A 2024 Chronicle of Food In Central Florida - Part #1

I meant to work on this piece at the end of 2024, but unfortunately, my Taekwondo teacher and former boss asked me to return as an instructor after he injured himself at the gym in November.  Teaching martial arts eats up the time I have to work on articles.

In late January, after eating at this Jamaican place in the local mall (which I hadn’t visited in over 11 years), I decided to document everything I ate (if it was camera-worthy).  Anywho, the first entry in my 2024 food journal was in late January. Central Florida Comic Con 2024 (CFCC 2024) happened the previous weekend, and I was jonesing for something to do.  This took me back to the Eagle Ridge Mall, which I haven’t visited in over 11 years.  

I was sad to see the mall as a shell of its former self.  I walked back and forth through the mall, killing time before Paranormal Cirque III’s first performance that Saturday night, January 27.  I got hungry, and it led to my first journal entry, Jamaican food.  The food court had plenty of ethnic options, which surprised me, and I opted for Jamaican food because it wasn’t something I had before.

The booth was called “Akshadal Jamaican Grill” and I ordered its popular dish, jerk chicken and rice.  It was delicious, filling, and affordable.  For $15, it was a generous meal.  I assumed I’d have room for food from the other booths, but nope, I was stuffed after having this meal.  Yummy…

Fast-forward to the following weekend, the first weekend of February 2024, when I visited the Spirit of the Buffalo Pow-Wow at Auburndale’s International Market World.  I visited one of the food booths at the venue and chose the “Indian Taco.”  

The Indian Taco uses Native American frybread instead of a tortilla shell.  This delicious meal had the typical toppings of a traditional taco, but with extra ingredients: chili and sliced jalapenos.

I’d happily eat more of those in the future.

Fast-forward to the following Saturday, February 10, where I walked to Tu Plaza Market, which is a Latin grocery store and food court.  I had time to kill before checking out Major League Table Tennis (MLTT), which came into town for the weekend.

After I explored Tu Plaza Market, I checked out the food court and visited a Venezuelan place called “Magli Delicious.”  I ordered two Venezuelan-style arepas and an empanada.  

I was curious about the Venezuelan-style arepa because I had the Colombian-style the previous year at Florida Polycon 2023 from one of the food trucks.  I talked about it a few months later at a Taekwondo tournament with the father of a student at the time, who came to this country from Venezuela.  

The student’s father told me that the arepa originally came from Venezuela.

I enjoyed the food at Magli Delicious and became a semi-regular whenever I visit the Tu Plaza Market.

Fast-forward to the following Saturday, February 17, when I visited Syfy Bartow 2024.  It’s known as one of the largest free fan conventions in the Southeast United States, which draws a crowd of over 10-thousand people every year.

I opted for pizza the last time I attended Syfy Bartow, but not at Syfy Bartow 2024 (because the pizza kept me stuffed the entire day).  I think I visited Reddz’s, where I had chicken tenders & fries and cheesesteak fries.  I was full afterward, but not bloated.  The following day, February 18, I traveled to Orlando to cover three events, though one of them, a soccer event, was canceled due to rainy weather.  I took a Lyft to Orlando’s Guang Ming Buddhist Temple for a Lunar New Year concert.  

We were treated to a free box lunch after the concert ended.  I shared a table with one of the members of the Buddha’s Light chorus, one of the groups that performed at the Guang Ming Temple.  It was a vegetarian meal with rice, shredded carrots, sprouts, broccoli, shiitake mushrooms, tofu, and an eggroll.  This was the first time I ate shiitake mushrooms, which I normally avoid because of the smell they give off when they’re cooked.  The taste wasn’t bad; it had a citrus taste.

My mom would’ve been thrilled that I finished the entire meal.

I left to catch the bus to the Central Florida Fairgrounds for the Vietnamese Tet celebration.  I arrived in time because my lunch had digested, and I was hella hungry again.  There were plenty of options to choose from.

I arrived at the venue in time to witness the crowning of Miss Vietnam Florida 2024, Stephanie Hoang Nguyen, whom I interviewed the following month at Orlando’s Avalon SpringFest.  

The first item I bought was this sliced beef, though I didn’t know how to eat it and didn’t ask when I had the chance.  The second item was spring rolls with the peanut dipping sauce.  The spring rolls were refreshing and filling.  The third item was a traditional banh mi sandwich.  The last item was a Vietnamese-style kebab.I washed it all down with a Thai tea.  There was soda on sale, but I can buy soda anytime.  There was a lot of beer on sale, but I’m not a fan of beer, and I don’t like the taste of Heineken.  I was surprised how much the Vietnamese love Heineken.On March 9, I attended the Ridge Art Festival in Downtown Winter Haven, which is a yearly event hosted by the Ridge Art Association.  I can’t remember the name of the food truck that I ordered from.

I ordered a meatball sub and a pulled pork sandwich.  I chose to eat light because of the event I was going to the following day.The food was delicious and I’d order from that place again.

Fast-forward to the next day, March 10, at Orlando’s Avalon SpringFest in Avalon Park, which is way out there in Orlando.  

I definitely ate my fill of food at the event.  The first thing I ate at Avalon SpringFest was takoyaki from a booth that belonged to Momoliciouz.  It was the first time I ate takoyaki, and I was satisfied.The second thing I ate was from a booth operated by Sizzling Korean BBQ and Hotpot.  I was excited because I haven’t eaten Korean BBQ in decades.  I bought a combo that had ribeye steak, rice, and pot stickers (I’m a sucker for pot stickers).  

Delicious!!!The third thing I ate was from a booth operated by Kai Kai -Dim Sum and Barbecue-.  I got a good deal for $8, where I was served a portion of honey barbecue wings and a portion of shumai.  

This was a small, tasty, and filling meal.The fourth thing I ate was from a booth operated by Sno Tea Caffe.  I decided to get something sweet and picked the “pineapple bun.”  It’s a bun with a top shaped like a pineapple.  There’s no pineapple in the bun.

It was nice and sweet.  I bought another one to bring back home to my mom.  My mom liked it, but wasn’t too impressed by it.

The fifth thing I ate at Avalon SpringFest was panko-crusted shrimp from a booth operated by Sweet Banana Leaf.It shouldn’t be confused with another Orlando-based restaurant called Banana Leaf, which serves delicious Sri Lankan food.  I miss Banana Leaf because I haven’t seen the booth at the downtown farmer’s market for months.

The final thing I ate at Avalon SpringFest was grilled meat at a booth operated by Maya’s Merienda and Asian Foods, a Filipino-owned business, which had the longest lines.  I almost didn’t buy anything from there because of the long line.  

The line died down as the event was wrapping up.I bought a pork belly kebab, a grilled chicken kebab, and a lumpia.  The meat was tender and juicy.

The one drink I bought at Avalon SpringFest was from a trunk operated by The Tea Social.  I ordered “The Grove,” which was a yuzu-flavored jasmine tea.  On recommendation, I requested that sliced lychee jelly be added to the tea.  It was refreshing, though I almost choked on one of the jelly slices.I chilled at the nearby Marketplace at Avalon Park, which is a popular food court.  I was stuffed from the food at Avalon SpringFest, so I bought something to drink.  I visited a booth called KoreanBBQ Kitchen and bought a can of melon-flavored Milkis.  

It was a unique but refreshing drink.  For the uninitiated, Milkis is a popular carbonated milk beverage from South Korea.  

I spent the rest of the day in Orlando at Bowigens, which was also located at the Marketplace, and had a few ciders while I waited for my Lyft.  Attending Avalon SpringFest was a great way to make up for missing Celebrate Lunar, Florida’s largest Lunar New Year celebration, the previous month.  I sadly had to miss Celebrate Lunar again this year because it was held the same weekend as Central Florida Comic Con.

The following Monday, March 11, I visited SoCe Market for the first time.  I’ve read many positive reviews of the place, but I could never find it.  I took an early bus and searched for the place, which was close to the Grove Roots brewery.  

I ordered the day’s special, “The Club Med,” with a broccoli salad on the side.  The food was delicious and I visit the place at least once a month.  This was when the rest of the food court, Bowen Yard, was under construction.The following Tuesday, March 12, I visited Bach Lac Banh Mi for a quick lunch.  I chose chicken wings and fries.  These fries are delicious because they’re topped with fried garlic.  There was a sweet and savory taste to the fries.

It was the third time I bought fries from that place.  I usually buy just the sandwiches whenever I’m in the area.The following Saturday, March 16, I took the bus to the downtown farmer’s market to kill time before I took another bus to a location where I could get a Lyft to drive me to Florida Polytechnic University for Florida Polycon 2024.

My breakfast that day was empanadas from an Argentinian food truck called Empanada’s Paradise.  The empanadas were delicious and filling, which held me over until I arrived at Florida Polycon.After I arrived at Florida Polycon, I walked the venue for a bit before getting something to eat.

The first place I visited was a booth called Pop-A-Bao, which is a Lakeland-owned business.  I bought a couple of steamed buns.  It’s a good deal where you pay $11 for three of these buns.  I can’t remember what flavors I bought, but they were tasty.Since then, I order from Pop-A-Bao whenever I see the booth at an event.

The second place I visited for food was a food truck that belonged to A’Lo Cubano Kitchen for a pressed Cuban sandwich.  I thought the sandwich was tasty, but I think the prices need to be a few dollars lower because the portion was small.I was still hungry after eating the sandwich.

The third place I visited was Omusubee, another Lakeland-based business, which was one of the indoor food vendors.  I bought three flavors of onigiri from the place.  I order from the place whenever I have the chance, if I see them at an event.

The chickpea curry is my favorite.For dessert, I visited a booth operated by the Clermont-based Gaijin Taiyaki (whom I interviewed at CFCC 2024) and bought a taiyaki with M&M's.  

I order from Gaijin Taiyaki whenever I see them at an event.While the commissary remained open, I bought a Dragon Ball Z-themed energy drink.  The taste was satisfying, but I bought it because it was a f–king DBZ-themed drink.  I bought the last can which kind of sucked because I wanted to buy another to bring to my best friend, who’s a hardcore fan of the franchise.Fast-forward to the after-party later that night…

The food was freshly prepared, and I had my fill.  This was a nice change from the after-party at Florida Polycon 2023, where the food was bought from Publix.  I normally like the catered food from Publix, but I felt sick from the chicken tenders.I don’t have a problem with chicken tenders drenched in either honey mustard or buffalo sauce, but they taste disgusting when they’re cold.  

The food at the Florida Polycon 2024 after-party was superior.

Spring Break happened the following week, which gave me more time to kill before I clocked in to teach TKD.  That gave me time to have a peaceful lunch at the Tropical Smoothie Cafe, which was downtown and close to the public library.  You can’t really go wrong with Tropical Smoothie Cafe.

I had a grilled chicken flatbread sandwich and a buffalo chicken wrap, which I washed down with a berry smoothie that had added vitamin boosters.  It was a delicious lunch.

Fast-forward to the following Thursday, March 21, when I was in the mood for banh mi.  I stopped at Bach Lac Banh Mi for a grilled chicken sandwich and a Chinese barbecue pork sandwich.

This would be the last time, sadly, I bought anything from the restaurant because it shut down a few months later.Fast-forward to the last Friday of March 2024, when I spent the day in Downtown Lakeland.  It was Good Friday weekend, and I didn’t have work that day, which was the perfect opportunity to check out Downtown Lakeland, which has changed over the decades.  

I hadn’t been there since 2004 on Election Night.

The first place I stopped for food was Taco Bus, where I bought one of the specials.  I was satisfied with the food.I was saddened that it packed up and moved elsewhere a few months later, but I enjoy visiting Kentucky Market, which currently occupies the space.  

Then I visited Palace Pizza for a calzone.  I can get pizza anytime, especially from Palace Pizza (which also has a location in Bartow).  I was full enough that I didn’t want to eat anything after returning to Winter Haven.

Part 1 of my 2024 food chronicle concluded with Easter Saturday.  I got up early enough to catch the bus downtown, where an Easter celebration happened at the park and a farmer’s market happened two blocks over. 

I visited the farmer’s market and visited a booth called The Temple Treats, which is owned by a Thai family.  

I ordered a delicious savory crepe with egg, ham, pork floss, and Thai chili paste. 

Since then, I order from The Temple Treats whenever I see the booth if I’m hungry.  This is the only place I buy crepes from.

I took the bus again to Tu Plaza Market, where an Easter celebration took place.  I visited Bobablastic, where I ordered a spam musubi and an order of pot stickers.  This was the first time I had spam musubi, and I decided to try it after seeing all the social media posts about the popular Hawaiian dish.I was satisfied with the meal.

I visited Magli Delicious again for arepas, which were delicious and filling.  You can’t go wrong with Magli Delicious.Then I visited the Tu Plaza Market’s cocina, where I ordered the burrito with rice and beans, which was a welcome meal after everything else I had eaten had digested.  I visit the cocina if it’s the only place open later at night.  The cocina has many great options.  It’s too bad I’m unable to visit on certain days to take advantage of the daily specials.  

I never thought I could sample Jamaican, Native American, Venezuelan, and so on in three months.  Since then, I decided to mostly order food that would be picture-worthy to post on my Instagram.  

I rarely eat fast food now.  If I don’t think it’s worthy of taking a picture of, I’ll likely not order it.  I haven’t had anything from known fast food chains since then, but I’ll occasionally order something from Wendy’s.