Greetings From England – The Brits Are Back!! **COMPLETED 07/05**

[Linda67]

Originally Posted by wilma-bride

Hey Linda, I have to say that the cinnamon roll looks a little dry. Was it? I am not a fan of pecans so I hope Roaring Fork has normal cinnamon rolls too (I can't remember)

I am probably alone in that the tuna pita looks awful to me - but I absolutely abhor tuna

I've never had a corn dog - I've had cornbread though, is it anything like that?

Hi Joh
The cinnamon roll was certainly not dry, it was really moist and fresh
I am fairly sure that RF sold regular cinnamon rolls as well
As for the corn dog, I didn't try any but DH described it as 'sickly' once he got about half way through so I guess that's because it was a little too sweet

He used to think corn bread was too sweet but loves it now
Stay tuned for Jiko

[Linda67]

Originally Posted by TanzUnited99

That tuna pitta sure looks good!

Yay on DH getting a free corn dog - it's a shame he didn't enjoy it but at least he did not pay anything for it!

Ooh sorry I missed your reply
Isn't it funny how if something is free it suddenly doesn't taste quite so bad

[smithgrandchild]

I'm really enjoying your review. I've been trying to decide between the pork sandwich and the cheese sandwich at Captain Cook's.

You haven't made my decision any easier!

I think I will order both for DH and me. That way we can try each other's meal.

[wilma-bride]

Originally Posted by Linda67

He used to think corn bread was too sweet but loves it now

I absolutely love corn bread, although I didn't think I would like it - probably because I thought it had actual sweetcorn in it

Originally Posted by Linda67

Stay tuned for Jiko

Looking forward to it - did you have the flatbread to start?

[jerseytinkerbell]

Absolutly loving your reviews! Your photo made me decide that I must have one of those avocado margaritas on my upcoming trip! Maybe more than one actually Can't wait to read the rest of your reviews!

[mamaboogie]

Ooh! Looking forward to hearing about Jiko

[ShesAPirate]

Nice reviews! Looking forward to the rest!

[Linda67]

Wednesday 25th May 2011 Continued

After a wonderful day at Animal Kingdom we headed back to the Wilderness Lodge to relax and freshen up ahead of our dinner reservation at Jiko

As always, we headed over to the Resort well ahead of our ADR time so that we could explore and have a pre-dinner drink

I picked this up from the Lodge’s pool bar



Caribbean Limeade - Skyy infusions pineapple vodka, midori melon liqueur, and simply limeade

After enjoying our drinks and checking out the animals on the Savannah we headed to Jiko to check in and were seated pretty much right away

We were taken to a lovely table in the restaurant’s 'Wine Room'

I thought that this was a really great area to sit, it felt very intimate and perfect for a romantic dinner

The ‘walls’ of the room are actually iron Wine racks with the bottles of wine providing a circular divide between this area and the main dining room

Our server for tonight was Kim and she was just wonderful, another great server who was more than happy to discuss the menu and wine pairings with us

I didn’t make a note of the wine that I ordered tonight (I think it was a Sauvignon Blanc) but I do remember commenting on how good it was.

The wine list here is really impressive and Kim was certainly very knowledgeable about it

As we read through the menu we were served some wonderful fresh bread



Bread Service

There were several items on the menu that we wanted to try and it’s also worth noting that there is also a vegetarian menu with some unusual and creative dishes available

I had heard some great things about the Flatbreads here so decided to start my evening off with this:



Wood-fired Flatbread – Roasted Mushrooms with Pleasant Ridge Reserve, Masala Curry, Crispy Fennel and Ice Wine Gastrique

This was simply delicious!

Every ingredient worked perfectly together and it was just packed with flavour

Here is DH’s choice



Jiko Artisanal Cheese Selection
Mount Tam – US (Cow)
Pleasant Ridge Reserve-US (Cow)
Bijou-US (Goat)
Fromage d’Affinois de Brebis-France (Sheep)
Cashel Blue – Ireland (Cow)

Another huge hit; you are given a printed card with this dish that details everything you could possibly want to know about each individual cheese and DH really, really enjoyed every one.

So we were on a roll with our appetisers and were excited to see if our entrees would be as good

I was torn between a couple of options but took Kim’s recommendation and ordered this:



Seared Lake Victoria African Perch “Kushari” with toasted Pearl Couscous, Lentils, Fresh Chickpeas, Almonds, Tomato Sauce, Sweet Corn Cream, Crispy Onions and Harissa Vinaigrette

This was sensational

You can see from the description that there is an awful lot going on in this dish but every single element complimented the next

Without any doubt whatsoever this was my favourite entrée of our vacation so far.

The fish was perfectly cooked and I would highly recommend this dish to anyone who enjoys seafood; I thanked Kim profusely for recommending it to me

Here is DH’s entrée



Braised Short Rib with Truffled Potato Puree, Pearl Onions, Baby Carrots, Cabernet-Tamarind Sauce

DH cleared his plate in no time at all; he really enjoyed this entrée but he did say that the meat was a little fattier than he expected and that he enjoyed his steak at Yachtsman more but even so he was very pleased with this dish

Onto desserts and we decided to order two that we would both enjoy so that we could share



Cheesecake, Caramel and Toffee – Creamy Madagascar Vanilla Cheesecake with Salted Caramel, Macadamia-Almond Toffee, Whipped Cream and Chocolate-covered Coffee Beans

Oh sweet heaven above this was just amazing; it was the best cheesecake I have ever eaten, no kidding

I was not happy that I had to give DH half ……….. but ……….. I got half of this ….....



Coconut Bread Pudding, Warm Bread Pudding with Caramel-Rum Sauce, Toasted Coconut and Caramel Ice Cream

OK, everything about this dessert was fabulous but the Caramel Ice Cream was off the scale good

Just before we settled out bill, Kim bought out ‘A Kiss Goodnight’; a lovely touch



So the verdict on Jiko? ……………….. Simply Stunning

From start to finish this was a wonderful meal in a beautiful setting with excellent service and superb food

Can you tell we enjoyed it?

Coming Up Next ………….. Ciao Bella; We Are Heading To Via Napoli

[Linda67]

Originally Posted by smithgrandchild

I'm really enjoying your review. I've been trying to decide between the pork sandwich and the cheese sandwich at Captain Cook's.

You haven't made my decision any easier!

I think I will order both for DH and me. That way we can try each other's meal.

Tough choice, great idea to share though, you'll get the best of both worlds

Originally Posted by wilma-bride

Looking forward to it - did you have the flatbread to start?

Sure did and boy was it good

Originally Posted by jerseytinkerbell

Absolutly loving your reviews! Your photo made me decide that I must have one of those avocado margaritas on my upcoming trip! Maybe more than one actually Can't wait to read the rest of your reviews!

When we are back in Epcot in October I am heading straight for another avocada margarita

Originally Posted by mamaboogie

Ooh! Looking forward to hearing about Jiko

Hi Shari, just posted it

Originally Posted by ShesAPirate

Nice reviews! Looking forward to the rest!

Thanks for reading, plenty more to come

[John's Mom]

Our last two visits to Jiko were very disappointing.

After reading your review, I think we'll give it another try. Thanks.

Kathy

[wilma-bride]

Well, I read the review at work (as promised) and it sounded great. Got home, looked at the pictures and it looked even better

What's next?

[chocolateMinnie]

I can't believe I agreed to my family crossing Jiko off our list for october - it looks amazing

[DonaldDoleWhip]

So happy you enjoyed Jiko! I really wanted to get that perch dish but couldn't fit it in since we did Yachtsman instead. Hopefully they still have it next time!

[TanzUnited99]

Mmm your review of Jiko sounds great!

Am glad you enjoyed your meal - all the pics look good and your review of the cheesecake has me drooling!

[mamaboogie]

Hi Linda!

Sooooo glad you loved Jiko!

It was our favourite meal of the whole holiday last year! Our definite top of the list to return to!

Can't wait to hear more!