Food for thought in Orlando, USA

It almost seems unfair to start the list with the kind of food so essential to the image of America. Everyone knows burgers, the recipe is as simple as it is brilliant for mass production and consumption - buns with layers of meat, salad, sauces, and cheese between them. Cheeseburgers just put more emphasis on the cheese. Of course, you can arguably eat a cheeseburger in any country and any city of the world these days, but it's a special pleasure to eat a great Florida cheeseburger.

The Boathouse Orlando is an interesting, less obvious choice.

Vietnamese cuisine is not something one would think of when imagining the influential foreign culinary traditions in Orlando, yet here it is. Bun cha is a Vietnamese dish of grilled pork and noodle, thought to have originated from Hanoi. The dish is rather complex and includes minced pork shoulder to make meatball, pork belly, vermicelli, diluted fish sauce with sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, stock, crushed garlic, chilli, green papaya or carrots, onion, kohlrabi, cabbage, láng basil, etc.

Café Tu Tu Tango is said to serve good bun cha.

Some say that chicken is only popular as food because it's cheap. This does not account for the fact that chicken meat is very pliable in terms of how you can make it. Since we're currently talking about Florida, grilled meat is a natural choice. Local grilled chicken is ever-present in large numbers and in many different variations. The quality of the grill depends on the chef, so the most important thing is to select the right location and the right venue to get some chicken.

Border Grill Fresh-Mex seems to be the right place to try the amazingly grilled chicken.

Since we're talking about non-American influences on the cuisine in Orlando, an Albanian treat is next in line. Flija is a dish comprising multiple crêpe-like layers brushed with cream and served with sour cream and butter. Flija requires very simple ingredients, and when they are mixed, the result resembles a pancake. Layers of batter are baked using a saw, which is a spherical metal lid used for baking. The exotic dish is best served with accommodating soft drinks.

Flying Fish has decent flija.

Hot dogs are next to burgers in the line of ultimately American foods known to the rest of the world. Of course, modern times give birth to modern interpretations even to street food. For example, chilli dogs are the result of using the chilli sauce with the bun and the sausage instead of the regular ketchup or mustard. Additional toppings may include cheese, onions, and mustard. Orlando has several variations of chilli dogs, because the formula is so easily replicated and modified.

Market On South is said to have good chilli and cheese hot dogs.

If you're in the mood for something less complex than a Vietnamese mix or even a plain cheeseburger, you can always try sandwiches. As simple as food gets - two slices of bread with something in between. Naturally, since we're talking Florida, lots of unique variations of sandwiches exist, particularly the meat sandwiches. The way the meat is made, the way it is combined with salad or sauce, the amount of filling - all of it depends on the chef at a restaurant or cafe where you want to grab a quick bite.

Earl of Sandwich is a specialized place for just that.

Of course, there's another chicken dish on the list. This small repetition is unavoidable in Florida, and this time, at least, the food itself is beloved by many. Chicken wings come in all shapes and sizes, with all kinds of preparation tricks, a variety of sauces and marinating techniques. Prepared in a bundle and consumed at sporting events, dinners, during lunch breaks, and at leisure, chicken wings are probably the most common type of food ever consumed in modern history.

DOMU has great chicken.

This ubiquitous Mexican dish cannot be stopped. Tacos are found in abundance in Florida restaurants, and Orlando is no exception. The unstoppable popularity of the dish is probably caused by the fact that a taco can be made with a variety of fillings, including beef, pork, chicken, seafood, beans, vegetables, and cheese, allowing for great versatility and variety. This street food is a great training ground for chefs, as well as an easy pick for a quick bite to eat on your way to Orlando's many attractions.

Black Rooster Taqueria is an interesting pick if you want some tacos.

The next offering on the list originates from Bali, Indonesia. The dish called lawar is made from a mixture of vegetables, coconut and minced meat mixed with rich herbs and spices. The mixture contains green beans, beaten eggs, vegetable oil, kaffir lime leaves, coconut milk, palm sugar, fresh grated coconut, and fried shallots, all stir-fried in coconut oil. Some types of lawar might add the blood of butchered animals, but that's hardly a variation of the dish found in Orlando.

Hash House A Go Go offers nice lawar.

To finish things off, we could probably go for a classic food that's as common as cheeseburgers that we started with. Doughnuts can be prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and franchised speciality vendors. Of course, restaurant doughnuts are the best, as they are produced specifically for luring the clients in with taste and quality. So, if you want to finish a serious meal, try finding the best doughnut place.

Highball & Harvest is a decent option.

Orlando is a place to rest, do business, and live a life to the fullest in the modern world. Check out the best food you can get while integrating yourself into the ever-growing human sprawl.