Sticky Rice - Review - Mills 50 - Orlando - The Infatuation

"Mills 50 is where you’ll find a slightly overwhelming number of Orlando’s excellent Vietnamese restaurants. But there aren’t nearly as many choices for Lao. That’s part of the reason you should go to Sticky Rice, which specializes in Lao street food. The other reason is for the flash-fried beef jerky that crunches and melts in a single bite while flooding your brain with chemicals usually reserved for an adorable kitten sighting. Lots of Sticky Rice’s easy-to-share dishes have that effect. The menu pulses with fish sauce and chilis. It’s casual inside. You sit at communal tables and tear paper towels off the roll yourself. You can walk in a little smelly from a day full of walking, or slightly hungover and in need of resuscitation in the form of a stinging papaya salad. Food Rundown Lemongrass Beef Jerky They flash fry this jerky, so it has a crackly outer shell but is still tender and juicy inside. It’s a little sweet from the marinade, and if you come here without ordering it, that will make us very sad. PlayMute video credit: Ryan Pfeffer Pork Tapioca Dumplings These perfectly round, sticky tapioca balls are stuffed with pork that’s sweet, savory, and a little funky. They’re another worthy order that falls under the category of “wonderful things you can pop into your mouth in a single bite.” photo credit: Ryan Pfeffer Papaya Salad There are three spice options to choose from here, and if you do anything but mild, you better be ready to be gently slapped by chilies. Even the mild is intensely flavorful thanks to loads of what the menu calls “funky dank sauce.” It sort of tastes exactly how it sounds. PlayMute video credit: Ryan Pfeffer Lemongrass Sausage This is yet another vehicle for the funky, fermented flavors Sticky Rice does so well. It arrives charred and cut into segments for easy sharing. photo credit: Ryan Pfeffer Yellow Curry Chicken As you’ve probably noticed, there are a lot of spicy, fermented dishes here. If you need a break from that, go for this yellow curry chicken, which has a refreshing flavor thanks to ginger and coconut milk. PlayMute video credit: Ryan Pfeffer" - Ryan Pfeffer