Prawn Heads & Cupcakes & Soups, Oh My! 10/5 Complete (now with my Dining Wish List)!

[NoOrdinaryPrincess]

Thanks for the update on AoA! I will admit that the value resorts don't interest me much (I don't have a large family to plan for) but this one seems worth checking out.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Thanks for the update on AoA! I will admit that the value resorts don't interest me much (I don't have a large family to plan for) but this one seems worth checking out.

I definitely think AoA is worth checking out (even if solely for a stop at the food court)! The other value resorts haven't interested me much either, but AoA's grounds are fun to explore, and the food court offers some very unique choices.

 

[krhst25]

We will be going there in December! Can't wait- thanks for the pictures!

 

[MrsB1228]

Thanks for sharing the AoA pictures DDW! This resort looks like a lot of fun to visit, but if I'm honest a stay here would be unappealing. Much too large and in your face theming for my taste. But I don't have little kids any more and I can see how it would be beyond exciting for them.

Looking forward to your AoA lunch review!

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

We will be going there in December! Can't wait- thanks for the pictures!

No problem - I hope you have a great time there!

Thanks for sharing the AoA pictures DDW! This resort looks like a lot of fun to visit, but if I'm honest a stay here would be unappealing. Much too large and in your face theming for my taste. But I don't have little kids any more and I can see how it would be beyond exciting for them.

Looking forward to your AoA lunch review!

I can definitely understand where you're coming from - from pics I've seen, the rooms have a lot going on, which might be overkill for some people. That said, I'd be willing to stay in a Little Mermaid room (if we had a rental car with us), since TLM is actually one of my favorite Disney movies, and the price and the food court make it an appealing option.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

I was very happy to be back at AoA for lunch. The food court, Landscape of Flavors, is currently one of my favorite CS locations in WDW, thanks to the impressive variety offered. Here's a look at the lunch and dinner menu:

With so many options - pizza, pasta, custom burgers, specialty burgers, tandoori, Mongolian grill, soups, salads, sandwiches - what would we choose?

We decided to split two entrees. As such, I let my mom pick both, since I'm fine with anything.

We were both in the mood for a lighter lunch, so a salad was a must. Our custom salad contained spinach, mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, peppers, onion, corn, and chicken.

This was a very basic dish, which is absolutely fine with us. Whether you're in the mood for the flavors of India, or craving a simple burger, pizza, or salad, this place will have what you're looking for. Also, if I remember correctly, shrimp and sausage were the other protein options.

Speaking of India, we also wanted something from the World of Flavors section. My mom ended up picking the tandoori boneless chicken thigh, and our sides were multigrain rice, spinach & paneer cheese, roasted cauliflower & tomatoes, and naan bread. Once again, I was pleased with the unique flavors that this dish offered. I didn't eat much of the chicken, but the spinach and the cauliflower sides were both very flavorful (without being "spicy"). The naan bread wasn't as piping hot this time, but to be fair, I didn't have to wait 2 extra minutes for it (like last time).

Here's the plate after I moved the naan bread to the side.

Overall, I still really like Landscape of Flavors, and it's great that this place truly offers something for everyone. Besides what's listed in the first picture, there are plenty of other offerings, such as smoothies, gelato, pastries, and refrigerated items (such as sushi). I didn't make it back to LoF for lunch or dinner again this trip, but my goal for next time is to try the Mongolian grill fish or a speciality burger.

Here are some more pictures of the food court. We sat in the Cars section.

Here are some Nemo pics.

And a look back at the Little Mermaid and Lion King sitting areas I explored in July:

 

[rachel09985]

Thanks so much for the Art of Animation pics and the Food Court review! I am sooo excited to stay here Nov 1st through the 6th! We are one of the lucky ones to book the Little Mermaid section with a free dining pin!
I am so excited to see the finished LM section! I still need to decide what I want to eat there, I am thinking the Veggie Burger with some gelato!

 

[NoOrdinaryPrincess]

That tandori looks excellent! I'm becoming even more persuaded to visit AoA!

 

[MrsB1228]

Lunch looked delicious! I'm really looking forward to exploring this resort and trying some of the unique items offered on our upcoming trip. You mentioned you didn't eat much of the tandoori chicken, did your mom enjoy it?

Thanks once again for the wonderful reviews!

 

[BlovesC]

Yum yum YUM! The salad and chicken both look delicious!! Do you remember by any chance what sort of salad dressings they offered? I'd love to get the salad next time we're at LOF but I'm just curious if they offer anything a bit different (hopefully SPICY!!) in comparison to the ranch/italian packets all over most CS places.

 

[Linda67]

AoA Food Court really does look good
It seems like the Sunshine Seasons Of the resort world
Did the create your own pasta section look good? We love that option at the POR food court

 

[jmm476]

Another great review of LoF. I'm definitely putting it on my list of places for December. We'll be staying just across the bridge at pop, so if nothing else I'll be pushing the stroller through to see the different areas of the resort. Looking forward to seeing it in person, your pictures are so wonderful.

 

[ShortStuff]

I love the soups at Mara!! I order soup with my meal in place of dessert. I enjoy it much more then another Disney dessert!

I am happy to see that they now have a different breakfast platter. Sounds very yummy!

Your Jiko dinner looked wonderful and I love Boma for breakfast or dinner! I liked Sanaa when we ate there the first time, the second time I was disappointed.Two weeks until we are at AKKV in a Savannah view room!!!

Looking forward to more of your report!! Best wishes for safe travels back to school!

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Thanks so much for the Art of Animation pics and the Food Court review! I am sooo excited to stay here Nov 1st through the 6th! We are one of the lucky ones to book the Little Mermaid section with a free dining pin!
I am so excited to see the finished LM section! I still need to decide what I want to eat there, I am thinking the Veggie Burger with some gelato!

I hope you enjoy the food court! And very nice that you were able to get free dining with a Little Mermaid room! Such an awesome deal

That tandori looks excellent! I'm becoming even more persuaded to visit AoA!

I highly recommend the tandoori offerings, such as the chicken, shell-on shrimp, Portuguese sausage, or acorn squash.

Lunch looked delicious! I'm really looking forward to exploring this resort and trying some of the unique items offered on our upcoming trip. You mentioned you didn't eat much of the tandoori chicken, did your mom enjoy it?

Thanks once again for the wonderful reviews!

My mom enjoyed the chicken - she thought the portion of chicken was a bit small, but I didn't think it was an issue (given the plentiful portions of side items).

Yum yum YUM! The salad and chicken both look delicious!! Do you remember by any chance what sort of salad dressings they offered? I'd love to get the salad next time we're at LOF but I'm just curious if they offer anything a bit different (hopefully SPICY!!) in comparison to the ranch/italian packets all over most CS places.

I don't remember a lot of the dressing offerings - I know oil and vinegar were available, and I've seen people mention a mandarin orange dressing. There were definitely more typical offerings (such as Italian, ranch, and maybe Thousand Island), and I think there might've been a chipotle dressing as well.

AoA Food Court really does look good
It seems like the Sunshine Seasons Of the resort world
Did the create your own pasta section look good? We love that option at the POR food court

I think everything looked good. I just don't know if I'll ever try the pasta there, since there's so many unique dishes to try (such as Mongolian grill fish, tandoori acorn squash, and the veggie burger).

Another great review of LoF. I'm definitely putting it on my list of places for December. We'll be staying just across the bridge at pop, so if nothing else I'll be pushing the stroller through to see the different areas of the resort. Looking forward to seeing it in person, your pictures are so wonderful.

Have fun checking out AoA during your trip! Plus, it'll be super convenient walking across the bridge to your hotel.

I love the soups at Mara!! I order soup with my meal in place of dessert. I enjoy it much more then another Disney dessert!

I am happy to see that they now have a different breakfast platter. Sounds very yummy!

Your Jiko dinner looked wonderful and I love Boma for breakfast or dinner! I liked Sanaa when we ate there the first time, the second time I was disappointed.Two weeks until we are at AKKV in a Savannah view room!!!

Looking forward to more of your report!! Best wishes for safe travels back to school!

What a great idea getting one of their soups instead of dessert! The dessert options (besides zebra domes) seemed pretty generic overall.

I hope you have a great time at AKV - the view will be incredible.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

A few hours later, we went back to Jiko for our second night at AKL. Many of the things were the same as the previous night, so I'll omit them:

-The menus
-The amuse bouche
-The bread and butter
-The celebration dessert
-The dark chocolate-pistachio cookies

Our server was Dawn - she was very friendly and funny. We've usually had very good service at Jiko.

To start, I chose the summer mushroom consommé with ivory lentils, wild rice, and alba mushrooms. Like with Jiko's past soups, the bowl came to the table without any broth:

A server then added the broth tableside.

I liked this soup. The broth was very light and delicate, and I enjoyed the flavors and textures of the celery, carrot, earthy rice, and ivory lentils. This was a very nice choice for summer.

My mom picked the flatbread that we shared in July - the "Seswaa" flatbread with Botswana-style braised oxtail, Brentwood corn porridge, and smoked tomato harissa. Once again, she really enjoyed this dish.

The previous night, my mom had gotten a taste of my Nigerian prawns and really liked the dish, so she ordered the prawns! However, she opted for the headless presentation, which not only meant no heads, but also no tails. As such, this is definitely the way to go if you don't feel like working to find the meat. And once again, the accompaniments were fabulous - english pea nage, saffron rice, and an orange and olive salad.

The vegetarian entree sounded especially interesting to me, so that's what I picked: "Bunny Chow" (Durban curry vegetables with naan bread, mango ketchup, and harissa mustard) and "Falafel" (chickpea-lentil cake with cilantro yogurt, wilted greens, and peppadew-olive tapenade).

The bunny chow was definitely a nontraditional take on the South African dish. Instead of being served in a hollowed out bread loaf, the crispy naan made this dish reminiscent of a flavorful samosa. With the sweet mango flavor, slightly spicy harissa, and pickled vegetables on the side, I was very pleased with the flavors in this half of the dish (and I didn't mind that this was a nontraditional take on bunny chow - the quotation marks in the menu description indicated to me that this would be Jiko's unique spin on the dish ).

The falafel had all the flavors that I expect from falafel, and it was nice and moist. Combined with the tangy yogurt, fresh cilantro flavor, salty olives, and refreshing peppadew, I also enjoyed this dish a lot. Overall, Jiko's vegetarian entree was flavorful and filling, and I think Jiko is one of the best places for vegetarians and vegans to dine (especially if you're looking for interesting flavors).

Finally, dessert. My mom picked the tipsy tart that I had last time - wine-soaked cake, coconut milk panna cotta, and blackberry sauce. This is a unique, summery take on an actual South African dish, and my mom really enjoyed it. The flavors were refreshing, and the cake had a light, moist texture.

Craving more of the strawberry-rhubarb compote we'd tasted the previous night, I decided to try the Madagascar Vanilla cheesecake with strawberry-rhubarb compote and a chocolate graham crust. The cheesecake was extremely soft and light, which is exactly how I like my cheesecake. Combined with that fruity, tart compote and the moist, crumbly crust (which reminded me of an Oreo in combination with the vanilla), I loved this dish. The dehydrated rhubarb on top was a delightful addition. This is probably my favorite cheesecake I've ever had in WDW, and I liked how it was a unique take on three common flavors (vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry).

Once again, we were very pleased with our decision to dine at Jiko again. There's so much on the menu that we enjoy, and I think they do a great job infusing African flavors into unique and flavorful dishes.

 

[deenbrad]

The previous night, my mom had gotten a taste of my Nigerian prawns and really liked the dish, so she ordered the prawns! However, she opted for the headless presentation, which not only meant no heads, but also no tails. As such, this is definitely the way to go if you don't feel like working to find the meat. And once again, the accompaniments were fabulous - english pea nage, saffron rice, and an orange and olive salad.

But how can they sing with their heads cut off?

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

But how can they sing with their heads cut off?

I like to assume the spare heads are still in the kitchen serenading the chefs.

 

[smile4stamps]

Thanks for another wonderful Jiko review. The prawns dish looks completely different without the heads lol!!

 

[jecskc]

I am very much enjoying your Dining Reviews. I so enjoy your photos and writing style. You do have a knack for describing your meals. I wish I had that ability. Mine are like, "we ate here, it was good."

The first time I ever had prawns with their heads on was in New Orleans. I was appalled when I saw them and my table mates were laughing at me. One of them said she meant to warn me about them. I must say they are quite off putting just laying there staring at you with their googly eyes. I am with your mother on this one. Bring me the prawns, but keep the heads and tails on your side of the kitchen door !!

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Thanks for another wonderful Jiko review. The prawns dish looks completely different without the heads lol!!

The prawns might have looked different without the heads and tails, but the flavors were just as wonderful.

I am very much enjoying your Dining Reviews. I so enjoy your photos and writing style. You do have a knack for describing your meals. I wish I had that ability. Mine are like, "we ate here, it was good."

The first time I ever had prawns with their heads on was in New Orleans. I was appalled when I saw them and my table mates were laughing at me. One of them said she meant to warn me about them. I must say they are quite off putting just laying there staring at you with their googly eyes. I am with your mother on this one. Bring me the prawns, but keep the heads and tails on your side of the kitchen door !!

Thanks so much! I've been enjoying your reviews as well - I've never been on a cruise, so it's cool to read about your DCL meals (like Palo!).

I don't know why the prawn heads don't bother me. There are some animals (such as chickens or cows) whose heads I definitely wouldn't want to visualize while eating. But with prawns (and most types of fish), the heads don't bother me. Sounds like you had quite an interesting experience in New Orleans.