somethingblue
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2008
- Messages
- 469
Jiko
Because we didn't do any parks on our travel days, we ended up with one sit down meal to figure out what to do with. I decided to use it toward a Signature Dining Experience at Jiko on our second night. I chose Jiko because I had read tons of positive reviews and because they had the most interesting sounding vegetarian options for Matt. I'd also never been to this hotel before so I thought it would be nice to see something new!
We arrived at Animal Kingdom Lodge via a cheap cab ride. Turns out our 5:30 dinner reservation was the earliest reservation made, meaning the restaurant wasn't even open when we arrived about fifteen minutes early. They gave us a buzzer and we went to sit by the Flamingo pool outside. It wasn't long before we were called to our seats. Our hostess was adorable and talked about the Flower and Garden festival at Epcot, but our waiter wasn't nearly as talkative. He offered us some hot towels but it was very awkward...Matt took one and the guy just stood there watching him wipe his hands with it. But this didn't put a damper on the meal; we just laughed it off.
Despite being on the regular dining plan we decided to pay out of pocket for an appetizer. When I used this phrase with the waiter he said "What, are you going to pay with pennies or something? That's what it sounds like". Am I crazy? Is "out of pocket" not a common phrase? We use it all the time on the boards....anyway! We ordered the Crispy Savannah Rolls.
These were basically egg rolls filled with corn, goat cheese, and bitter greens. A curry vinagarette was served on the side. The strongest flavours were the goat cheese and corn by far. I expected a bit more kick from these; they were certainly tasty, but mild. The little salad they're paired with was yummy too, so don't let that go to waste!
For our entrees Matt chose the vegetarian item of the moment, something called a Chakalaca, and I got the BBQ Beef Shortribs.
This is an item I hadn't seen on any of the Jiko menus I read. When we asked the waiter what it was he was less than helpful. He described Chakalaca as a "kind of salsa" and that was about it. I'll try to do a little better than that. The "salsa" element is a mixture of edamame, tomato, and onion. this is topped with a polenta-seared coconut rice cake and fried sweet potato strings. Matt really enjoyed this dish; the liquid at the bottom of the dish created a sort of stew. The onions were, to Matt's delight, quite mild, and the edamame was well cooked. He said that the coconut rice cake resembled coconut shrimp in flavour. All in all this unexpected dish was a hit.
I considered for a split second getting the Filet with Mac & Cheese I'd read so much about, but somehow I couldn't imagine the flavours melding very well together. Instead, I went with the BBQ Shortribs served with a potato and mushroom pave (which was basically a gratin). The meat was incredibly moist and literally fell off the bone. The BBQ sauce was sweet and delicious. Taking bites of the meat a long with the potatoes and mushrooms reminded me of pot roast. This was homey, delicious, and a very large portion. I wished I could have managed to eat the whole thing! I highly recommend it.
Of course, what's a dinner at Disney without dessert? Matt chose the Kenyan Coffee Ice Cream with Donuts while I chose the White Chocolate Lemon Mousse.
This dessert was presented adorably with the ice cream in a demitasse cup topped with whipped cream and the donuts served on the side. The donuts were as to be expected; hot, covered in cinnamon sugar, and tasty. The ice cream tasted homemade and balanced out with the whipped cream. Matt pointed out, however, that coffee and donuts isn't really an African thing...really more Italian, don't you think?
My dessert was far lighter faire and just what I needed after such a filling meal. This managed to be both airy and decadent at once. It was served with what tasted like a sour cream ice cream and a raspberry puree that offered a hint of cardamon flavour. The little biscuits served with the dessert were super tasty, too. All in all this was a lovely little dessert.
Jiko gets five stars in my book, despite a really awkward and SLOW server. I will be back for sure in future visits. This was the only place to offer us a "congratulations" card for our Anniversary, which the servers all signed with various messages in lots of languages. If you're on the fence about Jiko, try it. I think you're gonna love it.
Next post I'll be reviewing Kona Cafe breakfast and Columbia Harbour House. Thanks for reading, see you next post!!
My first meal there I had the short rib which was to.die.for! Last time I decided to try the much raved about filet and I was extremely disappointed. I honestly don't know what the hype is all about.
I guess he's never heard of it!)
we love this place!
enjoyed his Lighthouse sammy
Yes, I am a crazy person. 
