome addition to the rather bleek Orlando Chinese restaurant landscape.
Shanghai, the bustling port city on the central coast in China, is known for their seafood and the use of fresh flavors and methods that retain the taste of the ingredients.
Shanghai dishes usually are pickled in wine, stewed, braised, steamed, or deep fried.
A notable Shanghai delicacy is xiaolongbao, also known as soup dumplings in the United States. Made popular by the Michelin starred Din Tai Fung restaurant, which is headquartered in Taiwan, but have locations around the world including in the US, the xiaolongbao is a type of hot steamed bun made with a thin skin of dough and stuffed with pork or minced crab, and notably, soup.
The soup is said to be congealed first before placing into the pork mixture and then steamed, allowing for the soup to stay inside the dumpling. Often times in local Chinese restaurants here in Orlando, they may advertise xiaolongbao and the flavors are there but the soup is not there to many a disappointed patron.
So let’s just say we have finally found the holy grail of dumplings in Orlando – the soup dumplings are found here at iShanghai – with a few caveats.
A good xiaolongbao should be able to hold in the soup until it is bitten – nothing is worse than a soup dumpling that has its soup just missing from the dumpling. The soup dumplings here at iShanghai do hold up well, and there is some soup, some very little soup – but still soup, inside the dumplings.
A common way of eating xiaolongbao is to place it on your spoon, puncture the dumpling or bite off the top, blow on it to cool down the steaming soup, and then drink the soup from the spoon. Then, finally, eat the whole dumpling together.
It’s satisfying and quite tasty – but I do believe it is priced a bit high at $6.00 for 3 dumplings, or $2.00 a dumpling. I think even Din Tai Fung’s soup dumplings at locations in California are priced at $10-$13 for 10, or about $1.00-$1.30 each. For that much, there better be a whole cup of soup in those dumplings.
Overall, it was a good soup dumpling and I am glad we finally have a place to try some here in Orlando, even though it is nearer to Epcot than to downtown Orlando.
The other dishes we tried at iShanghai were also quite good – we started with the salami ham and winter melon soup, a very authentic Chinese soup that is quite refreshing, hearty, and healthy.
Coo Lao Meat (Pork Belly)
Our coo lao fried pork is a sweet a sour crispy pork belly dish that had praises from all around our table that evening. Crunchy, sweet, and sour – you’d hardly realized you were eating a dish that is literally half pork and half bacon fat.
Stir-Fried Grouper Fish with Pine Nut
A rather exotic dish – the crackling eel – piqued our interest, but we decided to go for a safer
Stir-Fried Grouper Fish with Pine Nut dish instead.
We were quite happy with the selection – the fish, sliced and tender, went well with the pine nuts that added a nice crunchy texture to the dish.
Crispy Skin Chicken
We ordered the Crispy Skin Chicken, a super crispy fried salt and pepper chicken for an appetizer, but they seemed to have put it the order in late – maybe they forgot – so it arrived after our entrees.
They were very apologetic though and service overall was pretty good.
They upgraded the interior from what was formerly the location of an Asian buffet. They need to play some light music or something because it is awkwardly silent inside.
I noticed an elderly couple helping out in the back – you know the food is good if you have grandma and grandpa making it.
I definitely recommend coming here with a family or a group of at least four to try several dishes and share family style.
By Ricky Ly of TastyChomps.com on Feb 05, 2016 10:59 pm
Offering prime steak, fresh seafood and top of the line hospitality, Del Frisco’s Orlando is an exceptional steakhouse, and one of the newest additions to the restaurants on International Drive.
Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House features an impressive, diverse wine list of more than 1,200 labels, including a number of notable verticals from both old and new world producers.
With two floors that include two bars, four private dining rooms and a picturesque patio, Del Frisco’s Orlando boasts over 400 seats.
The restaurant’s price point is closer to probably better for those with an expense account or for a special occasion, but the dishes from the succulent lobster tails and lobster mac and cheese to the juicy ribeye steaks. Leave room for dessert – the crispy on the caramelized outside, pillowy soft on the inside butter cake with butter pecan ice cream is really one of the best desserts in Orlando.
Executive Chef Greg Thompson spoke with us recently about Del Frisco’s and his background in cooking.
He tells us, “Del Frisco’s commitment to quality, in everything we do makes us stand apart. From the staff to the ingredients and the restaurant standards we hold, we embrace this commitment to quality each day.”
What are some of the most popular items at Del Frisco’s here in Orlando?
The Crab Cake, for sure. It’s one of the best I’ve ever had! Also, of course the Bone In Filet!
How did you get your start in cooking? Where were you before Del Frisco’s?
I love to eat! I was always fascinated by the metamorphosis of ingredients into magnificent food; almost like alchemy. I am a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, and I worked in NYC for a long time before a stint in Charlotte, NC (both are great food towns). I have traveled around the world opening up steakhouses in locales like Beijing, Shanghai, and Mexico City as well as the lower 48 states and Canada.
What is your favorite childhood food to eat?
Ice cream! It’s still my favorite food, to this day.
If you could eat only one thing for the rest of your life from Del Frisco’s – what would that one thing be?
Definitely the Butter Cake!
What were some of your favorite eats while traveling the world?
The Chicken Thigh Sliders at Blue Frog in Shanghai, and also anything at Da Dong in Beijing! I also really love Tacos “al pastor” in Mexico City.
What is your favorite thing to eat at home after a long day?
A really good deli sandwich piled high with all the “fixings”
Take an inside look at Del Frisco’s:
Private Rooms available
House baked breadClassic Caeser Salad – $9.5Crab Cake with Cajun Lobster Sauce – $19Thick Cut Bacon Au Poivre Bourbon Molasses Glaze – $14.5
Broiled Lobster Tail Carved tableside & served with drawn butter & lemon.Bone-In Prime Ribeye 22 oz. – $59
By Ricky Ly of TastyChomps.com on Feb 03, 2016 12:52 pm
Chef Austin Boyd of Seito Sushi, Chef Greg Richie of Baoery Asian Gastropub, and Chef Chau Trinh of Sushi Pop Restaurant will battle each other on Monday March 7th from 6:00pm – 9:00pm in Orlando’s first Ramen Rumble.
The chefs come together in a friendly competition to see whose bowl of ramen reigns supreme. The prize to the winning chef is not just bragging rights, but the decision to which charity the proceeds will go. The purpose of this event is to celebrate the growing culinary scene in Orlando through these magical bowls of slurping wonderment.
We all win as long as we have one of these bowls in front of us!
Orlando Ramen Rumble
Ramen, the Japanese noodle dish that has continued to grow in popularity in Orlando, will be made by the chefs from scratch from the broth to noodles.
The event is organized by Ricky Ly of TastyChomps.com in partnership with Jason and Sue Chin of The Osprey Tavern to bring together local chefs and the local Orlando community in appreciation of ramen.
The proceeds from the event will be donated to the winning chef’s choice of charity.
The ticket prices are $30 and will feature a tasting bowl of ramen from each chef, 1 draft beer, and housemade sweet desserts.
Chicken Tikka sampler
