Take a drive down OBT south of S.R. 528 and you'll notice clothiers, jewelers, grocers and, most notably, restaurants catering to Orlando's burgeoning South Asian community. A bevy of hidden gems attract the Desi nation: Chaat House serves the type of texturally diverse street food so popular in bustling metropoles of the Indian subcontinent; Apna Restaurant has the finest aloo paratha — Indian flatbread stuffed with seasoned potatoes — in town; Apna Halal Chinese and Halal Little China specialize in Indian-style (read: more spicy) Chinese food as well as Bengali delicacies; Bismillah Restaurant delves into Mediterranean as well as Indo-Pak fare; and Ahmed Restaurant dishes out kebabs with inflated spices, not prices.
You'll find all your Indian grocery needs, from spices and chutneys to halal meats and fried snacks, at Apna Bazaar, Bengal Supermarket and Bombay Bazaar, the latter being the place to go for sweet paan, a folded betel leaf filled with fragrant stimulants and after-dinner digestives. Grab a Bollywood classic from Bombay Sari Palace and you may find yourself dancing in the streets.
9472 S. Orange Blossom Trail Orlando, FL 32837 407-240-4922 | 9440 S. Orange Blossom Trail Orlando, FL 32837 407-859-8500 |
9468 S. Orange Blossom Trail Orlando, FL 32837 407-859-4646 | 1921 Central Florida Parkway Orlando, FL 32837 407-251-9997 www.halallittle chinarestaurant.com |
11220 S. Orange Blossom Trail Orlando, FL 32837 407-251-9550 | 11349 S. Orange Blossom Trail Orlando, FL 32837 407-856-8272 |
9432 S. Orange Blossom Trail Orlando, FL 32837 407-856-0238 | 1921 Central Florida Parkway Orlando, FL 32837 407-888-2151 |
11301 S. Orange Blossom Trail Orlando, FL 32837 407-856-1780 | 11301 S. Orange Blossom Trail Orlando, FL 32837 407-856-1974 |