I've been wanting to come here for a while and was so happy that we had a stellar experience! We arrived as soon as they opened and that turned out to be a great arrival time as a walk-in guest because the space began filling up within the first hour. We were greeted and served by the chillest guy who took us through the menu and recommended some of his favorite drinks and dishes to us.

I tried the "Absinthe Suissesse" and that might've been my first or second time trying absinthe. While their cocktail menu had a lot of my other favorite spirits, I figured I'd try an absinthe drink since it was an absinthe bar and it was fantastic! I imagine you'll want to be in the right mood for it because it's sort of a dessert drink - but to be clear, it's not an overly sweet drink. It's creamy, a touch frothy, with some cinnamon up top and a hint of licorice that you'll experience in most absinthe cocktails. I think all of the other flavors helped to balance the strength of the absinthe so it's worth a shot if you're in the mood for that flavor profile and want to try absinthe out.

We went with some of the waiter's recommendations for our dishes and since it was a tapas-style situation, we just got a handful of plates to share. I was in the mood for carrots so I got the honey smoked carrots and my wife ordered the octopus (pulpo a la parilla) which both came out first. Then the jamón pastries were served, followed by their special that day: the seared scallops with caviar! For being an absinthe bar, their food was fantastic! No notes from me - flat out delicious! I recommend bookmarking this spot for your next date night, happy hour hangout or a catch-up spot with an old friend. The place is beautiful, dark + moody, chill, and the staff were all really cool. Makes me love the Mills50 district even more!

I'm honestly mad at myself for waiting SO long to come here but you know it's a legit spot when there's already a line out front even before they're open. On a slightly chillier day, a sudden craving for a bowl of good soup or noodles walloped me and I decided that it was finally going to be the day that I tried Zaru... and it did not disappoint!

For any first timers wanting to go, you'll want to park BEHIND the strip of businesses and walk in through the Tien Hung grocery store. Just hang a right and walk straight back and I think maybe take a left, then you'll see signage for Zaru. It might look like a little sketch, kinda like you're walking into a kitchen or the back-of-house but in this case, it'll mean you're going in the right direction LOL

Another thing to point out is that this restaurant seats around 25ish people so if you want to get seated right away, you may want to try and get there right when they open. We got there at 5pm for dinner and were maybe the fourth group of people to get seated so even after being open for over 4 months, this place is still poppin!

We started out with the gyoza and tempura shishito peppers and mushrooms and both of the starters were really good. I was super impressed with how light and crispy the tempura was on the peppers and mushrooms. Shoutout to the fryer because the settings they used were perfectly dialed in. Shoutout to our server too, I can't remember her name but she knew the menu and spiel perfectly but I have to share this because it made me laugh.

When she was walking us through the menu, I found myself pleasantly surprised at the speed in which she delivered us the details. It was akin to Busta Rhymes or Twista going HAM on a verse and I don't know if I'm just getting old but I could only keep up with about 75% of the info I still got the jist of it but I was honestly too speechless to ask her to repeat what she said. Needless to say, it was impressive.

Now that I've written out an entire novel, I'm going to keep the main event short and sweet. I ordered the "Nikutama Udon" for my main entree and it was MUY DELICIOSO. It totally satisfied my noodle craving. I tricked it out with a second egg and all of the fixings they provided - SO, so good. I will definitely be back soon and hope to try more of their menu.

As an Orlando resident, I am crazy jealous of Lakeland getting to have this absolutely incredible park in their backyard! It makes sense that it's privately funded because I don't see most cities investing this much into a park of this caliber. It honestly does not feel like you're in Florida. The terrain varies in height throughout the entire park and I was so impressed with the planning that it must have taken to design and build this place.

From the rolling hills, to the various types of walkways, the playgrounds, and event spaces, there is TONS to see and do at this park. If it's your first time visiting, do yourself a favor and hop on the shuttle when you first arrive. The driver gives you a 15-minute tour (more or less) of the park which gives you a solid lay of the land. Our driver gave us all of the fun facts we were curious about and we got to ask a lot of questions during the ride as well.

Even after taking the shuttle ride, it still doesn't feel like we experienced everything. The park is huge! We didn't get to see the museum, welcome center or cafe there but they looked really nice. I'd also love to spend more time walking through all of the trails near the water. We really enjoyed taking in the views from the canopy walkway and through the gardens. This park alone is worth the 1 hour trip from Orlando to Lakeland but if you have time, definitely explore the surrounding area, Lakeland has so many other cool things to offer. I will ABSOLUTELY be back.

I've been wanting to come here for a date night since they opened and I'm SO mad at myself for not coming here sooner! It's not too often you encounter a dining concept that is both Italian and Filipino... just like me and my wife!

We made a day-of reservation for the chef's tasting which just so happened to be on a chill Sunday. I highly recommend that you make a reservation for the tasting because they only have 8 seats at their counter. In terms of coursed tasting menus go, Danilo's offers a very well-priced 8-course experience for $75/person. Check out the attached pics, I think they speak for themselves! I left absolutely stuffed and with leftovers.

I have to say, the experience was unforgettable. I enjoyed EVERY course but if I had to choose some favorites, it was a close tie between the dessert course and the surf & turf pancit. The menu changes regularly but I think the experience really shows off their creativity and portions. Their service was impeccable and the bartenders were friendly and approachable.

If you're not in the mood to eat 8 courses, you can order off of their a la carte menu but I highly recommend the chef's tasting. Shoutout to the chefs and servers for giving us the best service and experience. I can't wait to come back!