Restaurant Rewind: Memories of more Magical Times. February 2020 Dining Report. UPDATE 13th OCTOBER - CALIFORNIA GRILL DINNER!

How lovely to hear from you during these turbulent times. You have brightened my day. Thank you so much, and do know that there are those of us across the globe who can commiserate.
 
Just found your report! Love your writing style. And good for you for jumping back to the Before Times. Whatever you want to type about the entertainment, I would gladly read. I remember entertainment. Sorta.
 
Love the report and thank you for all the photos of the items you had at Harambe. It seems like there was a lot of good options. It looks amazing! Ditto to the Animal Kingdom night shots!
 
What an awesome looking event!! Thank you for taking the time to do all these posts. I think I speak for many of us who are desperate for some fun distraction and a Disney dining report is just the thing. Thank you :)
 


I am so jealous of the harambe nights pics! (They look marvelous though, and I’m still glad you shared) We were supposed to go in June, but alas the park was of course closed then. 😥
 
I am so jealous of the harambe nights pics! (They look marvelous though, and I’m still glad you shared) We were supposed to go to it in June, but alas the park was of course closed then so had to cancel our booking. 😥
 


TIFFINS

After a beautiful morning spent on our balcony with some giraffes and ostriches we said a reluctant goodbye to Animal Kingdom Lodge. (Picture me gripping onto the banister of the lobby stairs screaming “WHY?! WHYYYY?!” as Emily tried to pry my hands off it and assure bystanders I wasn’t completely out of my mind)

While we were sad to leave, we had new horizons to conquer - for today we started...

THE DELUXE DINING PLAN!

Yes folks. We’re like half way into the dining report and Emily and I hadn’t even started the dining plan yet. That’s cuisine commitment my friends! So to compliment our culinary escapades we were also trying another new hotel which was POP Century.

We were expecting a basic, cheerful, hotel room and this was exactly what we got. While it wasn’t as tranquil or as luxurious as AKL, we had a decent room in a good spot and it did the job nicely. The Skyliner was a huge plus and even though I’m terrified of heights and now know not to sit facing backwards - it sure as hell beats waiting for a bus in the Florida sun.

We were headed to Animal Kingdom (why yes, we were going back already - they just couldn’t keep us out!) because we were excited to try our first Deluxe Dining Date - Tiffins!

We got seated pretty quickly in the beautiful main room with ornate carvings and incredible artwork adoring the walls.

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Look - it’s like it was socially distanced and this was February!

It was lovely and cool with just the right amount of air conditioning and it was a great ambience - quiet but without being awkwardly so.

We started with a drink each

ZINGIBER FIZZIE

Passionfruit purée, mint, ginger beer, lime juice. (Added a glow cube because they’re cute).

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This is basically the non alcoholic version of the Annapurna Zing which I had heard be raved about here on the boards. I’m going to be honest though - this really wasn’t for me which I was surprised about because I usually like those flavours but there was something off about the balance of this drink - might’ve been the lack on gin who knows but I took a few sips and after she noticed my grim face she sweetly traded with me for hers. She ended up enjoying this one more than her original so it was a win win!

LILLIE GORILL-IE
Strawberry and Sprite.

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This does what it says on the tin. No surprises just a nice sweet refreshing beverage.

We were given the bread service which was a soft, very herby focaccia bread with a strong pomegranate molasses dipping oil to accompany it.


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I feel like this is one of those things that the more you have, the more you acquire a taste for it. It wasn’t a massive hit with us but I’d still give it a crack again next time we go.

We were excited to start ordering some appetisers and I began with

PUMPKIN SOUP

Duck prosciutto, Spiced Apples, Pumpkin Seeds.


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This was a seasonal appetiser that had replaced the mushroom soup I’d wanted to try but I was super happy with this. The soup was poured table side over the prosciutto and apples. The soup itself had a lovely smooth consistency and a well balanced mild curry spice to it. The apples added a nice but not overpowering sweetness and the prosciutto and pumpkin seeds added a welcome and surprising crunch. Overall this was a very well balanced and beautifully presented dish.

Emily opted for the plant based option on the menu which was:

TACOS

Plant based Tinga, avocado, plant based cheese, and corn tortilla.


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This dish really packed a punch with flavour. The “tinga” gave a good kick spice wise and really carried the dish. Overall texturally it wasn’t my fave (but I find that with a lot of plant based options you’re often subbing out texture) and it was slightly dry, but Emily thought it was a good, adventurous starter that left her satisfied so overall pretty happy with the starter round!

Onto mains and our lovely server brought us out:

BUTTER CHICKEN

Chick-pea rice croquette, English Peas, Cauliflower, Pickled onion.

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The thing I really came to admire about Tiffins is that even a dish like a butter chicken curry, they managed to make look elegant and sophisticated. This is not your average Indian take away. A perfectly succulent piece of bone in chicken rests an a silky, lush curry sauce, while the croquette acts as the rice element in the most interesting way.

I must stop here and tell you that for approximately 20 minutes all I heard from Emily were “Janelle - this is so good. The PEAS. The peas are AMAZING!”. If Em was writing this review I believe it would be a very detailed 2 page essay on why the peas at Tiffins are best. Apparently Mickey cooks them in magic! This was a great dish and we’d definitely get it again.

I opted for:

SURF AND TURF

South African Braai spiced beef tenderloin, seared scallops, potato pave, grilled vegetables, Dhania butter and cola Demi-glace.


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I mean, what a lunch. This was again, beautifully presented and the preparation was again just top notch. The steak was cooked exactly as requested and was tender and juicy. Despite not being a seafood person, the scallops really are the star of this dish and if you like them this should definitely be on the top of your a Tiffins bucket list. They were like perfect little sea marshmallows - perfectly crusted on the outside while being soft and pillowy in the middle. The sauces complimented both the seafood and steak well and the potato gave a nice little crunch. Would most definitely eat this again and honestly getting a bit hungry just thinking about it now.

Onto our final course we decided to try:

MASCARPONE CHEESECAKE

Poached pears, cranberry gelee, candied hazelnuts.

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If we weren’t in such a fine establishment I honestly would’ve just thrown caution to the wind and licked that plate clean. It was so light and airy with just the right amount of sweetness. I love cheesecake and this totally hit the spot for me without overdoing it. Texturally all the components just came together so well and honestly just a massive chefs kiss to that dessert. Take me back!

Emily went with

THE LION KING

Caramel mousse, chocolate brownie, strawberry mango sauce.

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I mean - look at it! What a beauty! Our server was completely adorable and sang that bit from the Lion King when Rafiki presents Simba and I proper giggled. He said he gets so excited to serve it just to see the looks on people’s faces and I can see why - it’s fun and just stunning. Not only that it tasted fantastic too. I thought the brownie might be quite heavy but with the caramel notes in the light mousse it balanced out really well. The sauce was quite tart and might not be for everyone but certainly lifts the dish with a lovely fruity note.

We really couldn’t fault Tiffins. Everything about it was spectacular from the incredible theming, the exceptional service and the stunning food. We’ll definitely be back again.

UP NEXT: CALIFORNIA GRILL DINNER
 
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Looks and sounds great! I’ve heard good things about that cheesecake. It looks so different that I’m a bit unsure if it can really be that good. Hopefully one day soon I’ll be able to find out for myself!
 
Love your dining reports. Your pics and reports are outstanding. Great to hear from a fellow Aussie. Can't even dream when we'll next be able to enjoy DW :(
 
CALIFORNIA GRILL DINNER

After a delectable and elegant lunch at Tiffins we headed back to our new home at Pop Century. As we transferred from Animal Kingdom Lodge this day our bags hadn’t been delivered yet, but as it was only 2pm we weren’t too fussed and knew they’d get there sometime in the afternoon. Emily decided to take a trip on the Skyliner to see how long the journeys would take and get a sense of how it all worked. I chilled in the room and waited for the bags. I was so nervous they wouldn’t arrive but we managed to grab them in the nick of time.

Tonight we were in for a glamorous treat:


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We were so excited for this dinner. Remember getting dressed up? Remember when make up mattered and your hair wasn’t in a bun all the time? No? Just me? My poor boyfriend remembers. I bet he regrets signing up for the haggard witch-like figure that sits here writing this post... but it’s almost Halloween so I’ll just pretend I’ve been working on my costume since March!

We gussied up in our fancy lady outfits and headed out to the Contemporary. We’ve never stayed there but I love to visit this hotel for the history, the design, and the novelty of the monorail passing straight through the lobby. It’s definitely a bucket list stay for me but for now we would dine atop the building like the Disney princesses we are!

We were seated very quickly towards the back of the restaurant which was a little disappointing view wise as we’d always gotten really lucky here and seated closer to the kingdom. However we did have a cool view of the kitchen and the hustle and bustle of creating some of the best food on Disney property so it’s not all bad!

We started off with beverages and bread and I was SO excited because I had been looking forward to this cocktail all trip

Blackberry Sour


Ketel-One Citron Vodka, Housemade lemonade, blackberries.

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This is my absolute favourite drink in the world (like the Globe not just WDW!) and I haven’t been able to find it anywhere else so this is a proper treat. The fresh muddled blackberries are the star of this drink and make it fruity and light without being overly sweet. It just hits all the right flavour buttons for me and will always be my go to here!


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The bread service was maybe my favourite of the trip as I loved the little sundried tomato oil they had to put on it. It has a nice acidic punch and was flavourful. I enjoyed it but was trying to save room. We weren’t at CG just for the bread after all!

For starters

Braised Beef Short Rib Wontons

Doenjang miso-cola-onion sauce, crispy garlic chilli oil, radish, pickled lotus root.

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These wontons were little melt in your mouth parcels of joy. This dish packed flavour and spice into a beautiful silky smooth wonton wrapper that gave way to a tender beef short rib centre. Every element of this dish came together well and was so well balanced. I’d consider getting it myself next time if my own appetiser hadn’t also been so good

Sonoma goats cheese Ravioli

Tomato-fennel broth, crispy mushrooms, tiny basil, Arbequina organic olive oil.



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What an incredible start to the meal. This dish ticked so many boxes for me. I love and appreciate well made fresh pasta so much and this was exceptionally well done. The thin delicate pasta housed an incredibly luscious goat cheese filling that was bold and rich. The tomato broth complimented the dish well, adding a much needed acidic element to help balance the rich cheese flavour and bring the dish to a perfect marriage. I love this and would definitely get in again.

After a stellar round of appetisers we were excited to see if our mains stacked up as well.

Emily got the:

Grilled Colorado Bison Loin

Celery root-apple purée, roasted baby beets, heirloom apple chutney, pomegranate jus.


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This was exceptional. I was worried with Bison being a leaner meat that it might be dry or flavourless but it was flawlessly executed and cooked to a perfect tenderness. The accompanying rich sauce was beautifully balanced against the tart apple chutney which gave the whole dish a lift. The purée was perfectly smooth and managed to be the missing puzzle piece in a complex and delicious dish.

I indulged in:

Oak fired Filet of Beef

Aged Gouda Mac and cheese, roasted Brussel sprouts, oxtail marmalade, red wine sweet onion jus.


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Not only was my steak cooked to perfection, the fillet itself was maybe the most tender meat I’ve ever had. We are very lucky to have some incredible steak in Australia but I’d be hard pressed to find one I have enjoyed more than this one at CG. I subbed out the Brussel sprouts for honey glazed carrots and gobbled every one of them up as they were sweet and heavenly. The Mac and cheese was rich and creamy, just as it should be, with a nice crunch from the bread crumb topping. I loved my main course. While there are a lot of more ambitious choices to try at California Grill, I really appreciate how well they can execute classic and simple dishes and elevate them to something special.

We ended the evening with dessert.

Emily got:

Warm Valrhona Chocolate cake

with Vanilla bean ice cream, milk chocolate whipped panacotta, and pretzel crunch.


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This cake was devilishly rich with a nice gooey centre that oozed chocolate perfection. Emily was so pleased when the cake actually had a lava centre as promised, because we’ve had some occasions where the lava seems to have turned to pumice! With the vanilla ice cream to accompany it, Emily ended our first Deluxe Dining Plan day one happy camper!

I rounded out the meal with the

White chocolate Creme Brûlée.


Sponge cake, cornflake crumbles, plant city strawberries.

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This was not at all what I was expecting when I ordered it but it was different in a really great way. Much more like panacotta in texture with a torched brûlée top, this dessert was out of this world delicious. Where this dessert shone the most was the balancing of textures against the smooth custard. The little bouncy pieces of sponge cake dotted around the plate were sweet and tasty and the cornflake crumbles were a satisfying bite. This would definitely be a dessert I would reorder - in fact if we did the whole evening over and over again Ground Hog style - I most certainly not complain!

We said a temporary goodbye to the Contemporary and headed back to Pop Century to get some shut eye.

NEXT UP: CHEFS DE FRANCE
 
How lovely to hear from you during these turbulent times. You have brightened my day. Thank you so much, and do know that there are those of us across the globe who can commiserate.

I’m so glad I was able to brighten your day and so glad you’ve been enjoying the posts! Hope you and your loved ones are well and happy

Just found your report! Love your writing style. And good for you for jumping back to the Before Times. Whatever you want to type about the entertainment, I would gladly read. I remember entertainment. Sorta.

Thanks so much for reading! Sorry for the delay in responding. The entertainment was fun. We had the VR lion experience which was amazing and felt so real, there were booths were you could make jewellery, meet Timon and Rafiki and the band they had was awesome. All the kids got up to dance and it was so sweet. It was a great night!

What an awesome looking event!! Thank you for taking the time to do all these posts. I think I speak for many of us who are desperate for some fun distraction and a Disney dining report is just the thing. Thank you :)

Glad I can provide some distraction and happiness in such a crazy year! Thanks for reading and commenting I appreciate it.


I just stumbled onto your dining report. I'm loving it! Keep the food pics coming. :mickeybar

Will do!

Keep up the great work. Glad it's your review and not the great pea review

Haha! Me too! Thanks for reading along!

Looks and sounds great! I’ve heard good things about that cheesecake. It looks so different that I’m a bit unsure if it can really be that good. Hopefully one day soon I’ll be able to find out for myself!

The cheesecake is a must do! Hope you get to try it soon


Glad to see this party started!

Woop woop! Thanks for coming to the party!


Wow, what an incredible looking lunch at Tiffins! That Lion King dessert is especially beautiful.

The Lion King dessert presentation was amazing. Just looking at it was worth it!

Love your dining reports. Your pics and reports are outstanding. Great to hear from a fellow Aussie. Can't even dream when we'll next be able to enjoy DW :(

So great to see another Aussie on here! I can’t even fathom when we’ll be able to go back so I keep relieving my old trip through these posts while wistfully dreaming about going on holiday. Hopefully things will return to some sort of normalcy soon. Stay safe and thanks so much for reading!
 
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