Economy & Finance

Transforming: Tien Hung’s slow morph to Mills Market is more than meets the eye

Food stalls, fresh buns, frosty coolers abound at this Mills 50 hub

Kai Kai's stall pays a bit of homage to his old spot at iFresh Supermarket, but with lots more kitchen transparency. (Photo courtesy Lisa Wilk/TasteCookSip.com)
Kai Kai’s stall pays a bit of homage to his old spot at iFresh Supermarket, but with lots more kitchen transparency. (Photo courtesy Lisa Wilk/TasteCookSip.com)

In case you haven’t heard about Mills Market, or seen the incredible push of social media posts, pics and videos showcasing the roast duck and banh mi, the cha gio and chicken wings and chow fun, let me tell you: You should go.

Odds are reasonable, though, that you may have been here before. Because Mills Market (1110 E. Colonial Drive in Orlando) operates in the space where Tien Hung Market has operated for decades. It is an evolution, a place that its developers, restauranteurs Jimmy and Johnny Tung, are cultivating into something new that holds dear the history and tradition of what Tien Hung is, while turning it into something new.

Although the old Tien Hung has changed quite a bit and still is, it has retained some of its market-centric features, and always will, says restaurateur Johnny Tung, whose in-laws have owned the building for decades. (Photo courtesy Lisa Wilk/TasteCookSip.com)
Although the old Tien Hung has changed quite a bit and still is, it has retained some of its market-centric features and always will, says restaurateur Johnny Tung, whose in-laws have owned the building for decades. (Courtesy Lisa Wilk/TasteCookSip.com)

“There’s something about it,” Johnny Tung said. “Its charm. Its legacy. This is my in-laws’ market, and there’s something about it that is special.”

As the groceries have grown fewer, some longtime customers have expressed disappointment, but the vast majority have enjoyed the transition, delighting in the addition of food stalls like UniGirl and Kai Kai and the new look and feel, not to mention menu items, at Tien Hung’s popular sandwich shop, Banh Mi Boy.

At the outset, Tung says, they’d planned something more radical, but over time, that idea softened. They’ve retained some shelves and plan to add back produce and some other grocery items, along with a dessert stall and fresh flowers.

The light airy buns at Mills Market, a relatively new add by Chef Hung Huynh, make for hot impulse-buys. That's crispy taro up front, pineapple in back. (Amy Drew Thompson/Orlando Sentinel)
The light, airy buns at Mills Market, a relatively new addition by chef Hung Huynh, make for hot impulse buys. That’s crispy taro up front, pineapple in back. (Amy Drew Thompson/Orlando Sentinel)

Cool treats, fresh-made yogurt and ube flan — have joined fluffy baked buns, both sweet and savory, all from the hands of Mills Market’s celebrity-chef culinary director, “Top Chef” winner Hung Huynh, whose culinary gifts have bloomed throughout the market’s menus, though these really embody the grab-and-go ideology the Tungs see as a big part of the plan.

Here are a few fast looks at its current stall lineup, though there’s more to be had in the future.

UniGirl

On my own recent trip to Japan, onigiri was my breakfast and on-the-go snack of choice most days, a perfect little pyramid of rice, wrapped in crisp, sea-flavored nori and stuffed with all kinds of goodies: tuna mayo, salted salmon, pollock roe. The options are many.

They’re inexpensive. You can stuff them in your bag and roll. And they are delicious. And in the spirit of Mills Market’s grab-and-go intent, UniGirl’s fresh-made onigiri (a lil’ more formidable than the ones you’ll find at the konbini in Japan), might be the new No. 1 on my ever-growing list of “things to eat while driving.”

UniGirl is named after chef William Shen’s Shiba Inu, Uni, who you’ll see in the logo. The Shiba Inu is a Japanese dog breed. And Uni is actually from Japan. Miyazaki, to be specific. Her coat, like many of her breed, is the same shade as this delicacy, an acquired-taste affair that’s creamy, redolent of the ocean floor.

There are lots of conventional flavors in this perfect handheld, though. Shrimp tempura with tare sauce, miso salmon and what Shen says is the big crowd-pleaser: fried chicken.

One would think that Shen, who also oversees ops at the Tungs’ sparkling new splurge dine, Sorekara, doesn’t sleep much with all this on his plate, but he says much of the Sorekara staff (whose meals garner $270 per person) are helming the kitchen here, as well. Think about that while you’re savoring the inexpensive handheld and perusing the fun Japanese sodas and snacks they’ve also got on hand. The place is as cute as can be.

Almost as cute as a Shiba Inu puppy. But hey, I’m a dog person.

This double handful of creative genius is the Pho French Dip. (Photo courtesy Lisa Wilk/TasteCookSip.com)
This double handful of creative genius is the Pho French Dip. (Courtesy Lisa Wilk/TasteCookSip.com)

Banh Mi Boy

Orlando is no stranger to this sandwich counter. And now, thanks to that “Somebody Feed Phil” episode, neither is the rest of the Netflix-watching world. New digs, however, are an upgrade, and there are some exceptional new items to explore.

Big ol' shrimp in this build-your-own summer roll from Bánh Mì Boy. (Amy Drew Thompson/Orlando Sentinel)
Big ol’ shrimp in this build-your-own summer roll from Bánh Mì Boy. (Amy Drew Thompson/Orlando Sentinel)

Among them, a barbecued pork belly sandwich that Tung calls “exceptional, with caramelized pork that’s a really nice dish in Vietnamese cuisine,” a Saigon cheesesteak and my favorite of the bunch thus far: the pho French dip, a super-creative take that essentially deconstructs the pho, with thin-sliced brisket on the fresh-baked baguette along with crisp veg including a formidable and spicy slab of jalapeno, all of which you can dunk in the broth that’s served, jus-like, on the side.

As I caption this, I'm waiting for confirmation, but if this Viet Japanese iced coffee, with its divine roasted espresso sesame foam can be done sugar-free, I'm going to have a serious problem on my hands. It's that good. (Amy Drew Thompson/Orlando Sentinel)
As I caption this, I’m waiting for confirmation, but if this Vietnamese-Japanese iced coffee, with its divine roasted espresso sesame foam, can be made sugar-free, I’m going to have a serious problem on my hands. It’s that good. (Amy Drew Thompson/Orlando Sentinel)

“Obviously, the French and the Vietnamese have such a rich history together,” Tung notes.

All the more reason its charming name fits.

Bánh Mì Boy:  instagram.com/banhmiboy_orl

Getting my chow (fun) on in Mills 50. Kai Kai's pillowy noodles are made in-house. (Photo courtesy Lisa Wilk/TasteCookSip.com)
Getting my chow (fun) on in Mills 50. Kai Kai’s pillowy noodles are made in-house. (Courtesy Lisa Wilk/TasteCookSip.com)

Kai Kai

Welcome back, Jerry and Jackie Lau, whose wonderful dim sum stand inside of the iFresh Supermarket was one of my on-record favorites before it shuttered some time back. But through all that time away, plans were cooking for a resurrection. Lau went to work for the Tungs at Zaru for a while, then took his Chinese fare to the streets, allowing a whole new swatch of folks beyond those who hit the market to sample cuisine skills he’s been cultivating since he was 14. That’s when he took his first job in a New York City Chinatown restaurant.

Hits here include that chewy-perfect chow fun with the noodles that Lau makes in-house. It’s beef on the menu, but feel free to ask at the counter if you’d rather go meatless or change it up with pork or shrimp.

Kai Kai's fried shrimp balls are made using a technique that creates an experience that crispy outside and a sweet, seafood-y filling that's almost pate-like. (Photo courtesy Lisa Wilk/TasteCookSip.com)
Kai Kai’s fried shrimp balls are made using a technique that creates an experience that is crispy outside and a sweet, seafood-y filling that’s almost pate-like. (Courtesy Lisa Wilk/TasteCookSip.com)

Dim sum is a mixed bag, all of it fun. Lau’s fried shrimp balls look like a party, as do most of these crispy delights, but inside, you’ll find a filling that’s a sweet, shrimpy, seafood explosion with a texture that’s divine, pate-like. Traditional goodies like the turnip cake are perfection. All veg, no filler and flavorful. Get it.

And if you’re short on time for your visit — and to make dinner — be sure to grab up some roast pork or duck to take home. This is the classic that so many of his old iFresh customers are delighted to come and line up for.

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