The not so live version of dining w/ Disers, in Castles & on Safari! The Wrap! 2/26

[emmysmommy]

Day 13: Wed. August 28, 2013 – Tokyo Dining Lunch
​

Lunch this day almost didn’t happen since we were at Blizzard Beach in the morning and had to move back our reservation since we wouldn’t be hungry before our 1:30pm ADR. I called and rebooked for 2:30pm; however, getting a bus from BB and then getting to Japan in WS was quite a feat. There were no boats running so we had to walk in the blazing hot sun! Goodness it was brutal.

We made it about 15 minutes after our ADR which apparently wasn’t a problem since the dining room was less than half full. We were seated at a very nice window table overlooking World Showcase lagoon. View from our table

We quickly ordered cold beverages. Apparently they thought we needed some cleaning up since we were also offered hot wet towels.

Menu photos:

This was one occasion that I was finally REALLY hungry. So much so that I ordered an appetizer AND an entrée. It’s so unlike me, I know! I ended up starting with the tempura – substituting an extra shrimp (additional $2 per shrimp) for the chicken. Em ordered edamame for an appetizer. Which she consumed post haste!

Edamame ($4.95)

Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura ($8.95 + extra $2 for all extra shrimp):

Those shrimp looked a bit uhhhh shrimpy. What they lacked in stature they made up in taste. I had no problem devouring these. Likewise, Em happily cracked open those soybeans and sucked the guts out. Nothing complicated or fancy about those but they were good.

For our entrees, Em chose sushi or more specifically the tuna crunch roll. I went with something I’ve ordered before, the chicken teriyaki.

Tuna Crunch Roll ($9.50)

Being a big sushi lover this was a test if this place could live up to the expectation… and it did. Em enjoyed the tuna roll which was nicely done. Is that ginger artfully arranged in a rose?

Grilled Chicken: Fresh boneless breast with Teriyaki Sauce, seasonal veggies, and Sukiyaki beef rice ($24.95)

Over the last year this dish had undergone some updates, some good, some not so good. For one, the chicken breasts are now a smaller split breast which probably falls into the favorable column since it was the perfect portion size. The rice is now the beef version whereas before it was a mound of steamed white rice. I preferred the former version but I ate the beef so it wasn’t a concern. A new addition to this lunch is a couple cubes of fried tofu. May I just be completely honest about this? ‘ick, yuck, ack!’ It’s not for me. No one appeared to judge me for leaving those little cubes on my plate un-eaten.

Dessert Menu:

Dessert was offered and I passed. Em wanted the green tea ice-cream.
Green Tea Ice-Cream ($4.95)

Using TiW, we saved $12.24. I continue to be a Tokyo Dining fan. This may not have been an exceptional meal but it was decent, the service was excellent, and we just happened to be seated overlooking WS lagoon in the middle of a hot day so it was definitely a good experience.

Next Up: Trying an Epcot favorite snack and cocktail

 

[peachmermaid]

As always, you continue to change the face of wdw dining for me every time! You eat all these yummy things but manage to skip paying $28 for an entree at lunch. (!!!!) Rich doesn't know it yet but he is going to be grateful I'm getting these dining lessons from you!

Lunch looked very yummy! I'm not one for sushi, so I'd definitely get some of that chicken. Like you said, the shrimp looked weird but I'm glad it's taste proved otherwise. It'd be a bummer to get yucky tempura when you know it's sooooo good.

PS! Guess who will be dining at Monsieur Paul on her birthday?!? (me!!!!!) I am soooooo excited & I hope to see Phillipe!!

 

[Linda67]

Ah the joy of tofu I love the stuff (yes I know I am odd!)
We've only eaten at Tokyo Dining once before and that was for dinner, we really need to get back there

 

[nym4588]

We finally made it to Liberty Tree. That toffee dessert was everything you said it would be...and more! My mom and I each devoured one (she initially wanted to split one - I just laughed at her).

During our trip, there were two dining experiences that really stood out, and this was one of them. (Believe it or not, the other was Coral Reef. Totally unexpected!) We had truly excellent service, we'll definitely go back!

 

[LittleStinkerbelle]

Love your view at Tokyo Dining! I'm not a tofu fan either, so I hear you on that one!

 

[francis6306]

Tofu doesn't seem to excite me much…. but the rest of the meal looks tasty!

 

[vettegirl]

Tokyo dining rarely gets reviewed, glad to see your review. The sushi rolls look really good as does the tempura.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[Smiling Cheshire Cat]

Brenda,

Loved your review of the Afternoon Tea at the GF! That sounds like something Chase and I would love to go do. He likes to pretend he's British so that would be a perfect dining experience for him.

You and Em are on trend ordering edamame. I recently read on article about its growing popularity. I've never tried it, but would like too.

 

[RGirl]

Wow - I think your Teppan Edo choices look great. I love edamame and loved tempura back when I could eat it. The entrees look great too, but then, I like fried tofu.

BTW, we had a great time visiting your home parks.

 

[scottny]

Lunch looked good. The ice cream looked really good.

 

[emmysmommy]

As always, you continue to change the face of wdw dining for me every time! You eat all these yummy things but manage to skip paying $28 for an entree at lunch. (!!!!) Rich doesn't know it yet but he is going to be grateful I'm getting these dining lessons from you!

Lunch looked very yummy! I'm not one for sushi, so I'd definitely get some of that chicken. Like you said, the shrimp looked weird but I'm glad it's taste proved otherwise. It'd be a bummer to get yucky tempura when you know it's sooooo good.

PS! Guess who will be dining at Monsieur Paul on her birthday?!? (me!!!!!) I am soooooo excited & I hope to see Phillipe!!

Glad I can help you out Jennifer. You'll be my personal PSA audience!

Ahhhh yay! Monsieur Paul is a great place to dine for your special occasion. I can't recall Philippe's days off. I know he said Friday's he's downstairs at Chefs. So what night will you be at MP?

Ah the joy of tofu I love the stuff (yes I know I am odd!)
We've only eaten at Tokyo Dining once before and that was for dinner, we really need to get back there

I would have gladly donated those little cubes of tofu to you Linda. Gladly!

The good thing about dinner at Tokyo Dining is if you eat late enough they have a great view of Illuminations if you are by the windows.

We finally made it to Liberty Tree. That toffee dessert was everything you said it would be...and more! My mom and I each devoured one (she initially wanted to split one - I just laughed at her).

During our trip, there were two dining experiences that really stood out, and this was one of them. (Believe it or not, the other was Coral Reef. Totally unexpected!) We had truly excellent service, we'll definitely go back!

See? It is one of the best things that Disney did for dessert at MK! I had to laugh at the image of your respond to your mom to split a toffee cake.

I'm glad you enjoyed LTT. Coral Reef may not be my favorite but you can't beat the theming/ambiance. I'm glad that it delivered a solid

Love your view at Tokyo Dining! I'm not a tofu fan either, so I hear you on that one!

Thank you! At least it was just two little cubes, easy to ignore on my plate.

Tofu doesn't seem to excite me much…. but the rest of the meal looks tasty!

Truly. The rest was definitely good.

Tokyo dining rarely gets reviewed, glad to see your review. The sushi rolls look really good as does the tempura.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

According to Em the sushi roll was pretty good. I'm a tempura lover so it wasn't bad.

I thought about you last weekend when we stopped by the Cove Bar at DCA. We sat at a different table but we ordered lobster nachos and it reminded me of when we shared those there. I hope all is going well with your pregnancy.

Brenda,

Loved your review of the Afternoon Tea at the GF! That sounds like something Chase and I would love to go do. He likes to pretend he's British so that would be a perfect dining experience for him.

You and Em are on trend ordering edamame. I recently read on article about its growing popularity. I've never tried it, but would like too.

Ha ha! Chase would be right at home with his proper British tea at the GF. I can't recall if you've done 1900 Park Fare and dine with Mary and Alice who have British accents too.

It took me a long time to try edamame. I didn't think I'd like it but it is so delicious. The beans inside are almost buttery in their flavor.

Wow - I think your Teppan Edo choices look great. I love edamame and loved tempura back when I could eat it. The entrees look great too, but then, I like fried tofu.

BTW, we had a great time visiting your home parks.

I suppose someone has to like tofu!

Oh I'm glad you had a good time. I know Willow wasn't feeling well when you got home. Bummer! It was nice weather last week / weekend as well. I see that you'll tag your DL trip onto the end of your current TR. I look forward to reading that.

Lunch looked good. The ice cream looked really good.

It did look ok. I am not a green tea ice-cream fan so I can only agree that it looked good.

 

[emmysmommy]

Day 13: Wed. August 28, 2013 – Epcot Afternoon Snacks

Although Norway was a touring destination in WS it was also the place that happened to be where I was going to mark something off my top 10 Must Dos at WDW. I had yet to try Kringla Og Bakeri’s infamous school bread. Yes folks, I had never had a single bite of this ever so popular Norwegian treat. With that, one school bread please.

Other bakery items:

The object of my Must Try list:​

Inside look:

It looks really wonderful with the dusting of coconut and the dollop of cream on top. Cutting into the bakery treat it revealed a cream center. But what did I think of the taste?

Apparently according to my notes that are confirmed by a short video clip it was just ok. The problem with the first bite is that it was rather lackluster and dry without any of the cream. It wasn’t bad, just nothing spectacular. According to my video I said that it tasted like Entemann’s cheese Danish. However, as I kept eating and had more of the cream center it started to escalate on my “I kinda like this” scale. Although there was plenty to share Em didn’t want to try the school bread. I couldn’t eat it all since I had another item to cross off my list….

Moving next door to Mexico – when in reality Norway and Mexico area an ocean and a continent apart it sounds odd to say next door! My next item can be found at La Cave Tequila Bar…. The avocado margarita! I was heavily influenced by my friend Barb (Jabead) so this was a must try item.

Photos of the bar:

One Avocado Margarita please!

They serve appetizers at this place but we didn’t partake in any of those items.
The glorious avocado margarita with hibiscus sugar on the rim. It is poured into a to-go cup for those touring and drinking at the same time!

My inaugural sip was captured on this video clip. I was trying to distinguish an avocado taste with the first sip and I primarily tasted tequila so it was really similar to any other margarita that I’ve had. Granted I don’t drink a lot of margaritas and when I do, they are strawberry so if that tells you anything about my inability to give a fair and balanced review, there you go.

After about 8 sips of this drink I grew tired of it for some reason and decided to call it quits and ditch it in the nearest garbage can. It was a little too sweet for me. I may be in the minority here but I don’t think it was the specialty margarita drink for me. However, if I was actually relaxing inside the air conditioned bar with a few friends this may have rated much higher. You know, the social drinking aspect always elevates the experience for me! At least I can say that I’ve tried this Dis favorite.

Up Next: Tony's Town Square dinner

​

​

 

[JulieODC]

Interesting reviews of 2 popular items!

I've also had both, but only once...so I guess that means they were good, but not good enough to enter into my regular snack rotation!

 

[jabead]

I must say that I was a little surprised when you didn't like the Avocado Margarita since we generally seem to have the same taste in Disney food and beverages...well, except for that whole chocolate thing.

 

[MrsB1228]

We've never been to The Wave for breakfast, but it's definitely on my list to try some day. The waffles you and Em enjoyed look great, and being in the shape of our favourite mouse only makes them better. Glad you finally found something you truly enjoy at this restaurant.

Your shrimps at Tokyo Dining did look very skimpy, but happy to hear they tasted wonderful. I'm a sushi lover so Em's Tuna Crunch Roll is definitely calling to me, LOL.

I've never tried the School Bread either. I've read other reviews that also mention it can be a bit dry, especially if you get one where the baker was a bit stingy with the cream. I love the Troll or Cloudberry Horns, and I usually get one of those. The Verdens Beste looks interesting, I wonder what it is?

I was also underwhelmed by the Avocado margarita when I tried it. I like sweet drinks but to me, this wasn't sweet in a good way. I drank it, but decided it wasn't something I would ever get again.

Thanks for the updates Brenda, great reviews as always!

 

[KatMark]

I'm sorry I somehow missed your Teppan Edo review...forgive me. I've never tried sushi, nor do I ever intend to. When Mark was in Vegas last August they made him try it...he did not like at all.

Your chicken looked really good though.

We'll have to put Teppan Edo on the list for one of these trips.

I'm not a margarita fan (I prefer my slush or pina colada or turtle krawl), but I enjoyed the tour of your "snacks". We didn't care for the School Bread either (could be because we don't like coconut).

 

[Linda67]

I am currently breathing into a brown paper bag ...... You threw half an avocado margarita in the garbage!!!

Breathe Linda, breathe

 

[smile4stamps]

I enjoyed my school bread but I spread the cream out over the whole thing! The bites without cream were definitely on the dryer side!

Never tried a Margarita of any kind in Disney. I am NOT a tequila fan (Always makes me so sick)! Makes me sad as some of them sound really good!

 

[nym4588]

School bread might very well be my sister's favorite thing on this planet. When I first tried it a few years ago, I couldn't understand why she liked it so much; I thought it was really just kinda bland and dry.

This time around, I loved it! I don't know what it was, maybe it didn't seem as dry. But I enjoyed it enough to eat it twice before I headed back home. It has a unique flavor which I mistakenly identified as nutmeg. After a little research, I discovered that it's actually cardamom - and after some Wiki browsing, I probably know more about this spice than any normal person actually should

 

[emmysmommy]

Interesting reviews of 2 popular items!

I've also had both, but only once...so I guess that means they were good, but not good enough to enter into my regular snack rotation!

I'm with you... neither items were a repeat this last trip so it must not have driven me to obsession. I did find something at Karamel Kuche that was worthy of a regular snack line up - the caramel brownie. Oh man that was good!

I must say that I was a little surprised when you didn't like the Avocado Margarita since we generally seem to have the same taste in Disney food and beverages...well, except for that whole chocolate thing.

The chocolate, the Tokyo Sunset, and now the avocado margarita. I think other than that we're compatible for sharing Disney food/drinks. And yes, I'd even share my side of Y&Y egg rolls with you!

We've never been to The Wave for breakfast, but it's definitely on my list to try some day. The waffles you and Em enjoyed look great, and being in the shape of our favourite mouse only makes them better. Glad you finally found something you truly enjoy at this restaurant.

The Wave also has a buffet option that may be appealing. But yeah, I was pretty excited to find something I liked. And it was Mickey shaped - extra special!

Your shrimps at Tokyo Dining did look very skimpy, but happy to hear they tasted wonderful. I'm a sushi lover so Em's Tuna Crunch Roll is definitely calling to me, LOL.

It was pretty tasty tempura! Being a non-sushi lover I'm going to have to agree to disagree!

ccc
I've never tried the School Bread either. I've read other reviews that also mention it can be a bit dry, especially if you get one where the baker was a bit stingy with the cream. I love the Troll or Cloudberry Horns, and I usually get one of those. The Verdens Beste looks interesting, I wonder what it is?
[/QUOTE]

Now you did it!! I had to look up that Verdens Beste and according to this site, it is cake topped with meringue and a layer of custard crème filling. Oh my gosh that sounds awesome! Now I will be on a mission to try that next time.

I must have had a stingy baker that day for the school bread!

I was also underwhelmed by the Avocado margarita when I tried it. I like sweet drinks but to me, this wasn't sweet in a good way. I drank it, but decided it wasn't something I would ever get again.

I think I needed some chips/queso to accompany my margarita. I just wasn't impressed. There are plenty of other varieties still awaiting my taste buds.

Thanks for the updates Brenda, great reviews as always!

Hi Carol! Thanks, I'm glad to see you still reading along!!

I got caught up with your DR tonight and I was excited to see your Hoop Dee Doo review!! I believe I have found one of my next new places to try.

I'm sorry I somehow missed your Teppan Edo review...forgive me. I've never tried sushi, nor do I ever intend to. When Mark was in Vegas last August they made him try it...he did not like at all.

Your chicken looked really good though.

We'll have to put Teppan Edo on the list for one of these trips.

I'm not a margarita fan (I prefer my slush or pina colada or turtle krawl), but I enjoyed the tour of your "snacks". We didn't care for the School Bread either (could be because we don't like coconut).

I'm with you, I have zero reason to try sushi. I don't eat fish so why would I eat fish that is raw. Ick. Poor Mark... he's got some mean friends making him eat crap.

The infamous turtle krawl.. I have to find my way to OKW to enjoy one of those.

Yeah, if you don't like coconut it's hard to like the school bread.

I am currently breathing into a brown paper bag ...... You threw half an avocado margarita in the garbage!!!

Breathe Linda, breathe

With your Masters in Margaritas I imagine it would pain you to see any margarita go to waste. For that I sincerely apologize.... not really. It had to be.

I enjoyed my school bread but I spread the cream out over the whole thing! The bites without cream were definitely on the dryer side!

Never tried a Margarita of any kind in Disney. I am NOT a tequila fan (Always makes me so sick)! Makes me sad as some of them sound really good!

They needed to put a little more cream in that sucker. I wasn't smart enough to spread a layer of cream around it.

So you don't like apple saki and you don't like margaritas. Noted. I do recall that you like wine so at least you have that going for you. Although I wouldn't want you feeling ill so we'll keep the tequila away from you.

School bread might very well be my sister's favorite thing on this planet. When I first tried it a few years ago, I couldn't understand why she liked it so much; I thought it was really just kinda bland and dry.

This time around, I loved it! I don't know what it was, maybe it didn't seem as dry. But I enjoyed it enough to eat it twice before I headed back home. It has a unique flavor which I mistakenly identified as nutmeg. After a little research, I discovered that it's actually cardamom - and after some Wiki browsing, I probably know more about this spice than any normal person actually should

So many people rave about school bread that I had to try it. I don't think I would turn it down if someone gave me some but I wouldn't go out of my way to buy it either. Maybe I need to try it more than once like you.

Ahhh cardamom... say that out loud three times. I am impressed with your spice knowledge. Henceforth I will call you Spice girl. Now you have me curious. I think I need to go wiki cardamom.