Island Hopper

02/06/09

Golden Triangle of Flavor

by Palateers at Citysearch

We love restaurants where each bite is an adventure unto itself. At the Island Hopper, every morsel makes your taste buds dance with delight. The Hopper provides a melange of Southeast Asian dishes ranging from Malaysian to Thai to Indian, with a little bit of Chinese, sprinkled on top like MSG.

The menu is extensive and consistently delicious. If you are unsure, the servers are especially knowledgeable and more than happy to lead you along the promised path to a satisfied stomach. A good start to the journey is the Tom Yum soup?a tangy, spicy broth with juicy shrimp floating like treasurers (it is amongst the finest that the Palatiers have every tried). Accompany this with the Roti and curry sauce (vegetarian friendly). As we discovered, it is a guaranteed crowd pleaser.

The main course options will never fail you, but the specials menu really opens up a new frontier. If they should have it, go for the duck. Good Beijing duck is a hard thing for a restaurant to master, but Hopper does an excellent job, and they will even wrap the pancakes in front of you! It is the small accompaniments that gather the tastes together. Hopper gives four options for rice with every dish. Count it: jade, brown, white and our personal favorite, the coconut. The udon noodles served in an earthen bowl were also worth exploring. The Sea bass with tangy ginger sauce is a creation fit for an emperor or at very least, a local warlord.

Although you might not initially feel up to it, dessert at the Hopper is a memorable affair. We recommend either the green tea Mochi (an outer shell filled with an ice cream core) or the fried banana roti drizzled with chocolate sauce and topped with strawberries and cream (picture included). Also recommended are the smoothies at anytime. Explore with family and friends, make sure to share the entrees, and always ask for chopsticks.

For other entertaining reviews and food related rants, google "palateers"

11/08/06

Yummy for my Tummy

by vanillamint at Citysearch

Delicious! I LOVE just about everything they have there, especially the appetizers. The mango shrimp is incredible, but try the pineapple fried rice if you want a less expensive but good meal. They are also deliver in less than 30 minutes if you get takeout.

• Pros: Food, peaceful/pleasing decorations

10/11/06

South China Sea cuisines sail on a single menu.

by Contributor at Citysearch

The Scene
Soaring ceilings, deep purple upholstery and gleaming hardwood floors make Island Hopper an unusually elegant venue for cuisines often served on Formica tables under fluorescent lights.

The Food
The kitchen is best with dishes that let the subtle flavors of the ingredients and regional herbs (lemongrass, Thai basil, mint, etc.) shine through. For example, the poh piah appetizer contrasts a soft wrapper with a crunchy jicama and mixed-vegetable filling. Hainanese-style ravioli are plump, firm and savory without the usual grease of potstickers. Watch out for chili paste, though, in Nenas chicken, where the sweet and fiery sauce leaves chicken, lemongrass and pineapple all tasting the same. (Creamy Thai ice tea soothes the flame nicely). Skip western desserts (sweet scrambled eggs passing as creme brulee) in favor of ice kachang: red beans, Jell-O, tapioca and peanuts tossed with chipped ice and rose syrup.

02/16/06

Good food but bad service

by smartyface at Citysearch

I went here a few days ago and while the food was pretty good and the portions well sized, the service left a lot to be desired. Our order was not taken for nearly 20 minutes even though the restaurant was not crowded, and all of the entrees were brought out at different times within about 5 minutes of each other. Our food was good but not quite worth the prices (which are higher than on the internet).

• Pros: Decent food, Location
• Cons: Service, Prices

09/08/05

Don't Miss Out

by 11189 at Citysearch

I loved the food, the menu gives you so many delicious choices from Thai to Indonesian dishes and their bar drinks are highly recommended (you must try the Leeche Smoothie!). Service was efficient, the ambience is cool, the portions are more than adequate and the value all make this a place great.

• Pros: Value, Great dishes, Creative Menu

07/14/05

One of my FAVORITE restaurants

by orlandoguy at Citysearch

I just moved to Orlando in June, but we lived on Tremont Street in Boston for 5 years...so trust me. We used to order in from Island Hopper - it was a treat for ourselves -- the food is excellent. I always looked forward to it. The restaurant itself is colorful and CLEAN...they have specials and it is at the end of Newbury Street on Mass Ave - so there's lots to do if you want to walk around afterward. Excellent flavor and food - good price. Recommend Beef Curry and Mango Chicken dishes...our favorites there. If you go - it's either seating right away or you won't wait too long. Hope this helps you to go and treat yourself! I miss it already! =(

• Pros: A++, hot and fresh, Tastey mild spices, Great decor & service
• Cons: Delivery can run late

02/25/03

Great service

by anonymous7 at Citysearch

While the food isn't the best in the world (nor the worst), the service is excellent. We were seated promptly, the wait staff was very attentive, and the manager came over to ask us if our dining experience was a good one. Island Hopper is a very customer service oriented place. So, while the food is just so-so, I'd probably go back again based upon the way I was treated.

• Pros: Great service, Friendly staff, Nice atmosphere
• Cons: Food is just "ok"

02/24/03

Owner must have logged in on 10/26/02

by ludlow03 at Citysearch

Each type of food I've tried here has been too sweet. And as far as this restaurant's user rating, there's something suspicious about multiple glowing reviews that were entered on the same date (10/26/02).

02/21/03

funky asian

by sweetelysium at Citysearch

a fun asian fusion place (a mix of oriental, indian, and pacific cuisine). the lunch specials are a good deal (soup, appetizer, and entree for under $8). i don't care for the food much, but the drinks are another story! don't leave without trying the many different kinds of smoothies (they're amazing). the decor is funky and colorful. a convenient location (i always walk up and down mass ave).

11/18/02

Great restaurant with an Island feel.

by eskimochik at Citysearch

This is a wonderful place to try all typed of island foods. I loved the atmosphere of this place...they make you feel right at home. The food was a little more expensive, but it was worth it with their huge portions and their variety of drinks.