JustEmmy and Emmysmommy return to WDW for some wining and dining

[Linda67]

Yay - welcome home ladies

Really looking forward to reading all about your trip

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Welcome back!

I can't wait to see more of the Admiral's Suite.

 

[wilma-bride]

Welcome back Brenda and Emily, looking forward to reading Em's reviews

And looking forward even more to seeing you guys in a couple of weeks

 

[jedijill]

Welcome back!

Jill in CO

 

[vettegirl]

Yay girls for that sweet upgrade, I would have cried too!!

 

[nfggirl5454]

Subscribing now, looking forward to hearing about the trip!

 

[francis6306]

We're back! We had a great time and thanks for those that commented on our trip and the upgrate to the Admiral Suite was amazing. I have video of the moment we realized the room they gave us and it is basically me standing there crying saying how did this happen??

Em has a ton of photos to upload so will probably start her DR this weekend.

I'll start my TR this weekend as well...unfortunately, there was no pixie dust for my office when I returned - all my work is still piled up!

Take care y'all!!

I cannot wait!!!

 

[JustEmmy]

Thanks so much to everyone for the kind greetings while I've been away! I'm glad to be back and just about ready to post the beginning of the report! It'll be up later today.

 

[MEK]

Thanks so much to everyone for the kind greetings while I've been away! I'm glad to be back and just about ready to post the beginning of the report! It'll be up later today.

I can't wait to see your room.......er, I mean your suite!

 

[JustEmmy]

I can't wait to see your room.......er, I mean your suite!

Haha I'm so glad! I don't know when she'll be posting them, but the pics will be in my mom's TR, here: http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3080389&highlight=emmysmommy

 

[JustEmmy]

Welcome everyone to the official dining report! Im so excited to finally be starting this, so without further adieu, lets begin.

Jiko​

After two flights to get us from the Pacific to the Atlantic, airport food, turbulence, airplane food, and catching the wrong DME bus, we were very ready for what we expected to be a fabulous meal. When you walk through the AKL, theres a consistent ambience created by the décor that flows just as beautifully into Jiko. Throughout the restaurant, there are nods to African culture. Along with this, the staff is very friendly and attentive, and they really do think of everything! But with all this talk, Im just teasing you. On to the food!

We wanted to have something new, so we decided to try the crispy beef bobotie roll as an appetizer. Heres what it looks like.

Currently, I have a 50mm f1.8 lens for my Canon 40D. This particular lens isnt ideal for foodography because of how close it gets to the subject, and I am by no means a professional photographer, so bear with me when it's obvious that I'm a little in over my head and just pretend that you dont see some iphone pictures when they make an appearance. Haha They do get better!

This beef bobotie roll is absolutely incredible! The meat is so well seasoned (almost a curry flavor, but if youre the type of person who doesnt like Indian food, dont think of that kind of curry) and the roll part of it has a very nice crunch. The cucumber raita that it is served on is very light and refreshing. Its almost like a mousse.

Mom had read some really good reviews about the filet and the short ribs, so we decided to order those as entrees and sample each others.

Heres moms filet.

Mom enjoyed the pilaf and Brussels sprouts. However, her filet, which she ordered medium rare, was overcooked to the point where there was barely any pink. So, its not exactly what she was expecting. Haha As I said before, the staff really does go above and beyond, and when our server learned that we had a overcooked but edible steak at our table, she first asked if they could make a new one for her. When my mom told her that that it wasnt necessary to do that, she still tried to more-than-fix the oh-so-minor situation by having the manager come over. The manager comped the filet and also gave us a business card and told us to call or email her if we decided to dine with them again that so she could guarantee a table for us. We absolutely werent expecting anything like that, but they really do assure the happiness of the customers. To put the severity in perspective, mom did eat her entire filet!

Heres my spicy Botswana style braised beef short rib.

Hands down, this is one of my absolute favorite entrees from this trip. It is so flavorful. The meat is tender and has a fabulous spicy, but not hot, flavor. The red sauce on the plate was very spicy to me, but I have a very low threshold for hot spice. Haha The yellow puree on the plate is made from a very mild root vegetable. Its a little creamy, but very mild and pleasant.

And now for&dessert!

This is their cheesecake with a spice cake crust and warm sautéed apples in caramel. Mom and I split it (unaware of how small it is), and in the words of Ferris Bueller, this is so choice. Ive never especially cared for cheesecake, but this is just SO good! The spice cake adds such another level of depth to the flavor, and the apples are delicious. The dried apples on top are surprisingly flavorful as well. The cheese part of the cheesecake is very rich and creamy. I highly recommend it!

At the end of the meal, they give complimentary chocolate pistachio cookies. Here's what they look like.

These cookies were alright. To me, they were neither here nor there. They were very chocolaty and almost like a dry brownie, but honestly, they were a little too sweet for my taste.

So, the first night of our trip was a success. Just thinking about it makes me hungry. Stay tuned for more!

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Hi Emily! Was just doing a quick Dis check before going to bed, and I was happy to see that your reviews have started! The pics from Jiko are awesome (especially considering Jiko's dark lighting ), and I'm so glad to see that your dinner there was positive overall, from (most of) the food to the staff.

The descriptions of your entree and the apple cheesecake are making me hungry too. I can't wait to read more

 

[Linda67]

Woo Hoo - you've started !!

Isn't Jiko just fabulous? I'm so glad that you and your Mom had such a great meal there

I can tell already that I am going to really enjoy your reviews, you have a wonderful, descriptive writing style and I'm really looking forward to the next one

 

[emmysmommy]

Jiko, our new MUST DINE restaurant!!!! Loved it! We were so excited to start our girl trip with this place. Thanks to all of you who gave a shout out to this place!

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

Your meal looked wonderful! We have eaten at Jiko a few times ... most of them spectacular. I look forward to going back.

Can't wait for the rest of your reviews ... the pictures are WONDERFUL!

 

[KristinAnne]

Ooh the short ribs look so good! I've never been to a signature before (we don't do the DP), but if I do, Jiko is at the top of the list!

 

[MrsB1228]

Yay!! So happy your reviews have started!

Your meal at Jiko looks and sounds spectacular, and what a nice gesture on the part of the manager in response to the overcooked fillet. That's the kind of attention and service that generates loyalty. Your description of the cheesecake really intrigues me, as like you, I'm not a big fan of cheesecake. If it's still on the menu this fall, I think I'll have to try it. My sister and I will be trying this restaurant for the first time on our upcoming trip, and your review and photos have me even more excited about it!

Can't wait for more.

 

[jmm476]

Your meal at Jiko looks amazing! One of these days, I'll have to make a trek over to AKL and eat there.


Looking forward to the rest of your reviews!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[KatMark]

Yours is the second review of Jiko that I have read in the last 30 minutes and I now must get it on our agenda for our December trip (our August trip is already full). Your mom's steak looks absolutely wonderful as do your short ribs. How nice of the manager to do that for you guys.

 

[debrapagliasotti]

I must eat at Jiko sometime! The reviews always look so delicious.