By far my favorite area of Orlando is the Mills 50 neighborhood, where the restaurants are abundant and tourists are rarely found. The area is a gold mine for top quality (and affordable) eats, and has a wonderful concentration of Asian restaurants representing the diversity of Asian countries. 


Ironically, Asian food is really hit or miss for gluten-free eaters. Soy sauce, breadings, and noodles must be navigated around, but as far as cuisines go, Asian food is pretty safe on the whole once you go beyond Americanized Chinese Food (which is not even authentic anyway).


Mamak Asian Street Food caught my eye on Find Me Gluten-Free and lured me in in with the promise of tasty street food, a genre of Asian fare we certainly lack in Baltimore. The menu boasts a nice variety of tapas, soups, and entrees, and if the concept sounds familiar to local Orlando readers, Mamak certainly invites comparisons to Hawkers Street Fare (which is owned by family members of Mamak’s owners but the two restaurants are independent). Since it has been quite a while since I have been to the other restaurant, I was more than happy to let my Mamak experience stand on its own. 


Despite the extensive regular menu, the gluten-free options are somewhat limited, but the silver lining is that the restaurant is up front about what is safe, and the servers are educated to address questions. Modifications are provided when needed, which made navigating the menu easy. I was actually thankful to have fewer options to choose from because everything on the menu sounded amazing.

As a starter, I ordered the summer roles to split with my mom. Because I am not a sauce person, I did not ask to change out the peanut sauce, since my mom is not gluten-free. The spring roles were delicious, with fresh fillings. The more firm texture of the rice wrap ensured the fillings didn’t end up all falling out, which is often the downfall of summer rolls in general. While not a flavor firework explosion, these are definitely worth ordering. 

For my entree, I ordered the prawn mee soup, which was noted as Penang’s most popular soup. Chicken breast, hard boiled egg, shrimp, veggies and rice noodles (subbed for egg noodles) resided in a spicy, potent shrimp broth. While the soup’s ingredients were well cooked, the overriding flavor came from the broth, which really threw me off at first but I grew to love. Laden with red pepper flakes, the broth has serious heat (even for me who seeks out spicy) but a wonderful smoothness that satisfied. It was seriously, and memorably delicious, and I dreamed of the prawn mee long after my last bite.The portioning is good, and I recommend using the ladle/spoon and chopsticks to tackle the dish.

I had high expectations for Mamak but they were far surpassed by the food and service. A Hawkers devotee, I dare say that I like Mamak as much (if not more), and definitely look forward to future visits to try out the tom yum mee soup. It’s hidden gems like this that definitely make me love Orlando’s food scene- we are so much more than theme park fare! 

Disclaimer: This review is based upon the information I have at the time of the review and does not reflect changes in ingredients or availability of items. Please contact the restaurant directly for up-to-date information and feel free to contact me with any questions or comments. I was not compensated for this review and it is a reflection of my personal opinion.