Jiko - Is it really worth it?

[Disney8704]

I am considering for DH and I to eat at Jiko 1 night, however, I dont know if paying $108 for our meal (includes meal, desert, drinks - soda, tax and tip) is actually worth it. Would you pay $108 for 1 meal? It is really expensive, and we are planning on going to other expensive TS but only because we have been there before or have heard REALLY GOOD reviews, and they are under $100 except for CRT and Hoop-Dee-Doo. I've heard great reviews on Jiko as well, just Im not sure if I really wanna pay that much. So convince me to do Jiko or should I just save my money and eat somewhere else. If we ate somewhere else, more then likely it will be CS since Im not sure what we would do after we spend the day at AK. I had planned to spend the day at AK, leave around 5pm, get back to AKL to shower and change and have an ADR for 7pm. It would also be the day before our 4th anniversary. We are gonna have our anniversary dinner at Coral Reef the very next day on our anniversary. We already have plans to eat at Boma the night we arrive. Maybe we could do Boma again? Im really stuck and not sure what we should do. So please help and give me your advice!

Incase your wondering heres what I have planned for dinners:
Boma
Coral Reef
Jiko - ???????
Cinderellas Royal Table
Wolfgang Puck Express
Liberty Tree Tavern
Hoop-Dee-Doo
Chefs de France
Sci-Fi
50's Prime Time
Counterservice (x3)

 

[nboicepardee]

I dream about Jiko it is so good! I have sent 2 different sets of friends there as well, and they also went nuts for it. I haven't been there in almost 3 years because of babies and moves, but I cannot wait to return. It is a great place to celebrate your anniversary!

 

[mickeysgal]

Yes, yes, yes. Jiko is hands down, our favorite. Yes, it's a lot of money (welcome to Disney) but here you feel that you've put your money down wisely. I really didn't care for California Grill and that has fallen off our list, but Jiko has never failed to disappoint us.

 

[Mulan82]

personally....

after reading many reviews on Jiko, DBF and i decided to try the place in Sept using 2 of our free dining credits. i looked through the reviews and the photos. it looked and sounded amazing!!!!!

now... the service was ehh. our server was not the most attentive. i was noticing that those that were sat after us had to wait a while just to be greeted. people that had finished their meal before ours looked really aggravated because they were clearly trying to finish their visit and leave and they couldn't find her anywhere!!! she was just so slow.. the food... was a major disappointment. i am up to trying any type of ethnic food. the temperature of the food. more on the warm/cold side than the warm/hot side. i did have the squash soup. that my friend, was AMAZING! DBF got the filet with the macaroni. he asked for his filet medium well... well, if bleeding and red is medium well, my momma taught me the wrong way to order a steak. the macaroni wasn't even cooked! it wasn't even al dente. it was more like pasty. you know the feeling when you are testing the pasta and its so hard and chewy it gets stuck in your teeth? it was like that. i had the pork. again, it was really red. we didn't tell the server... we were afraid that we'd never see our food again if we did... so we sucked it up.... and just got dessert. which was the best meal of the whole experience. the portion of the brulee was huge... it was def a serving for two. but i was so hungry i greedily ate the whole thing myself.

now, i've learned that these reviews, while they may be helpful in planning your dining experiences should be taken with a grain of salt. each persons visit is different. sometimes you can get so excited or disappointed from someone elses review that you work yourself up over a meal...

so i say, try it for yourself. your visit may be different than mine

 

[JeanfromBNA]

Thought it was a nice gourmet restaurant. The fewest children of any of the restaurants we dined at. My husband didn't care for it because he was expecting more African & African influenced food. I have to agree. I wish that they'd take more of a chance with the menu.

 

[Girldreamer02]

I am the pickiest eater alive and I loved Jiko so I would go if I were you. It was pretty yummy!!! hth

 

[Pakey]

We are usually a party of 6 adults and I would say that half of our group loves loves loves JIKO and the other half could take it or leave it. The appetizers here are the best on property IMO and although a few entrees are exeptional, I've had others that I think are just "okay". So if your $108 does not include appetizers, you'll be missing out on the best items on the menu. And JIKO is also best known for it's huge selection of African wines and it's probably the biggest reason we go here but your budget does not include wine either; we generally pay about $200-$300 per bottle.

BOMA and JIKO are nothing alike. BOMA is going to be noisy, crowded, lots of kids in there. Food is good, we love BOMA--I actually like the food better there. But JIKO is going to be quieter, fewer kids, darkened dining area where the focal point is the glass enclosed wine room. Just depends on what you are looking for. I think $100 for two people for dinner is inexpensive so I think you are the only one who can determine what it's worth to you.

If you do go, I hope it's a magical experience for your DH and you.

 

[DreaminDisney]

I think it's worth it. It's one of our favorites now.

 

[Jenna319]

I am also a very picky eater and really would never had added this to our ADRS for our October honeymoon if it wasn't for reading all the good reviews on these boards..... and I must say it is most definitely worth the $$. We are going back in March.... the food was out of this world!

 

[hematite153]

The only TS on your list that even comes close to rivaling Jiko is Boma.

I would definitely go there!

If you're worried about costs there are lots of ways to save money.
I eat the "Pea, Barley, something" entree at Jiko--it's cheaper than most other TS entrees, delicious and extremely filling.

 

[MaryD73]

We ate at Jiko for the first time in December and have fallen in love with the food and the service. Our Cast Member, Jeff, was fabulous! He knew exactly when to show up so we did not feel like we had to wait for his attention or that we were being rushed. And the food was amazing. You will not be dissapointed.

 

[mickeysgal]

One thing I have to point out is that I feel that at this point, the menu has not yet become Disney standarized, if you know what I mean - and this is one of the reasons it has held our top spot. There are still orginal dishes offered that you don't really see anywhere else. I think the menu has changed a bit since they first opened and it's African influence has been toned down just a bit. Just my opinion. I seem to remember the menu being very, very influenced when it first opened. Now, it seems like there are more recognizable things if that makes any sense. They're still very, very well done entrees, don't get me wrong.

Boma is an outstanding buffet, but Jiko is a totally different experience. It's gourmet, intimate, relaxing, quiet, and indulgent. OP: give it a try. And to those that mentioned the appetizers, I totally agree. Don't pass them up because some of the best menu items are on the appetizer list. Now if I could only learn how to make that red wine reduction for the filet and to make mac and cheese like they do.

 

[oybolshoi]

Jiko is absolutely worth it! It's a signature restaurant and one of the few, as another poster pointed out, that hasn't yet succumbed to the WDW menu standardization epidemic. They have a tremendous South African wine list, and offer some very unique and tasty dishes that you won't find anywhere else on WDW property.

I don't really see any signature restaurants on your planned list of ADRs, so why not splurge a little on Jiko if you think you will enjoy it?

 

[epicureangirl]

I think Jiko is worth it if I am paying cash, but I will not use 2 TS DDP credits to go there. If you compare their dinner prices to some of the higher-priced restaurants in Epcot (that are only 1 TS credit), you could only spend a marginal (under $10) more to order your dinner, dessert & beverage. The atmosphere is great, as is the food. It will be a must-do on my winter trip, even if I don't stay at AKV.

 

[epicureangirl]

We are usually a party of 6 adults and I would say that half of our group loves loves loves JIKO and the other half could take it or leave it. The appetizers here are the best on property IMO and although a few entrees are exeptional, I've had others that I think are just "okay". So if your $108 does not include appetizers, you'll be missing out on the best items on the menu. And JIKO is also best known for it's huge selection of African wines and it's probably the biggest reason we go here but your budget does not include wine either; we generally pay about $200-$300 per bottle. If you do go, I hope it's a magical experience for your DH and you.

Could you make that party of 6, a party of 7? I love your wine budget -- now that's a vacation!

 

[Booyakasha]

No one can truly say if it is worth it becasue that requires some sort of knowledge as to your financial situation and views on money. I would say that if you are worrying about the cost and adding everything up before you go you might be disappointed. $108/person is a lot of money for a lot of people to spend on a dinner so you will be expecing A LOT! Sometimes no restaurant can live up to that ideal so maybe it would be less stressful if you went to Boma or something like that.

Just my $0.02

B.

 

[Pakey]

Could you make that party of 6, a party of 7? I love your wine budget -- now that's a vacation!

Of course. We'll be eating there on Friday, Jan 18th if you want to join us. DH only concerns himself with the cost of the first bottle at $200-$300. After he's had his share of that first bottle, all bottles after that come easier--last time we got 3 bottles. Our adult children love it when we invite them on vacation with us.

 

[mickeysgal]

Of course. We'll be eating there on Friday, Jan 18th if you want to join us. DH only concerns himself with the cost of the first bottle at $200-$300. After he's had his share of that first bottle, all bottles after that come easier--last time we got 3 bottles. Our adult children love it when we invite them on vacation with us.

Whoo Hoo! 3 bottles of $200-$300 wine? Make that 8 - I'm going to join you!

 

[Booyakasha]

Of course. We'll be eating there on Friday, Jan 18th if you want to join us. DH only concerns himself with the cost of the first bottle at $200-$300. After he's had his share of that first bottle, all bottles after that come easier--last time we got 3 bottles. Our adult children love it when we invite them on vacation with us.

Did you spend that much on a S. African wine? If so which one? They are unique but not worth that kind of coin.

B.

 

[Pakey]

Did you spend that much on a S. African wine? If so which one? They are unique but not worth that kind of coin.

B.

No wine on property is worth what they charge but what the heck, budget isn't an issue for us and we like to have a good time. The value to us is the great times spent with people we care about. I would say that the value is the memory but after 3 bottles of wine, I'm not sure there is much "remembering" going on.