I had originally been hesitant about booking a signature restaurant on the day of our arrival - mainly because we were eating a later lunch at Le Cellier and I was unsure if we would even be hungry. Would it be a waste of two credits? I kept wondering this to myself, especially after eating caramel popcorn!
But making the reservations for 7:40pm allowed us plenty of time to wander around Epcot, ride a few rides, and completely unpack and get all dolled up for dinner at the Boardwalk. Perhaps one of our favorite things about staying at the Epcot area resorts is the ability to dine at so many wonderful places without the need for bus transportation!
We walked the short distance to Flying Fish Cafe, pausing for a moment to watch a boardwalk magician perform tricks for the crowd. After putting our name in, we were soon led toward the back of the restaurant.
Aren't the murals that line the walls of this restaurant delightful? The scenes depict by-gone circus days, while the clean lines of the rest of the restaurant make it elegant and not over-crowded.
Our server for the evening, a wonderfully friendly lady, arrived as if by magic and asked for our cocktail order. Jeremy ordered his customary Gin and Tonic, while I opted for a Cosmopolitan
VERY light on the cranberry.
One thing I noted while waiting on our drinks was that surrounding us were quite a few families with smaller children, despite the fact that the meal came with a signature price tag. Everyone was so well-behaved!
When our beverages were placed in front of us, we ordered appetizers. Of course the waitress was aware that I would be dining gluten free, and had called the chef over to the table in advance. He walked me through my MANY options, and we placed our first order.
Luckily, I was able to have more than one appetizer on the menu, so Jeremy and I put our heads together and chose two for sharing. By this point I was actually getting hungry again!
The Lobster Summer Roll was served in a thin rice wrapper, which was stuffed with vegetables and - of course - lobster. It came with the most delicious Sweet Chili dipping sauce!
The Tuna Tartare was certainly as delicious as it looked. It was tempura-fried in a gluten free batter, and served with Wasabi Foam and a Sweet-and-Spicy sauce. Quite a treat, and good enough as a small entree if someone didn't want a large meal.
But for us, entrees would be soon to come. With small alterations, I was able to order almost anything on the menu, which was a wonderful change!
The Hatter was simply mad about tuna this particular evening, decided to go with the Citrus, Sesame, and Szechuan Pepper-crusted Yellowfin Tuna, which came with bok choy, carrots, snap peas, and mushrooms in a delicious asian broth. He loved every little bit of it!
I ordered the Signature Flying Fish Cafe Potato-wrapped Red Snapper. The chef altered the potato ever-so-slightly. It was absolutely delicious. Underneath was a cheesy Leek Fondue with a Veal Glaze, Red Wine and Cassis Butter Reduction. Heaven! I would say that this restaurant does one of the best jobs accommodating special diets - and that's quite an award to toss out at Disney World!
But the meal was yet to be over, and a final test had to be issued - Desserts. One thing is certain, however. If looks were the judge, Jeremy's certainly took home a prize!
The Carmelized Banana Napolean, came enveloped in phyllo, and was accompanied by banana mousse, creme caramel, and bitter chocolate. He ate it in its entirety, and most likely would have done the same with a serving twice as big - it was just that tasty for him.
Once again, sorbet was offered to me - and once again, it was divine! The Season Sorbet came in a trio of Coconut, Strawberry and Cherry Coulis. It was just enough after all that other food.
Flying Fish proved to be icing on the cake of our first day in Disney. We will not hesitate to dine here again - probably multiple times! We were one very happy couple as we hopped, skipped, and jumped back to our resort.
It is one of my favorite parts as well!
My roommate and I love to eat and often refer to each other as "Fat Hobbits."
