First Time Dining Report - 10 days of Deluxe Dining!

[scanne]

Yummy! Thanks for sharing. Can't wait to read more!

 

[ocdisney08]

Great reviews. Really enjoying them. We are going to WDW and doing DxDP in July, so your reviews are coming in very handy. We are doing Y&Y and Flying Fish too.

FYI - I live in Austin and I am a UT graduate. Love those Horns!!

Small world! I just love Austin, but I'm going to be living out in Bastrop in the fall when I do my student teaching .

And we had some of the same restaurants on different evenings. We also enjoyed California Grill, Yachtsman Steakhouse, and Narcoossee's. One restaurant that I detested was Fulton's! The review is on here somewhere. Anyhow, I am dying to hear more of your impressions. Keep posting!

Oh no, I really liked Fulton's! Hopefully you were just there on a bad day.

We may have to try Flying Fish at some point. The PB&J creme brule looks good.

I really like Flying Fish, and the Boardwalk. I would like to stay in the area sometime!

Yes, your pictures are just gorgeous! MUCH nicer than most of the ones I see here (not trying to be mean to others, just pointing out that yours are especially good! ).

I am subscribing! Can't wait for the next report - our trip is coming up in September and I am SO ready to go right now.......

Thanks a ton! I like to take food pictures, even of my own cooking and at restaurants here at home. I think that since there were only 2 of us (no kids and my dad was very supportive of my crazy food picture taking), it was easy to take our time and make sure we got good pictures.

Great start -- count me in!

Thanks!

 

[Krissalee]

I really like the look of your dad's fish! I have had the short ribs at Jiko as well and they are excellent.

Now I am debating changing my first night ADR from Artist Point to Jiko!

 

[scanne]

Is the Pellagrino included on the DxDP?

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Jiko looks very good - I've been wanting to see pics of the beet salad and coffee-rubbed grouper for a while now, so thanks for that.

Plus, I'm happy to see that the wild boar appetizer was a hit. It's one of my favorite Jiko items, since it incorporates some amazing and authentic South African flavors.

 

[Tracerr00]

I'm really enjoying your reviews so far and can't wait to read more!! I love your descriptive writing style and great photos. I've been going back and forth on Yak & Yet but I've been seeing some great reviews lately. and those wontons are right up my alley!

 

[MarieA]

Enjoying your reviews!!! Looking forward to the rest.

 

[jennyf2]

Loving your report so far Can't wait to read the rest!!!!

 

[ThreeAngels]

I'm really enjoying your reviews. Can't wait to read more!

 

[DisneyQueenSarah]

Awesome job on your first review! I'm going to the World this week and am going to attempt to do my first review, too! Hope mine turns out as well as yours! Thanks for sharing!!

 

[Singinglizzie]

Just wanted to say how much I enjoy your reviews. You have a great way of explaining each part of the meal, so I wanted to thank and compliment you. By far one you are one of the best dining "reviewers" and I have been reading lots of reviews. Great job and will await your next review with anticipation!

 

[Kat in GA]

My husband and I are doing the deluxe plan in October - and I am loving reading deluxe reports - I can't wait to try a bunch of new restaurants!

 

[ocdisney08]

Yummy! Thanks for sharing. Can't wait to read more!

Thanks for reading!

I really like the look of your dad's fish! I have had the short ribs at Jiko as well and they are excellent.

Now I am debating changing my first night ADR from Artist Point to Jiko!

Oooh, those are both some of our favorite Disney restaurants. It may take a while, but I hope my review of Artist Point is helpful (it was my dad's favorite meal hands down ).

Is the Pellagrino included on the DxDP?

Yup, yup! And the large bottle, enough for 2 to share, only counts as one drink! So, a great value for the dining plan too.

Jiko looks very good - I've been wanting to see pics of the beet salad and coffee-rubbed grouper for a while now, so thanks for that.

Plus, I'm happy to see that the wild boar appetizer was a hit. It's one of my favorite Jiko items, since it incorporates some amazing and authentic South African flavors.

I just need to find a South African restaurant somewhere close to home now!

I'm really enjoying your reviews so far and can't wait to read more!! I love your descriptive writing style and great photos. I've been going back and forth on Yak & Yet but I've been seeing some great reviews lately. and those wontons are right up my alley!

Thanks! Yak & Yeti is definitely one of my preferred in park restaurants, and I wouldn't hesitate to go back (I just wouldn't order the duck ).

Enjoying your reviews!!! Looking forward to the rest.

Loving your report so far Can't wait to read the rest!!!!

I'm really enjoying your reviews. Can't wait to read more!

Thanks everyone!

Awesome job on your first review! I'm going to the World this week and am going to attempt to do my first review, too! Hope mine turns out as well as yours! Thanks for sharing!!

Thanks You should definitely do one as well. It's a great way to relive some of the Disney (dining) magic

Just wanted to say how much I enjoy your reviews. You have a great way of explaining each part of the meal, so I wanted to thank and compliment you. By far one you are one of the best dining "reviewers" and I have been reading lots of reviews. Great job and will await your next review with anticipation!

Wow, that means a lot, thank you. I am still new to this, but am glad my reviews are helpful to some. My next review is coming tonight, but writing it while watching PotC may not have been the smartest choice I've made (it's definitely taking me a while )

My husband and I are doing the deluxe plan in October - and I am loving reading deluxe reports - I can't wait to try a bunch of new restaurants!

Ooh, I'm so jealous. I'm ready to go back!

 

[ocdisney08]

Our third day at Disney began with a morning at Epcot, which included a lunch at:

We received a pager upon check in and waited for a few minutes before being brought to our table on the second tier (3 tables away from the tanks). Some pictures of our view:

I really liked our table location, other than the fact that there was another 2 top table right beside us (I felt like we were eating together!). I felt that the view was great though, with our table being higher up than the tables that were closer to the tank. As you can see, there were tables closer to the tank unoccupied, but I don’t really enjoy being that close. I can’t really explain it, but looking through the thick glass/plexiglass/whateveritis up close for a long time makes me get a headache/feel kind of seasick (I know I’m weird ).

Some pictures of the menu:

For our drinks today, my dad and I decided to try some of the non-alcoholic smoothies that Coral Reef offers as beverages on the dining plan:

On the left is my dad’s strawberry daiquiri and the other drink is my piña colada. These drinks were good and tasty (I think I actually prefer non-alcoholic smoothies with a shot of alcohol on the side over a daiquiri or piña colada with rum ). The one downside to the smoothies is that they separated fairly quickly, like many frozen drinks do. But with a quick stir before drinking, this problem was easily remedied.

With our drinks we were also served some bread and butter:

It wasn’t anything particularly special, and it’s the same stuff that you can find in other Disney restaurants. That being said, it was still warm, crusty, and pretty tasty. It was served with butter that I thought could have been improved with some salt (it was pretty bland to me), but my dad thought it was fine as is.

For our appetizer, we decided to get the one with the most variety, the:

Appetizer for Two
Crab Cakes with Tropical Fruit Salsa and Tequila Aioli, Crispy-fried Shrimp with Coral Reef Slaw and a Spiced Rémoulade, and a Taste of our Creamy Lobster Soup $16.99

I love any type of appetizer sampler, and it is something that I always am drawn to at restaurants. I love variety, and when I don’t have to make a decision, (I’m so indecisive ). Of everything on the plate, my favorite was the fried shrimp. They were lightly crumbed and nicely fried, not oily of soggy. The slaw they were served with was good, but nothing particularly special and my dad didn’t really care for the bell peppers and raw onions in it. The shrimp were really good dipped into the rémoulade (the pink sauce in the little pot). It was creamy and slightly spicy, although I’m not sure how authentic it was. My next favorite thing on the platter was the crab cake. The aioli didn’t have much taste, especially not of tequila (maybe that was a good thing ), and didn’t really add anything to the crab cakes. They weren’t the best I’ve ever had, but they were tasty and crabby. The salsa they were served with was made up mostly of mango, which I think complimented the crab. My least favorite item on the platter was the lobster soup. While the texture of the soup was nice (it was silky smooth) the flavor didn’t wow me. The most predominant flavor to me was tarragon, and I couldn’t tell that it was even lobster (it tasted seafood-y, but there were no pieces of lobster). This was the only thing I didn’t finish of the plate.

For my entrée I decided to get the:

Coral Reef Lobster Orecchiette Pasta
with White Cheddar Cheese and Basil Oil $26.49

I have wanted to try the Mahi Mahi for some time now, but when our waitress said that this pasta dish was essentially a lobster mac and cheese, I couldn’t not order it. I love carbs. I love cheese. But I kind of wished I didn’t order it. While it was tasty, it wasn’t what I was expecting. It was more like pasta with a cream sauce than a mac and cheese. The pasta however was nicely cooked to al dente. There was a ton of lobster in the dish, which was delish, and I ate it all, while not finishing the pasta. The green on the plate was the basil oil, which I think added a nice freshness to the dish. There was quite a bit of it, so if you weren’t a fan of basil I would be sure to ask to have it left off or on the side. All in all, I think this dish could have benefitted with more cheese, but then again what wouldn’t be better with more cheese??

My dad decided to get the:

Grilled New York Strip Steak
served with Roasted Potatoes, Mushrooms, Spinach, and Red Wine Sauce $31.99

After the waitress told us that this was a signature dish of the restaurant, my dad surprised me by ordering it (he’s usually the person to order seafood at a seafood place, steak at a steakhouse, etc). He ordered the steak medium rare, but when he received it it was more of a medium doneness. He didn’t want to bother with sending it back, so he just ate it, but it was definitely overcooked for my tastes. The steak wasn’t anything special, but my dad thought it went well with the red wine sauce. The one thing that my dad did comment on was that he wished there were more mushrooms; there were only a couple of pieces mixed in with the spinach. My dad enjoyed this meal, but once we left the restaurant he said he should have ordered something lighter, like a fish dish, cause he was really full from just lunch.

I decided to go with a signature dessert of the restaurant:

(I knew y'all wanted to see it from both sides )

The Chocolate Wave
served with Raspberry Gelato $8.49

I was divided between ordering the key lime mousse or the cake, and decided to get the latter, as I determined that I was in a chocolate mood . The cake was small, but that suited it well for it was very rich. The cake was warm with a nicely gooey molten center. The raspberries and raspberry gelato were tart, which helped cut the sweetness of the cake a bit. A very good dessert that I had no difficulty finishing.

My dad decided to get a dessert he read online about and was looking forward to ordering, the:

Baileys and Jack Daniel’s Mousse
with a Caramel Crisp $7.99

The bottom layer was a dark chocolate mousse with Jack Daniel’s. There was a strong whisky taste to the mousse, so be wary if you aren’t a big alcohol in desserts fan. The top layer was a white chocolate mousse with Baileys, which was my dad’s favorite part of the dessert. He’s a big fan of Baileys and white chocolate, so it was right up his alley. The crisp pretty much tasted like somewhat burnt sugar, but it looked pretty on the top of the mousse with the chocolate balls.

Overall I would say that this meal was good, but this restaurant isn’t on the top of my must return list. There are other Epcot restaurants we like and many others we have yet to try. We used a total of 2 dining credits, and the meal would have been $108 (not including tip) if we had paid out of pocket.

Oh, and I'm sorry this review took so long to post. Writing it while watching PotC didn't really help either. (But why is the rum gone? )

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Great review of Coral Reef! I largely agree with your assessment - it's a great value on the dining plan (thanks to the expensive 1-credit entrees), but the food isn't amazing. It's kind of a shame IMO - at one point in time, Coral Reef was one of the nicest restaurants in WDW (it was originally 2 credits on the DDP), but now the food isn't something I miss when I'm home.

Another interesting change - the Chocolate Wave used to be made with alcohol (it used to have an asterisk on the menu, just like the mousse. and when I look up recipes for it online, the recipes mention gran marnier). Now that asterisk is gone. I wonder why they changed the recipe?

 

[CatNipRules]

Thank you for your review of Coral Reef. We've only eaten there a few times due to my allergies, but I love to see new reviews. I have to agree that I like the tables that are further away from the tank.

Great looking food and great looking desserts!!

Can't wait for more!

 

[CraigInPA]

Looking forward to seeing more of your reviews. Reading them is like being there!

 

[scanne]

That's cool about the Pellogrino! It must be so nice to have on a hot summer day...

 

[Kat in GA]

Coral Reef is one of the restaurants we are going to in October. I really want to try it because I hear such mixed reviews - I want to know what I am talking about if I tell people that they should or should not eat there!

Let me ask you about the aquarium...for the people sitting up close - did they have other people "hovering" in their space? Meaning did people (or did parents send their kids) come closer to have a look?? I think I would feel more claustrophobic from that than from the tanks. What do you think would be the best spot if you had a choice??

 

[starousse]

I'm really enjoying your reviews and can't wait to read more. We ate at most of the same places on your review and so far your reviews are spot on with what we thought.