Our Monday night dinner was at Yachtsman Steakhouse, which is one of our favorite signature restaurants. A lot of people have Yachtsman ranked low on their lists because they believe you can get much better steaks at Shula's. I've never been to Shula's, but to those people I say: you're probably right.
Seriously, it seems unquestioned that Shula's has the best steaks in WDW. While that may be true, since we're not huge steak people, we're not really looking for the juiciest 30-ounce piece of meat we can find. We like Yachtsman mainly for everything besides the steak. The service is always great, and the food is growing more and more creative with each visit. I think Yachtsman is currently one of the most innovative signatures, especially if you shy away from the traditional meat and potato entrees.
Here's the menu (it turns out that on Monday night, Yachtsman had just introduced some new dishes, such as a crab appetizer and updated caesar salad):
As usual, we had friendly service during our meal, this time from Zach. He brought out Yachtsman's great bread basket (including the excellent popover-style onion rolls, butter with sea salt, and flavorful roasted garlic).
We also received an amuse bouche - pork rillette with caperberry and house-made focaccia. I thought it was delicious - I loved the soft pork with the briny caperberry.
We decided to try three appetizers - the oysters, crab salad, and beets.
The oysters were broiled and served on a bed of sea salt, along with fennel-challah crumb, melted leeks, and horseradish custard on top. The flavor of the oysters was very mild (they weren't as briny and strong as raw oysters I've had), and the topping was satisfyingly crunchy and creamy. I think this appetizer would be a good choice for someone who's afraid of trying oysters, because of the milder flavor - I couldn't really taste the oyster too much (which some people would probably prefer).
The Jonah crab salad with avocado, blood orange vinaigrette, and hearts of palm was amazing. I just loved the sweet crab with the creamy avocado and slightly tart blood orange. This was my absolute favorite appetizer, and the presentation was gorgeous - so many bright colors on the plate.
The beets were another great appetizer. Again, presentation was gorgeous - the plate looked like a colorful garden with the crunchy almond-cocoa soil underneath (it had a flavor that reminded me of a chocolate cookie). The herbed crème fraîche added an enjoyably sharp bite, and the liquefied beet ravioli was a cool example of molecular gastronomy (once you bit into it, a refreshing beet liquid was released).
Next, it was time for the entrees. My mom chose the young French poulet (chicken) with foraged mushrooms, Tokyo turnips, and truffle nage.
The plate was beautiful, and my mom thought everything was perfectly cooked. This was a really cool, upscale chicken dish with some exciting flavors.
I ordered the scallops with apple-glazed pork belly, lentils, smoked mushrooms, and apple cider reduction.
Um, did I say I ordered the scallops?
I actually did a double take when I saw this dish - it took me a few seconds to figure out this was my entree, and my jaw slightly dropped when I finally realized what it was. Once I got past the presentation, I enjoyed this dish for the most part. The scallops and pork belly were perfectly cooked, the lentils were earthy and delicious, and I loved the sweet and slightly acidic cider reduction. I wish there hadn't been so much pork belly (it was perfectly cooked, but full of fat - most people love pork belly fat, but I don't enjoy the flavor or texture, so I left most of it), and also I didn't think there needed to be so much crispy root vegetable garnish. Still, this dish surprised me (which is one of the things I love about Yachtsman), and I loved the flavors on the plate.
By the time the dessert menu came out, I was cracking up to myself at the hilarity of this meal - Yachtsman had already succeeded in "wowing" me (in a variety of ways), and I knew dessert would be a fun experience as well. We had decided in advance to share the cheese plate. It came with a delicious multigrain bread boule.
The cheeses go from top left to bottom right. My favorite was the SeaHive cheddar, which was delightfully salty and perfectly paired with honeycomb. The other cheeses were also quite interesting, with my second favorite being the Calvados on the bottom left (paired with apple butter).
That should've been our final course. However, Zach had mentioned a pretzel cake on the menu with salted caramel gelato. Salted caramel gelato is one of my mom's favorite things (she's usually a chocolate person, and she just had to try some).
So she asked Zach if she could just get the gelato, and he kindly brought some out. It was absolute perfection - sea salt and caramel is a match made in heaven.
But the meal still wasn't over! Zach finally brought out some petite lemon madeleines that seemed to be a parting gift for every table. They were light, fluffy, and had a lovely zesty flavor. Once again, perfection.
As usual, Yachtsman Steakhouse succeeded in delivering an incredible meal. There might have been some small flaws, but overall we were excited and delighted by everything that came out. This was our first time at Yachtsman where neither one of us ordered steak, and I have to say it was one of the best meals we've ever had here - this place is getting better and better for us.
The Epcot resort area is just so wonderful - peaceful and relaxing, but also bustling and convenient at the same time. 
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Sometimes it feels like there's too many options in WDW. But trying new places and new dishes each time is something that makes the WDW dining experience extra special. 
Mmm, I'm a pork belly lover. 
