We're bringing DoleWhip back...again! COMPLETE: Sanaa and Yachtsman!

[Linda67]

Great Tokyo Dining review, we have had excellent meals there in the past

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Great Tokyo Dining review, we have had excellent meals there in the past

Glad to hear it (especially since Tokyo Dining is one of those places I haven't seen discussed much).

 

[deenbrad]

I hope you enjoy Artist Point! And I don't know what to say about Narcoossee's. As stated in the review, we actually enjoyed the food at our last meal there, although the menu is less creative than the menus of other signatures. But the service was abysmal - it shouldn't have happened at all, but it can't be that bad on a regular basis.

Why did you pick Narcoossee's? If it's for seafood in general, you could try Flying Fish. If it's for a fireworks view, California Grill is generally considered to have better food. It you want to dine at GF, Citricos has great food and service. I can understand picking Narcoossee's over other resort signatures if you really want a specific dish (such as the whole lobster or almond-crusted cheesecake).

Hope that helps!

Our last trip (May 2011) I was completely hung up on going to Narcoossee's for the fireworks and the lobster. This trip I think it's more about GF (since we're going at Christmas). I think I might just change it to Citricos and be done with it! We are definitely going to Flying Fish! Loved it in May! Thank you!

 

[ems_mom]

Great review and pictures of Tokyo Dining. Given the great food and spectacular service, you would think it would be more popular. Oh well, easier for me to get reservations!

 

[janabananas]

Thanks for the review of Tokyo Dining. I was curious about it and wanted to know more. Did you take any pics of the menu? I saw a pork belly app on an online menu and I am curious if it is still there, along with the wafu ribs. (if you couldn't tell by those choices we are pig loving carnivores)

I will be there Friday evening for a 8:20pm ADR. It is my bday dinner and I am hoping for a little pixie dust to get a window seat.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Our last trip (May 2011) I was completely hung up on going to Narcoossee's for the fireworks and the lobster. This trip I think it's more about GF (since we're going at Christmas). I think I might just change it to Citricos and be done with it! We are definitely going to Flying Fish! Loved it in May! Thank you!

No problem - Citricos is a great choice, and it's conveniently located in the lobby (which is gorgeous during Christmas)!

Great review and pictures of Tokyo Dining. Given the great food and spectacular service, you would think it would be more popular. Oh well, easier for me to get reservations!

Agreed - I was very impressed by Tokyo Dining, so I'm happy that it's easy to get a ressie there.

Thanks for the review of Tokyo Dining. I was curious about it and wanted to know more. Did you take any pics of the menu? I saw a pork belly app on an online menu and I am curious if it is still there, along with the wafu ribs. (if you couldn't tell by those choices we are pig loving carnivores)

I will be there Friday evening for a 8:20pm ADR. It is my bday dinner and I am hoping for a little pixie dust to get a window seat.

I didn't get a pic of the menu (since it was multiple pages), but I do remember seeing both of those appetizers on the menu. They sound great! I might try the pork belly next time.

 

[Tinkerbellah]

That Olive bread looks good & so does your lemony arugula. Now,I'm not as much of a foodie, I just like reading these reviews. So this might be an odd Q but do they add lemon or is that the flavor of the greens? Just seems like a nice breakfast.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

That Olive bread looks good & so does your lemony arugula. Now,I'm not as much of a foodie, I just like reading these reviews. So this might be an odd Q but do they add lemon or is that the flavor of the greens? Just seems like a nice breakfast.

I think the dressing was lemon, as it definitely tasted like citrus. Arugula on its own has a very peppery (almost bitter) flavor, so I think it needs something to contrast it. In this case, there was the dressing, egg, sweet potato, and turkey, so I was happy.

 

[plutosgirl]

Loving your reviews!! It all looks so good!! Now I'm excited!

 

[Disneyfreak616]

I am so glad you enjoyed Tokyo Dining! I've been to Teppan Edo and LOVED it, and was thinking about TD for my next trip. You've convinced me!

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Loving your reviews!! It all looks so good!! Now I'm excited!

Thanks for reading - I'm glad it all looks good!

I am so glad you enjoyed Tokyo Dining! I've been to Teppan Edo and LOVED it, and was thinking about TD for my next trip. You've convinced me!

I hope you like Tokyo Dining! I imagine that the food is pretty similar (the menus have some overlap), but TD has a very different atmosphere.

 

[Schoolbread]

We're going to Tokyo Dining (we leave in a week and a half!!!!!) for the first time. I put it in the 2nd half of the trip, near the end, when I need something simpler and more healthy. Looks like it is a good idea! YUMMY!

 

[want2bamommy]

I stopped at Karamell Küche to try a dark chocolate caramel with sea salt. Great combination of flavors - the crunchy sea salt is lovely with the chewy caramel.

In China at the Joy of Tea Stand, I tried a curried chicken pocket. This came with 2 flaky pastries, each stuffed with a little bit of spiced chicken. I liked this, since there aren't too many unique savory snacks.

I am absolutely loving your reviews! I've been reading it for over an hour now and everything looks fabulous.

How big would you say the caramel was? Also is the curried chicken pocket spicy? I don't like anything remotely spicy but that looks really good . Thanks for all of your hard work! I also agree with many other posters that I appreciate that shared with us why you liked or disliked the food! Well done!

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

We're going to Tokyo Dining (we leave in a week and a half!!!!!) for the first time. I put it in the 2nd half of the trip, near the end, when I need something simpler and more healthy. Looks like it is a good idea! YUMMY!

Sounds like a good choice! Again, I wouldn't expect to be "wowed" by the food, but it was such a refreshing change from the heavier, more caloric food of the trip. Plus, factoring in the fabulous service and beautiful decor and view, it was a very pleasant meal all around. It's one of the few restaurants that I'm really looking forward to returning to.

I am absolutely loving your reviews! I've been reading it for over an hour now and everything looks fabulous.

How big would you say the caramel was? Also is the curried chicken pocket spicy? I don't like anything remotely spicy but that looks really good . Thanks for all of your hard work! I also agree with many other posters that I appreciate that shared with us why you liked or disliked the food! Well done!

I'd say the caramel was about the size of half of my palm, maybe 2.5 inches by 2.5 inches (very rough guess). It wasn't the biggest snack available there, but it was more than enough (plus, because it's chewy, it'll require some work to finish). And the chicken pocket wasn't too spicy at all - it's definitely a good option if you want to use a snack credit on something savory.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

This trip was a trip of many dining "firsts" for me: first meal at a Swan/Dolphin table service restaurant (Bluezoo), first meal at Tokyo Dining, and first meal at Bistro de Paris.

On the way from Swan to Bistro, I saw a snail trudging slowly on the ground. Was this a good or a bad omen for the upcoming meal?

I arrived at Bistro about an hour before my reservation time. When I asked to check in early, I was told I couldn't. This struck me as slightly odd, because every other restaurant has allowed me to check in early (even Le Cellier). Now, I don't equate checking in early to being seated early, but still, this made me wonder how packed the restaurant was.

I returned about 45 minutes later, and was seated after a wait of about 10 minutes. To my surprise, the restaurant was packed, noisy, and rather chaotic. The noise levels matched what I would expect at the restaurant below (Les Chefs de France), and the clientele also matched. People were all in theme park attire, including hats and tank tops (seriously - hats?), and there were tons of kids. In addition, I saw tons of plates coming out that had plain, smaller portions for the kids - apparently, Bistro de Paris now lets children order from the Chefs kids menu. The vibe wasn't what I was expecting - I thought this meal would only be below Victoria and Albert's in terms of the "fancy, fine dining" vibe.

Another thing - I was seated practically adjacent to the table next to me. I could hear their entire conversation, and honestly it detracted from my experience. I was there alone, but I wouldn't have been happy if I was trying to have a romantic conversation with my girlfriend and the people next to me could hear every word and comment on it. There were moments during the meal where I heard the table actually commenting on me and the fact that I was taking food pictures. They also made some snarky comments on what it must feel like to be dining alone (my mom wasn't feeling well, but based on the food pic comment, it seemed like they were just taking jabs at me). Well, I continued taking pics because this wouldn't be a useful review without visuals. Let me just say I've never been so annoyed by table proximity at any other Disney restaurant (not even Le Cellier, or even Biergarten, where you actually share your table with strangers ).

I thought the folded napkin was very cute:

I liked these models next to my table:

Here's the menu:

After ordering, a complimentary amuse bouche was brought out: cauliflower, cream, and lime cream on top. I liked the contrast of citrus with the milder cauliflower below, and I think the sprig on top was a refreshing touch of mint.

The bread service consisted of mini baguettes.

My appetizer was the marinated tuna with lime and herbs, Mediterranean salad, and roasted red pepper coulis. This was a beautiful plate with lots of vibrant colors. That said, I guess I was expecting a more exciting flavor. Everything tasted good together, but it wasn't surprising - the flavor profiles were similar to what I'd expect at Marrakesh. I love Mediterranean food, and every component was technically prepared well, but there wasn't a wow factor (such as the shiraz gastrique paired with Artist Point's buffalo, or the perfect amount of heat in Flying Fish's chocolate dessert).

My entree was the red snapper wrapped in potato scales, baby spinach, and rosemary sauce. Once again, the plate was beautifully presented, the potatoes provided a nice crisp, and there were even some crunchy pine nuts on the plate. The fish was cooked well, and the sauce was sweet and creamy, yet full of rosemary flavor. This was again a very good dish, with every component prepared well.

The problem for me is that this dish is very similar to Flying Fish's signature snapper dish, which in turn is very similar to a dish at a famous NYC/Las Vegas restaurant, Le Cirque (fish wrapped in potato, served with leeks and a red wine-based sauce). For me, Flying Fish's dish is simply more exciting (and actually costs less), so Bistro's dish just didn't win. IMO, Bistro shouldn't have removed the seabass with gnocchi, artichoke, and champagne beurre blanc - that dish sounded amazing (and I haven't seen sea bass on any other menu).

Finally, dessert. Here's the menu:

Most people ordered the chocolate and almond cake or peach clafouti (since they're influced on Bistro's prix fixe menu), and some went with the lemon soufflé (since the servers ask if you want to order it while you still have your entree). I went with another choice: the crêpes duo, one suzette and the othr stuffed with roasted pineapple. In a cool twist, the suzette one was prepared tableside; my server rolled out a cart with a pan on it, added lots and lots of butter, the crêpe, and eventually some alcohol (so the whole thing went up in flames! Yay for fire ). This also attracted a lot of attention from neighboring tables who had ordered an alternate dessert. It was pretty cool. Here's the final product (suzette on the left):

And here's the suzette sauce.

I really liked this dessert. The suzette crêpe had a strong flavor of alcohol, which was nice with the sweet, tart berries. The other crêpe was more crispy in texture, and I really enjoyed the flavor of tangy pineapple. It wasn't what I was expecting from a French restaurant. In addition, the sauce really tasted like alcohol, but not in a "yuck, this stuff is burning my mouth" way. Even though I'm a big fan of simpler crêpes (butter, sugar, and lemon juice is my favorite ), this was the highlight of the meal for me.

Finally, service. Service was very good overall, with cool touches such as the complimentary amuse bouche (which every table got) and tableside crêpes. The one bad thing - this meal took a long time, over 2 hours from start to finish. I think that's acceptable for a larger party; even as a party of 2, I wouldn't be surprised to take that long. But I was by myself, and I'm not a slow eater - there were patches where it seemed like the server was too busy with other tables to keep up. For example, my empty entree plate sat on the table for at least 15 minutes, and there were 20 minutes between when I finished the dessert and when I received the check. I was expecting to have time for a bathroom break before watching Illuminations, but I left my table at 8:56 (I was seated at about 6:55), so I ran outside to watch Illuminations from the France-England bridge.

Overall, I enjoyed the meal at Bistro. But some things about the meal were off. The food didn't really wow me, except maybe the dessert - everything was all prepared well, and I guess from a classical perspective this was good, but I know there are lots of French restaurants that use more innovative and creative flavors. Plus, I understand that service is slow here, but it seemed slow from a "my server is just too busy" standpoint rather than a "I want to savor every moment at this restaurant" standpoint. Seriously, I wanted to leave as soon as possible, especially due to the table next to me, and since this restaurant is now a "pack 'em in, kids are welcome" type of place, I think the service speed could be cranked up a few notches.

The food was good. I'm happy I tried it. But I still think I prefer most DDP signature restaurants...even Brown Derby and Le Cellier dinner.

 

[Linda67]

Another wonderful review

Looks like what should have been an excellent meal was slightly let down by the setting and atmosphere in the restaurant

The presentation of the dishes is lovely

 

[auntfrannie]

This trip was a trip of many dining "firsts" for me: first meal at a Swan/Dolphin table service restaurant (Bluezoo), first meal at Tokyo Dining, and first meal at Bistro de Paris.

On the way from Swan to Bistro, I saw a snail trudging slowly on the ground. Was this a good or a bad omen for the upcoming meal?

Whew! I'm glad this was just a passing snail you saw on the walk over and not some sort of new fancy-schmancy "pick your own escargot" French restaurant thing!

 

[want2bamommy]

I'd say the caramel was about the size of half of my palm, maybe 2.5 inches by 2.5 inches (very rough guess). It wasn't the biggest snack available there, but it was more than enough (plus, because it's chewy, it'll require some work to finish). And the chicken pocket wasn't too spicy at all - it's definitely a good option if you want to use a snack credit on something savory.

Wow, that's pretty large in my opinion. At first I was thinking it was just a regular, single caramel. It's on my spreadsheet of must try snacks .

Thanks for writing back about that and the chicken pocket. I will definitely give it a try. It looks very yummy.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Another wonderful review

Looks like what should have been an excellent meal was slightly let down by the setting and atmosphere in the restaurant

The presentation of the dishes is lovely

The dishes were all very beautiful. I guess I was just surprised by everything. Since this restaurant isn't on the DDP, I thought it would be above the signatures but below V&A in terms of food and atmosphere. Instead, I would rather eat at the signatures again, especially Artist Point, Citricos, Jiko, Yachtsman, and Flying Fish. It's worth trying, as none of the food was prepared badly, but the atmosphere (combined with the service that sustained the meal longer than necessary) turned out to be rather frustrating.

Whew! I'm glad this was just a passing snail you saw on the walk over and not some sort of new fancy-schmancy "pick your own escargot" French restaurant thing!

Perhaps I've discovered where Bistro finds their fresh, local snails? Just kidding

Wow, that's pretty large in my opinion. At first I was thinking it was just a regular, single caramel. It's on my spreadsheet of must try snacks .

Thanks for writing back about that and the chicken pocket. I will definitely give it a try. It looks very yummy.

I hope you like those snacks! I'm very impressed by World Showcase's snack options overall.

 

[MickeyNicki]

Thank you for your review of Bistro...I have been contemplating adding it in for our next trip because we have not been here in many many moons but the menu doesnt excite me..I would have ordered the snapper but since you said FF is better and we are going to FF you sorta made my decision for me

And who cares what people think...I say snap away! I did 2 solo TS lunches and thought I would be uncomfortable but I reasoned that I will never see these people again and if it makes me happy then thats fine!

One time DH and I were at Boma and I was taking pictures of the buffet and a few people made comments and I told them I am an avid scrap-booker and they shut up after that.