The document summarizes the author's experience dining at Emeril's Tchoup Chop restaurant in Orlando. Some key points: - The author was impressed by the rich and flavorful Hibachi skirt steak. - The menu featured sushi, robata grilled items like cauliflower and pork belly, and composed dishes including sesame ahi tuna and hibachi skirt steak. - The new executive chef Ryan Vargas was praised for his elevated Hawaiian and Asian inspired cuisine drawing from his upbringing in Hawaii and training at the Culinary Institute of America.

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http://travelerfo o die.wo rdpress.co m/2014/02/10/its-a-new-leaf-at-emerils-tcho up-cho p/
It’s a new leaf at Emeril’s Tchoup Chop
by Traveler Fo o die
As I begin to relay my experience, the intoxicating f lavors of Hibachi Skirt Steak are still in my nostrils. Rich,
sweet, ginger, soy, garlic, sugar, tender, cow meat still waf ting around. I am tempted to go back f or another
piece of steak, but the f irst one has not even digested properly. Is this what being a junkie f eels like?
Have you tried Mocktails? T here are the equivalent of cocktails without the alcohol. More like liquid culinary
delights in a glass.
T hese libations are made f rom f resh squeezed juices. What a healthy treat.
Mon Chof f Riesling- is a generous bouquet of sweet citrus and exotic f ruits, creamy on the palate with a crisp
lingering f inish. I also had a glass of Picket Fence Pinot Noir f rom Russian River Valley which was very f ruit
f orward with cherry and blackberry, silky smooth with a spicy f inish. Sorry, I was too into the Steak and f orgot
to take a picture. T he wine list in this restaurant is enormous. I am told that they are in the process of revision.
Let me dip right into the Maki.
Lava-Deep f ried roll, topped with scallops, mayo and masago. A gorgeous starter, with ample crunch and
creamy topping. Ample bite size to open the palate.
Sushi Sampler-What a way to start the evening. T hese were hand picked by Chef f or our sampling.
Coconut Shrimp-Kani kama, cucumber, cream cheese, masago, lilikoi, kabayaki. Beautif ul morsels of texture.
T he creamy Kani kama nicely compliments the crunchy shrimp. Can you spot the tiny yellow round bulb perched
on top of the roll? In regualr sushi circles that would be and Ikura (Salmon Roe or Egg). Surprise, this is not! It
is a passion f ruit inf used tapioca pearl, or bubba.
Aloha (Front)-Kalua pork, cucumber, ahi poke, lomi lomi salmon, poi vinaigrette. Is there anything that def ines
Hawaii better than Kalua pork? Only when it is topped with Ahi poke. Big f lavors of Hawaii, Pork and Tuna. A
smooth wind swept the room. T he Aloha Spirit present.
Surf & Turf (Back)-Blue crab, cucumber, hibachi skirt steak, asian chimichurri, white truf f le oil. Perf ect
representation of traditional Surf and Turf .
Hurricane-Spicy salmon, hamachi, cucumber, avocado, sichimi, sweet miso, bbq eel sauce. Creamy, buttery
textures punctuated with cucumber crunch and sichimi kick only to be sof tened by bbq eel sauce. A true delight.
Spicy Red Dragon-Spicy tuna, panko shrimp, avocado, cucumber, habanero mayo. I appreciate the tuna being
seasoned with sichimi powder rather than the proverbial sriracha sauce that many local restaurants use. T he
tuna was f inely chopped rather than mincely shaved, which retains the f irm texture and not present mush. I’d
say a kicked up heat f actor rounds out the complimenting textures.
T hen came the f low of Robata prepared items. Robata grill is a Japanese cooking technique where heated
charcoals are used as heat source. T he f lavors imparted are heavenly.
Cauliflower-curry mayonnaise. Firm texture, with creamy curry f lavors.
Shishito Peppers-lime and sea salt. Just that hint of spiciness.

2. Flat Iron “Bulgogi”-Korean Bbq. Tender morsels of charred f lavors, mingled with sweet spiciness of Korean
f lavors makes this a great dish.
Japanese Eggplant-chili mint sauce. T his is easily scooped out of it’s skin f or a very sof t texture, add chili
and mint, what an explosion. Add the skin f or an earthier taste.
Pork Belly Tocino-Tamari chile vinegar. Hawaiians understand their pork. T his piece of preciousness stands
on it’s own with marvelous tenacity and charred glory. My personal taste had the sauce slightly on the
vinegared side, but it did cut the f attiness rather nicely.
Yakitori Pineapple Chicken-Li Hing Mui spiced. A tenderized chicken melted with pineapple juices f or a f lavor
only an island can generate.
T hai Spiced Lamb Satay-tamarind peanut glaze. Minced lamb with spices on a stick, oh my Hawaiian God, let
there be more of this. Where have you been all my lif e?
Just when the palate was getting to the height of tantalization, the chef brings out these Composed Dishes.
Sesame Ahi Tuna-Quinoa tropical f ruit tabouleh, wasabi ogo vinaigrette. Every restaurant these days have an
“Ahi Tuna dish”. What sets this apart? T he combination of f lavors. First of f this “bed’’ of quinoa shouldn’t be
called bed. It is too healthy to lie on, this should be like a “get up and jump around”. LIght, airy, f luf f y combined
with that hint of spiciness f rom the wasabi and nuttiness f rom the sesame, it takes the tuna to levels that
might even surprise the tuna. A marvelously composed dish.
Hibachi Skirt Steak-Okinawan purple smashed potatoes, wild mushroom “poke” asian chimichurri. Just when I
thought, I was with the f ood gods, this comes out. Disclaimer: I can’t be held responsible f or my next words.
Shut the Front Door! T his portion is way too small f or me. I want about ten times the size. No really, I’m not
kidding. Although a simple marination of soy, ginger, garlic and I’ll leave the rest to the chef . these exacting
portions, combined with length of marination and Hibachi (Flat top) cooking makes this the tenth wonder of the
world. Another disclaimer: While some may like their meat with only salt and pepper, I like a little more to it. T his
is my Umami.
Are you in a f ood coma yet? Here comes Desserts.
Crispy Guava & Cream Cheese Dumplings-mango-lilikoi sauce. Yikes, one bite puts you to the nth degree of
nirvana. Dipped in that mango sauce and the tropical gods sang.
Emeril’s Signature Banana Cream Pie-Graham cracker crust and caramel sauce. Truth be told, my dining
companion took a bite and slyly slide this plate to a corner of the table. It was reserved f or lunch the f ollowing
day. An entire meal! Light, f luf f y, airy, with sweetness that cradles to comf ort.
Hawaiian Style Malasadas Donuts-with coconut haupia, passion f ruit curd, and chocolate-peanut butter
f illings. Directions: Grab donut with hand, split donut in two, Squeeze a f illing of your choice and take a bite.
Repeat with all f iling, or together. Okay, okay, too primitive? Cut with knif e then squeeze f illing. Either way, bite
into this sof t, chewy, mold of sugary goodness and experience a rush. T here is a surprise ingredient in there
that contributes to it’s chewiness. If you ask politely, the chef may come out and explain. I am not spilling the
secret.
Do you think this kind of f easting happens by accident? Not at all. T here is no doubt in my mind that the
previous menu and Chef of this f ine establishment perf ormed and served with stellar accolades. I have enjoyed
and will enjoy again some of those creations. But this is a new day f or Tchoup Chop. Change is always good.
T he entire management and culinary team has seen a recent change.

3. Front of the house team has over 30 years combined previous Emeril Restaurant experience, while the Chef is
a Corporate rock star in his own right. Raised in Hawaii, Chef Ryan Vargas, attributed his early culinary inklings
to his f ather. His f ather was a career Master Chief Mess Specialist in the United States Navy. For all you non
seaworthy creatures, that would be the man who f eeds the crew of a ship. For others, he is the God at the
helm of the kitchen. Unbeknownst to Uncle Sam, young Vargas would wonder up to his f ather’s mess halls and
poke around in the store rooms. Unknown f act, his f ather cooked f or Presidents Bill Clinton and George W.
Bush. Young Vargas also cooked f or President Bill Clinton. How cool is that?
T his early curiosity lead to culinary training at the f amed Culinary Institute of America, where he would play host
to his f ather’s young pups f rom the Navy. T his lead to a path of culinary bliss in Ritz Carlton and Four
Seasons Resort Restaurants. T he f reedom of ease to create and express, lead Chef Ryan Vargas to Tchoup
Chop. Orlando is lucky to have a chef of this caliber. When a chef takes inspiration f rom his home kitchen and
elevate to a prof essional kitchen, that is a chef whose heart is at the very core of his menu. He f eeds you
what he f eeds his f amily. Isn’t that the Aloha spirit?
Tchoup Chop captivates with a long water f eature down the middle of the restaurant. Soaring high ceilings
allow f or hanging lanterns and light f eatures that simply whisk you away to an exotic enchanting palace. Unlike
most Universal restaurants at City Walk f or dinner, complimentary valet parking is available via the Loews Royal
Pacif ic Resort Pacif ica Ballroom entrance which is steps away f rom the restaurant entrance. For lunch, f ree
valet parking is available via the hotel main entrance.
T his Emeril Restaurant is aiming to break the stigma of “Hotel Restaurants” being stif f and proper. As evident
f rom managers, servers, captains and Chef walking around and checking on guest to create a more lingering
unrushed f eeling. T he atmosphere is more laid back with precise service. I’d say this change is right about
welcomed. I can’t wait to go back and have another piece of Hibachi Skirt Steak.
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