We ate at Tchoup Chop less than 2 weeks ago. Eating at good restaurants has probably become the most important part of our trips to Orlando and this was the one I'd been looking forward to most. It was right near the end of our trip, because we'd booked the last 3 nights at the Portofino Bay, and obviously it made sense to do it whilst we were there.
We'd already had some fantastic dining experiences by the time we got to Tchoup Chop and I was a little bit worried that it might not live up to my expectations. I needn't have been. The place is breathtaking. Water gently falling down one wall, a rectangular lily pool right down the centre of the dining room, 'oriental-style' booths at one end and a bar at the other backlit in an amazing shade of blue.
When we arrived, we were asked to wait in the bar area until our table was ready. I would say there were around 10-12 seats at the bar and they were all taken - most of them by people eating. There was a low wall separating the bar area from the dining room which had tables for two along its length (on the bar side). I imagine these tables and the bar itself were reserved for walk-ups. It was difficult to get a drink because we had to lean over those sitting at the bar. We then had to stand in the space between the bar and the bar tables. We were constantly having to move for servers passing through and I felt as though we were intruding upon the private space of those at the tables. It didn't really matter for us, as we were only there for 10 minutes before being seated, but I wouldn't choose to dine at either the bar or the bar tables.
Once we were seated I began to relax and to soak up the ambiance. It is a very busy, buzzing restaurant - think California Grill if you've been there. I haven't been to Emeril's for a while, but I remember that being a much calmer experience. Also the service was equally as good, but very different. At Emeril's we had the dedicated attention of one server for the entire duration of the meal. I don't even remember him serving any other tables, although I'm sure he must have done. There, the chefs brought the food to the table. At Tchoup Chop, our 3 servers (!) introduced themselves at the start of the meal and, although there was clearly a senior one, they all played a part throughout. There were also 2 'suits' walking the restaurant <i>and</i> the kitchens and, no exaggeration, they knew exactly what was going one at every table. I was pleased to see that they weren't just dishing out instructions - they were helping to deliver food. It's all very well orchestrated - they appear to make an effort to deliver as many dishes as possible to the table in one go (checking their notes before they arrive at the table to make sure they're delivered to the right people).
I did feel a little rushed. I tried to tell myself that it was a combination of having so many servers and the sheer hustle and bustle of the place, but the cynic in me kept eyeing up that lily pool which must cut out at least 50 covers!
The food was fabulous. I wasn't sure what to expect as I'm not a huge lover of Asian Cuisine and I'd read a review by Scott Joseph, the Orlando Sentinel's dining critic, completely slating it. Normally I respect his views, so my expectations of the food weren't all that high. Again, I needn't have worried. Everything we ate was perfectly prepared, cooked and presented.
I was very surprised at the number of children in the restaurant - some of them babies, in fact. This really isn't a children's restaurant in my view - not that they'd have bothered other diners, the place is simply too noisy - but it's definitely an adult environment. If you want to take your two, they won't be out of place, but you might enjoy it less. Maybe lunch would be a better option.
I do think you need to book in advance. I know that Mandy and Mark (Angel and Chunster20uk), aka the honeymooners, had tried to get into both Tchoup Chop and Emeril's whilst they were staying at HRH without any luck. I think I booked about 8 weeks in advance and, at that point, I could have had any time for the date I wanted.
As an aside, Emeril's has just won Orlando Magazine's Best Restaurant Award (beating Victoria and Albert's which has won it for, well forever!), and came second to V&As for Best Service. These are readers' awards (Tchoup Chop is too new to have been included).
I hadn't intended to rattle on for this long when I first started, but, well, get me talking about food and there's just no stopping me!
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