Doshi
From picking up a delicious doshirak meal at a ghost kitchen to dining at a small, modern space in Winter Park, I've been able to see Doshi's evolution, well, their evolution so far. When I heard they were opening their restaurant, I was overjoyed, but then I found out it was exclusively a high-priced, multi-course Chef's Experience. Absolutely nothing wrong with that, it looks amazing and is certainly an exciting addition to our culinary scene. Still, it isn't something everyone can afford or often splurge for—a significant step from an affordable to-go Korean meal filled with excellent food. Nevertheless, it was on my list for special occasion dinners in the future.
Thankfully, after being open for five months, Doshi announced they were offering a new a la carte menu in addition to the multi-course chef’s experience. Not only was that something much more fitting for a night out with friends or loved ones, but something I’d be able to indulge in more than once.
THE VIBE
The restaurant is located in the Whole Foods shopping center off 17-92. There seems to have been a revolving door of eateries in this strip, so I’m hoping Doshi remains in their spot for as long as they’d like. The space is small. I counted five two-tops with banquette seating, a few other larger tables, and the bar seating that overlooks the open kitchen.
The lighting is dark and atmospheric, giving off date night vibes, with little decor and a mural from Boy Kong. There was no music blaring, you could easily hear the person you were dining with, and despite the open kitchen, that noise didn’t carry over.
The Food
The a la carte menu is divided into three sections—Banchan Bites, KKochi (KBBQ Skewers), and For the Table. Price points run from $6 - $34.
Everything is meant to be shared, but if you don’t want to share then do you! I shared my plates and I was still sufficiently stuffed by the end of the meal.
The meal begins with three small bowls of banchan, which were replenished during the dinner.
What I ordered:
Cheesy Tteokbokki (12)
KFC Wings (12)
Fire Octopus Skewers (12)
Doenjang Pork Belly Skewers (9)
Wagyu Galbi Jjim - served with rice (34)
What I loved:
The Cheesy Tteokbokki - This is a great dish full of fun textures. If you aren't familiar with it, the dish looks like pasta at a quick glance, but it's small rice cakes. You get both sweet and spicy in this dish, but the sweet isn't overpowering. There is a decent kick at the end of each bite; you get the gooey pull of truffle mozzarella and some light crunch from the pepitas. The portion size is also great for sharing and will fill you up more than you might expect.
Fire Octopus Skewers - I don't order octopus much when I dine out because I'm afraid it will be chewy and dull, but not here at Doshi. "Bul" means fire in Korean, so this dish is small but packs a punch (at least for someone like me). The skewers were nicely char-grilled, and despite the heat level, I could have easily eaten more, and I preferred these to the pork belly.
Wagyu Galbi Jjim - This is currently the most expensive dish on the a la carte menu, and thankfully it was so delicious you won’t mind the price point. The beer-braised beef tips are exactly what you expect when you order Wagyu—Buttery, juicy, just luscious. To me, the whole dish was an elevated pot roast, complete with potatoes and carrots. It was the perfect, satisfying and cozy end to the meal.
Next time I visit, I probably won’t be ordering the pork belly or KFC Wings again. Nothing was wrong with the pork belly; it just wasn’t a wow dish for me to eat again when there were other things on the menu to try.
The KFC wings missed the mark for me due mostly to a lack of flavor. There are so many places in Orlando that do a great job with this style of wings, and despite a nice crunchy coating and being juicy each bite, they didn’t live up to other places that are doing it a bit better.
Overall, I would absolutely go back to Doshi, and maybe one day, I will splurge for the Chef’s Experience.
The aftermath.
I was invited to dine here as “Friends and Family” and was graciously offered 20% off my bill, however that didn’t come with any agreement or media “ask “ to post anything in regards to my experience.