Help us change our set ways!

[jimim]

Hi everyone. This July we want to start to try out a few new places. We are such creatures of habit and stick with the same places year after year. Not that it's a bad thing cause we have never had a bad dinner at any of them, but we just want to branch out. Every time we say we are we just get sucked back in! LOL

Our usual places are:

Le Cellier. It's just consistent.
Artist Pt. I love the Salmon.
Cal Grill. Between the stellar service and the consistent food.
Flying Fish. Just always awesome.
Yachtsman. Always consistent and the service is awesome. Does help we have had the same server for like 5 years in a row now.
Narcoossee's. Again just very consistent.

We are thinking about:

Jiko. All our friends who go there say they love it. So I think this is a deff.
The Wave. The menu looked good when we walked by it.
Tuto Italia.
Via Napoli
Kouzzina. Heard diff things about this place.
Bluezoo. My father thinks we are crazy. He has been in one of Tod English's other places and said it's totally over rated.
Citricos. Went there like 8 years ago and we just didn't have a good dinner. I know everyone says great things about it, but my wife has been hesitant.

Thanks for any input!

Jimi

 

[PoohsFan1]

I know what you mean, we too have our favorites that we just can't go to Disney without having an ADR at each one, however, we do like to try new places each time we go as well. As for the list that you are thinking about, we have only been to one. We really liked our meal at Tutto Italia, we ate there this past September and we had no complaints at all. We are going to be trying Via Napoli in May because my DD7 wanted to go back to the "Italian place in Italy" for her birthday dinner, but we all decided that since we have never been to Via Napoli (and it still is in the Italy pavilion), we would try that one out.

Other TS restaurants that we are trying for the first time are:
- Narcoossee's....so glad to hear that this is a consistent for you because this is one of the restaurants that I am really excited about trying
- Spirit of Aloha....gets mixed reviews but we thought it would be fun for the kids (plus we have never been to a dinner show before)
- Via Napoli
- Boma's Breakfast....did dinner in September and loved it, and heard such wonderful things about the breakfast so I had to find out what the rave was all about.
- Captain's Grill breakfast....staying at BCV so thought it would be easy to go to one morning

Hope you have a wonderful trip

 

[laur roo]

Try the Wave! It's a hidden gem as far as I'm concerned...it's actually becoming one of my regular spots!

I haven't been to Jiko, but did do Sanaa in Dec. I would for sure go to AKL for a meal, it's nice to see the animals and the resort for a bit before/after your meal.

 

[LoveKermit]

We went to BlueZoo in 2004, so I'm digging deep into the memory hole. It was very good. It's a grown up experience and the food is unique (there was some kind of popcorn ice cream or something). But the fish was excellent and, like I said, modern and sophisticated.

I would take my 4 yo because she can behave, but I wouldn't go there with another family where we might get loud and have a lot of movement around us, if you get what I mean.

We tried Kouzzina and we really wanted to like it. We LOVED Spoodles, but it didn't "do it" for us. Your regular favorites outweigh Kouzzina. Go tried and true before you go there (and I am extremely NOT picky--most restaurants work fine for me).

That's all I can add.

 

[JenSop]

Yes - you MUST go to Jiko!!! We've been there several times and just love it each time.

This year I also tried Kouzzina and Via Napoli. I would recommend both of them - so good!

Edited to add that I HIGHLY recommend Sanaa. I've been there three times and everything is great - the atmosphere, the decor, the view, the service, and most importantly - the food!

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

I would ABSOLUTELY recommend you go to Jiko, it's a beautiful restaurant with great food! Also wonderful is Kouzzina, a nice and tasty variety from the usual Disney fare.

 

[jimim]

I know what you mean, we too have our favorites that we just can't go to Disney without having an ADR at each one, however, we do like to try new places each time we go as well. As for the list that you are thinking about, we have only been to one. We really liked our meal at Tutto Italia, we ate there this past September and we had no complaints at all. We are going to be trying Via Napoli in May because my DD7 wanted to go back to the "Italian place in Italy" for her birthday dinner, but we all decided that since we have never been to Via Napoli (and it still is in the Italy pavilion), we would try that one out.

Other TS restaurants that we are trying for the first time are:
- Narcoossee's....so glad to hear that this is a consistent for you because this is one of the restaurants that I am really excited about trying
- Spirit of Aloha....gets mixed reviews but we thought it would be fun for the kids (plus we have never been to a dinner show before)
- Via Napoli
- Boma's Breakfast....did dinner in September and loved it, and heard such wonderful things about the breakfast so I had to find out what the rave was all about.
- Captain's Grill breakfast....staying at BCV so thought it would be easy to go to one morning

Hope you have a wonderful trip

Thanks for the great response!

U won't be disappointed in narcoossee's. Always great. I had mahimahi this time there and it was great. Our server was deff a different card, but the food was perfect!

A few years ago we did new years eve there. It was the first year they had new years there as a private party. That wascreal good too. It was like 8 courses and a band. Great night. I don't know if they still do it.

Just a side note!

Jimi

 

[jimim]

Try the Wave! It's a hidden gem as far as I'm concerned...it's actually becoming one of my regular spots!

I haven't been to Jiko, but did do Sanaa in Dec. I would for sure go to AKL for a meal, it's nice to see the animals and the resort for a bit before/after your meal.

Ya my dad's buddy said the same thing about the wave. They ended up there one night and said that tenderloin is real good. The pork one.

The menu looks real good.

One of the reasons we want to go to jiko is to seethe hotel. We never been there yet. Is it a show stopper like wilderness lodges lobby?

 

[jimim]

We went to BlueZoo in 2004, so I'm digging deep into the memory hole. It was very good. It's a grown up experience and the food is unique (there was some kind of popcorn ice cream or something). But the fish was excellent and, like I said, modern and sophisticated.

I would take my 4 yo because she can behave, but I wouldn't go there with another family where we might get loud and have a lot of movement around us, if you get what I mean.

We tried Kouzzina and we really wanted to like it. We LOVED Spoodles, but it didn't "do it" for us. Your regular favorites outweigh Kouzzina. Go tried and true before you go there (and I am extremely NOT picky--most restaurants work fine for me).

That's all I can add.

Good to know about blue zoo. We took our one year old to all the places I mentioned above. She was great even with the long dinners. We have been taking her to restaurants since she was an infant. She is used to going out on the weekends for dinner. She just loves being around lots of people.

Heard the same out kat koras place as u said. I too loved spoodles!

We aren't picky, but just love food. We really appreciate a good restaurant. The town I live in has 17 family run pizza/Italian places that are all at least 80 years old. Just always have been around great food and great places to eat. I come from an Italian household and have always been around good home cooking and my wife loves to cook like my mom. We love having a great dinner experience.

 

[jimim]

Yes - you MUST go to Jiko!!! We've been there several times and just love it each time.

This year I also tried Kouzzina and Via Napoli. I would recommend both of them - so good!

Edited to add that I HIGHLY recommend Sanaa. I've been there three times and everything is great - the atmosphere, the decor, the view, the service, and most importantly - the food!

I keep herring Sanaa. Where is it?

I have never heard anything ba about jiko. This is going to be a deff!

Jimi

 

[jimim]

I would ABSOLUTELY recommend you go to Jiko, it's a beautiful restaurant with great food! Also wonderful is Kouzzina, a nice and tasty variety from the usual Disney fare.

Thanks for the response! What is ur favorite thing u have had there?

 

[Pakey]

I've eaten at all of the ones you are considering and bluezoo is way above the rest. Next I'd pick either Citricos or maybe Jiko.

 

[JenSop]

Sanaa is at Kidani Village, next to AKL.

 

[hoosiergirl7]

Love, love, love the Wave! I agree with the poster that said it's a hidden gem. We had to switch around ADR's last trip because of an illness in our travel group (my dad) and couldn't get new ADR's for one of the restaurants we had to cancel and the concierge at Poly suggested the Wave. I'm so glad she did. It was the best dinner we had on the entire trip. We're going back on our next trip. We can't wait.

 

[FoundinWonderland]

I think it's funny- we have been to The Wave twice now and both times we weren't fans. I guess it just goes to show taste is all subjective!

However we love Jikos and Citricos- in fact I would wager we prefer Citricos over Narcoossee's- though you can't go wrong their either. And if you would like a new EPCOT restaurant- we always debate Le Cellier vs. Teppen Edo- usually we end up at both...

 

[cbg1027]

I think Jiko is fantastic, a good choice to branch out with.
I also really adore Citricos, so I think that's another great idea.
I enjoyed bluezoo. I just went there for the first time in mid-December and thought it was great.
I had a bad experience at Kouzzina, but I am willing to try it again. I went shortly after they opened, so I'm hoping the kinks have been ironed out now.

I haven't been to the other places you mentioned as prospects. I would like to add Sanaa to your list though. It is the best non-signature restaurant in Disney, IMO.

If you click on the links in my signature, I have reviews of Jiko and Citricos if you want to know more about them.

 

[Mamu]

I like all your favorites there also some of my favorites. I also like the restaurants you would like to try on your next trip. Some of them are also on my must do list.

We go every year and always try a few new restaurants.

 

[SOnotLayuh]

Jiko is, hands down, the best place I've ever eaten in my life

 

[kathymc]

I would add Jiko - we werent impressed with our dinner at blue zoo. food wasnt bad but services wasnt great - could have been an off night but for that kind of $$$ it has to be better.

we had a great lunch at via napoli last month

 

[laur roo]

One of the reasons we want to go to jiko is to seethe hotel. We never been there yet. Is it a show stopper like wilderness lodges lobby?

We ate at Sanaa, and that one is at Kidani Village, which is the DVC part of AKL. The buses go to both places, you just have to make sure to get off at the right one! We only saw Kidani Village, the outside of the lobby area was awesome! Inside the lobby was nice, but not a showstopper like WL. You can go outside and see the savannah, and although it was dark while we were there, we could spot a few animals. I wish we could have gone back in the daylight, it would have been amazing to see more of the animals! The nice thing about Sanaa is it has big windows facing the savannah so you can see animals while you eat [if it's not too dark, lol!]

I can't really say what Jambo House looks like [where Jiko is] because we didn't go in there. I would assume a similar style with viewing access to the savannah there as well.