Because we didnt have a chance to go to Restaurant Akershus with Mikes parents when they were here, we decided to go on our own one evening. We tried to make a priority seating for 7 pm, but were given a 7:10 pm time. We wandered around the World Showcase for most of the afternoon, and even waiting in the regular standby line for Test Track, which almost closed down due to inclement weather.
We ended up back at Norway for 7 pm, and were seated immediately, in the back next to a window. I love window seats! The inside of the restaurant is decorated as if youre inside of a castle, and is reminiscent of Le Cellier but with windows. There are electric chandeliers above and multi-colored banners hanging from the ceiling. It could be a romantic atmosphere if it wasnt a buffet.
We looked over the menus (though I had already thoroughly checked it out ahead of time online), and our server came by to explain the menu and the buffet ($18.99). For those who are unfamiliar, Restaurant Akershus setup includes a cold buffet with salads, meats, and cheeses, and small portions of hot dishes that you order one at a time from your server. Theres also a selection of hot dishes for children. We were told that its best to order our hot dishes first, as they can take up to 20 minutes in the kitchen. We decided to first share the Hearty Viking Favorites and the Trio of Sausages, though I wish now that we were told we could share the Viking Favorites and order another hot dish, as the table next to us was told. I had a glass of wine at the moment, and Mike had his ever present diet Coke ($2.00).
We went up to scope out the cold offerings. I understand now just how much fish people are talking about when they say that there is a lot of fish on the buffet. There were still plenty of choices for us non-seafood eaters, but theres definitely a lot more variety for those who eat seafood.
There didnt seem to be much rhyme or reason to the buffet, though there was bread and butter on both ends. The breads included whole grain, white, crisp rye thins, and rolled flatbreads that I believe had cornmeal in them. There were Jarlsburg, Muenster, and caramelized goat cheese, which I had heard so much about, a vegetable pasta salad, and chicken salad. I really enjoyed the rolled bread, and it had a texture almost like a soft corn tortilla. The whole grain bread was very good, as well. The goat cheese was definitely an acquired taste Mike, the one who doesnt like goat cheese, really enjoyed it, while it took a little getting used to for me. The Jarlsberg and Muenster cheeses were standard cheeses, and are good for those looking for something more familiar. The chicken salad was made without mayonnaise and was therefore very light, and the pasta salad had fresh, crisp vegetables.
Next were a lot of the seafoods: peel and eat shrimp, cocktail sauce, smoked mackerel, cold scrambled eggs, smoked salmon, shrimp salad, meat salad, tuna salad, and tomato salad. Whew, thats a lot of salads! Being adventurous, I tried the smoked mackerel, but I didnt like it probably just because I dont like fish. Mike enjoyed the tomato salad, however. I saw quite a few people enjoying many of the peel and eat shrimp, however!
On the following table were more vegetable salads: cucumber salad, coleslaw, mixed greens, mayonnaise, herb dressing, vinaigrette, French dressing, ranch dressing, mustard, pickles, and pickled beets. The herb dressing was a kind of Green Goddess dressing, and it was delicious on the mixed green salad and whole grain bread. The greens were all very fresh and crisp, as well. I didnt really like the beet salad, it tasted like the beets were canned.
The next table contained: gravlax (salmon), peppered mackerel, ham and egg salad, thin sliced turkey, ham, and roast beef, honey mustard sauce, crab salad, and potato salad. I tried the peppered mackerel, and didnt like it for the same reason as the smoked. The ham and egg salad was actually my favorite item at the restaurant it had julienned ham and hardboiled egg whites held together by mayonnaise and the egg yolks mixed together. It wasnt anything extraordinary, it was just a very good egg salad. I really enjoyed the sliced cold cuts as well, especially with the honey mustard sauce. You could even make a sandwich using the breads at the end of the line. The crab salad was made with imitation crab, so I didnt try it.
At the end of the buffet were the different types of herrings. I thought about trying one, but when I got there, they didnt look very appealing. There were: curried, tomato, pickled, sour cream, sour, and one other with a German name on it. Im sorry that Theres not much of a description of the seafoods, but I wouldnt give them a very good review since I dont like seafood!
After we selected from the buffet, we sat down and sampled our plates. Soon after we were finished, our hot foods were brought out. At this time I decided on the G wine, which I had had in the wine flight at the store in Germany, and liked very much. Its a white wine, but it has a warm, cinnamon flavor. Luckily for me, it can be found inexpensively ($10 a bottle) at wine stores off property. The Viking Favorites included mashed rutabaga, boiled potatoes, vegetables, and meatballs. Now, I dont like ground meat or beef, but the meatballs were absolutely delicious thats really saying something, for me. I even asked for more after we finished the first two. The mashed rutabagas reminded me somewhat of mashed sweet potatoes, and were very good as well. The vegetables were fresh, and slightly over cooked but still good, and the potatoes were unseasoned. They would have benefited from some butter from the bread table. The sausages were good as well three different types of grilled sausage, a half link of each. Im not sure what the different types were, but we enjoyed them all. This came with thin, heart shaped waffles, and a wonderful onion jam. Thankfully, all of the portions are small enough to order more.
After the first hot dishes, we asked for the chicken breast and the venison stew. Id never eaten venison before, so it was a little adventurous for me. Even though our server had said it would take 20 minutes the first time, these dishes were brought out immediately. The venison stew had drop biscuits that were obviously cooked on a baking sheet, and were overcooked to boot almost like a hard cracker instead of a biscuit. The vegetables were very good, however, and the venison was delicious as well Mike thought it tasted like beef, but I disagreed. There was supposed to be a lingonberry demi-glace, but I didnt taste any berry flavor at all. The chicken breast was juicy and cooked just right, but there wasnt really much of a cranberry sauce on top (there was supposed to be, according to the menu), and the white and wild rice underneath was bland and unseasoned. This dish was a letdown compared to the others. I had also noticed a roasted garlic custard as a side to the salmon hot dish, and asked if I could have that by itself. Our server quickly brought it out, and it was interesting, to say the least. It was a warm custard, and the texture was very smooth. With the garlic flavor, it tasted like smooth, creamy mashed potatoes, and is definitely worth a try if you like garlic.
We were pretty full after all of that, but the dessert tray looked so interesting, that we had to try something. The dessert tray included small portions of a berry tart, a Veiled Maiden (applesauce with graham crackers), flourless chocolate cake, rice cream with strawberry sauce, a lingonberry tart, and chocolate mousse with white and milk chocolate mousse. There was also a sampler plate like Spoodles had, which included all of the desserts for $9.99. I wish we hadnt been so full, as I would have liked to have tried them all! We decided on the berry tart, which the woman who brought the tray over said was her favorite. It had a flaky pastry crust, with fresh berries on top (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries), and a lightly flavored lemon custard underneath. This was delicious and light, just right after our large dinner.
When we first arrived, we were seated immediately, but as we left around 8 pm, there were quite a few people in the waiting area. Eating around 7 pm gives you enough time to find a good seat for Illuminations afterwards. Service was great, as it almost always is on Disney property, and Mike really appreciated the beautiful Scandinavian women, about as much as the belly-dancer over at Marrakesh! We never had to wait long for the hot food, and of course the cold buffet is always available. Id also advise to save a little room for dessert if none of the offerings at Akershus appeal to you, theres always the bakery next door. And for the children, theres a troll cookie with edible paints, which we overheard our server telling the next table about making sure that the troll wasnt cold, because its pretty chilly in Norway.
We enjoyed our dinner here, though we wont return. There wasnt enough of a selection for us non-fish eaters to warrant returning when there are so many other restaurants around Epcot. We think that itd be a good choice for those who return to Disney often, to try something new, but were not sure if wed recommend it to newcomers. Of course, if you like chilled fish and many other seafood dishes, it might be just what youre looking for.
Photo gallery (mods, please let me know if this link is ok)
We ended up back at Norway for 7 pm, and were seated immediately, in the back next to a window. I love window seats! The inside of the restaurant is decorated as if youre inside of a castle, and is reminiscent of Le Cellier but with windows. There are electric chandeliers above and multi-colored banners hanging from the ceiling. It could be a romantic atmosphere if it wasnt a buffet.
We looked over the menus (though I had already thoroughly checked it out ahead of time online), and our server came by to explain the menu and the buffet ($18.99). For those who are unfamiliar, Restaurant Akershus setup includes a cold buffet with salads, meats, and cheeses, and small portions of hot dishes that you order one at a time from your server. Theres also a selection of hot dishes for children. We were told that its best to order our hot dishes first, as they can take up to 20 minutes in the kitchen. We decided to first share the Hearty Viking Favorites and the Trio of Sausages, though I wish now that we were told we could share the Viking Favorites and order another hot dish, as the table next to us was told. I had a glass of wine at the moment, and Mike had his ever present diet Coke ($2.00).
We went up to scope out the cold offerings. I understand now just how much fish people are talking about when they say that there is a lot of fish on the buffet. There were still plenty of choices for us non-seafood eaters, but theres definitely a lot more variety for those who eat seafood.
There didnt seem to be much rhyme or reason to the buffet, though there was bread and butter on both ends. The breads included whole grain, white, crisp rye thins, and rolled flatbreads that I believe had cornmeal in them. There were Jarlsburg, Muenster, and caramelized goat cheese, which I had heard so much about, a vegetable pasta salad, and chicken salad. I really enjoyed the rolled bread, and it had a texture almost like a soft corn tortilla. The whole grain bread was very good, as well. The goat cheese was definitely an acquired taste Mike, the one who doesnt like goat cheese, really enjoyed it, while it took a little getting used to for me. The Jarlsberg and Muenster cheeses were standard cheeses, and are good for those looking for something more familiar. The chicken salad was made without mayonnaise and was therefore very light, and the pasta salad had fresh, crisp vegetables.
Next were a lot of the seafoods: peel and eat shrimp, cocktail sauce, smoked mackerel, cold scrambled eggs, smoked salmon, shrimp salad, meat salad, tuna salad, and tomato salad. Whew, thats a lot of salads! Being adventurous, I tried the smoked mackerel, but I didnt like it probably just because I dont like fish. Mike enjoyed the tomato salad, however. I saw quite a few people enjoying many of the peel and eat shrimp, however!
On the following table were more vegetable salads: cucumber salad, coleslaw, mixed greens, mayonnaise, herb dressing, vinaigrette, French dressing, ranch dressing, mustard, pickles, and pickled beets. The herb dressing was a kind of Green Goddess dressing, and it was delicious on the mixed green salad and whole grain bread. The greens were all very fresh and crisp, as well. I didnt really like the beet salad, it tasted like the beets were canned.
The next table contained: gravlax (salmon), peppered mackerel, ham and egg salad, thin sliced turkey, ham, and roast beef, honey mustard sauce, crab salad, and potato salad. I tried the peppered mackerel, and didnt like it for the same reason as the smoked. The ham and egg salad was actually my favorite item at the restaurant it had julienned ham and hardboiled egg whites held together by mayonnaise and the egg yolks mixed together. It wasnt anything extraordinary, it was just a very good egg salad. I really enjoyed the sliced cold cuts as well, especially with the honey mustard sauce. You could even make a sandwich using the breads at the end of the line. The crab salad was made with imitation crab, so I didnt try it.
At the end of the buffet were the different types of herrings. I thought about trying one, but when I got there, they didnt look very appealing. There were: curried, tomato, pickled, sour cream, sour, and one other with a German name on it. Im sorry that Theres not much of a description of the seafoods, but I wouldnt give them a very good review since I dont like seafood!
After we selected from the buffet, we sat down and sampled our plates. Soon after we were finished, our hot foods were brought out. At this time I decided on the G wine, which I had had in the wine flight at the store in Germany, and liked very much. Its a white wine, but it has a warm, cinnamon flavor. Luckily for me, it can be found inexpensively ($10 a bottle) at wine stores off property. The Viking Favorites included mashed rutabaga, boiled potatoes, vegetables, and meatballs. Now, I dont like ground meat or beef, but the meatballs were absolutely delicious thats really saying something, for me. I even asked for more after we finished the first two. The mashed rutabagas reminded me somewhat of mashed sweet potatoes, and were very good as well. The vegetables were fresh, and slightly over cooked but still good, and the potatoes were unseasoned. They would have benefited from some butter from the bread table. The sausages were good as well three different types of grilled sausage, a half link of each. Im not sure what the different types were, but we enjoyed them all. This came with thin, heart shaped waffles, and a wonderful onion jam. Thankfully, all of the portions are small enough to order more.
After the first hot dishes, we asked for the chicken breast and the venison stew. Id never eaten venison before, so it was a little adventurous for me. Even though our server had said it would take 20 minutes the first time, these dishes were brought out immediately. The venison stew had drop biscuits that were obviously cooked on a baking sheet, and were overcooked to boot almost like a hard cracker instead of a biscuit. The vegetables were very good, however, and the venison was delicious as well Mike thought it tasted like beef, but I disagreed. There was supposed to be a lingonberry demi-glace, but I didnt taste any berry flavor at all. The chicken breast was juicy and cooked just right, but there wasnt really much of a cranberry sauce on top (there was supposed to be, according to the menu), and the white and wild rice underneath was bland and unseasoned. This dish was a letdown compared to the others. I had also noticed a roasted garlic custard as a side to the salmon hot dish, and asked if I could have that by itself. Our server quickly brought it out, and it was interesting, to say the least. It was a warm custard, and the texture was very smooth. With the garlic flavor, it tasted like smooth, creamy mashed potatoes, and is definitely worth a try if you like garlic.
We were pretty full after all of that, but the dessert tray looked so interesting, that we had to try something. The dessert tray included small portions of a berry tart, a Veiled Maiden (applesauce with graham crackers), flourless chocolate cake, rice cream with strawberry sauce, a lingonberry tart, and chocolate mousse with white and milk chocolate mousse. There was also a sampler plate like Spoodles had, which included all of the desserts for $9.99. I wish we hadnt been so full, as I would have liked to have tried them all! We decided on the berry tart, which the woman who brought the tray over said was her favorite. It had a flaky pastry crust, with fresh berries on top (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries), and a lightly flavored lemon custard underneath. This was delicious and light, just right after our large dinner.
When we first arrived, we were seated immediately, but as we left around 8 pm, there were quite a few people in the waiting area. Eating around 7 pm gives you enough time to find a good seat for Illuminations afterwards. Service was great, as it almost always is on Disney property, and Mike really appreciated the beautiful Scandinavian women, about as much as the belly-dancer over at Marrakesh! We never had to wait long for the hot food, and of course the cold buffet is always available. Id also advise to save a little room for dessert if none of the offerings at Akershus appeal to you, theres always the bakery next door. And for the children, theres a troll cookie with edible paints, which we overheard our server telling the next table about making sure that the troll wasnt cold, because its pretty chilly in Norway.
We enjoyed our dinner here, though we wont return. There wasnt enough of a selection for us non-fish eaters to warrant returning when there are so many other restaurants around Epcot. We think that itd be a good choice for those who return to Disney often, to try something new, but were not sure if wed recommend it to newcomers. Of course, if you like chilled fish and many other seafood dishes, it might be just what youre looking for.
Photo gallery (mods, please let me know if this link is ok)
