23 Nights, 40 ADRS, too many food pics to count!! COMPLETED 01/22!

[iluvpluto27]

Tonight we had VIP viewing for illuminations booked (a perk of booking with Disney UK), so we wanted to eat at Epcot. I’d read mixed reviews of Nine Dragons, but I thought the menu looked ok so we’d decided to give it a try.

We had a 6:45 reservation, arrived just before 6:30 and were seated immediately. The place was only about half full, but we were given a very small two top table, directly by the entrance, certainly not the best seat in the house. The tables are very close together here, but the decor is pretty. I do like the practice your chinese table mats, which kept us occupied while waiting for our food.

To start I chose the walnut shrimp toast. This was a huge appetiser, three pieces of crunchy shrimp toast, not too greasy, and a decent prawn flavour. I’m not a huge walnut fan so I removed the walnuts from the two pieces I ate (DH had the other piece). The sweet and sour dipping sauce was good, a little more vinegary than I’d get in chinese restaurants back home, but still good and worked well with the toast.

DH chose the Shrimp and Taro lollipops. Neither of us knew what taro was and had to ask our server, but it’s a starchy root vegetable, obviously not eaten much in England. The lollipops were four huge deep fried balls, of shrimp encased in a layer of taro, then breadcrumbs. These were served with a soy based dipping sauce, I loved the presentation and DH enjoyed these. The outside was very crunchy, working well with soft shrimp and taro, a very pleasant start to the meal.

For my entree I chose the honey sesame chicken. We don’t really get honey chicken in chinese restaurants back home, so I thought I’d give this a try. The chicken was moist, and the batter nice and crunchy. The honey sauce was too bland for me, but I guess it was honey based so it wouldn’t be the most flavourful. There was tons of chicken, and I left about half. The jasmine rice was nicely cooked, and I really liked the little cucumber salad, it was very fresh, with a light vinaigrette.

DH chose the fish. This was a large fillet of fish, served with jasmine rice and a soy based broth. I don’t think DH asked what type of fish it was, but he enjoyed this, it was a much lighter entree than mine, but it had lots of flavour, and again was a big portion. As an aside I loved the fish shaped plate it was served on.

For dessert I gave the caramel ginger ice cream a try. The texture was very creamy, but the ginger flavour was a little too strong, a couple of spoonfuls were enough for me.

DH chose the ginger cake. This was surprisingly good, very soft moist vanilla cake, filled with buttercream and topped with icing. The ginger flavour was very mild, and we both enjoyed this dessert.

Service here was fine, but nothing fantastic. It was a very quick meal, we’d had all three courses in 50 minutes, but on the whole we enjoyed the food here. We’d possibly go back again, but it hasn’t made it onto my must do list.

As we’d finished so early we had plenty of time before illuminations began. We wondered around world showcase, and I wanted to try the caramel shop having heard so many good things about it.

World showcase was very empty that night, but caramel kuche was still pretty busy. The caramel smells are incredible, and after waiting in line for five minutes DH chose a chocolate cupcake and I picked the chocolate caramel marshmallow.

We nibbled on these for the next couple of days. The cupcake was good, soft cake topped with tons of frosting. The frosting was too sweet for DH and he mostly just ate the cake and caramel.

The marshmallow was also nice. Soft marshmallow, covered in a thick layer of dark chocolate and caramel drizzle. The dark chocolate meant it wasn’t extremely sweet, unfortunately I never got round to finishing this, and about half got thrown away.

 

[Linda67]

I'm really enjoying your reviews

You don't see too many reviews on Nine Dragons so it was good to read your thoughts

I am a big fan of ginger so I would probably have loved the ice cream

 

[mousegear]

All caught up! I love your review of Nine Dragons. We may try it next trip when DS wants his rice fix. The Taro and Shrimp ball looks yummy and fun!

 

[vettegirl]

Nine dragons looks quite good.

 

[mamaboogie]

Wow! Great reviews and photos!

I also had the honey chicken at Nine Dragons - I also left about half of it!

Can't wait to read more

 

[disnut1149]

Hi
Your reviews are great!! Can't wait to hear about Mythos at Universal. I'm going there for one day in November. Thanks for sharing!!

 

[Kat in GA]

I am loving your reviews - can't wait to read more!

 

[kmedina]

Between the cinnamon roll, the chocolate wave and that cupcake, I am not sure which I want the most.

We like Nine Dragons too, but it is not on our must do list either.

 

[iluvpluto27]

I'm really enjoying your reviews

You don't see too many reviews on Nine Dragons so it was good to read your thoughts

I am a big fan of ginger so I would probably have loved the ice cream

Thank you, the ice cream probably would have been right up your street if you a big ginger fan!

All caught up! I love your review of Nine Dragons. We may try it next trip when DS wants his rice fix. The Taro and Shrimp ball looks yummy and fun!

Thank you, the appetisers there were really good.

Nine dragons looks quite good.

It was definitely better than I was expecting.

Wow! Great reviews and photos!

I also had the honey chicken at Nine Dragons - I also left about half of it!

Can't wait to read more

Thank you, they give you a massive amount of chicken don't they?

Hi
Your reviews are great!! Can't wait to hear about Mythos at Universal. I'm going there for one day in November. Thanks for sharing!!

Thank you, hope you enjoy Mythos. We loved it last time but this time we thought it was just ok. Not sure if it was the time we chose to dine, but we seemed very rushed, whereas last time we ate there around 2 and the meal was paced much better. DH's crab sliders were really good though!

I am loving your reviews - can't wait to read more!

Thank you very much.

Between the cinnamon roll, the chocolate wave and that cupcake, I am not sure which I want the most.

We like Nine Dragons too, but it is not on our must do list either.

Out of those three the chocolate wave would be my pick!!

 

[iluvpluto27]

On our way out of Epcot the previous day we’d stopped at Boulangerie Patisserie to get some snacks for breakfast the following day.
I picked an Almond Triangle. This was good, but I put it in the fridge overnight and it would have been better left out. The pastry was a bit too cold, but very flaky and buttery, with a nice almond filling. I could have done with more filling and less pastry, but it was fine.

DH had the Napolean. Thick cream sandwiched between crispy pastry, drenched with icing sugar. Delicious!

We spent the morning at Animal Kingdom, and left just after 12 to have lunch at Sanaa. Sanaa was pretty empty, and we were seated quickly at a window table, which had a view of the zebra and giraffes outside.

Our server greeted us quickly, and we just stuck to soft drinks as I felt a bit dehydrated after running around AK all morning.

I chose the Potato and Pea Samosas as my appetiser. These were so good. Flaky pastry, lots of soft potato and pea filling, a nice balance of spice, complemented well be the mango chutney.

DH chose the bread service, he picked Naan, Paneer Paratha and Onion Kulcha. All three were good although the naan was a bit crispy in the centre. He picked cucumber raita (nice creamy texture, but not enough cucumber), mango chutney and pickled garlic (really tasty, cloves of garlic marinated in a blend of spices). This was really good, and such a big portion I had a try of each bread.

For my entree I chose the tandoori chicken. This was a huge entree and really good value at $14.99 if you were paying cash for the meal. It consisted of a naan bread, topped with mixed leaves, tomato, onion, chicken pieces, raita and tikka sauces. The Naan was good, the salad was fresh and the sauces were thick and added flavour to the dish. The chicken was good, there was loads of it though and it was a mix of white and dark meat. I was expecting something similar to the tandoori chicken we’d get in indian restaurants back home, but it was much milder than that and it didn’t seem like it was cooked in a tandoori oven. Overall though a good, unique dish.

DH chose the slow cooked in gravy, thai green curry shrimp and stewed lentils, with five grain pilaf. The shrimp were good, well cooked and the sauce had a little bit of heat in it. The lentils were very good, perfectly cooked, deep flavour but no spice. The rice was well cooked, and the mix of grains added extra texture to the dish. Again a very good entree.

For dessert we had the chai cream. This was absolutely delicious, thick cream which captured the flavour of chai perfectly. Served with a chocolate dipped spoon, which added a little chocolate taste. Very smooth dessert, which was very moreish, even though we were full it was hard to let any of this go to waste.

We were both very impressed with our lunch here. Nice atmosphere, unique, well prepared dishes and again it was worth leaving Animal Kingdom for. We were very lucky with the buses too so it didn’t take too much time out of our day.

 

[iluvpluto27]

We had 7:45pm reservations at Narcoosees, and I was hoping to catch Hallowishes from the deck afterwards. DH had never really enjoyed his meals here, as the vegetarian entree had never been very good, but now he was eating seafood there would be a lot more choice for him.

We checked in just after 7:30pm, and were told we should be seated close to our reservation time. Normally the bar at Narcoosees is really busy but this time it was nearly empty, so we decided to grab a drink there before dinner.

I ordered a Tropical Mojito, which was made with mango rum. This just had a hint of mango in it, and was a nice, refreshing drink. DH just went with a jack on the rocks. By the time the bartender had made the drinks, our pager was flashing so we settled the bill and went to be seated.

We were seated at a four top on the ground level, one away from the window. Narcoosees always has quite a bustling vibe to it and is a lot louder than the likes of Artist Point. It’s not excessively loud or anything, but it’s not the quiet surroundings you might get at other signatures. Our server was good here, she was efficient, friendly and knew the menu well.

For my appetiser I chose the cheese plate. This consisted of three cheeses, a Reypenaer VSOP (the slices of hard, yellow cheese), which was paired with a lovely almond honey, MT TAM Triple Cream Brie and Caveman Blue Cheese. The Triple cream brie was my favourite, wonderfully creamy, just a little sharp, salty taste which worked well with the strawberries. The blue cheese was good, reasonably strong blue paired with walnuts, and the Reypenaer worked very well with the almond pairing.

DH chose the lobster spring roll. The pastry was very crisp, filled with big chunks of lobster and shredded vegetables. The soy-orange dipping sauce was very good, just a hint of orange flavour, but the spicy mayonaise wasn’t really spicy and it didn’t really seem to add much to the dish.

For my entree I chose the crab crusted Mahi Mahi. I loved this dish back in 2009, and it didn’t disappoint this time either. A beautifully cooked fillet of mahi mahi, with a a thick layer of crab cake on top. This added lots of flavour, a little spice and kept the fish really moist. This was served on a bed of fingerling potatoes (well cooked), green beans and a lemon sauce. I liked the sauce, it was very thick and creamy and worked well with the fish. When DH tried this dish he didn’t like the sauce, thinking it was too lemony and overpowered the fish, so I guess it’s down to personal taste, but for me this dish was a winner.

DH ordered that nights special, Pan Seared scallops served with wild mushroom risotto, asparagus and a port wine reduction. This was another great dish, perfectly cooked scallops, creamy mushroom risotto which was cooked just right, so the rice still had a little bite to it, the asparagus was also well cooked and the port wine reduction added sweetness to the dish.

I was very full at this point, but the cheesecake from here was my favourite dessert last time so I had to order it. Again this didn’t disappoint, rich creamy almond flavoured cheesecake, encased in a sweet almond crust, served with cherries and a little whipped cream. This dessert is to die for, and it killed me that I couldn’t finish it, luckily DH stepped in and helped me out, meaning none of this delicious dessert was wasted!

DH chose the strawberry lemon tart. The shortcrust pastry was thick and buttery, the filling had a mild lemon flavour which worked well with the fresh strawberries on top. He thought this was nice, but not a stunning dessert, and preferred my cheesecake.

We were given a complimentary glass of champagne to celebrate our anniversary which was a really nice gesture.

I ordered coffee with dessert, and was given a large press pot which was covered on the dining plan. This was very good coffee, much better than what’s served at most disney restaurants.

Overall we both really enjoyed our meal here. All 3 courses were very good, service was good, and after our meal we were able to watch the Electric Water Parade and Hallowishes from the deck, a perfect ending to the meal!

 

[mousegear]

I love your review of Sanaa. I am kind of afraid to try Sanaa. The food there seems so out of my normal range. However, one of these days, I'm going to pluck up my courage and try it.

Of course, your meal at Narcoosees looks awesome. It's always romantic and food always looks great!

 

[vinotinto]

Love, love, love your reviews! You've hit on many of my favorite restaurants. I love Sanaa and the funny thing is that when we had dinner there in June (also on the DxDP), I ordered the exact same 3 courses your DH ordered - the bread service, the green curry chrimp with lentils and 5-grain rice, and the chai cream. Loved all of it!

We're staying at the YC in just a few days, so I read with interest your reviews of Captain's Grill, BC Marketplace morning snacks and BnC.

 

[Linda67]

Great updates

Sanaa is on my 'ones to try' list

I love the look of the scallop dish at Narcoossees

 

[ChildAtHeart82]

Great reviews! The chai cream at Sanaa is one of my favorite Disney desserts. We try to make it to Narcoossee's on every trip and have always had good experiences.

 

[iluvpluto27]

I love your review of Sanaa. I am kind of afraid to try Sanaa. The food there seems so out of my normal range. However, one of these days, I'm going to pluck up my courage and try it.

Of course, your meal at Narcoosees looks awesome. It's always romantic and food always looks great!

You should definitely give sanaa a go. The flavours are a little more bland than true indian, so they are not that out there.
Narcoosees was fab!

Love, love, love your reviews! You've hit on many of my favorite restaurants. I love Sanaa and the funny thing is that when we had dinner there in June (also on the DxDP), I ordered the exact same 3 courses your DH ordered - the bread service, the green curry chrimp with lentils and 5-grain rice, and the chai cream. Loved all of it!

We're staying at the YC in just a few days, so I read with interest your reviews of Captain's Grill, BC Marketplace morning snacks and BnC.

at you ordering the exact same meal as DH. How good is that chai cream??

Hope you enjoy the Yacht Club, we loved staying in that area and both agree it would be difficult to stay in a non-Epcot resort hotel from now on.

Great updates

Sanaa is on my 'ones to try' list

I love the look of the scallop dish at Narcoossees

Thank you. Hope you get the give Sanaa a try, and the scallops were really good.

Great reviews! The chai cream at Sanaa is one of my favorite Disney desserts. We try to make it to Narcoossee's on every trip and have always had good experiences.

That chai cream is amazing, I would kill for a cup of it right now!

 

[iluvpluto27]

We had breakfast at Boardwalk bakery today. I chose a mickey shaped blueberry muffin, which was soft and fresh, with plenty of blueberries in.

DH chose a smores cupcake, this was huge, soft sponge with a chocolate chip graham cracker style centre, the frosting was less sweet than typical being more a a marshmallow cream rather than traditional frosting. A very unheathly, but delicious breakfast.

We sat outside the bakery to eat our breakfast. It was lovely and peaceful that time of the morning but it’s hard not to feel a bit guilty when you’re eating a calorie laden cupcake and there’s loads of joggers running past you!

After breakfast we walked to to Hollywood Studios. Again the park was pretty quiet. We were able to ride TSM 3 times, ride TOT, RNRC, Star tours, see voyage of the little mermaid and Lights, Motors Action and leave by 2pm.

We had a lunch reservation at sci fi at 11:30. I’m used to it being really busy at the check in area, and having to wait a while to be seated. This time there was hardly anyone waiting, and we were seated within a couple of minutes, in the back of a car at the centre of the restaurant.

This is still the quietest restaurant in disney world, it was nearly full by the time we finished our meal but everyone was watching the screen rather than talking.

I ordered a cherry diet coke to drink, and DH went with an Oreo Milkshake. This was really good once he’d stirred it, it had a nice oreo flavour to it and was thick and creamy.

To start we shared the spinach and artichoke dip and onion rings. The dip was good, creamy, tasty with a thick layer of cheese on top. There were way to many chips though, and most were wasted.

The onion rings were hot, nice crispy batter, and served with a mild horseradish dip. Good onion rings, about what you’d expect.

For my entree I chose the single cheeseburger, topped with swiss served with fries. This was good, the patty was served medium as requested, it was still juicy, there was plenty of salad in the bun, and the bun was white, crusty on top but soft in the middle. The fries were hot and crispy, this was too big a portion after the appetiser and I managed just over half.
The picture came out really dark, but you can imagine what a burger and fries looked like!

Dh chose the veggie burger, which was new on the menu. He didn’t like this at all and this was his worst entree of the trip. The patty didn’t have any real flavour to it, there were huge chunks of onion, pickle, cucumber, and tomato on top, making it impossible to pick the burger up. The bun was white, but crispy and not very soft. This came with normal fries, but apparantly was supposed to be served with sweet potato fries which our server brought part way through the meal.

The sweet potato fries were fantastic. Crispy on the outside, soft in the middle, sweet in flavour but it worked well with savoury food. DH ate the whole bowl, and skipped the rest of his entree!

DH ordered an apple crisp to share for dessert. This was surprisingly good, slices of cooked apple (but still crunchy not mushy), crumble style topping, a scoop of vanilla ice cream drizzled with caramel sauce. I could only manage a couple of spoonfuls, but enjoyed it.

Overall, we both enjoyed sci fi again, it provides a nice cool break from the parks, decent food (apart from the new veggie burger!), and we would return.

 

[iluvpluto27]

We had a 7:30pm reservation at Jiko that night, and after catching the boat to DHS and catching a bus to AKL from there, we checked in a few minutes early and were seated almost immediately.

We were sat at a four top by the window and presented with a card signed by all the staff for our anniversary which I thought was a lovely touch. Our server was good, friendly if a little slow at times. The meal lasted well over two hours which isn’t a big deal for me, but there was about a 40 minute gap between appetisers and entrees, which was just a little too long for me.

We ordered a bottle of chocolate block to drink, I love this wine, it’s a south african blend, really smooth but with quite a deep flavour.

I chose the Inguay tibs for my appetiser. These were deep fried parcels of spinach, mushroom and goats cheese in filo pastry, served with fuji apple and a curry mustard dipping sauce. These were delicious, the pastry was flaky and crispy, the filling had a little spice to it and lots of flavour, which worked well with the fresh apple which cooled the dish a little. Very good appetiser.

DH chose the cheese plate. This was an excellent mix of hard and soft cheeses, paired with accompaniments including raisins, strawberry jam, plum jelly, date. The triple cream brie again was delicious, but slightly saltier than Narcooosees, the Mount tam was very smooth and creamy and worked so well with the strawberry jam. The Roaring Forties blue was very strong but paired well with the raisins.

For my entree I chose the Barbarie Duck breast, served with massala potatoes and spinach. This was very nice, the duck was tender and there was lots of it, the spinach and potatoes were well cooked, the massala sauce had tons of flavour, but was just a little too spicy for me. The marinated mushrooms added a different texture, and worked well with the sauce.

DH chose the seared black grouper with toasted pearl cous cous, lentils, chickpeas, tomato, corn pudding and harissa vinegerette. The fish was well cooked, the cous cous and chick peas good, but DH wasn’t keen on the tomatoes for some reason.

For dessert I had the amarula creme brulee. This was lovely, perfectly smooth, silky creme brulee, a chocolate bottom, mild amarula flavour and thick crunchy top, so much better than the one I had at Brown Derby.

DH had the One Last Cup, Cinnamon and coffee mousse, served with hot chocolate sauce. The mousse was very thick in texture, as was the chocolate sauce. The coffee flavour was mild, and cinnamon was definitely the dominant flavour. The sugar cubes were actually little squares of white chocolate, so cute!

Another very good meal at Jiko, it’s still one of top Disney restuarants, definitely a must do on every trip.

 

[BLTLDZ]

Great reviews!! Glad to see you enjoyed Jiko...we had a bad experience this past december, but we are trying it again next week! Can't wait

 

[iluvpluto27]

Great reviews!! Glad to see you enjoyed Jiko...we had a bad experience this past december, but we are trying it again next week! Can't wait

Thank you. We always visit Jiko on our trips, and I think this was probably our best meal there. We've pretty much always had good food there, but sometimes the service has been a bit off. This time they were both great, so I hope you have a fab meal there next week.