We're Still Hungry! A DDW July Getaway - 8/5 Complete!

[smile4stamps]

2009? You mean 3 years ago? Disney restaurants can definitely change course in a few months, let alone 3 years. We had an extremely underwhelming meal at Citricos in January 2011, and then enjoyed it in July and August of that year. Narcoossee's served us okay food last summer (along with horrible service), while it managed to wow us this year. And over the course of one year, we've seen Yachtsman begin serving up some creative, inspired dishes that are unlike the offerings of a typical steakhouse. Even then, sometimes there are 'exceptions' to the general trend (I'm hoping jabead's fatty short rib was an exception).

Your idea of booking the Wine and Cheese tasting is great - I hope you're able to convince DH to try Jiko again eventually. Disney restaurants are inconsistent enough, but three years can be an extremely long time in the world of WDW dining.

'09 was my last trip to WDW I understand things change greatly but when you have a bad meal its hard to go back there when you have limited time to enjoy your trip and you want the best options!

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

'09 was my last trip to WDW I understand things change greatly but when you have a bad meal its hard to go back there when you have limited time to enjoy your trip and you want the best options!

Aw. It's sad because Disney restaurants are inconsistent overall, and even if you pick the places you enjoyed most in 2009, there's no guarantee that they'll be the same now. Disney dining can be a real gamble, so it's understandable that you're trying to mitigate risk.

 

[jabead]

It's on my radar after all the good reviews but my husband refuses to go because it our entree's were pretty bad in '09. But it's been 3 years and except for Jabead's mouthful of fat all the reviews have been really good lately...

I recently heard they have a Wine and Cheese tasting on Wednesdays that I was going to see if we could go to and then let my hubby see the menu while we are there and maybe he will want to give it another try...

Mouthful of fat Ewwww...that sounds even worse when taken out of context. But I certainly wouldn't want my one bad short rib experience there deter you (or anyone else for that matter) from giving Jiko another try. The rest of our meal was great and I am anxious to return to Jiko, despite that one bad "mouthful of fat".

So I hope you are able to convince your husband. I think your plan to go to the Wine and Cheese tasting is brilliant! Plus, on a selfish note, I would love to see a review of it.

Also, if you do go to Jiko and it's a bust again, you can lay the blame on us. Just please don't tell your DH where I live, 'cause he looks like a very strong guy.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Mouthful of fat Ewwww...that sounds even worse when taken out of context. But I certainly wouldn't want my one bad short rib experience there deter you (or anyone else for that matter) from giving Jiko another try. The rest of our meal was great and I am anxious to return to Jiko, despite that one bad "mouthful of fat".

Definitely return! (and order dessert this time )

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

I was really looking forward to dessert at Jiko. After reading about the chocolate and tea safari a few months ago, I was excited to finally try this dessert. And sure enough, it was still on the menu.

However, I was lured away by the first item on the menu - tipsy tart. Tipsy tart is an actual South African dessert, and although I've never had the real thing, I was excited to try Jiko's spin on it. Knowing my mom's tastes, I knew she would also love the chocolate and tea safari, and she would surely order it.

However, she suddenly asked Nasser to make a recommendation: the safari, or the black forest cake. Without hesitation, he said, "the black forest cake." And I couldn't believe what my mom had just done. She passed up on a dessert containing some of our favorite things (chocolate, rooibos, and green tea), and instead picked the no-sugar-added option containing pistachio ice cream (which my mom doesn't like - it's often too green and "artificial"-tasting). I couldn't believe her mistake, but I kept quiet.

Soon enough, the desserts arrived. Here's the tipsy tart: wine-soaked cake, coconut milk panna cotta, and blackberry sauce.

This was super delicious. The cake didn't have a strong flavor of alcohol, but it was extremely light and moist, and the flavor somewhat reminded me of citrus.

Meanwhile, the coconut milk panna cotta was creamy, and it had a denser texture than typical panna cotta. The tart blackberries on top were a great complement, and the edible flowers enhanced the presentation.

And here's the black forest cake: compressed chocolate cake, cherry jam, bourbon-macerated cherries, and pistachio chocolate chunk ice cream (this item is produced with no sugar added). According to a manager at Jiko, this was the newest item on the menu at the time.

This dish totally won both of us over. The chocolate cake was rich and dense - perfect with the sweet, tart cherries. But the pistachio ice cream was phenomenal. It had a perfect nutty flavor that was enhanced by actual chunks of pistachios, and it wasn't overly sweet. This was easily one of the best desserts we've tasted at WDW (with or without added sugar).

Overall, our meal at Jiko was fantastic, with dessert ending the meal on a perfect note. After dessert, the chef (Chef Jon, who was previously at Yachtsman Steakhouse) came over and asked us how everything was. We both told him how much we loved everything. It was so great getting to hear from him - he acknowledged that he's trying to change up the menu in the same way he previously did at Yachtsman (which can only be a good thing IMO ), and he also told us some interesting stories behind the dishes we ordered. For instance, the Seswaa flatbread was inspired by a cast member who mentioned that it was one of the dishes he missed most from Botswana - what a great idea to turn it into a flatbread! Also, while researching chocolate cake in Africa (before creating the newest dessert), he realized that black forest cake is quite common throughout the continent, possibly due to the large number of German settlers. In addition, he said that tuna biltong is actually becoming a thing in Cape Town - I had no idea! We really enjoyed getting to thank the chef for an incredible meal, as well as hearing about some of Jiko's newest dishes.

I almost forgot - we also received some delicious chocolate cookies at the end of our meal.

Jiko is one of our favorite restaurants in WDW, and this was one of our best meals there.

 

[jabead]

Ahhh...you're Jiko desserts look wonderful, Donald!

But I must admit that I was hoping that you had gotten the Chocolate and Tea Safari so that I could see it in "all its full glory" and find out exactly what I missed out on. Now that I think about it, you were probably disappointed that I didn't get it, so that you could see what you might have missed out on.

And I remember reading that Jon O'Brien had transferred from YSH to Jiko but had forgotten all about it until you mentioned him in your review. So now it kind of makes sense to me why the menu seemed improved (for my tastes, anyway) and the "vibe" of the restaurant seemed much better than last year. Afterall, you know how much I like Yachtsman! I just hope that the food at YSH does not suffer from losing Chef Jon. It seemed as good as usual, well except for the new version of their cheese plate.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Ahhh...you're Jiko desserts look wonderful, Donald!

But I must admit that I was hoping that you had gotten the Chocolate and Tea Safari so that I could see it in "all its full glory" and find out exactly what I missed out on. Now that I think about it, you were probably disappointed that I didn't get it, so that you could see what you might have missed out on.

And I remember reading that Jon O'Brien had transferred from YSH to Jiko but had forgotten all about it until you mentioned him in your review. So now it kind of makes sense to me why the menu seemed improved (for my tastes, anyway) and the "vibe" of the restaurant seemed much better than last year. Afterall, you know how much I like Yachtsman! I just hope that the food at YSH does not suffer from losing Chef Jon. It seemed as good as usual, well except for the new version of their cheese plate.

While I would've loved to hear your thoughts on the complete safari, I've known what it looks like for a while (thanks to google). Click here, and we can both stare at what we missed out on.

I think the chef changes at Narcoossee's and Jiko have both been positive for the restaurants. Even Yachtsman, without Chef Jon, is continuing to do some exciting things (my lamb entree in May was awesomely presented). There might be some bumps along the way (fatty short rib, oily cheese), but overall it's fun watching the signature restaurants evolve in a positive way. Chef Jon is awesome, and it was great hearing about the thought he puts into his menu changes.

 

[DisneyMomFanatic]

I am interested in trying some new things on my upcoming trip to Disney but I have an allergy to Green tea and it seems to be much more common now. I have noted it on my reservations but I really would love to branch out more but am scared because of this allergy. In years past it wouldn't have been and issue, but it is so much more common now. I just hope that it is not in any of the dishes I really want to try when we are down. Your meal sounded lovely though.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

I am interested in trying some new things on my upcoming trip to Disney but I have an allergy to Green tea and it seems to be much more common now. I have noted it on my reservations but I really would love to branch out more but am scared because of this allergy. In years past it wouldn't have been and issue, but it is so much more common now. I just hope that it is not in any of the dishes I really want to try when we are down. Your meal sounded lovely though.

Don't worry - I don't think there are a lot of dishes containing green tea at WDW restaurants. In fact, aside from the chocolate and tea safari at Jiko, or the green tea pudding at Epcot's Japan restaurants, I can't think of any other examples of green tea in a dish.

 

[butiflfeet]

Another wonderful meal from Jiko! I have to fit it in somewhere for our next trip. Of all the signature restaurants it seems to be the most consistent in quality and the menu is the most unique.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Another wonderful meal from Jiko! I have to fit it in somewhere for our next trip. Of all the signature restaurants it seems to be the most consistent in quality and the menu is the most unique.

Agreed - Jiko is definitely one of the more unique signatures, and IMO it's quite consistent. If you decide to eat there, I hope you enjoy it.

 

[jabead]

While I would've loved to hear your thoughts on the complete safari, I've known what it looks like for a while (thanks to google). Click here, and we can both stare at what we missed out on.

Thanks for the link, Donald! I think it looks good, except for the "green" ice cream. But I was counting on DD1 eating that part of the dessert, because she loved the green tea pudding that she had on our last few visits to Teppan Edo.

Okay, so that just leaves one more day of food. I'm going to guess that you started your day with breakfast at Kona Cafe, then lunch at Grand Floridian Cafe, followed by appetizers at the CA Grill lounge, and ending your day with dinner at The Wave. So did I get any right? Or am I, 0 for 4???

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Thanks for the link, Donald! I think it looks good, except for the "green" ice cream. But I was counting on DD1 eating that part of the dessert, because she loved the green tea pudding that she had on our last few visits to Teppan Edo.

Okay, so that just leaves one more day of food. I'm going to guess that you started your day with breakfast at Kona Cafe, then lunch at Grand Floridian Cafe, followed by appetizers at the CA Grill lounge, and ending your day with dinner at The Wave. So did I get any right? Or am I, 0 for 4???

It's hard to explain, but 3 of those 4 restaurants will be appearing somewhere over the next few updates.

And the green color won't scare me away from that ice cream. If it's on the menu during my next Jiko meal, I'm trying it.

 

[megan511]

I have spent the past couple days getting caught up on your reviews and they are fantastic just like the last set!

You have completely sold me on Narcoosses and Jiko. I would go to Jiko for the bread basket alone! My kids are definitely NOT ready for signature dining yet but when I am finally able to try some signatures those two are at the top of my list!

Oh and your lunch at the Wave looked amazing! That Cobb salad looked delish!

Keep up the great reviews

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

Love the Jiko review. Although I am bummed that I cancelled the Safari, I am still really excited to be going back to Jiko. I truly love their flatbreads and plan to make a meal of one plus a salad!

 

[jabead]

And the green color won't scare me away from that ice cream. If it's on the menu during my next Jiko meal, I'm trying it.

Now that I think about it, you are probably right. Looks can be deceiving, especially when they are green!

 

[emmysmommy]

Spectacular Jiko review Mr. Donald!!! [even if I didn't understand half of what you said in terms of the food items! ] That was awesome that the chef interacted with you after the meal. I hope he realized that he was in the presence of one of the premiere Disboard dining reviewers!

The flatbread looks amazing! What a great combo of flavors.

I'm all about dessert and your choices look awesome!

 

[BlovesC]

Oh that Jiko review made me SO, so happy and incredibly excited for our first-time ADR there in January. In my many, many rounds of staring at the menu laughing I've always been drawn towards the shrimp curry and the peri-peri chicken, so I loved seeing the photos and reading such detailed descriptions of the chicken!

And that coconut milk panna cotta! That's just ideal to me. I wonder if they'd give me two servings of it and just leave off the tart all together? Both desserts sound fantastic. Like your mom, I have a strong dislike of pistachio ice cream but you're reaaaaaally selling me on it with that description!

 

[happy2012]

Jiko's desserts sound really great! A "no sugar added" dessert can be better than a sweet one??? That. is. AMAZING. I'm sure many readers are happy to see that post!!

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

I have spent the past couple days getting caught up on your reviews and they are fantastic just like the last set!

You have completely sold me on Narcoosses and Jiko. I would go to Jiko for the bread basket alone! My kids are definitely NOT ready for signature dining yet but when I am finally able to try some signatures those two are at the top of my list!

Oh and your lunch at the Wave looked amazing! That Cobb salad looked delish!

Keep up the great reviews

I'm glad you're enjoying the reviews! Hopefully Narcoossee's and Jiko will be just as awesome when you decide to dine at them.

Love the Jiko review. Although I am bummed that I cancelled the Safari, I am still really excited to be going back to Jiko. I truly love their flatbreads and plan to make a meal of one plus a salad!

I'm sure you'll still have a wonderful meal at Jiko. One of the positives is that you can choose the exact dishes that you feel like, instead of eating from a pre-set menu.

Now that I think about it, you are probably right. Looks can be deceiving, especially when they are green!

That's so on my list for next year! I'm jealous of all of you who can enjoy it now.

Spectacular Jiko review Mr. Donald!!! [even if I didn't understand half of what you said in terms of the food items! ] That was awesome that the chef interacted with you after the meal. I hope he realized that he was in the presence of one of the premiere Disboard dining reviewers!

The flatbread looks amazing! What a great combo of flavors.

I'm all about dessert and your choices look awesome!

The brief discussion with Chef Jon was very cool - it gave us some real insight into the thought he puts into his creations.

Sometimes I wonder what WDW chefs and CMs think of us 'reviewers'. I would assume they don't care too much, since the typical WDW restaurant will have an adequate supply of customers regardless of what we say (thanks to on-property guests and DDP patrons). And that made this special touch much more meaningful, since it could've happened to anyone.

The flatbread was amazing, as were the desserts...although as amazing as the desserts were, I still might struggle picking next time! The chocolate and tea safari sounds fascinatingly delicious, while the Madagascar Vanilla cheesecake with strawberry-rhubarb compote sounds too good to pass up (I didn't even notice it before, since I was blinded by the tipsy tart ).

Oh that Jiko review made me SO, so happy and incredibly excited for our first-time ADR there in January. In my many, many rounds of staring at the menu laughing I've always been drawn towards the shrimp curry and the peri-peri chicken, so I loved seeing the photos and reading such detailed descriptions of the chicken!

And that coconut milk panna cotta! That's just ideal to me. I wonder if they'd give me two servings of it and just leave off the tart all together? Both desserts sound fantastic. Like your mom, I have a strong dislike of pistachio ice cream but you're reaaaaaally selling me on it with that description!

The peri peri chicken is great! I'm happy that it's on the menu since it means Jiko always has something my mom likes. And the desserts were fantastic. I really like pistachio ice cream anyway, but this was one of the best incarnations of it that I've ever had (and my mom actually liked it). If you don't like the ice cream, you could shift your attention over to the dense chocolate cake and cherries.

Jiko's desserts sound really great! A "no sugar added" dessert can be better than a sweet one??? That. is. AMAZING. I'm sure many readers are happy to see that post!!

I know! I didn't expect so much from a no-sugar-added dessert, since they've disappointed me at some other signatures (mainly Flying Fish and Cali Grill). This dessert was an interesting concept, and nothing about it made me think "no sugar added".