We've ordered dinner to take out twice since the pandemic and it was great both times.

What did you order?

Ever been to Kayame? Find the Thai food to be excellent.

Cheng's carry out is packaged in the extreme. Tight fitting containers for soup and meals and bagged in a way for easy transport. And good Chinese food to boot.

I spent 40 weekends a year - for 2 years - in Chinatown NY accompanied by a Taiwan born and raised (for 35 years before coming to America) companion. We ordered all our meals from the script lining the walls near the ceiling - never from a menu and not from anything written in English. That's my background related to "chinese" dining.

Like many posters have stated before me - there is no good Asian dining in the bubble. My apologies to the Koyame lovers - IMHO Koyame is just ok. When I'm desperate I will go there - all the other bubble bowls are lousy. I've been to most of them and won't return.

I haven't been to Yummy House (yet) or the Orlando circuit.

Best thing to do is try all these places for yourself - that's the only way to find what will work for you.

Have you been to the dine in part lately? I would be interested to know how they are handling distancing/masks/gloves, etc. For instance, at Carabba's two weeks ago (went for lunch with bubble friend), the servers were wearing masks and gloves. The girl at the front desk was wearing a mask too, but then she tried to seat us in a booth right behind another party. We asked for a table across the room. They did not appear to have any tables or booths blocked off. However, there were few people there, or we wouldn't have stayed.

I would like to give Yummy a try. Their menu looks great. But I don't want to drive 40 minutes to get takeout.

I've never been to Koyame many times. I love their Chinese food. I think I ordered Pad Thai once and wasn't happy with it.

Me too. I've been there once and had pad Thai. It was very tasteless.


I would go back to try other dishes.

Most Villagers will only support restaurants that are CHEAP, probably the best quality with consistent fast is Panda Express. There are several Chinese sit down restaurants no styrofoam in Orlando and Tampa but you must leave the bubble.

We are all very different. My wife loves their pad Thai. I find their Thai chicken to be excellent not too spicy just enough.

Thai Ruby is the most bland Thai I've ever tasted. Certainly dumbed down for what they think Villagers want. FACT OF LIFE: As we get older our taste buds decrease. MORE spice adds flavor we can taste.

Making Pad Thai at home is not difficult. Rice noodles, dry roasted peanuts, Thai Kitchen Pad Thai sauce, Green Onion, a package of cole slaw mix or Asian salad mix sans the dressing., shrimp and chicken cut into bite size pieces, and a squeeze of lime at the end and you have it. Add whatever chili pepper you'd like or some fresh ginger and garlic.

Good luck finding good Chinese or Italian anywhere near TV.
I spent most of my working life in Downtown NYC. We were in Chinatown or Little Italy very frequently. Unfortunately those days are gone. I realize that the good food from my working days are long gone.
The good news is that we still have a N.Y. home do we can get our fix when we’re up north. Interestingly, the best Italian food is no longer found in Little Italy but it is alive and well on Arthur Ave in the Bronx.

Has anyone tried the new Sunrise Asian Restaurant in Trailwinds Village plaza on 466A?

Chinese?
 

Yummy House....Ocala

Sunrise
 

We have ordered food twice and it was good. If you like very spicy tell them when ordering.

We found Koyame food nice presentation but tasteless.

Definitely our favorite! Food is fresh!

We were there about a month ago.

Not a good experience.

Took 30 minutes for them to take our order and just under an hour to get it. Not nearly enough employees either taking orders or cooking.

Did not ask for spicy but everything was rather hot.

My wife loves pad Thai (which has always been mild) and has had it all over the US. For the first time it was so spicy she could not eat it.

Tried to look up a website to tell them but website had no way to contact them so let it go.

In any case thought Thai at Kayame is better so will keep going there.

Koyame Sunrise
 

I find Koyame tasteless. Sunrise I ordered on line and was ready when it was suppose to be. Their hot and sour soup is excellent.

You are thinking of Ichiban, across from the Nissan dealer in Leesburg. Ipanema is the Brazilian Rodizio in Ocala, which BTW. Is EXCELLENT!

This is a good choice is you are willing to drive. This is especially true for weekend brunch when they serve Dim Sum! Yummy Yummy

there is no good "Chinese food" down here...we've looked for it for over 20 years in Florida
ya gotta go back north for that

Good Chinese Food
 

No.1 Chinese Food 2949 Traverse Trail has a new owner. Tried it today. If you like Koyame(?) you'll like this.

Frankly, NO ! Not sure why, but just find various "Asian fusion", mixes. Some passing, but no, no really REALLY good authentic Chinese carryout like "back home".

Well, one of my favorite things in life is eating and before COVID-19, my husband I would got out to eat at least three times per week, maybe more. I had hopes for the food around the Villages but after reading the replies, I realize that we may be disappointed when we get there. We ate at the Japanese Steakhouse at Lake Sumpter during out 2019 visit and although everyone else has said that they like it, we were not impressed. Maybe it was a bad day for them or a bad day for us!
The one (and only) good thing about where we current live outside of Atlanta is the array of food choices and the quality. A place that does not meet expectation will not be around for long and will be replaced with something better. The Villages will not be perfect and I know that some things must be sacrificed as life is a give and take. Maybe once we get there I will lose weight!!! :-)

We feel much the same as you. We quit really looking and hoping some years ago now, however, do agree that Yummy House tucked away in a plaza like location in Ocala is "decent". A dine in with an extensive menu, and they seem to do a really big take out at the front reception counter from what we've seen when eating there. It's worth a try, for us, about as good as can be found around here.

It is a great place. So why not go back to NY?? Many people never leave there.

Koyame.

I think that pretty much all of them are Asian Fusion these days.

With the popularity of Thai food and sushi, many Chinese restaurants have added some of those dishes to their menus.

Don't despair, there are at least decent restaurants in The Villages area. We have been here just over ten years and have lived four years in the far east and six years in Europe. We went to VKI shortly after we arrived and have never returned. Thai Ruby is Thai in name only. Restaurants inside The Villages cater to both the budgets and tastes (often bland) of retirees. For most "ethnic" cuisines we dine outside the bubble.

Many laud the Italian and Chinese in NYC as the "gold standard." They may be correct, as I have never been to NYC to have a basis for comparison. For many of them, the NYC versions of those cuisines may have been their only exposure and thus set their standards, actually authentic or not. Besides both cuisines have differences depending upon the region in the countries, so for which region are they claiming authenticity.

I have had both cuisines much closer to their origins as well as other locations in the world. We feel there are many good ethnic restaurants within 60 minutes drive from The Villages and we are willing to take the drive. The drive is part of our retirement activities.

Bottom line, be adventurous and get outside of the bubble. The Villages Gourmet website lists hundreds of possibilities and despite their diligence and dedication we know of a few they do not have listed.

You've obviously never been to China. Most Americans have no idea what authentic Chinese food is.

I've never been to a Chinese restaurant in this country that serves authentic Chinese food.

As for all this talk about NY Chines food, people's taste in Chinese food, and pizza for that matter depends on where you come from and what you're used to. I'm from Boston. I've eaten Chinese food in New York City and tough it was terrible.

And by the way, I've eaten Chinese food in China and did not like it. It was not at all what I expected. What is called Chow Mein here, in The Villages or in Boston or in New York is very different than what is Chow Mein in Bejing.

For some reason Chinese food is different in every state in the country. It's all what you're used to. If it's not like what you had at home, get used to it because you're not going to find that here. It's not that it's bad, it's just different.

I have been to China many times for work and food is night and day from what we have here. Most Americans would not know what to make of it.

Personally I enjoy it but was a culture shock the first time I was there.

BTW in China no such thing as egg rolls or lomein. Chinese look down on simple noodle dishes.

Very true about regional differences in Chinese cooking. We've been to China ( Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai) The cooking was different in each city and unlike what you get in the US.

On Maui, there is a restaurant called China Boat owned and run by a couple from Taiwan. The sauces they use on their dishes are unlike anything I have tasted anywhere else. Boy, do I miss it.

TooJays has knishes.

Cheng's on 466 is closest to what we were used to in Boston and we like Bamboo Bistro also.

I had Mexican in Tijuana... (Seriously, but no comment please.)

There are a number of Chinese restaurants here with the very same menu. I've tried more than a few and I can't say I'm dying to go back.

I would gladly pay more for better quality Chinese food like back home... and I'm from New England, not NYC.

Do not care for that style of knishes.

We bought several dozen of potato and kosher from Gabila by mail order a few months ago. We even qualified for their knish club.:bigbow:

Filipino food recipes. Any Filipino restaurants in or near the Villages?
 

Angela Dimayuga’s 10 Essential Filipino Recipes - The New York Times

I was wondering with all the Filipino nurses in this area if there are any good Filipino restaurants in this area? The Villages or surrounding area?