Hey, downtown, there’s a new eatery in the neighborhood. It’s called Neighborhood Eatery.
OK, so not a real inventive name, but there’s a bit of creativity in the compact menu. That’s because owner Jon Lee, a second generation Korean-American, has fused the cuisines of his heritages into simple but tasty offerings. Think more along the lines of Tako Cheeno.
For example, I had the Koagie, which was sort of like a Philly cheesesteak by way of South Korea. In fact it looked exactly like a cheesesteak, and technically it was. But along with the shaved beef, caramelized onions and wizzy cheese was a bulgogi sauce, which has soy and garlic plus some sugar and honey to take the edge off. It was served on a soft and doughy roll — a hoagie bun, if you will, which is probably where the koagie comes from — and it was all quite pleasant to eat.
To be honest, though, I found the $7.49 charge for the sandwich — and nothing else — about a buck or so too much.
The special of the day, a kimchi quesdadilla, at $4.69 sounded more reasonable, and every bit as tempting.
Neighborhood Eatery is in the space that once was Oasis Grill, and is not really in what you’d consider a neighborhood. But it is neat and tidy, and the staff members — order at the counter and someone will bring your food to you when it’s ready — were polite and smiling.
Neighborhood Eatery is at 231 N. Magnolia Ave., Orlando, across from the old post office and a stop on the Lymmo line. It is open for lunch and dinner Monday through Friday. The phone number is 407-648-1050.
