Christopher Atkinson
Google
Came to Yao's for the Bite 30 event they were participating in. I love restaurants that participate in Orlando events, and I will support them the best I can. I had pretty low expectations of this place, because Oviedo is a magnet for subpar chains, but no, I was thoroughly, pleasantly surprised.
Ambiance inside is absolutely beautiful. A nice bar, a peek into the kitchen, and just a really elegant dining room. The booths were very cozy. I was very comfy in my visit.
Service was pretty good. Our server was nice enough. Kind of absent at key moments where we needed refill. And the food really took forever. But hey, it can't be easy to run a restaurant efficiently. It didn't affect my visit.
As for the food, there were the three courses, of course.
Apps
Shanghai Sticky Ribs (St. Louis pork ribs, sweet chili soy, fried garlic, fried shallots). Insanely good. Not to spoil things, but these were the best bite of the night for me. So sticky, and with the fried garlic and shallots on top adding a crunch and a garlicky, oniony smack of flavor, dear Lord. I could live off these.
D's Dumplings (seasonal filling). These were also great. One side of the dumpling was soft like it was steamed, and the other side was pan fried to perfection. So many good textures. I'm not sure what the filling was, but the dipping sauce was good. I love a good, sharable app like this.
Mains
Three Pigs Fried Rice (char siu pork, chinese sausage, bacon, egg, local corn, scallions). Very good. Usually, it's hard to differentiate the different porks in dishes like this, but no, everything was there and obvious. A huge portion. These mains are very sharable, family style. All the pork fats made this very unctuous. Lovely.
General Yao's Chicken (tempura). This chicken was tempura fried, leaving a lovely, delicate, ultra crunchy coating. And the General Yao sauce, whatever that is, was really delicious. Just a hint of a kick to it. Delicious. And served with white rice, like all dishes in the world should be.
Desserts
Black Sesame Soft Serve (toasted black sesame, brown sugar crumble). Very unique! I love the little earthy tone that sesame adds to desserts. Makes it very cravable, not too sweet. The sweetness from the crumble on top makes it a great dessert.
Matcha Panna Cotta (orange granita, lime, mints). This was a like palate cleanser type thing. Muted matcha panna cotta, a lovely flavor, with a bright zing from the orange granita, a hint of lime zest. A refreshing way to end a heavy meal.
Overall, Yao's isn't just a good-for-Oviedo restaurant. It's a good restaurant. Some really unique flavors and textures. I am really excited for when I can come back.