Nori Japanese Grill undercuts everyone else's meal deal by at least a dollar.
(Credit: MikeAnthony Moffa)
Cheap seats: Any other mall would call it "the food court." Mall at Millenia prefers "Orangerie Cafes." It's huge and airy with a better grade of commercial furniture, but just like every other food court in America, you need to keep your eyes open for the sprinting toddler with sticky hands.
Cheap Treats: Man, are bourbon and teriyaki chicken popular. Even food stalls with "Southwest" and "Cajun" in their names sell some version of chopped chicken in sweet sauce. The smart deal is the free samples. Go to Chick-fil-A, get a $1.55 side salad and walk a lap, adding chicken chunks as you go. I scored five.
If you actually want to pay for your chicken, Nori Japanese Grill undercuts everyone else's meal deal by at least a dollar. For $3.99 you get a foam plate mounded with dark-meat chicken chunks and fried rice or noodles. It's a lot of food, but a little bland. Sriracha (rooster) sauce fixes that.
For the vegetarian (though not the vegan or health nut), Tony & Bruno's has the $3.99 spinach and broccoli-stuffed pizza slice. (Tony & Bruno's is owned by Sbarro.) The ricotta is tame and the broccoli looks like it came from the freezer, but I hit some satisfying clots of mozzarella.
Bistro Sensations soup and sandwich combos are all over $5, so I got just a small chicken noodle soup ($3.25). Good point: the broth tastes more like chicken than salt. Bad point: the thick noodles are mushy. Overall, it's halfway between Campbell's and real homemade.
The best deal on soda is at Haagen Dazs. A 32-ounce cup of Coke is $1.09 and they'll refill it for $.59. Look behind the cash register next time you're shopping Mall at Millenia, and you'll see how many mall employees take advantage of that bargain.
Cheap Gas: Just outside the food court (oops Orangerie Cafes) is the Lindt chocolate shop. Occasionally, they give away truffle samples and the woman running the place on the day I stopped in says they'll be doing it even more than usual in September. Free candy tastes the best.
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