Keep Calm and Go to Disney! 10/21 - 11/4/14 COMPLETE

For lunch on this day, I was off to Japan...





Or more specifically to one of Epcot's Japanese restaurants...






I was very happy to have been invited to join Joh (wilma-bride) and her family for lunch here, one of my Disney World favorites. Not long after Joh checked in for us, we were led down the hallway to one of their six dining rooms...






From what I have seen, the dining rooms here have 4 tables which each surround a teppan grill. I believe that all of the tables seat 8 people, so unless you are a party of 8, you will more than likely be sharing your table with other diners.



Here is the menu which was presented to us...










At the same time we were given warm, damp cloths with which to wash our hands...





We were also given chopsticks, which can be made into "cheater" chopsticks like what our server is in the process of making here...





Not being particularly coordinated, I chose to stick with my fork though. ;)




Once everyone at our table had placed their orders, we were introduced to our female teppan chef...





I don't think I've ever had a female chef here before so it was a pleasant surprise. :thumbsup2



Next our drinks arrived. I had ordered one of their specialty cocktails for my beverage...




Tokyo Sunset - Coconut rum, creme de banana, peach schnapps and pineapple juice - $9.00


I've had this several times before, both here and at the other Japanese restaurant, Tokyo Dining. It was again sweet, fruity and delicious.


Once our chef had confirmed our orders and the temperature at which we wanted our meat cooked, she then got down to the business of cooking, starting with these vegetables...



Broccoli, green beans (I think), carrots, and mushrooms.

We were offered some of the mushrooms, but the rest of these vegetables were for another guest at our table who had ordered the vegetarian entree, called Yasai.



But speaking of mushrooms, don't these look delicious?



I happen to be a big fan of fresh mushrooms but my kids all detest them. So I'm looking forward to getting their shares of the mushrooms when we dine here on our upcoming trip. ;)



Anyway, next on the grill went the zucchini and onion slices...






And if you've ever been to a teppan restaurant then you probably knows what comes next...





After making like a volcano, the onions were then chopped along with the zucchini and introduced to their neighbor, the Udon noodles...




And before you know it...





While the vegetables and noodles were mixing it up, our dipping sauces were being poured...



A white, creamy seafood sauce (my favorite), Mustard sauce, and Ginger sauce.



The sauce dishes were then presented to each of us along with a share of the grilled noodle/zucchini/onion mix...






Next came the cooking of the shrimp...









For my entree, I had ordered the steak and shrimp combo so as soon as the shrimp was cooked I was given my share...





I was also presented with a bowl of Sukiyaki Beef Rice...






And last but not least, the cooking of the meats...












Our chef brought Daniel (Joh's son) over for some help with the seasoning...





And then here is my share of the delicious steak...




It was placed on my plate with the equally delicious shrimp...










And so, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you my entree in its entirety...




Asakusa- Steak & Shrimp with Seasonal Vegetables, Udon Noodles, and Sukiyaki Beef Rice


I can't say enough good things about this entree. I enjoyed every bite, or at least every bite that I was able to take before I had reached my maximum level of fullness. But luckily my sharing buddy Daniel was there to finish off my uneaten steak, as it was way too delicious to go to waste. :thumbsup2



So no dessert for me, however since Daniel was celebrating his birthday during this trip he was presented with a chef's hat and this Chocolate Ginger Cake...








There aren't many dessert options here, only green tea cheesecake and vanilla or green tea soft-serve ice cream besides the cake that Daniel was presented with. Food-wise this is the one downfall of Teppan Edo. However, I've had the chocolate ginger cake before and it's pretty good. If I had had room for dessert, I would have probably chosen this one.



Oh, and Daniel gave the cake two thumbs up...





And that just leaves one last photo of our merry group of diners...




Overall this was a great meal in the company of great people. Teppan Edo is one of my favorite Disney World restaurants because of its consistency. I have dined there many times over the last 15 years and have always had both good food and service. Unfortunately, I can't really say that about any other restaurant at Disney World. However, because I have been to either Teppan Edo or Tokyo Dining during 4 of my last 5 trips, I was actually campaigning to try Nine Dragons (the Chinese restaurant) instead next month. Our family has not dined at Nine Dragons in close to 10 years so I thought it was time for a return visit. But it seems that I have been overruled by my three children, as Teppan Edo is among their favorites too. So unless we somehow manage to do both, Teppan Edo is in and Nine Dragons is out.

NOTE: Unfortunately, Teppan Edo does not accept Tables in Wonderland. However, they do give a 10% discount to Annual Passholders during lunch on Monday through Friday.


Next up: A DIS meet in France
 
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I'm a big fan of both Tusker House and Boma. They are very similar except for the omelets and characters of course. I'm also sure the characters are why Tusker house is more expensive. I also would give an edge to Boma but Tusker house may be my favorite character breakfast because of the safari characters. I have never eaten at Teppan Edo and probably won't anytime soon. I'm not huge on Asian food but would possibly give it a try.
 
Yummy that looked delicious! It seems like you are determined to make my decisions even more difficult!!! :worship:
 
I've had this several times before, both here and at the other Japanese restaurant, Tokyo Dining. It was again sweet, fruity and delicious.

I love the Tokyo Sunset - YUM!!

I happen to be a big fan of fresh mushrooms but my kids all detest them. So I'm looking forward to getting their shares of the mushrooms when we dine here on our upcoming trip. ;)

I love the mushrooms too. And that they use zucchini in their veggies. The one that we frequent by our house does not. I love a good grilled zucchini!

Looks like a delicious meal. We ate here after literally stuffing ourselves to the brim at F&W, and it didn't thrill me. Probably because I couldn't bear to eat anything else lol. I'll have to try again sometime.
 
I'm a big fan of both Tusker House and Boma. They are very similar except for the omelets and characters of course. I'm also sure the characters are why Tusker house is more expensive. I also would give an edge to Boma but Tusker house may be my favorite character breakfast because of the safari characters. I have never eaten at Teppan Edo and probably won't anytime soon. I'm not huge on Asian food but would possibly give it a try.

I was not surprised that Tusker House was more expensive than Boma with it being a character meal. However, I was a little surprised that it was $5 more than the Crystal Palace character breakfast and $3 more than the character breakfast at Cape May. Perhaps the food is more expensive with the carving station at Tusker House, or maybe the TH characters are more popular?? I really don't know. :confused3




Yummy that looked delicious! It seems like you are determined to make my decisions even more difficult!!! :worship:

Ha! One of the pitfalls of reading the dining review board. I'm even second guessing my upcoming trip dining schedule after seeing some of the pics again from this trip. :rotfl:



I love the Tokyo Sunset - YUM!!



I love the mushrooms too. And that they use zucchini in their veggies. The one that we frequent by our house does not. I love a good grilled zucchini!

Looks like a delicious meal. We ate here after literally stuffing ourselves to the brim at F&W, and it didn't thrill me. Probably because I couldn't bear to eat anything else lol. I'll have to try again sometime.

Yes, you definitely need to be hungry when you dine at Teppan Edo, as it's not a place where you just have a snack or dessert. ;) Hopefully, you will give it another chance sometime.
 
Following our lunch at Teppan Edo, Joh's DH and DS headed back to the Boardwalk (where they were also staying) to do some "clowning" around at the pool. ;)



However, Joh and I had a DIS meet to attend in France, or more specifically at this French booth...




DIS meets at Les Vins de France have become a tradition, one that started for me back in August 2012 with this meeting of some of my DIS friends...



Vicki (GoofySon'sMom) & Tracy (Tracerr00)




Joh (wilma-bride), Emily (JustEmmy), Brenda (emmysmommy), Vicki's son Andrew, Vicki (GoofySon'sMom), Tracy (Tracer00), and Tracy's daughter


Though I was not present at this DIS meet or had not yet met any of these great people in person, I felt like I was there in spirit. I had gotten to know Joh, Brenda, Vicky, and Tracy from here on the Dining Reviews board and some of them helped me to launch my "LIVE FROM DISNEY WORLD" threads, which began at this time and continued here on the Dining Reviews board for nearly two years. Pictures from this DIS meet were some of the first ones which I received and posted on the first of my three live threads.



My first DIS meet in France happened during my March 2013 trip and was with Vicki (GoofySon'sMom) and her son Andrew...





And then when a group of us got together for a December trip that year, we of course had to include a visit to the French slushie booth in our plans. Here are some of Brenda's and Linda's photos from this meet...




Paula (smile4stamps) and her DH, Hunter











Oh, and a photo that I took of Linda (Linda67) and her DH...




Therefore, it only seemed natural that Joh and I would plan to meet with two of our other DIS friends in France, so that together we could partake of one of our favorite Epcot cocktails...




While I myself am partial to the Orange Grand Marnier slushie, which is again what I enjoyed at this meet...




There are some who prefer the Lemon Grey Goose Citron slushie...



- Photo credit to Linda -


No matter what's your preference though, both of these frozen drinks are soooo refreshing on a very hot day at Epcot. And this was one of those days, as you can probably tell from the redness of my face in the picture below...



Or perhaps the red face was because of the drink??? :laughing:

Anyway, in addition to Joh and I, Niki (Niki Andiokno) & her DH and Beth (Couchy) were present at this DIS meet. Also, Beth's husband was there but he was the photographer for the above picture. It was the first time that the three ladies met each other, however I wasn't a bit surprised when this seemed like a meeting of old friends. :hug:


Looking at these photos is making me a bit sad though, as I currently don't have any plans for DIS meets in France on my upcoming trip. I might just have to have a slushie here with my daughters in honor of all my DIS friends, those that I've had the privilege of meeting and those that I hope to meet someday.



Next up: A Visit to the Boardwalk Bakery
 
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You've been busy, Barb. I've had a lot of catching up to do. Guess you're hoping to get this DR completed before you head off for the next adventure.

I was really interested in your Studio pics at the Boardwalk. The last time we stayed there I booked a studio at the villas and the manager of the Boardwalk assured me that I would be more comfortable switching over to the Inn since there were 3 of us. I always wondered if I should have given up our room at the villas but it looks like he was right we were more comfortable with the 2 queen beds and giving up the kitchen.

I love Tusker House breakfast, especially the Krispy Kreme donut holes, but don't go there often because it is too loud and chaotic. You're right Boma does seem to be a better choice for the food and evidently the price too.

It's been awhile since we've been back to the Flying Fish. I just wasn't much impressed with our food, but probably received the best service ever there. Anxious to know if you think the Illuminations viewing area is worth using a FP for.

And so glad you enjoyed another meal at Teppan Edo. Can't wait to see what plans your kids have in store for you!

Wish I could enjoy a Dismeet at France with you. The orange slushie is one of my favs, but it looks like we are going to miss each other's trips by a just a few days.
 
Teppan edo looks like a fab meal. I never think of it since I always think I can get something similar at home, but of course never do. Will have to rectify that as your meal is literally giving me hunger pains. I've only been there once, when I was probably 12 so it's long over due.

Love a dismeet and drinking combo ; )
 
You've been busy, Barb. I've had a lot of catching up to do. Guess you're hoping to get this DR completed before you head off for the next adventure.

I was really interested in your Studio pics at the Boardwalk. The last time we stayed there I booked a studio at the villas and the manager of the Boardwalk assured me that I would be more comfortable switching over to the Inn since there were 3 of us. I always wondered if I should have given up our room at the villas but it looks like he was right we were more comfortable with the 2 queen beds and giving up the kitchen.

I love Tusker House breakfast, especially the Krispy Kreme donut holes, but don't go there often because it is too loud and chaotic. You're right Boma does seem to be a better choice for the food and evidently the price too.

It's been awhile since we've been back to the Flying Fish. I just wasn't much impressed with our food, but probably received the best service ever there. Anxious to know if you think the Illuminations viewing area is worth using a FP for.

And so glad you enjoyed another meal at Teppan Edo. Can't wait to see what plans your kids have in store for you!

Wish I could enjoy a Dismeet at France with you. The orange slushie is one of my favs, but it looks like we are going to miss each other's trips by a just a few days.

Yes, I have been busy. :laughing: If my calculations are correct, I need to post a review nearly every day if I want to finish this report before I leave for Florida on May 12th. :eek: Not sure if I'll make it but I'm going to try my best.

Anyway, I didn't notice the loudness or chaos at Tusker House. Perhaps it was because I was there early in the morning. I'm afraid now that it will probably be a whole different story next time if we end up keeping my 10:45 ADR.

And I sooo wish we were going to be there at the same time. :sad1: Hopefully one of these days our trips will coincide.




Teppan edo looks like a fab meal. I never think of it since I always think I can get something similar at home, but of course never do. Will have to rectify that as your meal is literally giving me hunger pains. I've only been there once, when I was probably 12 so it's long over due.

Love a dismeet and drinking combo ; )

Yep, I know exactly what you mean. We also have a teppan-style restaurant nearby, however the food is not quite as good as Teppan Edo's. But then again, it's not quite as expensive. ;)
 
The combination of a big lunch, two cocktails, and very warm weather had taken a toll on me and I was ready for a nap. :faint: But on my way back to the Boardwalk I made a few stops. The first was right there in France at the bakery...




And I know what you're thinking...Why in the world would she want more food? :eek: But I wasn't there for me, I was there for my husband. ;) He was to arrive late that night, too late to join us for dinner at bluezoo, so I wanted to get something that would keep well in my studio's fridge and could be heated in the microwave.

This Ham & Cheese Baguette seemed to fit the bill...




I took photos of other offerings in the display cases, but it was pretty busy so I quit after just a few. I took many more during my next visit to the bakery, so I'll wait until that review to post all of the photos.


Anyway, after leaving Epcot I was walking down the boardwalk...




...when I came upon this sign.




Being the obedient person that I am, I of course went in. :laughing:


I had forgotten that the Boardwalk also has some great sandwiches in addition to its delicious breakfast pastries and desserts.





Otherwise, I might have gotten one of these for my husband instead of the ham and cheese one from Boulangerie. Here are some of the sandwiches which are offered here...

DSC09538.jpg


Maine Lobster Roll with Buttered Chive Mayo on a Split Top Roll





Roast Beef with Provolone, Tomatoes, Lettuce and Mustard Horseradish on a Kaiser Roll





Two Cheese Focaccia with Provolone, Fresh Mozzarella, Tomato Sauce, and Basil on Focaccia





Herb Pork Loin with Creamy Apple Slaw on a Kaiser Roll





Smoked Turkey with Vine-ripened Tomatoes and Leaf Lettuce on Multigrain Bread






They also had some pretty great looking salads, including this one...




Herb-grilled Chicken and Apple Mixed Greens Salad
featuring Ocean Spray® Craisins® Brand Dried Cranberries, Goat Cheese and Pomegranate Vinaigrette - $11.29



Oh, and they also had some gluten-free sandwiches and cupcakes in their refrigerated case...








But I decided that my husband needed something sweet to go along with his sandwich so I turned my focus to their dessert-filled display case...
















There were also assorted cookies...





...and three kinds of cupcakes, starting with these really cute Ghost cupcakes.







I read that these were yellow cake with caramel apple filling (butterscotch pudding with chunks of apple) topped with whipped cream frosting with a swirl of caramel and a sprinkling of candied nuts.


Their Mickey Oreo cupcakes had been given a makeover since the last time I was here when they looked like this...




Not sure how either of these tasted, but I thought this new version was cuter...





These were chocolate cupcakes with a cookies-and-cream filling and vanilla frosting.





They had also given their Strawberry cupcake a makeover. In May 2014 it looked like this...





Now their Strawberry cupcake looked like this...




Again I didn't taste either of these, but I read that the new version was still vanilla cake with strawberry filling and vanilla-strawberry icing. The difference is the addition of the chocolate, with the new cupcake being topped with chocolate shavings and a white and dark chocolate covered strawberry half. Yum! :thumbsup2

NOTE: It seems that a price increase also came along with the cupcake makeovers. Cupcakes which had been $4.59 just 7 months before were now $5.19. Actually after looking at the photos from my last trip I see that all of the dessert prices had been increased by $.20 - $.50. :(



So what did I choose for my husband's dessert? Well, I got him a couple of chocolate chip cookies, which are a family favorite...




And I also got a dessert that we had never tried here before, the Cheesecake Brownie...




Unfortunately he was too full to have this after devouring the huge baguette sandwich and one of the cookies, so it did not get eaten that night. And then we forgot about it. :worried: Four days later when I discovered it in the refrigerator it did not look appetizing...at all. :sad2: So sadly I have no review or even a picture of this dessert, other than the one above.


However, I did come through for you with another Boardwalk Bakery favorite of mine, the Napoleon...



I couldn't possibly resist this when I saw it in the display case, as it really is one of my favorite Disney World desserts. After my nap, I enjoyed it in the comfort of my room before heading to Hollywood Studios to use my FP+ for Fantasmic. This delicious snack was just right to hold me over until my late dinner with Niki and her DH. :thumbsup2



I'll be checking in at the Boardwalk Villas four weeks from today, so I wonder how long it will take me to get to the Boardwalk Bakery for the awesomeness that is the Napoleon...



If I were the betting kind, I would wager that it will NOT BE VERY LONG! :laughing:



Next up: Fantasmic followed by dinner at bluezoo
 
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I am loving your reviews! Now I want to go to Teppan Edo and I'm debating fitting it in in our open spot.
 
Barb :goodvibes:goodvibes:goodvibes

I think you've convinced me to try a napoleon! It may sound impossible to believe, but I've never had one. Your photo is drool-worthy!

I can say that I tried that ghost cupcake, and it looks much better than it tasted. :lmao:
 
All of those things look amazing! I keep drooling over Boardwalk Bakery since we'll be staying there in September :) Glad you enjoyed the napoleon, it looks great!
 
Love the boardwalk bakery but have never gotten a Napoleon looks great may have to try that next time I go if it's there.
 
I'm guessing four weeks and one minute till you are at Boardwalk ; ). Any chance you are fulfilling any to go orders? You gotta another Boardwalk bakery fan here.

Your hubby is a lucky man that you picked up all those goodies for him.

Can't wait to hear about bluezoo. I haven't been in years
 
We had the same hibatchi chef as you, she was great! It was our first time at Teppan Edo and we will definitely be back!!!

We've had that with a couple desserts where we've gotten them because our eyes were bigger than our stomachs or it was something we had to try, then it sat in our fridge. I expect this upcoming trip to be no different :rotfl2:
 
My evening began by using a FP+ for the reserved seating area for Fantasmic! at Hollywood Studios. While this provided me with a good view of the show without having to stand in long lines, I don't believe it's worth the sacrifice of a Tier 1 fast pass...especially if you are a fan of Toy Story Mania. For me, the same holds true for the Illuminations FP+ at Epcot. Again the area reserved for those with a FP+ is a prime viewing spot for the show and I actually did this one twice during my two week trip. However, on a shorter trip with much more limited FP+, I would not have chosen Illuminations over the other two Tier 1 rides at Epcot.

Ok, that said, I was able to get some pretty good photos of Fantasmic!, a show I hadn't seen for several years because I didn't want to either stand in line or do the Fantasmic dinner package. I'll post just a few of these and then move on to the dining review.














Now on to the Dolphin hotel, where I was meeting Niki (Niki Andiokno) and her DH for a late dinner at...




Let me preface this review by fulling admitting that I totally dropped the ball on this one. :guilty: I was highly distracted during this dinner because I was anxiously awaiting a text from my DH upon his arrival at our Boardwalk room. This was 10 days into my trip so I was kind of missing the guy. :hug: But the end result of my distraction is that I did my job as a dining reporter very poorly at this dinner. I took very few photos, and those that I did take are not all that great. And the worst part, I did not take any notes following this meal so I can't tell you exactly what I had, or even if I liked it. So with my sincerest apologies, here is all I have for you from this meal.


First, this restaurant is absolutely stunning. The theming reminds me of Coral Reef at Epcot, only much more upscale.




I especially love the lighting...





The three of us were promptly seated at a four-top table and were presented with menus. While I did take some photos of the menu, they are pretty blurry. But I'll post a few of these anyway...












And here is the bread basket...




It looks good, but I don't recall how it tasted or even if I had any. :confused3



I believe that Niki and her DH might have ordered an appetizer to share, but I didn't take a photo of it. I skipped the appetizers though and ordered only this entree...







This was their Simply Fish entree - Our daily selection of finest fresh fish selected from coastal waters around the world, simply grilled on our teppanyaki grill, served with your selection of sauce - warm crabmeat, dijon mustard, and chives or sauce of the day. ($35)

I believe I was given a couple of different fish choices for this entree but I don't have a clue as to what they were or what I chose. Plus, to be honest, I don't recall how it tasted or if I liked it. I vaguely remember liking the crabmeat sauce which I chose though, so I guess that's something. ;)



I think though that I must have liked my entree and eaten all of it because I passed on dessert, even though there were some tempting ones listed on the menu...




Niki and her husband shared this dessert...




I believe this was the Chocolate and Passion Fruit Cream Puff - Chocolate Mousse Ball with Chocolate Glaze, Pate a Choux, Caramel Cremeux, Caramelized Pineapple, and Frozen Passion Fruit Parfait. I don't think I tasted this, but I seem to recall that Niki and her husband enjoyed it. :thumbsup2


So that's about all I have for this one. With my Tables in Wonderland card I received a 20% discount, so that's another positive that I can state without question. I will have to return to bluezoo sometime when I can focus better on the meal. Until then, bluezoo remains a bit of a question mark for me. :confused3


Next up: Breakfast at Fresh
 
The Blue Zoo looks very good. I have never eaten there but we have stayed at the Dolphin. May have to look into it on a future trip.
 
Sorry you were so distracted during your meal. Your fish looks great, whatever it was ; )
 
Maybe it's something about bluezoo?? Because I feel like it didn't stick out in my mind either. We went in 2012. I got the fish special with a sauce on the side as well and like you, I had no clue about the fish choices I was given, so I picked one and hoped for the best. I remember liking it but not remembering it well. :confused3
 

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