MG Eats Cid’s Filipino Restaurant

 

Cid’s Filipino Restaurant, 1328 N John Young Parkway, Kissimmee, FL.

I was searching for a good Filipino restaurant since eating at one in Chicago and again watching Andrew Zimmern enjoying some Crispy Pata. It was time to delve back into some awesome Filipino eats and I came upon Cid’s.

Cid’s is located in a strip mall right off the main drag in Kissimmee, John Young Parkway and Hwy 192/ Vine St., a suburb of Orlando. It’s a little hole-in-the-wall, but generally those venues create the best food. An interesting menu, it was time to have a new experience. Definitely the small cigar looking Lumpia, (spring rolls and eggrolls are my jam) these will be right up my gullet alley. Siopao(steamed bun) and Lechon Kawali (pork belly) will round out this lunch. This is a pretty basic introduction into Filipino food if you’re a beginner.

All three choices come with their own sauce, which I love. I’m a saucy chick. Everything looked amazing and made my mouth water. First up, the Lumpia. Oh yes, crispy outer with a nice filling of ground meat and spices. The sauce was very mild, so I dipped them in sweet chili sauce when I got home. Excellent! The Siopao (Special asada) was filled with a mixture of chicken, pork, Chinese sausage and egg. Delicious! Big, squishy, warm and a good amount of filling for a steamed bun. So tasty, with good sauce.

The Lechon Kawali is in a word…..awesome. Crispy skin, flavorful, fatty meaty pieces of pork heaven dipped in a golden sauce. I was told they have a customer who uses it to make tacos at home. Great idea! Sooooo good.

Very warm and welcoming people at this restaurant. Thoughtful with their food, and even packing it to go. To keep the integrity of the food, they cut an opening in the top of the container. Magical idea!

I will be back for their Crispy Pata next time, and their Daing Na Bangus. It is a whole fish that is marinated and fried. Freaking fabulous!

Hours: CLOSED MONDAYS. Tues: 11:00am – 6:00pm, Wed – Sat: 11:00am – 8:00pm, Sun: 11:00am – 5:00pm. ** Last Dine-In 30 minutes before closing.

http://filipinofoodatcids.com

5 out of 5 Fantastic Filipino Points

Mad Girl Eats Keke’s Breakfast Cafe in Winter Park

Keke’s Breakfast Cafe, 345 W Fairbanks Ave, Winter Park, FL. Other locations around Orlando, Central and South Florida.

Sunday morning, rainy and cool. I need breakfast and a visit to Keke’s is just the place to fill the bill. Keke’s is a breakfast and lunch only restaurant. They have a large menu and when everything sounds soooo darn good, making a decision seems like an epic chore. Start me off with coffee and let’s go from there. Good coffee, by the way!

Belgian waffles, pimped out waffles, pancakes (dinner plate size), pimped out pancakes, French toast, stuffed French toast, eggs, omelets, ….oy. Everything looked amazing to my starving belly. I’m feeling like something sweet with savory on the side.

I went in hard for a Banana, Nut, & Caramel Waffle. A beautiful masterpiece. Banana and pecans baked inside the waffle, topped with more banana and pecans, then add caramel drizzle, whipped cream, and powdered sugar, Sugar! Wow. Hey, don’t stop there. You MUST add maple syrup to get the entire scrumptious layers of flavor. Yes, do it.

Also ordered were their pancakes. Gigantic pancakes. Eggs and bacon. Former patrons had said, their pancakes were enough for 2 people. I’m saying, they are correct. The taste wasn’t anything special, regular pancake mix flavor. The bacon was excellent and the eggs were fine. If you’re a picky eater, get this basic breakfast. If you’re adventurous, get a souped-up, pimped-out waffle, pancake, or egg dish. They know how to put some bang in your breakfast!

Hours: 7:00am to 2:30pm daily.

http://kekes.com to peruse their breakfast AND lunch menus.

4.5 out of 5