Casual American Fare

I was in Orlando for a conference and stayed at the Renaissance Orlando Seaworld Resort. The hotel itself is already twice the size of any local hotels. Inside, there are several restaurants, most notably the Tradewinds Restaurant, serving casual American fare. Besides lunch on the first day and breakfast on the last day, all other meals were catered, so I went to the Tradewinds Restaurant for lunch on my first day. Afterall, what is the use of going to America without partaking American food?

The restaurant is situated at the mezzanine of the hotel. It is the most conspicuous restaurant when one enters the hotel as it is situated right in between the two lift lobbies (the two lift lobbies are situated at two ends of the hotel). The entrance is flanked by a pair of french doors opening into a casual ambience.

Tradewinds Restaurant at Renaissance Orlando Seaworld Resort

I ordered a burger (what else?). Bear in mind that the American burger is not the same as our normal local burger from McDonalds or other fast foods. The American burger is made up of two huge chunks of bun, with a huge round meat loaf made from beef, lettuce, tomatoes and olives, in between the two buns. The American burger can kick any Carl's Jr. burger (considered one of the bigger burgers around) to the end of the world!

The burger I ordered is a normal BLT - bacon, lettuce, tomato, and came with just that, with coleslaw as a side dish. I was famished after the long flight and the jetlag, that I just held the burger and put it in my mouth. Hmmmm.... delicious! Nothing can ever describe the taste of the burger! No doubt it was just an ordinary burger, but for a ravenous jetlagged person, it was totally juicy and top of the world!

It was a very satisfying lunch! The opening dinner was a few hours later, where we had cocktails around the mezzanine area, then went into the ballroom for a three-course meal. Somehow, after the burger I had, the meal was not as appetizing nor fulfilling as the burger. Or perhaps I was still full from the huge burger. Whatever it was, the food for dinner was nothing much to rave about.

Appetizer - mixed salad

Main course - Fillet of Fish with carrots and asparagus

The fish was alright, but the sauce was not good enough to mask the "fishy" taste.

Dessert - Chocolate Gelato Cake

Even the chocolate cake did not perk me up. The texture of the cake was soft enough, but the taste itself is not rich enough.

All in all, it was a disappointing dinner. However, the closing dinner at the underwater restaurant in Seaworld was not too bad. We were seated at a table next to the big aquarium tank, where the sharks, sting rays and fish were swimming around looking at us eating.

As usual, the menu had already been decided. The first course (appetizer) was samosa (of all things!). It was samosa alright, with a fruit salad on the side as accompaniment. But it was nothing compared to the authentic samosa we have back home.

Appetizer - Samosa

The entree was mixed salad, with croutons. I wonder why do they not have soup? Or maybe because of the crowd, soup is a bit too troublesome since everyone's taste is different? Personally I much rather have soup than salad.

Entree - Salad with Croutons

At least the main course was alternate. It was a choice of fish and steak. I chose steak of course, you do not expect me to eat fish while staring at a fish!

Main course - Sirloin steak with Onions and Crab Cake

At least the steak was perfect - tender, juicy and just the right make. One does not get steak cooked to perfection back home, but then I guess in a place where the people grow up on steaks, I would kind of expect the steaks to be perfect.

Dinner ended off with dessert, again gelato with fruits! Wonder what the organiser had against real full cream ice cream?

Dessert - Gelato in a Cup with Strawberries

We had to walk to Seaworld from our hotel. Even though our hotel is considered as "inside Seaworld" itself, it was still a twenty minute walk to reach Seaworld, and another twenty minute walk to the restaurant. By the time dinner ended, it was almost ten, and the gates were closed. We were locked in the theme park! Fortunately, someone managed to get a security guard who opened the gates and let us all out. After the sumptuous dinner, a walk really did us good!

It was unfortunate that I did not go to more places since it was a work trip, but I believe there would be another chance to go off on my own again, and taste all the different tastes of America!