Review of Jiko – The Cooking Place – Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
On our most recent trip to Walt Disney World, we had an amazing animal adventure day which culminated in our first dinner at Jiko – The Cooking Place, at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. It was Tuesday, July 15 and after participating in the Wildlife Discovery Safari in the morning, we spent the rest of the morning at the Animal Kingdom and then back to our resort for some R&R.
 |
 |
 |
We arrived at the Animal Kingdom Lodge around 5:30pm, checked our daughter into Simba’s Cubhouse (the children’s club), and headed out to explore the resort. Simba’s is open from 4:30pm to midnight and is located across the courtyard and pool area from Jiko.
This was my husband’s first trip to the Animal Kingdom Lodge and I new he would want time to take many pictures. Our dinner reservations weren’t until 7:20 so we had plenty of time. We needed it! After wandering around the inside of the resort, we ventured out to the outside observation area and had one of the most interesting animal encounters I had ever had. We were in an area with a few giraffes and one in particular seemed as interested in the humans watching her as we were in watching her. I climbed up on some low rocks by the fence to get a better look. Well, Ms. Giraffe and I spent the next 10 minutes just watching each other. Other guests were even commenting on how interactive this giraffe was. I had on a black and white dress and comically though maybe I looked like a funny animal on the savannah. Who knows? But it was time to head in so I bid good bye to my new friend.
 |
 |
 |
The original plan was to have a cocktail at the Victoria Falls bar but when we arrived it was busy and we wanted a little quiet time so we headed to Jiko as the restaurant also has a small bar area. We arrived at Jiko around 7:00pm and checked in. The hostess told us our table was ready now if we wanted to be seated right away. We declined and asked if it would be ok if we went to the bar first for a cocktail. Of course the answer was yes. We also asked if it would be possible if we could have a window table. Later, this would prove to be one of the smartest things we did all week! The hostess assured us she would do her best. So, off to the bar we went.
 |
 |
 |
Two very pleasant bartenders were serving that night. They handed us the very large wine list and their special cocktail list. We came to learn that Jiko offers the largest selection of South African wines anywhere outside of South Africa. My only regret was not having done research on which wines to try! We actually settled on a specialty cocktail deciding to ask our server for help in pairing our wine to dinner.
After our cocktails, we let the hostess know we were ready and were immediately seated at a very nice window table towards the back of the restaurant. We took the first few minutes to admire the beautiful décor of the restaurant. The lights are amazing.
 |
 |
 |
Our server appeared right away and inquired about drinks. We asked for Pelegrino stating that we would like her help in wine pairing. She seemed pleased. At this point, we started to notice the table to the left of us. Four men were enjoying dinner and talking food. We noticed our server going out of her way to be sure they were happy and enjoying their wine and food. Not that she wasn’t doing that for all of her table but for some reason, this table was special. Well it was! We found out after the gentleman had left “for sushi at Cali” that they were the Executive Chefs from the Flying Fish Cafe! From the beginning, we new something was up so I kept an ear open to hear about what they were eating and drinking. We asked our server for her recommendations and low and behold, they pretty much matched what the chefs were eating! She even brought us glasses of wine from bottles not ordinarily offered by the glass.
For our first starter we ordered the Barbecue Chicken Flatbread. The flatbreads are all backed in the kitchens open clay oven. Our first bite let us know we were in for an interesting meal. The spices used at Jiko are authentic African spices and range all over the spice board. Each dish we had was perfectly balanced. The food reminded us a restaurant here in the DC area called Farrah Olivia where Chef Monroe uses African and other exotic spices in his dishes. The flatbread was delicious but we decided to pace ourselves.
For our second appetizer, we ordered the Lamp “Patis” which were recommended by both bartenders as well as our servers. Always trust the restaurant staff. Well the Patis did not disappoint. They reminded us a little of the bastilla at Marrakesh in Epcot but were even better. The accompanying mint-cilantro chutney paired very well.
Our third and final appetizer, yes we had three, was the Duck and Stonefruit Salad. Duck Confit served with grilled peaches and cherries. Need I say more…ok…Yum! The grilled peaches and cherries were perfect with duck. I could have just had the grilled peaches and cherries by themselves and been happy.
We decided that after three appetizers, it would be best to share an entrée. After much deliberation, we settled on the Kenyan Coffee Barbecue Beef Short Ribs. I almost suggested the filet only because I wanted to try Jiko’s version of mac n’ cheese but the short ribs won out and were a great choice. The meat fell right off the bone and was tender, sweet, and delicious.
After four courses and several glasses of wine, we had no room for desert. Plus it was time to pick our daughter up from the kids club, which she thoroughly enjoyed by the way.
We truly enjoyed our first dinner at Jiko. From the food and wine, to the décor and service, everything was top notch. Sitting next to the chefs was fun too! Would I recommend Jiko to everyone? I think almost everyone unless your palette prefers simpler food. Jiko is a signature dining location and the night we were there we saw mostly adults dining without children.
Cuisine: African
Location: Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
| 0.0 |
Author profile. To change this standard text, you have to enter some information about your self in the Dashboard -> Users -> Your Profile box.