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Ricky Ly is a civil engineer by day, a food blogger by night and an encyclopedia of Central Florida restaurants 24/7. Ricky runs the popular Orlando-area food blog Tasty Chomps. He also wrote the book on Orlando restaurants—literally. His book, Food Lover’s Guide to Orlando, was published in 2013, and he’s eaten at hundreds more Central Florida restaurants since then.
In this interview with The Zest, Ricky recalls how he got into food blogging and offers advice for aspiring food influencers. He also shares the latest food and drink trends he’s observed, including birria tacos, matchashops and ghost kitchens. And of course, in our conversation, Ricky mentions many of his favorite Central Florida restaurants, including:
Bao’s Castle — Nintendo-themed restaurant with baos, bowls and boba tea
Bull & Bear — upscale restaurant inside Waldorf Astoria
Christner’s — steak and lobster
Git-N-Messy BBQ — chicken, ribs, brisket and more
Henry’s Depot — train station-turned-food hall
Hollerbach’s — German food
Kabooki Sushi — contemporary Japanese cuisine and desserts
Mamak — Asian street food
Mills 50 — Orlando neighborhood full of diverse restaurants
Soupa Saiyan — noodle bar with Dragon Ball Z theme
Susuru — retro Japanese gastropub
Sticky Rice — Lao street food with night market feel
Taste of Chengdu — Sichuan cuisine
Tori Tori — Japanese gastropub
Tortas El Rey — authentic Mexican food
Venetian Chop House — steak and seafood restaurant inside the Caribe Royale
Want more restaurant recommendations? Join the Tasty Chomps Orlando Foodie Forum Facebook group.
If you enjoyed our conversation with Ricky Ly, then check out these other interviews.
- How to Be a Food Influencer (season 1, episode 37)
- From Disney to Downtown: Orlando’s Best Restaurants (season 2, episode 8)
- How to Photograph Food Like a Pro (season 2, episode 16)
