September/October 2009 Dining Reviews - Updated 11/1

[disneyfav4ever]

That salad looks fabulous - I've never eaten at WPE, I think it's about time I add it to my list lol

I'd never been there before either. I'd been to the Cafe before, twice, but not Express. I'm going to have to go there again next year, as there are so many things on the menu I want to try.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

After leaving Downtown Disney I headed to the Animal Kingdom Lodge for my dinner at Jiko. I actually originally had Boma planned for tonight, but changed it to Jiko about two weeks before my trip, and I am so glad I did. This was the best meal of the trip.

I checked in, and there was a long wait to be seated, about a half an hour. This was the only time this trip I had a long wait, but since I was not in a rush, and wasn't starving, it wasn't too bad. And the restaurant was busy!

When I was seated I was greeted by my server who was very nice. He knew exactly how to handle my bill with the dining plan for my entree and dessert, and then again for my wine and appetizer for my Tables in Wonderland discount.

I started my meal with crispy savanna rolls.

These had been something that had really caught my eye in another review, and the reason I had changed my Boma ADR to Jiko. They were phyllo rolls filled with corn, greens, goat cheese, and had a curry vinaigrette sauce.

They were good, but could've been better. The corn seemed to be the problem of the dish, since I didn't think it really added anything to the taste, and it kept on falling out all over the plate, making them tricky to eat. Other then that, they were very good, though I wouldn't of minded a bit more of sauce either.

They get a solid

For my entree I had the oak-grilled filet mignon.

This was the best entree of the trip, and may have been the best thing all trip, though some of the items I had at Party for the Senses are making it difficult for me to say that, though out of all the "regular" menu items I had, this was easily the best.

The filet was cooked a perfect medium, and was so tender. The red wine sauce went well with it, but the macaroni and cheese was amazing. I ate it about one noodle at a time just to make it last longer.

It gets a

Even though it deserves something higher.

For dessert I had the roasted apple tarte tartin.

Finally a "fall" dessert menu item! This was also the no suger added option, though I couldn't tell there was no sugar in it, and only remembered that after looking at the menu just now. It had vanilla sauce, and came with a scoop of cinnamon ice cream. It was good, paled in comparison to the filet, but it still gets an;

I also had a glass of Paul Cluver Noble Late Harvest Riesling '03 with dessert. It was good, I prefer sweet dessert-type wines, and I really liked it.

Jiko had moved up on my list of signature restaurants, which if I had to rank them would go, from best to worst;

California Grill & Citricos
Flying Fish & Jiko
Narcoossees & Yachtsman Steakhouse
Artist Point

And to think, before a year ago, Jiko was at the bottom of that list. All the signature restaurants are really good though, and all make my top fifteen or so.

After dinner I headed back to All Stars, and got a hit of reality when I realized I should call work and get my schedule before they closed for the night. Luckily my favorite coworker answered the phone, so what should've been a two minute conversation turned into like a fifteen minute one, and she said it sounded like I was drinking way too much, LOL. But I also told her about the bottle of wine I had drunk in my hotel room in addition to everything I had drinken in the parks and at my meals, and that I was on a second bottle. Still, I didn't like going to bed knowing I only had one more full day in the World.

 

[dizneeat]

Thanks for another wonderful review! Makes me really sad that we cancelled Jiko last August! What was I thinking??

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Thanks for another wonderful review! Makes me really sad that we cancelled Jiko last August! What was I thinking??

If it makes you feel any better, my first two meals there were really lackluster.

 

[dizneeat]

If it makes you feel any better, my first two meals there were really lackluster.

Yes, that helped! Even if I had to google the meaning of lackluster That's the pity of English being a foreign language for me!

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Yes, that helped! Even if I had to google the meaning of lackluster That's the pity of English being a foreign language for me!

I never realized that English wasn't your language.

Really though the first time I ate there I had two samplers, so tried four different appetizers and four different desserts. There was only one appetizer I really-really liked, and only one dessert I liked better then "okay."

Then the second time I ate there, the service was horrible, though the food I ate was all right but didn't amaze me, but I didn't like the dessert.

Luckily my last two meals there have been much better, and have me adding Jiko to one of my trips next year.

 

[dizneeat]

I never realized that English wasn't your language.

Really though the first time I ate there I had two samplers, so tried four different appetizers and four different desserts. There was only one appetizer I really-really liked, and only one dessert I liked better then "okay."

Then the second time I ate there, the service was horrible, though the food I ate was all right but didn't amaze me, but I didn't like the dessert.

Luckily my last two meals there have been much better, and have me adding Jiko to one of my trips next year.

Thanks for filling me in on the details! I had a few samplers this last summer too, and they mostly sucked!!
And bad service is such a letdown! It ruined an otherwise very good meal at the Captain's Grill for Tom and me two years ago!

BUT we will upgrade part of our FD next summer to DxDDP, so there is NO way we are going to miss Jiko again!
Last trip we gave up Jiko in favour of going to Port Canaveral and watch the Disney Wonder leave harbour! I so fell in love with that ship!

 

[mcarthur205]

Enjoying your reviews! We'll be eating at Jiko for the first time during next year's trip, that filet looks delicious!

 

[ChelleinNC]

Love Jiko! and loved the one little tiny bite of the filet and mac & cheese that DS shared with me last year I had the short ribs, and they were excellent too!

 

[FirstMagic]

Wow - the salad you had at Wolfgang Puck Express looks great! Have you had the roasted beet and goat cheese salad at The Land too? I tried that this time, it was ok, but the Wolfgang Puck salad certainly beats that one in presentation, plus the Puck salad also had mandarin oranges, yum! Of course, the price on The Land's salad is less, so it isn't a direct comparison.

All your photos are so lovely, sad to hear your trip (report) is nearing an end!

 

[Tatania]

I'm so glad you enjoyed Jiko as that was our fave this time around. I really liked the Savannah Rolls but was least impressed by the dessert as well. Love your pics from Jiko as I didn't take any.
It'll be interesting to see what happenes to California Grill with Brian Piasecki at the helm.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Oh I love those Savannah rolls! I had those on my solo trip in July.

 

[englishrose47]

Still loving the Remi Reviews

 

[jeminni]

OMG I want that salad from WPE now.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Enjoying your reviews! We'll be eating at Jiko for the first time during next year's trip, that filet looks delicious!

Hope you have a wonderful meal!

Love Jiko! and loved the one little tiny bite of the filet and mac & cheese that DS shared with me last year I had the short ribs, and they were excellent too!

I had the short ribs last year, and thought they were pretty good, but the filet is better.

Wow - the salad you had at Wolfgang Puck Express looks great! Have you had the roasted beet and goat cheese salad at The Land too? I tried that this time, it was ok, but the Wolfgang Puck salad certainly beats that one in presentation, plus the Puck salad also had mandarin oranges, yum! Of course, the price on The Land's salad is less, so it isn't a direct comparison.

All your photos are so lovely, sad to hear your trip (report) is nearing an end!

I had the tuna salad at the Land, but almost got the beet one there too. If that is any indication though, WPE definatly had better salads. Though the next time I eat at Sunshine Seasons I may get the beet and goat cheese one to compare. And prices were all the same on the dining plan! Though I know OOP you're right, the WPE one would've cost more.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I'm so glad you enjoyed Jiko as that was our fave this time around. I really liked the Savannah Rolls but was least impressed by the dessert as well. Love your pics from Jiko as I didn't take any.
It'll be interesting to see what happenes to California Grill with Brian Piasecki at the helm.

It seems every time I eat there that there's a different chef.

Oh I love those Savannah rolls! I had those on my solo trip in July.

Maybe your reviews are the ones I saw the picture of them, and decided I had to eat there!

Still loving the Remi Reviews

He's just too cute. I watched Ratatouille the other day for the first time in a long time, still an entertaining movie every time I watch it, and there's not many movies I watch more then once.

OMG I want that salad from WPE now.

I want one now too!

All your photos are so lovely, sad to hear your trip (report) is nearing an end!

And I know I already quoted you in my last post, but didn't comment on this part.

I still have a bit to write, I still have Kouzzina, Sweet Sundays, PFTS, and some more Food and Wine Festival snackings to get through, and PFTS will probably take me a couple of days, since I know I won't be able to get through it in one post.

I think I may actually do that one in seven posts, one for the Wine View Lounge, and then a seperate post for each section.

And don't worry, you'll still have my reviews to look foward to next year, twice! And one of my trips is going to be two weeks, so there'll be a ton of reviews then.

 

[ChelleinNC]

I had the short ribs last year, and thought they were pretty good, but the filet is better.

I really wanted the filet, but of the 4 of us I thought at least 1 person should try something else.

I still have a bit to write, I still have Kouzzina, Sweet Sundays, PFTS, and some more Food and Wine Festival snackings to get through, and PFTS will probably take me a couple of days, since I know I won't be able to get through it in one post.

I think I may actually do that one in seven posts, one for the Wine View Lounge, and then a seperate post for each section.

And don't worry, you'll still have my reviews to look foward to next year, twice! And one of my trips is going to be two weeks, so there'll be a ton of reviews then.

OOOHHH! That's very good news

 

[disneyfav4ever]

OOOHHH! That's very good news

Glad you're excited.

I already am playing around with ideas for new rating systems. I really like the one Meeko one someone has going, so if it's all right with that poster, I think I might use that for one trip. Then for my other trip I think I'm going to go with a Be Our Guest rating system. I also am thinking about doing a Desperate Housewives one, or maybe Friends since Monica was a chef and Joey loved food, that should be pretty easy to find some funny graphics for. I have a lot of ideas.

I am already trying to figure out where I want to eat as well. Though I have plenty of time to figure out where I want to eat in the fall, my 180 days is fast approaching for my spring trip, and I don't even have the room or flights booked yet, but I know I'm going, I just have to decide where I'm going to eat! Right now I have Fulton's, Turf Club, California Grill, and Bistro de Paris on my list for the spring.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I booked this meal only days before my trip. When the menus for Kouzzina were originally released, I loved the looks of the breakfast menu, but figured it would probably be to much of a hassle to leave Epcot, go over, and go back to Epcot. It just didn't make much sense. But then I decided to upgrade to an annual pass, and to spend the morning at Hollywood Studios, which then made Kouzzina a very convienant stop, and was on the way.

As it was, I did not go to Hollywood Studios that morning, rope drop every day and the heat was finally starting to catch up to me, and I wanted to not be exhausted that night for the party.

So I had a kind of late start that morning, but was still ready to go by eight, though instead of rushing to a bus, I booked bounce back for next year, I'm very excited about that, though my trip is earlier in the year so my annual pass doesn't expire before that trip, which means I won't have the Food and Wine Festival next fall.

Even though my ADR wasn't until 10:30, I was still at the restaurant by 9:00. I could've made rope drop anyway, except it seems the craziest rush at rope drop is always for Toy Story Mania now, and I really didn't feel like doing that again this trip, (the rush, not the ride, I love that ride and could spend a whole day riding it if it weren't for the lines.)

I have to say that the service here was incredibly slow, and had I cared about getting to Epcot before 11:00 for World Showcase opening, I would've complained. It took so long in fact to get my bill taken over, that a manager came over and apologized without me even saying anything. She must've noticed me sitting there after awhile.

The food made up for the slow service however.

For my meal I had the classic golden waffle, which was served with chicken sausage.

Better shot of the sausage;

The waffle was wonderful. It was topped with honey, pecans, and marscapone cheese, and was just so yummy. The waffle was cooked perfectly, I find most waffles to be too dense, but this one was very light. It was too large though, and I only managed to eat one, and put a small dent in the second.

It gets an;

The sausage was good as well. It was a little dry, but the flavor was wonderful, and it had a very tasty combination of spices.

The sausage gets an

To drink I had the frappe.

Which is a blend of coffee, milk, and sugar. Ever have one of those bottled Starbucks frappacinos? Tasted exactly the same as that. It was good, but since it tasted the same as something I can buy at the grocery store, I wouldn't bother getting it again.

It gets an;

Kouzzina's on my list to try again for breakfast, and I also want to try a bunch of the appetizers there for dinner, but there's a lot on the breakfast menu I want to try, the oatmeal, (and I really don't like oatmeal too much, so the fact that their's sounds appealing is really something,) the sweet potato hash, the flatbread, and the pancakes all sound yummy, so I may be having breakfast at Kouzzina again next year.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

I had that exact meal (except with bacon) on our trip. I agree with what you posted. Our service was incredibly slow too & I'm glad we did it on the day we didn't really have plans outside of mini-golf.