zackiedawg
WEDway Peoplemover Rider
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2008
- Messages
- 3,619
I hadn't been back to Jiko for a bit over a year - it's always been my favorite restaurant, or mixed in the top 2-3 restaurants, on Disney Property. Some menu items changed over the years, some were disappointments and big losses (kenyan coffee chicken w/ apple jicama flatbread), but whatever they replaced things with on the menu, the new items seemed to be just as good. There was a time a decade or two ago when a chef change resulted in it falling from my #1 restaurant to maybe #2-3 - still excellent, but not quite as good as before. But the last few times I'd been, it had restored its rank to the top for me.
I sometimes don't bother to eat there when traveling solo, and since my last 3 trips had been either solo or with a group, I hadn't dined at Jiko. This trip over the past weekend was with a friend who had never been there, so I decided to introduce her to the place and also get the chance to head back myself.
The experience from beginning to end met, and even exceeded high expectations. The wonderful and friendly greeter that brought us to our table was in his 4th month at Disney, from Zimbabwe, and was gracious and really enjoyed talking about his beautiful country as I discussed the mountain highlands and Victoria Falls with him. Warm scented moist towels to wash hands, a lovely Jiko tradition, followed by the delicious giraffe bread and black sea-salt citrus butter. A lovely bottle of Painted Wolf 'The Den' Pinotage (red), appetizers of wild boar tenderloin and duck confit flatbread, entrees were bone-marrow-crusted filet mignon with chocolate/red-wine demi-glace, and cocoa crusted venison loin, then wrapped up with a delicious potjie pot (chocolate custard, lemon/olive-oil cake, whipped caramel and cherries), plus a press pot of Kenya AA coffee.
Service was super-attentive, waters always topped off, entree held perfectly for completion of appetizers, chef checked in at tableside to make sure everything was properly prepared. The food here is always prepared perfectly and is of the highest quality, but it's also the service and staff which push this place to the top for me. And my friend agreed - it's already on her must-do list next time.
I sometimes don't bother to eat there when traveling solo, and since my last 3 trips had been either solo or with a group, I hadn't dined at Jiko. This trip over the past weekend was with a friend who had never been there, so I decided to introduce her to the place and also get the chance to head back myself.
The experience from beginning to end met, and even exceeded high expectations. The wonderful and friendly greeter that brought us to our table was in his 4th month at Disney, from Zimbabwe, and was gracious and really enjoyed talking about his beautiful country as I discussed the mountain highlands and Victoria Falls with him. Warm scented moist towels to wash hands, a lovely Jiko tradition, followed by the delicious giraffe bread and black sea-salt citrus butter. A lovely bottle of Painted Wolf 'The Den' Pinotage (red), appetizers of wild boar tenderloin and duck confit flatbread, entrees were bone-marrow-crusted filet mignon with chocolate/red-wine demi-glace, and cocoa crusted venison loin, then wrapped up with a delicious potjie pot (chocolate custard, lemon/olive-oil cake, whipped caramel and cherries), plus a press pot of Kenya AA coffee.
Service was super-attentive, waters always topped off, entree held perfectly for completion of appetizers, chef checked in at tableside to make sure everything was properly prepared. The food here is always prepared perfectly and is of the highest quality, but it's also the service and staff which push this place to the top for me. And my friend agreed - it's already on her must-do list next time.
