Chinese Cuisine & Sushi
Chinese Cuisine & Sushi Bar
Guestbook & Reviews
PreviousJan 09, 2012 ~ BRINK magazine ~
by - Megan Hyde
"Eat Like A King or Queen? Summer Palace It Is!"
It’s always good to hear of new places to try and today we share a fab spot in Florida’s East Orlando and Windermere areas. Summer Palace, established in Windermere in 2005 and the East Orlando location in 2007, offers both exquisite sushi and savory Chinese cuisine. This is the place to indulge in for your next evening out.
As soon as a guest walks in the door they are greeted with warmth and friendliness and immediately you know you’re off to a fantastic start. As manager of the Waterford Lakes location in East Orlando, Vivian Ho puts it, “I used to eat out a lot. A restaurant with good food but bad service never worked for me. I make sure those bad service scenarios won’t happen in my restaurant.”
A restaurant veteran with 15 years of service, Vivian and her staff execute this extremely well. You will feel like you’ve known everyone forever. Once you’ve said your name once, you will be remembered and greeted by name your next visit. With the economy as it is, that says so much. It’s a privilege to go out and many have higher expectations because of this. You will certainly feel pleased with your choice of Summer Palace. Now, the service is fabulous but the food??? Maybe you’d like the number now because you will desire an order immediately…
Whether you choose sushi or Chinese for your lunch or dinner, you will be full, satisfied and anticipating your next meal already! Top quality food and the freshest ingredients combine to bring your taste palette to new levels. I personally alternate between both options and let me tell you, it is a tough decision each time. Some of my all-time favorites are the Golden JB Roll, the Rock n’ Roll and when I’m craving Chinese I go for Chicken with Vegetables in a Sesame sauce or Shrimp and Vegetable Lo Mein. Excuse me, where is my phone? I need to place an order…
Some of the dishes added to the Waterford Lakes menu like the Bang Bang Shrimp, Chicken Lettuce Wrap, Volcano Roll, and Pina Colada Roll are all exceptional choices as well, each showcasing the evolution of their menu. One can only hope this growth transcends into yet another location so even more folks can enjoy both amazing food and over the top service.
Reviews on Urbanspoon.com:
"Likes it" by Mistryl
April 23, 2012 - Have I had better sushi? Absolutely. Have I had better all-you-can-eat sushi? Definitely not, and the price is unbeatable.
"All you can eat sushi is amazing!" by Josh Jordan
February 22, 2012 - Likes it - I love good sushi. I love fresh sushi. I love all you can eat sushi. This place easily does all three. $20 for the some of the best, made to order sushi I've eaten, and that's saying a lot. Dynamite roll there are the best option there in my strict opinion.
"Likes it" by Bonaccorse
February 7, 2012 - Good food, pleasant service, Nice food presentation. Meal served in Bento like box tray. Will come back.
"Not bad" by H22l97
July 10, 2011 - Likes it - The sushi was great! My friend and I ordered the Pina Colada and Sweet Potato rolls. The Sweet Potato roll was pleasant surprise, but the Pina Colada roll was exceptional! It contains coconut shrimp, which is so good! We also ordered the Bo Bo platter for an appetizer, which was a LOT of food. It was typical Chinese food, nothing special...except for the coconut shrimp. Very good. Reasonably price.
It wasn't too busy, so the service was good and the food came out quickly. Can't complain. Will probably return again just for the Pina Colada roll.
"Delicious...worth the price!" by Kristen "M
March 25, 2011 - Really likes it - My expectations for Chinese food tends to be pretty high. I gave up on Chinese food in Orlando for a while...until a friend recommend I try Summer Palace, hands down...best Chinese food in this area! There is a Chinese restaurant right next to my house & I'd rather drive the extra 15 minutes for great quality food & exceptional customer service...definitely worth the price. Mongolian beef is my fave! :)
"Very Enjoyable!" by jmc
January 23, 2011 - Likes it - We had lunch there and it was good. Service was quick and friendly. The owner came over twice to check on us and get us refills. The place was empty when we got there and filled up by the time we left. We had the Chicken with Garlic Sauce and the Beef with Szechuan Sauce. I also had the egg drop soup. It was all very good. I was not a big fan of the dishes it was served on, They used a bento box for a regular meal so it was spread across 5 separate sections. Kind of a pain to eat.
We will go back.
"Great Chinese and Sushi!!" by melissa
December 25, 2010 - Coming from South Florida and having excellent chinese and sushi places, I struggled to find sonething when my husband and I moved here in 2008. My husband and are are picky and found the quality is superb!! I got some co-workers who are sushi snobs into this place now too. Prices are fair and food is high quality and very fresh
"Best Chinese restaurant in East Orlando" by Vernon Rupinta
November 19, 2010 - Likes it - Food always taste fresh and tasty!
"A real treat" by FoodLvr
July 17, 2010 - We moved to Avalon a few months ago, been trying to find a good Chinese restaurant, but all we came across were those Chinese take-out restaurants that only brought disappointments. Finally, one of our neighbours recommended Summer Palace on Alafaya.
Wow! The first dinner we had there, the superb food quality, the friendly and attentive service, it was a real treat!! As an Asian, I have to say, Summer Palace really surprised me. The Seafood Pan-fried Noodle was just like what we had back home, the Mongolian Beef was so flavorful and tender .... I can go on and on. We also tried the sushi on our second trip there. Not a lot of choices on the rolls there, but everything was so fresh; even the sushi rice was tastier than a lot of other sushi places that we had tried. The Volcano, Dynamite, and the Spicy Tuna Roll are our favorites. We also noticed the manager, Vivian, greeted many of her customers by name, very impressive!
Keep up the good work! We''ll be there soon again
"Likes it" by Littlett
July 12, 2010 - I ate there once, and the experience was awesome! The sushi are very delicious, and the service was very friendly. As a Chinese I have to say most of the Chinese restaurants in America can't meet my expectation, however, this one did.
"Wonderful Asian Food" by owenls2000
February 19, 2010 - Likes it - It took awhile to find Summer Palace at Waterford Lakes, but it is now a mainstay for our routine dinning. The food is excellent (as good as Asian rest. in ny, sf and phila)and the service is very friendly, professional and accomodating. The manager, Vivian, is one-of-a-kind hostess.
"All-around good" by Andy S.
December 24, 2009 - Likes it - All you can eat sushi? Yes please. The sushi is great but the entrees are my favorite part. It also doesn't hurt that the staff is always extremely nice.
May 26, 2009 - Likes it - Summer Palace is by far the best Asian restaurant in East Orlando! The restaurant itself has a nice atmosphere, and Vivian and staff are awesome, their delivery service is great as well. Favorites are California rolls & Summer Palace rolls. Can't pick one dinner that I like the best, it is always a hard choice. We are leaving the area soon, and Summer Palace will be one of the things we miss most!
Reviews on YAHOO! LOCAL:
by Kishi
The best Japanese-Chinese Cuisine restaurant in Orlando! I love their friendly service and the atmosphere. It's a very clean and high-class restaurant. It's a place you will feel comfortable like home. The Volcano Roll is my personal favorite! It's the best, everyone should give it a try. The mixture of Chinese and Japanese cuisine makes this restaurant very delightful!
Everbody need to pay a visit there!!!!!
by H M
04/19/2009
Great service especially from Vivian. She goes out of her way to make sure that the customer are treated great and that the food meets their expectations. I also observed other customers that go there and she actually rememebers them by name which is a great trait to have in keeping their customers. As far as the food goes, the sushi is the specialty and the rest is good. But customer service is a big part of the outcome of a person's experience.
by Asian Food Lover
12/16/2008
Great food and atmosphere! The staff is friendly and the food is delicious.
by Zanne
First of all this restaurant combines Chinese and Japanese cuisines, which satisfies all member of the household for one-stop dining.
I have traveled to NY and LA which you would think would have top notch sushi, however I sat in a Sushi restaurant in Hollywood, CA wishing I was having the sushi from Summer Palace. It might be the sauce, but this sushi is the best of the best. The only complaint I have is that they don't offer more of a variety of Sushi. I recommend the Dynamite and Philly Roll!
by chris
Not the best in Orlando like the other guy said. But non the less very good. I have eaten there several times they have great Sushi too.
by Swish
04/03/2008
We have eaten at numerous Chinese and Japanese restaurants around Orlando. This is by far the best Chinese restaurant around (other than Epcot's) It is a sit down atmosphere with great food. Their General Tso's Chicken is the best in Orlando. You won't be disapointed. They also serve great sushi, in case you are interested in sushi as well.
Reviews on Google:
Great food. Very friendly atmosphere
by Swish008 - 12/08/2010Keep some perspective
After eating at Summer Palace today, I can say that I was pleasantly surprised. Some the reviews on this site are either too negative or too positive. In either case, it makes me question who is writing them. A rival restaurant or the Summer Palace owners? Here's the real scoop. Is this New York Chinese food quality....It would be a middle of the road to lower end restaurant in New York City. But East Orlando is NOT New York city. Summer Palace is an oasis of edible Chinese food in a desert of pre-packaged, frozen, rubbery, preservative ridden take-out and chain Chinese Restaurants. There may be some better places near downtown or I-drive but for the price and location (close to Waterford), it doesn't get much better. The rice was light and fluffy, the egg roll seemed fresh, and the lo-mein noodles also tasted fresh. I could tell that real eggs were used in the fried rice. This is the first time in recent memory that I took the time to write one of these reviews. I am posting this because I don't want other people to skip this restaurant because of some other bone-headed negative reviews. I want this place to stay open so that I can continue to get edible Chinese food in the UCF Waterford area. Do me a favor and decide for yourself. Order something simple like Fried Rice from this place and 2 other Chinese places anywhere in East Orlando. Then come on here and write your own review. I will be amazed if anyone finds better.
My Favorite!
byReviews on yelp:
by Darysse C. - 1/25/2012Summer Palace is the best Chinese Restaurant I've been to in Orlando. I've tried different dishes and they're all extremely good, I've done dine in, take out, delivery. Food has always been up to par. Mongolian Beef is quite delicious. My favorite thing is their sushi, well one roll, they don't have a huge sushi selection, but the dragon roll is the best dragon roll i've ever had. Def should try this place out if you're in the area.
by Julia G. - 9/11/2011 I live down the street from this restaurant and I absolutely love it! My fiancé has actually said on prior occasions that "If I could live there, I would". I mean come on ... awesome all-you-can-eat sushi for $19.95!?!?! You can't beat that deal.
The restaurant is small but defiantly packs a punch. Both their Chinese food and Sushi are the best in Avalon Park/Waterford Lakes. Service is always very prompt and the staff is very friendly. The all-you-can-eat menu is rather large and has a very good selection in both sushi and nigiri. Be warned though, if you don't finish the sushi you order from the all-you-can-eat menu, they charge you per piece left over. Luckily, I've never been charged, because I completely clear my plate. :-) The Chinese food is a little on the pricey side, but the quality and quantity seem better then any other Chinese take-out in the area . I definitely recommend trying Summer Palace.
by Zanne K. - Updated - 9/11/2011
Still a loyal customer and still order delivery every week! Vivian the owner is wonderful. They have added new Sushi options that are delicious! Try the Pina Colada or the Sweet Potato Roll. Yum!-
by Tom H. - 8/21/2011
Thumbs up. Sushi and Chinese at the same time. We had ala carte sushi, AYCE and an order of Kung Pao Chicken. The service was fast, friendly and accurate. The Nigri on the AYCE was limited in choices, but it covered the basics. The ala carte Nigri was complete and very reasonably priced at around 2.50 per piece. The Kung Pao was loaded with meat and fresh veggies that were not over cooked or drenched in sauce. If you are looking for high end sushi this is not the place for you. Three of us had a nice meal for $50 before cocktails.
by Kevin L. - 7/2/2011
This restaurant is very small (in a shopping center next to WalMart Neighborhood Market at the corner of Alafaya Trail and Curry Ford Road).
What brought me here was the all-you-can-eat sushi. And it doesn't disappoint.
The food is good, service is good, restaurant is clean - pretty much everything you look for in a restaurant, right?
by Megan H. - 1/13/2011
This is a decent, small place for lunch with super fast service. The rolls are good and fresh and the chinese food is decent. Here are some favorites:
* Spicy Salmon Roll - This is a quiet winner. The roll is simple: salmon marinated in a spicy sauce. The flavor is out of this world!
* Lobster Roll - tempura lobster and caviar. What's not to love?
* Pineapple Roll - tempura shrimp with a pineapple topping. This is a-ok but needs a little more in the flavor department next to the shrimp.
* Sweet Potato Roll - tempura sweet potato! Yum!!!
by ZANNE K. - 7/18/2010
The number one place for delivery in East Orlando! They offer the best of both worlds Chinese and Japanese food. My husband always gets Chinese and I get Sushi. More than the cost of pizza, but worth it. The service is outstanding and delivery is always 15 minutes earlier than they say it will be. The only "complaint" I have, is I wished they offered more of different variety of Sushi. They only offer about 12 rolls currently. Whether you dine in or order delivery, you will not be disappointed!
by Jahna N. - 09/05/2009
We love Summer Palace. It's a great sit-down option for Chinese food, which is a rarity on our side of Orlando. It's nice enough for date night, but also family friendly.
We have tried a number of dishes, including sushi, and are impressed by the freshness of all of the ingredients, from the vegetables to the sauces. Portions are large enough for sharing, but we never do.
by Robert H. - 7/20/2009
I had lunch at Summer Palace, and I was very impressed.
The food was very good, served in a bento box (cute!) and reasonably priced.
We enjoyed 2 sushi rolls as well, and they tasted fresh and were very good. We would have had the all-you-can-eat sushi special ($19.99), but that is a bit expensive for our taste - especially for lunch.
I'd definitely go back again to Summer Palace!
by Christie L. - 12/30/2008 This is the first sit-in chinese restaurant to serve superb american chinese food I have visited in a very long time.
This little gem is tucked inbetween a pizza place and a hair cuttery and the restaurant is actually on the small side because of the shopping center it is located in. However, the staff is extremely pleasant and make you feel very welcome.
Upon sitting down you find you actually have linens instead of paper napkins and are served crunchy noodles with duck sauce. I'm fairly confident this is the only chinese eat-in restaurant in east Orlando that does this.
The menu has a combination of japanese favorites like sushi but is dominated by traditional american-chinese food faire. There are also a few specialty items that seem to be more true chinese in nature, such as the duck or shrimp dishes.
My companion ordered the house chicken special while I ordered the imperial beef. The portions are served large, and the presentation is very beautiful. This restaurant also does takeout and I can only imagine how tasty it must be after trying these dishes! We easily had enough leftovers for lunch the next day.
Unfortunately I cannot rate much else as this was our first trip but I have a feeling there will be many more in the future to come. I strongly recommend anyone to try this restaurant as it is the best chinese food I've had in a very long time and I can tell you wont be disappointed.
