OPENINGS+CLOSINGS: John Zhao, the man behind YH Seafood Clubhouse, Yummy House, Pho 813 and the soon-to-open Sweet Buns Bakery & Café, will bring international big-city chain Kyuramen to the University Shoppes near UCF this summer. “Kyu” means “nine,” and the ramen-ya will offer just that — nine types of ramen in shio, miso and shoyu varieties … Nearby, Kasai & Koori, specializing in the “savory and sweet culinary secrets of the Pacific Rim” (think poke bowls, shaved ice and ribbon ice desserts, boba and taiyaki cones) has opened at 11565 University Blvd. …
Prior to opening his much-anticipated concept Sorekara in Baldwin Park later this year, chef William Shen is staging a series of duck soba noodle pop-ups around town under the name Soba San. Follow @sobasan on Instagram for event details … After a six-year absence, chef-restaurateurs Henry and Michelle Salgado have revived Spanish River Grill — the restaurant that started it all for them. The New Smyrna Beach restaurant is open for test kitchen formats only. They’re awaiting their beer and wine license, so it’s BYOB only. DM them @spanishrivergrill … High-T, a trippy, immersive Alice-in-Wonderland–themed cocktail bar and tea room, will open downtown at 23 W. Church St. in May. Head to exploretock.com/high-t for rezzies …
Z Asian owners Hien Pham and Huong Nguyen will open their pho ga concept, Pho Ga Hien Vuong, the first week of April at 5282 W. Colonial Drive … Look for the Castle Irish Pub and Restaurant to open later this year in the old Thai Farm Kitchen space at 2625 Edgewater Drive in College Park. The bar itself is being built in Ireland … Kolombia Cafe at the Target plaza in SoDo has rebranded itself to Viva Healthy KC, offering vegan, organic, keto, gluten-free and “non-fried, meat-friendly dishes” … Also in SoDo, an outpost of Miami celeb hotspot World Famous House of Mac has finally opened at 2435 S. Orange Ave., offering a menu of over-the-top mac and cheese, wings, burgers, pastas, pizzas and fresh-squeezed juices.
NEWS+EVENTS: The 29th annual Taste of Oviedo goes from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 25, at the Oviedo Mall. More than 20 food vendors will be on hand at the event, which will also feature culinary demonstrations throughout the day … The India Center at UCF will host “A Bengali Culinary Journey: A Discussion on Calcutta on Your Plate” with author Nilosree Biswas from 10-11 a.m. Friday, March 30. Yours truly will lead the virtual discussion as we delve into the history of Bengali food in Kolkata. Visit events.ucf.edu to register.
This article appears in Mar 15-21, 2023.
