Dishes: A Magical Gathering of Disney Dining (Reviews: Apr20-28 w/pics!) Finally DONE

[shovan]

There is a long-standing debate on the DIS boards regarding Counter Service in Animal Kingdom. It boils down between Flame Tree BBQ and Tusker House. We’ve patronized Flame Tree many-a-time, because when it comes down to it, pulled pork marinating in a bath of tangy barbeque sauce is heavenly. Beef brisket marinating in a bath of tangy barbeque sauce is heavenly. Barbeque sauce is heavenly. Period. So as you can imagine, I’ve always been on the Flame Tree side of the debate; I realized, however, that’s not really fair as I’ve never been to Tusker House to make a fair comparison.

So we dragged ourselves away from the delicious wafting smells of Flame Tree over to Tusker House. It was a little before noon and not very crowded, or at least it looked that way. I mused over the menu and decided on the Turkey Wrap with Corn Chowder and left Jeff to order while I took our bag in search of a table. I think people came out of the woodwork because in that two minutes no tables were left inside so I found us a little two person table outside, but sadly, in the sun. Oh bother.

Jeff returned with our food: turkey wrap for me; Fried Chicken Sandwich for him. The Fried Chicken Sandwich looked wonderful, it tasted almost as good as it looked. The breading was nice and crispy with a nice peppery bite; the chicken juicy and tender. The bun was plain and I feel they could’ve picked a better bread option since they did so well with the chicken itself. The fries were steak fries, nice and crisp and fresh, though. It pays to be early on the lunch rush!

I got the turkey wrap. Remember me mentioning before that I dislike not having photos or detailed descriptions of my food? Yeah. Turkey wrap with corn chowder. That’s what the menu says. That’s it.

The turkey wrap sucked.

Okay, I should be fair. There was nothing wrong with the turkey wrap. I’m sure many, many people think its good. I, however, did not. The turkey itself was fine. The greens – I think they were arugual. They tasted peppery. I do not care for peppery greens. And the red sauce was just UGH. It might have been trying to be a roasted red pepper sauce but it failed! There was no delightful sweetness typical to roasted red peppers. I had two bites and left it alone.

The corn chowder on the other hand.. boy oh boy! It was 90 degrees out and I was sitting in the sun and I could see the steam coming off the soup but I still ate every single bite. It was rich and creamy and the corn lent a slight sweetness overall. The potatoes were perfectly tender without being mushy and the consistency was just the perfect level of chunky-ness. The cucumber salad was nice and refreshing as well. The cucumber and tomato didn’t suffer any sogginess from the dressing that, although creamy, was very light.

Our afternoon snack was a Strawberry Minnie Bar – refreshing and yummy (AK is always SO hot) and left us ready for our meal at Jiko later that night…

Again, Your descriptions & pictures are fabulous!!!

That chicken sandwich does look & sound yummy! As does the corn soup. Too bad they didn't do better with the wrap. In fact, it looks very much like the same turkey wrap that I keep getting at different places all over DW???

Chicken really is thier "Thing" at Tusker House, especially the rotisserie chicken! The plate they serve with the chicken & green beans is YUMMO!

You guys look so cute! That pic has me wanting a strawberry bar now. I've got to go get some lunch now, all of a sudden I'm very hungry!

 

[Disneyolic]

The picture of you two eating the strawberry bars is great! That would be one that I would print and frame for sure!

 

[FormrCastMbr]

Still loving your reviews! That pic of the of you is just adorable!!!

 

[J.C.&ALI'SMOM]

Never been to Tusker House, and now I won't get the opportunity Thanks for a peek of what I missed BTW, the photos are great

 

[mom2my3kids]

With all the rave reviews, we stopped at tusker house last year. Yuck it was all nasty the whole family agreed. This year we are going to try flame tree, sounds yummy.

 

[Nancyg56]

I ordered my usual at Kona: the Pineapple Macadamia Pancakes. Had this been anywhere other than Disney I could’ve counted the number of macadamias in my pancakes on one hand, however this being Disney the fluffy, golden cake-like discs were choc full of the nutty, tropical jewels. Topped with a dazzling mountain of crushed pineapple and sinfully decadent macadamia nut butter these pancakes are a delightful mix of sweet and savory for the tongue. The sweet, fruitiness of the pineapple is refreshing against the creamy, buttery taste of the ‘cakes. I chose bacon as the side kick for my pancakes and was slightly disappointed to find them over cooked. Now, I understand that the doneness of bacon is very personal. Some people (like my dear mother) like their bacon crisp and crumbly; myself, I enjoy it slightly on the underdone side -- floppy and chewy. That said, I do recognize that bacon + maple syrup is one of the flavor combinations that God created on the 6th day, so I delightfully dunked away.

I just had dinner and thought that I could not eat another bite. Then I read your pancake review. Now all I can think of is pancakes. Not just any pancakes. I want your pancakes. You sure can make me hungry with your descriptions....some company is going to snap you up and millions of people are going to jump right off their diets.....

 

[2manypets]

We've only been to Flame Tree, I'm sorry we missed that chicken sandwich, and your description of the turkey wrap actually sounds good to me. Hopefully they'll keep a few sandwiches on the buffet.

 

[wilma-bride]

What a shame Tusker House will be closed when we go in August - that chicken sandwich looks and sounds delicious - I am definitely a chicken sandwich kind of gal

Great pic of the two of you with your ice-creams

 

[Kath2003]

Subscribing! I LOVE that you've put links to the reviews in your first post - gets me straight to the food porn!

 

[TigerKat]

Still loving your reviews!! We love Tusker House(never been to Flame Tree), however, we've never had the turkey wrap.

Can't wait for JIKO, going for the first time next trip!

Your pic is so cute!

 

[andiepie]

I had to pop over from a previous poster and lost track of that one to read this. Great food reviews! I am allergic to bananas so I've been wondering how those Macadamia Nut Pancakes were because I can't have the infamous Tonga Toast. I can't wait to read more!

 

[richard_andmel]

Great reviews! I always get the Macadamia Nut Pancakes at Kona as well. October is really far away......

 

[luna99]

you should totally be a food critic/writer because your review is just amazing and making me seriously consider maxing out my credit card just to take a quick trip to disney and EAT!

love it!
keep it comin!

 

[rockstargeisha]

Just read through this. Thank you for writing such a detailed report. It's so nice hear why the food was good/bad. Looking forward to more!

 

[curiouser]

With all the rave reviews, we stopped at tusker house last year. Yuck it was all nasty the whole family agreed. This year we are going to try flame tree, sounds yummy.

I have to say, for "fast food" BBQ, Flame Tree is really quite exceptional. The baked beans are very molassesy sweet but we enjoy them and I'm always game for corn on the cob!

Just read through this. Thank you for writing such a detailed report. It's so nice hear why the food was good/bad. Looking forward to more!

I LOVE your signature! That is just too cute! Thanks for reading.

you should totally be a food critic/writer because your review is just amazing and making me seriously consider maxing out my credit card just to take a quick trip to disney and EAT!

love it!
keep it comin!

Thank you for the kind compliment!! And congrats on your upcoming wedding! I hope to be a Disney bride one day, too!

I had to pop over from a previous poster and lost track of that one to read this. Great food reviews! I am allergic to bananas so I've been wondering how those Macadamia Nut Pancakes were because I can't have the infamous Tonga Toast. I can't wait to read more!

I can wholeheartedly recommend those pancakes. They are wonderful!!

 

[curiouser]

There were two places that were on my “must eats” for my birthday WDW trip: California Grill and Jiko. Tonight was the night for Jiko.

I have to be honest and say we were both a little apprehensive about dining at Jiko. Not due to any bad reviews or not liking the menu, but simply because the dining experience at California Grill had been so phenomenal, it seemed like nothing would ever be able to compete – ever again. But, like the great Chairman on Iron Chef, with an open heart and an empty stomach we went in search of HAUTE CUSINE!

We arrived for our ADR early and were seated with only a few minutes wait. Our hostess explained to us about Jiko, the Swahili word for “the cooking place” and pointed out the open counter in the back of the restaurant where appetizers are prepared in full view of the guests. We were seated to the left of this bar, towards the middle of the restaurant, with the view of the windows behind Jeff and a view of the kitchen (which we love!) behind me.

I barely had time to open the wine menu and peruse when our waiter, Oscar, appeared and greeted us warmly. He asked if we’d dined at Jiko previously (no) and if we knew anything about African wines (also, no). Oscar asked for our wine taste preferences and assured us he would bring us something perfect. I regret not recalling the name of either of our wines, but Oscar was highly knowledgeable and brought us both wines to please our palate.

I once again ordered a Pino Noir, and found the offering at Jiko to be more robust, earthy and mature than its California cousin. With the deep colors and rich woods comprising the ambiance of the restaurant, the wine seemed to compliment the perfect setting for our meal.

For our first course we, again, started with the cheese selection. The offering was five different cheeses, served with dried apricots, spiced fruit jam and crostini. Going into the cheese expecting a similar service to the California Grill, we were surprised when the cheese plate was delivered with no explanation of the cheese, nor the cheese menu left so we could distinguish which was which. (Due to events to come, we forgot to take a photo of the menu on the way out, but more on that later.)

The majority of the cheeses were made from sheep’s milk and distinctiveness of that flavor detracted from the uniqueness of the individual cheeses. I was also disappointed in the lack of individual pairings as we had seen at California Grill – to me, it showed a lack of care to showcase the true flavorings of the cheeses. Although, it did become an adventure trying the cheeses with the apricot and fruit spread to see which accented the flavorings most. The crostini seemed to have a garlic-y spice to it that didn’t seem to lend itself to any of the cheeses.

Not entirely satisfied with the cheese selection we moved on to our appetizers. I had ordered the Taste of Africa: Kalamata Olive Hummus, Durban Tikka Masala, and Malay Spinach-Lentil Dip with Lentil Pappadam, whole wheat lavosh, and flaxseed Naan bread. The Taste of Africa is truly both a fun and delicious starter. The lentil pappadam was thin, crisp and dotted with cracked peppercorns, adding a delightful fire, especially when paired with the Malay Spinach-Lentil Dip, which was mild on its own, resembling a pesto. The whole wheat lavosh was thick, light, chewy and buttery, pairing best with the thick, creamy kalamata olive hummus. This hummus, also served at Boma and Mara, is my favorite hummus of all time. It has a perfect balance of flavorings that can stand up to, but not compete with, the buttery flavor of the lavosh. The naan offered a denser chewiness than the lavosh, with a deep smokiness. Paired with the Durban Tikka Masala the smokiness accented the sweet-spice of the curry.

Jeff ordered the Kenyan Coffee Barbecued Chicken Flatbread. The flat bread was crisper than the one we'd had at CG, very similar to the naan. Atop the bread was a perfectly golden layer of smooth melted cheese, lightly sharp under a dressing of sweet, smokey barbecue sauce. Pieces of tender chicken mingled with the cheeses and sauce while julienned slices of green apple lent a tart crunch, balancing out the sweetness of the sauce. Having a penchant for foods that combine sweet and savory, I much preferred this flat bread to the one at CG, while I believe Jeff prefered the flatbread at CG; we both agreed that both were excellent.

 

[shovan]

I'm loving this!!! I hate to repeat myself again, but your pics & writing are excellent as always!

I sure hope bad things aren't to come?!

We had started our meal at Jiko with the taste of Africa & also thought it was yummy! Interesting how each "sauce" paired with the different breads! The flat bread looks great also. Didn't you love those African wines?!

 

[TigerKat]

Can't wait for the rest!! That flatbread looks great. I'm taking notes as JIKO is on our list of new places for our next trip!!

 

[DisneyJenn18]

I am lovin your food writing! WOW! the pics are great, the food descriptions....this is my new crack...now..time to go eat cake! ha! Cant wait to read more! thank you

 

[curiouser]

When it came to deciding on our entrees, Oscar had been extremely helpful. We were both torn between two options on the menu; myself: the Durban Shrimp Curry and the Berbere Braised Lamb Shank; Jeff: the Oak Grilled Filet Mignon or the Tamarind Braised Beef Short Rib.

Oscar explained to us that he had one favorite thing on the menu and 11 second favorites. Intrigued as there were 13 items on the menu, we inquired as to the first and least favorites. His first favorite was the Berbere Braised Lamb Shank and his least the Durban Shrimp Curry. Having done so well with our wine recommendations, that settled my mind.

For Jeff, Oscar explained that while the Filet was the most popular dish on the menu, he’d prefer to see Jeff order the Beef Short Rib, as it was a dining experience he wouldn’t be offered many other places.

The lamb and short rib both arrived as large, delicious looking hunks of meat on a large bone. I was absolutely astounded when I delicately picked up the bone in my lamb and the meat literally slid right off. Jeff’s meat did similarly.

If you’ve never had lamb its an interesting meat to try and describe. Slightly oily, it has a much deeper natural flavor than beef. This particular serving of lamb, cooked to perfection, melted like butter in my mouth. The meat itself was perfectly seasoned to draw out the natural flavors and tenderness of the lamb. The texture was very delicate; soft like a pulled brisket but with no stringiness. The berbere sauce added the African fire to the dish, offering notes of chilies, garlic, all spice and cumin. Toasted couscous accented the dish with its earthy, nuttiness complimented with the tender cooked spinach.

The Tamarind Braised Beef Short Rib was tender and juicy and bathed in a sweet-savory-spiced glaze of gastronomical delight. The sauce itself boasted an elegant fruitiness that paired well with the fork tender beef. The Idaho-Sweet Potato gratin again picked up the sweet-savory notes of the dish, but this time paired with a rich cheese-cream blend.

For dessert I had the Pistacho Crème Brulee with a layered chocolate bottom. It was fairly typical crème brulee; creamy with a wonderful caramelized sugar crust, and I was pleased to discover that the pistachio flavor was not overwhelming, although I think I would’ve enjoyed pistachio bits added into the cream in addition to the flavoring. My chocolate bottom had melted, I’m assuming from the blow torch to caramelize the top, and I found that to be disappointing as well, as I was looking forward to a solid crunch on both sides sandwiching the crème.

Jeff had a Mango and Walnut Bisteea, which is a flaky, baklava like pastry surrounding candied walnuts and fresh slices of mango. It was served with fresh made guava sorbet. This was incredibly, deliciously refreshing while at the same time being quite sweet. The pastry was buttery and flaky, the walnuts crunchy and the mango so sweet, fresh and juicy. The guava sorbet added a nice tartness to balance out some of the sweetness. Delicious!

Now, I am going to back track to tell you the story about the events that transpired at Jiko that added an interesting twist to our meal….

As we were gleefully finishing our entrees I noted a usual group walking to the table behind me. They all seemed to be a bit young to be choosing Jiko without parents, but it wasn’t until I saw a bright yellow hoodie that my eye was drawn to the group (after all, a yellow hoodie is not business casual!). It was then that I noticed that the yellow hoodie belonged to everyone’s favorite candy-counter girl Ashley Tisdale, walking to the table behind me with one Brenda Song. I looked at Jeff, and in a very hushed and mature way asked:

M: IS THAT BRENDA SONG?!
J: The Wendy Wu chick? Yeah.
M: SQUEE!!!!

For the next fifteen minutes or so I cursed myself for being the polite one and giving Jeff the booth side of the table because he could honestly care less about the events transpiring around us. I was trying in an oh-so-cool-and-totally-inconspicuous fashion to catch better glimpses of the table behind us. I believe the roster was as follows: The lovely Brenda Song and her equally lovely co-star Ashely “I look SO much cuter in person” Tisdale (and with current boytoy Jared Murillo) , Sabrina from The Cheetah Girls (also with guy in tow), Miley “Hannah Montana” Cyrus, and Emily Osment. Corbin Bleu came later but he sat at a different table with what appeared to be some type of Disney big-wig executive.

I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but Miley talks really loud. I didn’t get any juicy gossip but somewhere in my Disney Channel loving heart, I found it heartwarming that the girls were gossiping and talking over each other like they really were best friends.

Anyway, the novelty wore off after a while since I was going to be the mature person and not bother them for photos (I also didn’t want to draw attention to them since no one else in the restaurant seemed to know or care who they were) and I began to notice what Jeff had noticed earlier: Oscar had disappeared.

I really hesitate to say “disappeared”, though, because he was quite present, doting (rather unnecessarily) on the DC Stars table.

We finished our entrees and waited. Our plates were cleared and a dessert menu was delivered and we waited. And waited. Finally a very rushed Oscar took our dessert order. Dessert was delivered quite quickly by a runner, but the coffee Jeff ordered with dessert didn’t come until after we were well finished with dessert. And then we waited for the check. And waited. And waited. And considered walking out (we think the gentleman next to us did!) when the check finally appeared – a little over an hour since we had ordered dessert.

We were quite unhappy with the drop off in service. Oscar had been absolutely wonderful… and then we were made to feel like second class customers. Due to that we decided to speak to the manager on the way out. We explained to Jeremy that we understood why that particular table was important but felt that we should be treated just as importantly. He didn't seem super sympathetic, but he agreed with our asessment of the situation and did volunteer to make our experience a little better.

I think its just professional to not say exactly what Jeremy did for us, but I will say that we were both pleased with the level of service and professionalism he provided us in light of our sour ending to an otherwise fabulous meal. It is because of his customer service that we will have no problems returning to Jiko in the future.

(Can I just say I’m still really bummed about not getting my photos with Ashley and Brenda?

It’s okay though, cuz me and Ashley are tight. She’ll call. She’ll call.

Yes, the first page doesn’t lie – I am really 26. There’s just a preteen fangirl stuck in my body.)