Rangetsu was one of International Drive’s best kept secrets. It was a franchise with the look and feel of a local eatery. The place was massive, pretty, and contained some of the most popular sushi in the county. Located by one of twelve TGI Fridays in the area and inches from what-used-to-be-the-world’s-largest McDonalds (Damn you Russia and China), this Japanese joint seemed invincible. It was always full, always kicking, and always had the rave reviews. Then came reality, and the economy struck, shutting down the place out of nowhere. Months after offering New Year’s Eve specials, Rangetsu was taken down by the sluggish economic times. Now, what does this have to do with Choo Choo Churros? Well, Choo Choo just might become the next Rangetsu---a great place that will be marred by the economy, leading to magnificent food never being served again. This Argentine delight is quite high in price, but ups the price because they know they can back it with some of the best Hispanic food in the state.
This culinary adventure all started because of a co-worker that doesn’t speak Spanish but has Argentine blood running through her veins because of the fatherly side of the family. She was craving chimichurri, which is a well-known sauce/topping/slice of heaven originating and being popularized in Argentina, with most other Spanish countries giving their own take on it.
Chimichurri (according to Wikipedia) is traditionally a blend of chopped parsley, minced garlic, oil (vegetable or olive), white or red vinegar, and red pepper flakes. There are two versions of this topping; it can be green or red, depending on your preference. The green version contains a more limey flavoring, giving the dish an island touch. The red chimichurri is spicier and has much more of a kick, because it contains actual peppers and marinara sauce. Either way, she was craving it, so the search for legit chimichurri began. There was only one fully-legit Argentinean restaurant in Orlando however. Most Argentina dining can be found more along the south ends of Florida, especially in Miami (you know, Hispanic New York).
This lone stop for a slice of pure Argentina is located in the confusing confides of Downtown Orlando, right off the outskirts. Being located on the backends of Orlando and inches from Titusville, this eatery is quite a hassle to find, especially with the forever-pathetic, annoying, and frustrating 408 in the way. In other words, yes, I got lost, and yes, I was way off. Just as bad as my trip to Kissimmee, but it’s still not the worst case of being totally lost I’ve ever dealt with (My and my mom’s discovery of Christmas, Florida during an attempted trip to Gainesville made for some interesting storytelling).
After about an hour of hunting, we finally find the spot. The presentation from the outside wasn’t much to brag about, especially with a tree blocking the main title of the establishment. Definitely had a cozy, homey setting. We approach the restaurant, noticing that nobody else was in there, except for the employees. A very nice man opened the door for us, and seated us inside. His English was just as good as his Spanish, as his Argentine accent was as strong as my sarcastic accent when speaking to idiots. We were the only two guests in the place, with another lady in the background resting. The setting on the inside was quite romantic, with all the lights being dim and each table containing a small candle. That wasn’t the intention, I swear.
The menu, let’s just say, revealed the theme of the dinner : expensive. The place is definitely up there on the price scale, with certain appetizers hitting way past the $10 mark. Almost all the entrees breezed past the $15 mark. This was not a place to spend cheaply, this place was going to test your wallet limits. But hey, you must try all things in life once, so bring it! Our server was more than courteous to us, as he explained the short history of the place and what items are popular on the menu. Coincidence or not, the more popular items are the heavier-priced ones, go figure. He recommended this dish that concerns provolone cheese being baked with spices and herbs—then being topped with tomatoes.
The bread first arrives, then the cheese delicacy. The bread was freshly baked and came with delicious garlic butter. The chimichurri sauce arrived as well. It was the red-style chimichurri sauce. While it was a little bit spicy, it was still very tasty. I still prefer Bongos’ style, but that’s because theirs is heavy on the lime and has no evidence of spicyness. Pointless trivia: Chimichurri in the Dominican Republic is actually a type of burger---not a sauce. Their cheese appetizer however was simply spectacular. The provolone was extremely thick, but very tasty indeed. It was cooked just right and the spices only enhanced the flavor. The cheese mixed with the bread was a combination straight out of heaven. It was definitely a great start.
I ordered the steak (Churasco) and my partner-in-crime Chelsey orders the chicken. My steak came on top of a pile of fries, seemingly still on fire. The steam was spewing from the meat and wasn’t showing signs of slowdown. The chicken arrives in an impressive manner, engulfing three-fourths of the plate. The chicken arrives on a bed of rice and was topped with two lemons. The steak turned out very well; despite me knowing that if I had ordered it any rarer, it would have been even better (I am a wimp and asked for it well-done). Chelsea’s chicken (that just sounded like a typical name of a mom-and-pop joint) was very impressive, very tasty, and huge. My partner in crime had the face of someone that knew she was not going to finish her plate. We exchange plates and she fell in love with the steak—flat out in love. I didn’t mind finishing off the chicken, which was very good too. The entire dinner was impressive; with the only minor disappointment being the chimichurri (both of us clearly prefer the lime-style sauce)
As we were finishing (trying) the food, more people started arriving, adding some hope to the restaurant. This joint has been around for almost two decades, and the server mentioned that before, people used to wait 30 minutes for a table (There are only 9-10 tables in the eatery after all). However, tough times and tough breaks led to the place not raking the money they used to make. It’s a total shame too, because they have some fantastic dishes to offer. Then……came the dessert.
The dulce de leche crepe is easily the best crepe I have ever had the fortune to taste in my entire life. Second place is not even close, not even close. Epcot can only dream of delivering a crepe to the quality of Choo Choo Churros. The dulce de leche was rich, very sugary, and extremely high in flavor. In a wasabi-style flavoring takeover, the dessert absolutely delivered, was absolutely top-notch. The calories were rushing down my throat, but I did not care (As I write this, I have only eaten rice and tuna to make up for all the calories I chowed down last night). It was the perfect icing on the cake to the dinner, the experience altogether.
Bottom Line: The best way to sum this up is in Dominican Spanish: Lejisimo, Carisimo, pero Buenisimo. In plain American English: it was far, very expensive, but damn good. It honestly does an excellent job justifying the crazy prices. If you want good steak, this is the place to go. If you want a nice romantic setting, this is your spot. If you want some of the best dessert Orlando has to offer, Choo Choo Churros is your your place. The service was amazing, the food was spectacular, and it yet another reason why doing this blog was a fantastic idea. I don’t have much more to say, this place is high-quality-true-authentic stuff. If you are willing to spend the cash, prepare for some fine, fine cuisine.
This culinary adventure all started because of a co-worker that doesn’t speak Spanish but has Argentine blood running through her veins because of the fatherly side of the family. She was craving chimichurri, which is a well-known sauce/topping/slice of heaven originating and being popularized in Argentina, with most other Spanish countries giving their own take on it.
Chimichurri (according to Wikipedia) is traditionally a blend of chopped parsley, minced garlic, oil (vegetable or olive), white or red vinegar, and red pepper flakes. There are two versions of this topping; it can be green or red, depending on your preference. The green version contains a more limey flavoring, giving the dish an island touch. The red chimichurri is spicier and has much more of a kick, because it contains actual peppers and marinara sauce. Either way, she was craving it, so the search for legit chimichurri began. There was only one fully-legit Argentinean restaurant in Orlando however. Most Argentina dining can be found more along the south ends of Florida, especially in Miami (you know, Hispanic New York).
This lone stop for a slice of pure Argentina is located in the confusing confides of Downtown Orlando, right off the outskirts. Being located on the backends of Orlando and inches from Titusville, this eatery is quite a hassle to find, especially with the forever-pathetic, annoying, and frustrating 408 in the way. In other words, yes, I got lost, and yes, I was way off. Just as bad as my trip to Kissimmee, but it’s still not the worst case of being totally lost I’ve ever dealt with (My and my mom’s discovery of Christmas, Florida during an attempted trip to Gainesville made for some interesting storytelling).
After about an hour of hunting, we finally find the spot. The presentation from the outside wasn’t much to brag about, especially with a tree blocking the main title of the establishment. Definitely had a cozy, homey setting. We approach the restaurant, noticing that nobody else was in there, except for the employees. A very nice man opened the door for us, and seated us inside. His English was just as good as his Spanish, as his Argentine accent was as strong as my sarcastic accent when speaking to idiots. We were the only two guests in the place, with another lady in the background resting. The setting on the inside was quite romantic, with all the lights being dim and each table containing a small candle. That wasn’t the intention, I swear.
The menu, let’s just say, revealed the theme of the dinner : expensive. The place is definitely up there on the price scale, with certain appetizers hitting way past the $10 mark. Almost all the entrees breezed past the $15 mark. This was not a place to spend cheaply, this place was going to test your wallet limits. But hey, you must try all things in life once, so bring it! Our server was more than courteous to us, as he explained the short history of the place and what items are popular on the menu. Coincidence or not, the more popular items are the heavier-priced ones, go figure. He recommended this dish that concerns provolone cheese being baked with spices and herbs—then being topped with tomatoes.
The bread first arrives, then the cheese delicacy. The bread was freshly baked and came with delicious garlic butter. The chimichurri sauce arrived as well. It was the red-style chimichurri sauce. While it was a little bit spicy, it was still very tasty. I still prefer Bongos’ style, but that’s because theirs is heavy on the lime and has no evidence of spicyness. Pointless trivia: Chimichurri in the Dominican Republic is actually a type of burger---not a sauce. Their cheese appetizer however was simply spectacular. The provolone was extremely thick, but very tasty indeed. It was cooked just right and the spices only enhanced the flavor. The cheese mixed with the bread was a combination straight out of heaven. It was definitely a great start.
I ordered the steak (Churasco) and my partner-in-crime Chelsey orders the chicken. My steak came on top of a pile of fries, seemingly still on fire. The steam was spewing from the meat and wasn’t showing signs of slowdown. The chicken arrives in an impressive manner, engulfing three-fourths of the plate. The chicken arrives on a bed of rice and was topped with two lemons. The steak turned out very well; despite me knowing that if I had ordered it any rarer, it would have been even better (I am a wimp and asked for it well-done). Chelsea’s chicken (that just sounded like a typical name of a mom-and-pop joint) was very impressive, very tasty, and huge. My partner in crime had the face of someone that knew she was not going to finish her plate. We exchange plates and she fell in love with the steak—flat out in love. I didn’t mind finishing off the chicken, which was very good too. The entire dinner was impressive; with the only minor disappointment being the chimichurri (both of us clearly prefer the lime-style sauce)
As we were finishing (trying) the food, more people started arriving, adding some hope to the restaurant. This joint has been around for almost two decades, and the server mentioned that before, people used to wait 30 minutes for a table (There are only 9-10 tables in the eatery after all). However, tough times and tough breaks led to the place not raking the money they used to make. It’s a total shame too, because they have some fantastic dishes to offer. Then……came the dessert.
The dulce de leche crepe is easily the best crepe I have ever had the fortune to taste in my entire life. Second place is not even close, not even close. Epcot can only dream of delivering a crepe to the quality of Choo Choo Churros. The dulce de leche was rich, very sugary, and extremely high in flavor. In a wasabi-style flavoring takeover, the dessert absolutely delivered, was absolutely top-notch. The calories were rushing down my throat, but I did not care (As I write this, I have only eaten rice and tuna to make up for all the calories I chowed down last night). It was the perfect icing on the cake to the dinner, the experience altogether.
Bottom Line: The best way to sum this up is in Dominican Spanish: Lejisimo, Carisimo, pero Buenisimo. In plain American English: it was far, very expensive, but damn good. It honestly does an excellent job justifying the crazy prices. If you want good steak, this is the place to go. If you want a nice romantic setting, this is your spot. If you want some of the best dessert Orlando has to offer, Choo Choo Churros is your your place. The service was amazing, the food was spectacular, and it yet another reason why doing this blog was a fantastic idea. I don’t have much more to say, this place is high-quality-true-authentic stuff. If you are willing to spend the cash, prepare for some fine, fine cuisine.
Choo Choo Churros
5810 Lake Underhill Road
Orlando, FL 32807-4311
P.S. Visit #2
So I decided to come back and try their most popular item: which are the dulce de leche-stuffed churros. Now, on the second visit, the chicken was still awesome, the steak was even better the second time around, and the churros......wow...wow...wow. They were crispy, sugary, and sweet amazingness right down to the core. Now, if this added part to the review doesn't convince you, then perhaps these new pictures will:
Final Final Verdict: Highly Recommend
Sounds good. I'll be sure to take some sexy boy there for a second date sometime.
ReplyDeletesounds delish! specially the dulce de leche crepes... yum yum!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I assume that in your second paragraph you meant that your coworker does not speak spanish....
Yes, you are right. I meant Spanish.
ReplyDelete