Day 12 – The Lion Sleeps Tonight | Part 6 | Dine Around Disney 2014
Home » Everything Disney »Animal Kingdom; Tusker House (Character Lunch); Jiko – The Cooking Place (Signature Dining)
Dine Around Disney 2014 Trip Report Index! (And here is the Pre-Trip Report!)
All the photos for this day are on my Flickr. Full Florida 2014 collection of photos here!
August 25th, 2014 …Continued from Part 5…
Evening came, and we drove to Animal Kingdom Lodge – Jambo House around 8pm for our Advance Dining Reservation at Jiko – The Cooking Place. As time has gone by, and my notes have been non-existent, I can’t remember a great deal about this signature restaurant, but it is one we enjoyed as we’ve booked to go back on our next trip in October 2015.
Animal Kingdom Lodge is a beautiful resort, and one that I would like to be able to stay in one day!
We checked in for our reservation, and had a short wait. I nipped to the rest rooms (because I always have to check them out!) and the attention to detail everywhere in Disney resorts is superb!
Eventually our buzzer went off and we were shown to our table. The restaurant décor and ambiance was beautiful and I felt really relaxed in here. It was also fairly quiet as well (i.e., the number of people as opposed to the sound!) which added to the relaxed feeling. Our waiter was very friendly and was happy to go through the whole menu with us, making his personal recommendations.
When it comes to the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan at a table service restaurant you are entitled to one appetizer, one entrée, one dessert and one non-alcoholic beverage per person (usually refillable) Signature restaurants are 2 credits per person.
Appetizers
Me: Roxanne’s Kitfo Leb Leb – Beef Carpaccio, Feta Cheese, Pistachio-Basil pesto, Berbere, Tomatoes, and Rocket ($14)
Him: Crispy Duck “Bobotie” Roll – Cucumber Raita and Green Mango Atjar ($12)
The Boy: Jiko Salad – Summer Greens, Watermelon, Blueberries, Caviar Limes, Smoked Almonds, Feta Cheese, and Lime-Date Vinaigrette ($15)
We loved doing the Deluxe Dining Plan, but Liam did struggle with appetizers – quite often we would order a light one for him and share between us instead. The duck rolls and the flat bread were delicious, and the salad was light and refreshing.
Entrées…
Me: Sockeye Copper River Salmon – Stuffed Squash Blossom, Plantain Fufu, Baby Zucchini, and Cactus Pear Broth ($45)
Him: Maize-Crusted Monkfish – Vegetables of the Moment and Tomato-Butter Sauce ($40)
The Boy: Oak-Grilled Filet Mignon – Grass-Fed Beef, Local Organic Pole Beans, Spoon Bread and South African Red Wine Sauce ($49)
I remember ordering the salmon because of the word fufu, and because I’ve never eaten stuffed squash blossom before! When I received it, and tasted what Steve had, I wished I’d ordered that instead – there are days when I just make the wrong choices of dishes, and tonight was one of them! Nothing wrong with the food, just wasn’t feeling it…
Steve enjoyed the monk fish, which is a really dense meaty fish. Liam asked if he could have mashed potato instead of spoon bread, which they were happy to oblige with. I think he may have asked for fries, but they didn’t have them… or was that at a different signature restaurant? Never be afraid to ask to switch something on the dish you’ve ordered if you don’t like a component, more often than not, they are happy to make a substitute where possible.
Desserts…
Me: Peach Mousse Sphere – Brown Sugar Sable, and Spiced Peach Sauce ($11)
Him: Malva Pudding – Toasted Meringue, Lemon Curd, and Wild Strawberries ($12)
The Boy: Ghananian Chocolate and Kenyan Coffee Pot de Crème – Almond Crème with Almond Crunch and Raspberries ($11)
My dessert was so pretty! Light and delicious! Steve’s malva pudding, was a sponge cake made with apricot jam (or at least, that’s the info I can find out about it online!) and Liam nommed up all of his chocolate pud, so all winners there!
The food, food presentation, service and ambience was all top notch here, and as I said, we will be going back again.
Jiko – The Cooking Place
Bill Total: $224.69 (6 Credits) {Tip: $45}
DxDDP Running Totals: Bill: $3749.94 | Credits: 109/126 | Tips: $542.42
Read about the day before:
Day 11 – Festival of Fantasy
Magic Kingdom; Cinderella’s Royal Table (Character Breakfast); Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Cafe (Counter Service); Festival of Fantasy Parade; California Grill (Signature Dining); Wishes
Read about the day after:
Day 13 – Been Around The World:
Epcot World Showcase; Restaurant Marrakesh (Lunch); Frozen Fireworks
Gretta Schifano
June 17, 2015 @ 9:55 pm
It sounds like you had a great trip – and how lovely to be going back again later this year.
Michelle Ordever
June 18, 2015 @ 4:03 pm
We’re going for Halloween (my favourite time of the year!) and can’t wait!