torsie24
Mummy to a perfect princess.
- Joined
- May 14, 2008
They definitely have him at Disneyland Paris, I've seen him a few times there! I think you need to book up a trip!
The Deluxe Dining that defeated us ...a German perspective! (FINISHED!)
- Thread starter annichan
- Start date
- Status
They definitely have him at Disneyland Paris, I've seen him a few times there! I think you need to book up a trip!
annichan
There's a platypus controlling me, he's underneath
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2008
We love Sci-fi! Always have had good meals there
From your reaction, I'm guessing that lettuce wedges aren't common in Germany?It's not just Sci-Fi, it's seen alot at steakhouses (and other restaurants). It really is a "wedge" of lettuce usually with blue cheese dressing. DH loves 'em
Wow, thank you for telling me, I didn't know that! We really don't have these massive lettuce wedge things at home
No, that was the end of my bug, fortunately. I didn't want to become too attached to it
Thank you! There is still quite a lot of pictures to come ...
And in the picture I had already eaten part of it - when it arrived, it was even larger!
It is a must for us every trip. When I started making our ADR's for this trip, the first thing my DD and DH said, was "don't forget Sci-Fi!"
I think we will say the same thing for our next trip
Great updates!!
Can't wait to hear about CG!
Coming up in a minute
They had mice there before the Tremaine sisters? That would have been nicer for me, I love the mice in the movie!
More is coming right up ...
Great reviews!! I just caught up with all of your reviews and i'm dying to read more! Also, as an American teacher, I have to add that there is NOTHING wrong with your spot-on English. In fact, I wish my students wrote as well as you do!!
Wow - picture me blushing a bright crimson! Thank you!
Thank you! I am trying to keep up the pace, but I might slow down a little next weekend as I will be out of town for three days. I'll try to get some more reviews done before that, though!
That's good to know! We didn't see him there in 2005, but we might go again and take another look!
annichan
There's a platypus controlling me, he's underneath
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2008
This was probably the ADR I had been looking forward to the most: Dinner at California Grill, high atop the Contemporary, starting at 8:00 p.m. so if I had figured correctly, we could watch the 10:00 Wishes from the terrace or even from our table, if we were lucky!
We checked in at the podium on 4th floor with a very nice CM and I asked her for a window table (like everybody does, I am sure), but she said that unfortunately all the window tables had been assigned in the last half hour so we were out of luck. She also said we would have to wait about 20 minutes for our table and were free to do so up at the bar.
I didn't let that lessen my enthusiasm, however, so we rode up on the elevator to the 15th floor, walked out into the bar and … stopped dead in our tracks once we saw the INCREDIBLE view!
I had read so much about it, and yet I found that I wasn't prepared. A couple just vacated a bar table right at the window the moment we arrived, so we jumped right in there…
… and spent our waiting time taking in this wonderful view …
… of Seven Seas Lagoon and the Grand Floridian, and also …
… of the Magic Kingdom as the sun was slowly setting.
After our wait (I think it was actually close to half an hour, but I didn't care as I was enjoying myself so much) we were led to our table – it was not right at the window, but second row from the window and I could easily see Cinderella's Castle from my seat, I almost jumped with joy! And as some additional pixie dust, there was confetti spread on our table to greet the honeymooners
.
As we had brought our beers from the bar, we decided to forgo the wine and just stick to beer and iced water for the evening.
We are both great sushi fans, so it was clear from the beginning that we would go for sushi appetizers. Now embarrassingly enough, I can't work out from the pictures who had which appetizer
. Let me just say that we shared both of them, and that they both were so incredibly delicious that I would come back to Cali Grill any day just for the sushi!
So here they are:
One of them is the Double Crunch Rainbow Roll, and the other one is the Tempura Malibu Roll. I suppose I would have to go directly to Japan to ever be able to get sushi that taste any better than these (and even there I would probably have to look around for quite a while, I don't know).
As an entrée, DH and I both decided on the same thing: the Oak-fired Filet of Beef with cheesy Yukon gold potato mash, sautéed broccolini, and teriyaki barbecue sauce. Our server strongly agreed with our choice and said we were in for "the best steak you have ever eaten". Here, unfortunately, we had to differ
… We both didn't like the filet all that much. Both our filets had been ordered medium and came out more like well done (is that what you call it? I only ever order medium so I am not sure what the right word is – in any event, these had been on the fire for much too long. This made them a bit dry, and to make matters worse, I didn't really much care for the teriyaki barbecue sauce either – so all in all, this just wasn't my kind of entrée. (DH liked the sauce very much so for him it was just the issue of the filet being overdone.)
It seems that consequently we didn't even take a picture of our entreés – I could have sworn we did but I can't find any, sorry about that!
I had been thinking about sending the filet back to the kitchen, but it was such a great evening otherwise and when the server came and expectantly asked if this was the best steak I had ever eaten, I just thought "no big deal" and said yes.
(I am sure they would have brought me a great new piece of beef, but do you know this feeling where you just can't be bothered, and everything is so nice that you don't want to complain even though you're in the right? See, then you know how I felt. )
Now, after we had finished the entrées, I looked at my watch and suddenly started getting apprehensive: They had served our food so quickly that it was still only barely 9.30, and we so wanted to stay for the fireworks as the view would be perfect from our table!
I needn't have worried, however, as the waitress probably sensed our dilemma, she only appeared to take our order for desserts and coffees fifteen minutes later - and then by the time Jiminy Cricket's announcement was piped in, she brought each of us a glass of complimentary champagne as a honeymoon gift. Thus we were all set for the fireworks, DH set his chair next to mine so we could watch the fireworks from our table holding hands and sipping champagne
.
And we could see so well! I hope this nice couple who was seated between us and the window won't mind if I post their picture here, it is just to show how perfectly well we could see the castle even without a window seat!
And here came the fireworks:
This was easily the most romantic moment during our whole honeymoon – thank you California Grill for a wonderful evening!
It was not quite over yet, though: As soon as the lights came back on, our desserts arrived. DH had this little beauty, the Valrhona Chocolate Cake and Raspberry:
It was extremely rich so that we could not finish it (did I mention we shared pretty much everything we ordered between the two of us anyway?), but at the same time very yummy.
My own dessert is a bit of a mystery to me at the moment: I know (both from memory and what is written on the bill) that I had the "no sugar added" dessert, however I cannot really believe it is the one currently on the menu, the Chocolate Temptation. To be sure, there was chocolate in it, but it was all white chocolate … Help, does anyone happen to know what I ate?
After finishing this, and our coffee, it was time to go. Only after we had arrived back down at the Contemporary lobby did it occur to me that we never even ventured around to the other side of the restaurant, to check out the view towards Epcot!
But oh well, we will leave this for our next visit at the California Grill … which will definitely be right on our next trip!
Coming up: Breakfast at The Wave … finally some muesli for me!
We checked in at the podium on 4th floor with a very nice CM and I asked her for a window table (like everybody does, I am sure), but she said that unfortunately all the window tables had been assigned in the last half hour so we were out of luck
. She also said we would have to wait about 20 minutes for our table and were free to do so up at the bar.I didn't let that lessen my enthusiasm, however, so we rode up on the elevator to the 15th floor, walked out into the bar and … stopped dead in our tracks once we saw the INCREDIBLE view!
I had read so much about it, and yet I found that I wasn't prepared. A couple just vacated a bar table right at the window the moment we arrived, so we jumped right in there…
… and spent our waiting time taking in this wonderful view …
… of Seven Seas Lagoon and the Grand Floridian, and also …
… of the Magic Kingdom as the sun was slowly setting.
After our wait (I think it was actually close to half an hour, but I didn't care as I was enjoying myself so much) we were led to our table – it was not right at the window, but second row from the window and I could easily see Cinderella's Castle from my seat, I almost jumped with joy! And as some additional pixie dust, there was confetti spread on our table to greet the honeymooners
.
As we had brought our beers from the bar, we decided to forgo the wine and just stick to beer and iced water for the evening.
We are both great sushi fans, so it was clear from the beginning that we would go for sushi appetizers. Now embarrassingly enough, I can't work out from the pictures who had which appetizer
. Let me just say that we shared both of them, and that they both were so incredibly delicious that I would come back to Cali Grill any day just for the sushi!So here they are:
One of them is the Double Crunch Rainbow Roll, and the other one is the Tempura Malibu Roll. I suppose I would have to go directly to Japan to ever be able to get sushi that taste any better than these (and even there I would probably have to look around for quite a while, I don't know).
As an entrée, DH and I both decided on the same thing: the Oak-fired Filet of Beef with cheesy Yukon gold potato mash, sautéed broccolini, and teriyaki barbecue sauce. Our server strongly agreed with our choice and said we were in for "the best steak you have ever eaten". Here, unfortunately, we had to differ
… We both didn't like the filet all that much. Both our filets had been ordered medium and came out more like well done (is that what you call it? I only ever order medium so I am not sure what the right word is – in any event, these had been on the fire for much too long. This made them a bit dry, and to make matters worse, I didn't really much care for the teriyaki barbecue sauce either – so all in all, this just wasn't my kind of entrée. (DH liked the sauce very much so for him it was just the issue of the filet being overdone.) It seems that consequently we didn't even take a picture of our entreés – I could have sworn we did but I can't find any, sorry about that!
I had been thinking about sending the filet back to the kitchen, but it was such a great evening otherwise and when the server came and expectantly asked if this was the best steak I had ever eaten, I just thought "no big deal" and said yes.
(I am sure they would have brought me a great new piece of beef, but do you know this feeling where you just can't be bothered, and everything is so nice that you don't want to complain even though you're in the right? See, then you know how I felt
. )Now, after we had finished the entrées, I looked at my watch and suddenly started getting apprehensive: They had served our food so quickly that it was still only barely 9.30, and we so wanted to stay for the fireworks as the view would be perfect from our table!
I needn't have worried, however, as the waitress probably sensed our dilemma, she only appeared to take our order for desserts and coffees fifteen minutes later - and then by the time Jiminy Cricket's announcement was piped in, she brought each of us a glass of complimentary champagne as a honeymoon gift. Thus we were all set for the fireworks, DH set his chair next to mine so we could watch the fireworks from our table holding hands and sipping champagne
.And we could see so well! I hope this nice couple who was seated between us and the window won't mind if I post their picture here, it is just to show how perfectly well we could see the castle even without a window seat!
And here came the fireworks:
This was easily the most romantic moment during our whole honeymoon – thank you California Grill for a wonderful evening!
It was not quite over yet, though: As soon as the lights came back on, our desserts arrived. DH had this little beauty, the Valrhona Chocolate Cake and Raspberry:
It was extremely rich so that we could not finish it (did I mention we shared pretty much everything we ordered between the two of us anyway?), but at the same time very yummy.
My own dessert is a bit of a mystery to me at the moment: I know (both from memory and what is written on the bill) that I had the "no sugar added" dessert, however I cannot really believe it is the one currently on the menu, the Chocolate Temptation. To be sure, there was chocolate in it, but it was all white chocolate … Help, does anyone happen to know what I ate?
After finishing this, and our coffee, it was time to go. Only after we had arrived back down at the Contemporary lobby did it occur to me that we never even ventured around to the other side of the restaurant, to check out the view towards Epcot!
But oh well, we will leave this for our next visit at the California Grill … which will definitely be right on our next trip!
Coming up: Breakfast at The Wave … finally some muesli for me!
MickeyNicki
It is pretty darn sad when a valet picks you out a
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2005
Loved the Cali Grill review, we are eating there for the first time in 9 days and I cannot wait. Your review is the third one that I have read about overcooking the filet...I guess I wll tell DH to order it med rare so it comes out med for him.
Thanks for the pics and the reviews, you are doing a great job!
Thanks for the pics and the reviews, you are doing a great job!
annichan
There's a platypus controlling me, he's underneath
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2008
Great update!!
Sorry your filet wasn't perfect, but your view looked amazing!!!
Now you're making me want to eat at CG!!!
Why should you be any better off than me - I have also made MYSELF want to eat at CG, and all I'll get for dinner is some boring old toast!
Loved the Cali Grill review, we are eating there for the first time in 9 days and I cannot wait. Your review is the third one that I have read about overcooking the filet...I guess I wll tell DH to order it med rare so it comes out med for him.
Thanks for the pics and the reviews, you are doing a great job!
Actually, that is exactly what I did later at the Yachtsman Steakhouse (I explicitly ordered my steak "on the rare side of medium"), because I was afraid that another much anticipated steak would turned out overcooked. And it worked great!
annichan
There's a platypus controlling me, he's underneath
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2008
The next morning saw us doing something we had not done before, nor would we ever do it again during these two weeks at Disney World: we slept later than 7:00!!! 
Yes, we had read our Tour Guide Mike, and our Passporter, and our Unofficial Guide (did I mention I am quite the Type-A planner? ) and they all emphasized the importance of getting to the parks early. Even though we usually HATE getting up early, it was rather easy for us this time because the jetlag helped us (after all, 7:00 in the World equals 1:00 pm at home), plus we really found it to be a good idea to make as much as possible of those cool morning breezes and not-so-crowded parks.
Why am I telling you all this? Well, only to emphasize the enormity of what we did today: We had a breakfast ADR at 9:30! Like, almost noon!
Boy were we happy!
Thus, completely relaxed and rested, we arrived at the "tunnel" leading into The Wave restaurant and found us to be almost alone in the dining room it was emptier even than Spoodles had been, a few days before. As soon as we were seated, I started rearranging the stuff on the table to make a quick Hidden Mickey out of the salt and pepper shaker and the sugar box lid:
Our server, Mary from New York, was very nice and after she had set us up with our cups of organic bird-friendly Colombian coffee and our Supercharged Tropical Smoothies, she started a conversation on what people have for breakfast in Germany (plus the obvious topic that always seems to come up for us Germans: Are you really foolish enough to allow every madman to drive over 150 mph on your highways/Autobahns? Yup, sure are! And no, this was not her phrasing but mine
).
I told her that I usually had muesli for breakfast in Germany, or oatmeal with fruit, and that I couldn't wait to try The Wave's own "Make Your Own Wave Muesli". She then proceeded to warn me that some people found it to taste like "sawdust and bricks", and I immediately was in heaven: That sounded just like I would love it!
DH, who generally is not as weird as me, ignored the muesli as well as other interesting choices and went for the good ol' American Breakfast with bacon (see, a week in the States and already he couldn't go without his breakfast potatoes!):
I, on the other hand, had this wonderful mixture (makes me so hungry again just to look at it):
Muesli on the left, and little bowls of fruit and joghurt on the right. Isn't it a cute Make-Your-Own set?
Of course, I just put the contents of all the little bowls directly into the bowl on the left and devoured everything together, as I suppose everybody else eating this dish will also do, but it was still a cute and funny idea!
Now, for anyone wondering whether this really tasted like sawdust and bricks: No, not at all. It was even rather too sweet for me, I would have liked it even more natural and organic. But even so, it was very nice to get some (almost) "real muesli" for a change!
Coming up next: Here, fishy, fishy - Lunch at The Coral Reef!
Yes, we had read our Tour Guide Mike, and our Passporter, and our Unofficial Guide (did I mention I am quite the Type-A planner? ) and they all emphasized the importance of getting to the parks early. Even though we usually HATE getting up early, it was rather easy for us this time because the jetlag helped us (after all, 7:00 in the World equals 1:00 pm at home), plus we really found it to be a good idea to make as much as possible of those cool morning breezes and not-so-crowded parks.Why am I telling you all this? Well, only to emphasize the enormity of what we did today: We had a breakfast ADR at 9:30! Like, almost noon!
Boy were we happy!
Thus, completely relaxed and rested, we arrived at the "tunnel" leading into The Wave restaurant and found us to be almost alone in the dining room it was emptier even than Spoodles had been, a few days before. As soon as we were seated, I started rearranging the stuff on the table to make a quick Hidden Mickey out of the salt and pepper shaker and the sugar box lid:
Our server, Mary from New York, was very nice and after she had set us up with our cups of organic bird-friendly Colombian coffee and our Supercharged Tropical Smoothies, she started a conversation on what people have for breakfast in Germany (plus the obvious topic that always seems to come up for us Germans: Are you really foolish enough to allow every madman to drive over 150 mph on your highways/Autobahns? Yup, sure are!
And no, this was not her phrasing but mine
). I told her that I usually had muesli for breakfast in Germany, or oatmeal with fruit, and that I couldn't wait to try The Wave's own "Make Your Own Wave Muesli". She then proceeded to warn me that some people found it to taste like "sawdust and bricks", and I immediately was in heaven: That sounded just like I would love it!
DH, who generally is not as weird as me, ignored the muesli as well as other interesting choices and went for the good ol' American Breakfast with bacon (see, a week in the States and already he couldn't go without his breakfast potatoes!
):
I, on the other hand, had this wonderful mixture (makes me so hungry again just to look at it):
Muesli on the left, and little bowls of fruit and joghurt on the right. Isn't it a cute Make-Your-Own set?
Of course, I just put the contents of all the little bowls directly into the bowl on the left and devoured everything together, as I suppose everybody else eating this dish will also do, but it was still a cute and funny idea!
Now, for anyone wondering whether this really tasted like sawdust and bricks: No, not at all. It was even rather too sweet for me, I would have liked it even more natural and organic
. But even so, it was very nice to get some (almost) "real muesli" for a change!Coming up next: Here, fishy, fishy - Lunch at The Coral Reef!
Dizneydaz
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2005
Yes, and they were so cute. Cinderella and her Prince would come around just once but the mice, Perla and Suzy would come around constantly. My DD had the best time dancing with them.
Maybe it's one of the reasons we haven't been back since the added the Steps-it was just so nice with the dancing mice. 
Here's a pix we took in the lobby a few years back.
Actually, I think is was more like 4-DD just turned 6.
Sorry to hear about your filet. I always order my steaks rare so they aren't overdone. And I usually order any sauce on the side, just in case. If I remember correctly though I liked the sauce at CG.
Can't wait to hear more, great job so far....
Flossbolna
Sea days are just so relaxing!
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2006
Hi fellow German! 
Love your reviews and pictures. It sounds like you had a wonderful trip. It's funny how you write about things from a German perspective that I can totally agree with: strange breakfast foods, getting up early during vacation because the jet lag really helps doing that.
I can absolutely understand that you felt defeated by the Deluxe Dining Plan. We were on the regular Dining Plan when it still included appetizer, entree and dessert and this was already too much for us. Since then we did two trips without any Dining Plan I actually enjoy the flexibility of not being on a plan! We actually like to share meals and I personally love ordering appetizers - more than desserts. But still without a plan, I never get round to eating all those treats that I thought I would get. 
Love your reviews and pictures. It sounds like you had a wonderful trip. It's funny how you write about things from a German perspective that I can totally agree with: strange breakfast foods, getting up early during vacation because the jet lag really helps doing that.
I can absolutely understand that you felt defeated by the Deluxe Dining Plan. We were on the regular Dining Plan when it still included appetizer, entree and dessert and this was already too much for us. Since then we did two trips without any Dining Plan I actually enjoy the flexibility of not being on a plan! We actually like to share meals and I personally love ordering appetizers - more than desserts.
But still without a plan, I never get round to eating all those treats that I thought I would get.
annichan
There's a platypus controlling me, he's underneath
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2008
Yes, and they were so cute. Cinderella and her Prince would come around just once but the mice, Perla and Suzy would come around constantly. My DD had the best time dancing with them.
Those mice were so cute - what a pity they weren't around anymore when we were there!
On the other hand, my Prince Charming was cuter
Hi fellow German!
Love your reviews and pictures. It sounds like you had a wonderful trip. It's funny how you write about things from a German perspective that I can totally agree with: strange breakfast foods, getting up early during vacation because the jet lag really helps doing that.
I can absolutely understand that you felt defeated by the Deluxe Dining Plan. We were on the regular Dining Plan when it still included appetizer, entree and dessert and this was already too much for us. Since then we did two trips without any Dining Plan I actually enjoy the flexibility of not being on a plan! We actually like to share meals and I personally love ordering appetizers - more than desserts.
Wow, there is another German on these boards, I'm not alone! Hello to Berlin!
Thanks for posting, that has given me the chance to show DH your signature to prove that other Germans are WDW regulars as well even though they have to go on an intercontinental flight each time
ChelleinNC
Say "Hi" to Art the Greeter for me!
- Joined
- Jul 15, 2007
Sorry to hear about the filets being over done I really prefer what a server double checks what you mean by "medium" or "medium rare" and responds with no pink in the center or warm pink center, etc. It helps to be sure everyone is using the same descriptions.
The sushi looked very good. Going to have to go to CG just for that
I really prefer what a server double checks what you mean by "medium" or "medium rare" and responds with no pink in the center or warm pink center, etc. It helps to be sure everyone is using the same descriptions.The sushi looked very good. Going to have to go to CG just for that
disneygirlinnj
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2007
Just caught up on your reviews and you're making me so hungry at work! The pictures look amazing and now I really want to try a lot of the places I haven't been to yet!
The pictures look amazing and now I really want to try a lot of the places I haven't been to yet!
Flossbolna
Sea days are just so relaxing!
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2006
Wow, there is another German on these boards, I'm not alone! Hello to Berlin!
Thanks for posting, that has given me the chance to show DH your signature to prove that other Germans are WDW regulars as well even though they have to go on an intercontinental flight each time
Your welcome!
Hope your DH can be convinced... Actually our first two trips were two and half weeks of touring Florida with 5 days (first trip) and 7 days (second trip) at WDW. After that I gave up pretending to travel to Florida and just visited WDW. Actually, there is lots to see in Florida and I can really recommend to explore it! One of the absolute highlights was going to swim with wild manatees (Seekühe in German, you can also see them at the Living Seas in Epcot) in Homosassa Springs.Still, I can understand your DH's hesitation. This year's trip was rather spur of the moment, as we got an incredible deal on the flight (380 Euros
) and we only stayed for 7 nights. That was a bit exhausting. I think you need at least ten days for not feeling like you spent your holiday on a plane. I guess that's what I will do in early February 2010
- by the way in my opinion that's the best time for a trip to WDW!Oh and sorry for taking over your thread! I am just so excited for fellow German WDW fans!
TXMomof3boys
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2009
Enjoyed catching up on your reviews this afternoon. Thanks for the Sci-fi review. We have ADR's there in June but I only did it for my boys as I knew they would like the cars and the movies. Glad to hear that you enjoyed the food!! We were thinking about having cheeseburgers & milkshakes but your salad looked really good so now I am torn.
Sorry you lost your KTTW card!! But glad it was an easy fix.
I hope to eat at CG someday. I am hoping that my DH and I can take a trip to WDW (no kids) for the Food and Wine festival and also eat some signature meals.
I am also a Type A trip planner. Sometimes I wonder if I enjoy the planning as much or more than the actual trip.
Sorry you lost your KTTW card!! But glad it was an easy fix.
I hope to eat at CG someday. I am hoping that my DH and I can take a trip to WDW (no kids) for the Food and Wine festival and also eat some signature meals.
I am also a Type A trip planner. Sometimes I wonder if I enjoy the planning as much or more than the actual trip.
annichan
There's a platypus controlling me, he's underneath
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2008
Sorry to hear about the filets being over done
Yes, I will take care to be a bit more verbal when I order the next steak - here in Germany you usually only say "rare", "medium" or "done" and the servers know (or at least pretend to know) what you mean ...
Good idea!
I am enjoying your dining reviews very much! Thanks so much for sharing your trip with us. The champagne fireworks sounds very romantic!!
It was one of THE most romantic moments during this honeymoon, I assure you!
Just caught up on your reviews and you're making me so hungry at work!
Thank you for the compliment! It`s difficult, isn`t it - you always want to try new places but also go back to the ones you liked the last time around. I sense a big dilemma coming up for our 2nd trip
One of the absolute highlights was going to swim with wild manatees (Seekühe in German, you can also see them at the Living Seas in Epcot) in Homosassa Springs.
I guess that's what I will do in early February 2010
Oh and sorry for taking over your thread! I am just so excited for fellow German WDW fans!
Thanks for the advice about Homosassa, we only saw manatees at Epcot and Sea World so far and we love them, they're so cute!
So you think February is the best time? Why?
No worries about hijacking the thread though, I love reading all these replies!
Sorry you lost your KTTW card!! But glad it was an easy fix.
I am also a Type A trip planner. Sometimes I wonder if I enjoy the planning as much or more than the actual trip.
Yes, it was extremely easy - I was so worried when I found I had lost the card, and I really needn't have as I had a new one like five minutes later, yay!
It's so funny what you said about liking the planning at least as much as the actual trip, as I'm totally the same!
annichan
There's a platypus controlling me, he's underneath
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2008
After our breakfast at The Wave we had headed to Epcot to have a look around (we had only spent one short evening there before this). For lunch, we were booked at The Coral Reef, and it was a great relief to be able to go there and get out of the infernal heat of that day 
. We were told that it would be a little wait, and as I asked to be sat next to the fish tank, were also told that that might not be possible but they would do their best. Oh well, wait and see
As it turned out, we only had to wait ten minutes at most until we were called to our table. The CM who led us there enthusiastically said that he was about to lead us to his very favourite table in the restaurant, and he was not lying it was GORGEOUS! We were not right up at the fish tank wall, but had a 4-person table in a booth with a comfy bench to ourselves, one table further back from the tank. This meant that we were sitting much more comfortably, did not really notice all the people sitting behind us and looking our way sincere there was a wall in our backs, and did not have to twist our head to see the fish. Fantastic! There was a fish-spotting guide waiting on the table, and we proceeded to identify some of the fishies over a round of Smoothies.
The fishies ...
... and the smoothies.
For starters, we both decided on the same item: the Sea and Land, which consisted of a grilled shrimp with cucumber salad, and a beef skewer with polenta. I can tell you: This was veery nice! It looked great, and it tastes even better.
In fact, the beef was so yummy that we both would truly like to try a meat entrée here the next time (there will definitely be a next time!
), but as this was a fish restaurant , we were determined to have fish entrées this time (and not even the sad looks on the fishies' faces in the tank opposite could sway us ).
I ordered the blackened catfish with pepper jack cheese grits, topped with tomato marmalade and basil oil that I had already read a lot about
and it was to die for! Very spicy and peppery, so probably no good for people who use pepper sparingly, but for me, really gorgeous. I loved the polenta, too. (I am sorry of my style of writing probably doesn't sound as enthusiastic as it has in other reviews but I have just had lunch and couldn't eat another bite, and I just realize that this is not the right condition to be writing mouth-watering reviews in).
Dear DH had the Grilled Mahi Mahi - served with spiced pineapple chutney over cashew-jasmine rice finished with coconut rum beurre blanc, if I may cite from the menu and not only did it look fantastic, but it also tasted extremely nice (even though I slightly preferred my own dish).
The portion sizes were just right for us, too: This is one of the few meals I clearly remember as not having stuffed myself silly, but still felt like dessert after our entrées. I decided on this little cutie
and I almost couldn't eat him, I wanted to take him home!
The tropical fruit mango sorbet he was sitting atop, however, was eaten away from under him faster than he could swim for cover.
DH felt that he needed chocolate to go with the coffee we were then served, so he went for the Chocolate Wave(sorry, the picture turned out a bit blurry):
This was the server's recommendation as well, but it proved to be a bit much for us too rich and chocolatey, we couldn't finish it. Had we not had an entire lunch before it, it would have been perfect, though!
To sum it all up: We tremendously enjoyed our lunch there, giving full marks both to taste and presentation of the food as well as to the overall setting, and I would easily rate it one of our best. I can't wait to go back there!
Coming up next: Our first visit to Mexico Dinner at San Angel Inn.
. We were told that it would be a little wait, and as I asked to be sat next to the fish tank, were also told that that might not be possible but they would do their best. Oh well, wait and see
As it turned out, we only had to wait ten minutes at most until we were called to our table. The CM who led us there enthusiastically said that he was about to lead us to his very favourite table in the restaurant, and he was not lying it was GORGEOUS! We were not right up at the fish tank wall, but had a 4-person table in a booth with a comfy bench to ourselves, one table further back from the tank. This meant that we were sitting much more comfortably, did not really notice all the people sitting behind us and looking our way sincere there was a wall in our backs, and did not have to twist our head to see the fish. Fantastic! There was a fish-spotting guide waiting on the table, and we proceeded to identify some of the fishies over a round of Smoothies.
The fishies ...
... and the smoothies.
For starters, we both decided on the same item: the Sea and Land, which consisted of a grilled shrimp with cucumber salad, and a beef skewer with polenta. I can tell you: This was veery nice! It looked great, and it tastes even better.
In fact, the beef was so yummy that we both would truly like to try a meat entrée here the next time (there will definitely be a next time!
), but as this was a fish restaurant , we were determined to have fish entrées this time (and not even the sad looks on the fishies' faces in the tank opposite could sway us ).I ordered the blackened catfish with pepper jack cheese grits, topped with tomato marmalade and basil oil that I had already read a lot about
and it was to die for! Very spicy and peppery, so probably no good for people who use pepper sparingly, but for me, really gorgeous. I loved the polenta, too. (I am sorry of my style of writing probably doesn't sound as enthusiastic as it has in other reviews but I have just had lunch and couldn't eat another bite, and I just realize that this is not the right condition to be writing mouth-watering reviews in
).Dear DH had the Grilled Mahi Mahi - served with spiced pineapple chutney over cashew-jasmine rice finished with coconut rum beurre blanc, if I may cite from the menu and not only did it look fantastic, but it also tasted extremely nice (even though I slightly preferred my own dish).
The portion sizes were just right for us, too: This is one of the few meals I clearly remember as not having stuffed myself silly, but still felt like dessert after our entrées. I decided on this little cutie
and I almost couldn't eat him, I wanted to take him home!
The tropical fruit mango sorbet he was sitting atop, however, was eaten away from under him faster than he could swim for cover
.DH felt that he needed chocolate to go with the coffee we were then served, so he went for the Chocolate Wave(sorry, the picture turned out a bit blurry):
This was the server's recommendation as well, but it proved to be a bit much for us too rich and chocolatey, we couldn't finish it. Had we not had an entire lunch before it, it would have been perfect, though!
To sum it all up: We tremendously enjoyed our lunch there, giving full marks both to taste and presentation of the food as well as to the overall setting, and I would easily rate it one of our best. I can't wait to go back there!
Coming up next: Our first visit to Mexico Dinner at San Angel Inn.
madameleota71
You try. You fail. You try. You fail. But the only
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2008
Love your reviews and pics!
gardengirl628
Help, help, a Herrible Hoffalump!
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2009
Glad you enjoyed your meal at Coral Reef. We enjoyed it on our last trip.
- Status
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