EPCOT New Signature Restaurant for Japan Pavilion - Takumi-Tei

[flyakite]

The price did not surprise me considering I just took my husband to a small Japanese restaurant in Orlando named Kadence for his birthday for a multi-course meal that cost $190.00 per person, not including sake pairing. You have to buy nonrefundable "tickets" for your seat. It seems like this style of Japanese dining is becoming more popular outside the big cities in the US. However, I realize it may be pricey for most, but it may be viewed as a special occasion restaurant.

 

[nickys]

Are you saying that you cannot get the tasting menu outside the Water Room? So a dining party of 2 would be unable to get it, as they wouldn't fill the 6 person minimum for that particular room?

I think Len said over on TP that you can get most of the tasting menu for around $120 outside the Water Room.

Can you confirm @lentesta?

 

[Rider]

Rice as a side dish? No.

I wouldn't be surprised if they're making a play for a Michelin star. I've eaten at a few 1-star places, and this seems like it'll be comparable.

Michelin only awards stars to restaurants that are located in areas covered by their guides. In the US these are New York, Chicago, Washington DC, San Francisco and LA.

Unless they start an Orlando guide there is zero chance of any restaurant here getting a star.

 

[lentesta]

I think Len said over on TP that you can get most of the tasting menu for around $120 outside the Water Room.

Can you confirm @lentesta?

Yes, that's true.

 

[lentesta]

Michelin only awards stars to restaurants that are located in areas covered by their guides. In the US these are New York, Chicago, Washington DC, San Francisco and LA.

Unless they start an Orlando guide there is zero chance of any restaurant here getting a star.

I'd forgot about that. Good point.

 

[lentesta]

Are you saying that you cannot get the tasting menu outside the Water Room? So a dining party of 2 would be unable to get it, as they wouldn't fill the 6 person minimum for that particular room?

There's a very similar tasting menu available outside the Water Room. I think it's $120/person?

 

[ChrisFL]

I'd pay close to $50 for a really fine meal at a really fine restaurant (drinks not included) on special occasions. But $150? Is it going to be three times better? At some point, you're only going to get small incremental steps of "tastier" once you start maxing out just how tasty a meal can be. That means diminishing returns on what you pay for.

So the upshot is that this restaurant is for those who don't blink to be dropping $500 for a single family meal. It's a prestige experience for prestige wallets. Like Club 33 or a Club level room at a Deluxe resort. That's the clientele they're aiming for and by the size of the restaurant, one can tell they don't expect large crowds.

Not comparing anything, but I had a worthy meal once. It was having sushi in Japan at Yasuda's, which is a famous sushi restaurant with a Japanese chef who lived in NY for many years.

I've had good sushi, I've had great sushi for $50. I've never had anything, any meal, any experience, near the caliber of the sushi served at Yasuda's, and it was $150 when all was said and done and it was worth every penny if you can afford it.

 

[carlpocket]

I went on the 6th at 4pm. Took almost 3 hours but we (party of two) did the tasting, the alcohol pairing, as well as got 3 of the 5 specialty drinks (and chatted with the GM as well as multiple staff). The only thing I wasn't a fan of was the pallet cleanser cube thing. The Japanese whiskey sour in the box with smoke was really fantastic and there is SO much smoke that comes out of the box that one couple in another section walked over to see what exactly we ordered. I felt the price and experience was actually cheap and won't be surprised if the portions become smaller or the price becomes larger.

I see people talking about the water room. You must book as a party of 6 to get that room. The tasting menu is SIMILAR to the normal one but has a few extra dishes (I want to say it is 8 or 9 but that is only IIRC). The GM also mentioned that if you have done a normal tasting and later book the water room they try to make sure everything is different.

Having recently been to Japan it was nice to get some real A-5 wagyu and I liked the fact they also had American wagyu on the same plate so you can see/taste the difference.

 

[Lensman]

I went on the 6th at 4pm. Took almost 3 hours but we (party of two) did the tasting, the alcohol pairing, as well as got 3 of the 5 specialty drinks (and chatted with the GM as well as multiple staff). The only thing I wasn't a fan of was the pallet cleanser cube thing. The Japanese whiskey sour in the box with smoke was really fantastic and there is SO much smoke that comes out of the box that one couple in another section walked over to see what exactly we ordered. I felt the price and experience was actually cheap and won't be surprised if the portions become smaller or the price becomes larger.

I see people talking about the water room. You must book as a party of 6 to get that room. The tasting menu is SIMILAR to the normal one but has a few extra dishes (I want to say it is 8 or 9 but that is only IIRC). The GM also mentioned that if you have done a normal tasting and later book the water room they try to make sure everything is different.

Having recently been to Japan it was nice to get some real A-5 wagyu and I liked the fact they also had American wagyu on the same plate so you can see/taste the difference.

The temarizushi is a whimsical touch. And I agree that it's nice to have both domestic and imported wagyu to taste the difference. What are your thoughts?

How was the Japanese water cake? Is it the original Mizu Shingen Mochi or is it a derivative/replicated recipe?

 

[carlpocket]

The temarizushi is a whimsical touch. And I agree that it's nice to have both domestic and imported wagyu to taste the difference. What are your thoughts?

How was the Japanese water cake? Is it the original Mizu Shingen Mochi or is it a derivative/replicated recipe?

The wagyu is all preference. I've had A2, A3, and A5 in the past as well and personally prefer the american (or with Japanese the A2) as it is less fatty but obviously the A5, if you know what to expect was right on point. I can see people that really haven't had real wagyu and just getting expensive cuts of charred steak being unsure of it.

The Japanese water cake seemed just like the Mizu Shingen Mochi I had in Japan but I have only had it a few times in my life so I could be wrong. They also did a green tea ceremony at the end where they hand whisk the Macha and do a few steps of the traditional ceremony which was also a very nice touch.

 

[bhg469]

I went on the 6th at 4pm. Took almost 3 hours but we (party of two) did the tasting, the alcohol pairing, as well as got 3 of the 5 specialty drinks (and chatted with the GM as well as multiple staff). The only thing I wasn't a fan of was the pallet cleanser cube thing. The Japanese whiskey sour in the box with smoke was really fantastic and there is SO much smoke that comes out of the box that one couple in another section walked over to see what exactly we ordered. I felt the price and experience was actually cheap and won't be surprised if the portions become smaller or the price becomes larger.

I see people talking about the water room. You must book as a party of 6 to get that room. The tasting menu is SIMILAR to the normal one but has a few extra dishes (I want to say it is 8 or 9 but that is only IIRC). The GM also mentioned that if you have done a normal tasting and later book the water room they try to make sure everything is different.

Having recently been to Japan it was nice to get some real A-5 wagyu and I liked the fact they also had American wagyu on the same plate so you can see/taste the difference.

Very beautiful presentation. The marrow looked more like short rib meat from the picture. Is there a mix in there? Its not something I typically order but so I might have only seen what I consider to be typically gelatinous. Thank you for sharing.

 

[carlpocket]

Very beautiful presentation. The marrow looked more like short rib meat from the picture. Is there a mix in there? Its not something I typically order but so I might have only seen what I consider to be typically gelatinous. Thank you for sharing.

It was 16 hour braised wagyu (from Jackman farms) short rib on top of the marrow.

 

[WDW Monorail]

This sounds like an excellent place for nice, secluded dinner in the park, although not exactly fast. I look forward to having a meal hear, hopefully the tasting menu.

 

[tirian]

This is what I was thinking. The portion sizes at almost all of the restaurants are much too big for me. And, as you said, no one is going to carrying a doggy bag around the parks with them. I like the portion sizes that they are showing. That is more then enough food for me for a meal, especially if you add any kind of appetizer.

I feel the same way, but at WDW I always try to clean the plate because it cost much more than a similar meal in NYC or Paris. If Disney would stop overcharging, the portions could be more realistic.

 

[NoChesterHester]

I feel the same way, but at WDW I always try to clean the plate because it cost much more than a similar meal in NYC or Paris. If Disney would stop overcharging, the portions could be more realistic.

I disagree. WDW is not more expensive then a similar meal in Manhattan.

Heck... Eating out in many major metropolitan areas is just as expensive as inflated WDW prices at this point. Food has exploded in cost.

 

[Naplesgolfer]

I went on the 8th at 8pm. We elected for the Omakase . The cost was 130 and they allowed the tables in wonderland discount. If we had elected for the Water room it would have been 160 ( No tables discount allowed) and includes 2 more dishes and a more varied menu. I was also told the water room menu would change more often.
We really enjoyed the whole experience . Very high level of service and care taken through out the whole meal. The only comparable experience in WDW from a service perspective is V&A chefs table. The theming in all the rooms and the traditional dress of the staff enhanced the experience. The meal was 2 1/2 hours.
The cocktails and food where all very good. But they are not going to blow the mind of anyone used to Michelin star dining or top restaurants in any Major US city. It is a stand out in terms of Disney. The value in WDW terms is very good, especially when considering the level of service.
I do wonder if they will be able to keep the menu as is considering what most theme park guests are willing to spend in money and time for a meal while at Epcot. I also feel the experience would be greatly diminished for me with small children and crowding. It really is for 10 and above like V&A in my opinion. The first 2 weeks most people didn't know the resturant existed and there was no easy way to make a reservation, so it stayed quiet and really special. I don't know if this resturant will work long term in it's present form and pricing in a theme park. That makes me sad. Go and enjoy before it changes.

 

[flyerjab]

I went on the 8th at 8pm. We elected for the Omakase . The cost was 130 and they allowed the tables in wonderland discount. If we had elected for the Water room it would have been 160 ( No tables discount allowed) and includes 2 more dishes and a more varied menu. I was also told the water room menu would change more often.
We really enjoyed the whole experience . Very high level of service and care taken through out the whole meal. The only comparable experience in WDW from a service perspective is V&A chefs table. The theming in all the rooms and the traditional dress of the staff enhanced the experience. The meal was 2 1/2 hours.
The cocktails and food where all very good. But they are not going to blow the mind of anyone used to Michelin star dining or top restaurants in any Major US city. It is a stand out in terms of Disney. In terms of value in WDW terms is very good, especially when considering the level of service.
I do wonder if they will be able to keep the menu as is considering what most theme park guest are willing to spend in money and time for a meal while at Epcot. I also feel the experience would be greatly diminished for me with small children and crowding. It really is for 10 and above like V&A in my opinion. The first 2 weeks most people didn't know the resturant existed and there was no easy way to make a reservation, so it stayed quiet and really special. I don't know if this resturant will work long term in it's present form and pricing in a theme park. That makes me sad. Go and enjoy before it changes.

We will be there on August 10th. Can not wait!

 

[rreading]

But that’s the demographic of guests that Disney is focusing on now. Instead of expanding more areas to spread out the crowds, their aim is to keep raising prices so high that average guests will stop visiting. Their eyes are glued to guests bank accounts and they want more. Only stating the obvious truth.

But there are still less-expensive options available. The rotisserie chicken with green beans and mashed potatoes at Cosmic Rays is a pretty good value and the food in The Land pavilion is good.

There have always been expensive places as well. V&A and the upscale restaurant above Chef's de France have been around for 20+ years. I imagine that California Grill has never been cheap. They definitely want to offer something that other places don't; and while someone mentioned it in a (I think) snarky vein, it truly is a place that we go to for the food and resorts in addition to (and maybe as much as) the rides.

Altogether they do intend to be a top-notch quality experience, and one that you can spend as little or as much as you want.

 

[rreading]

I went on the 8th at 8pm. We elected for the Omakase . The cost was 130 and they allowed the tables in wonderland discount. If we had elected for the Water room it would have been 160 ( No tables discount allowed) and includes 2 more dishes and a more varied menu. I was also told the water room menu would change more often.
We really enjoyed the whole experience . Very high level of service and care taken through out the whole meal. The only comparable experience in WDW from a service perspective is V&A chefs table. The theming in all the rooms and the traditional dress of the staff enhanced the experience. The meal was 2 1/2 hours.
The cocktails and food where all very good. But they are not going to blow the mind of anyone used to Michelin star dining or top restaurants in any Major US city. It is a stand out in terms of Disney. The value in WDW terms is very good, especially when considering the level of service.
I do wonder if they will be able to keep the menu as is considering what most theme park guests are willing to spend in money and time for a meal while at Epcot. I also feel the experience would be greatly diminished for me with small children and crowding. It really is for 10 and above like V&A in my opinion. The first 2 weeks most people didn't know the resturant existed and there was no easy way to make a reservation, so it stayed quiet and really special. I don't know if this resturant will work long term in it's present form and pricing in a theme park. That makes me sad. Go and enjoy before it changes.

I wonder if Tiffins will survive in the same vein. My family of four had been before and loved it (including a 8yo and 12yo); the last time we were there we took my parents as well and I was daunted by the offerings on the menu - they looked so exotic - but in the end everyone loved it! I hope that there are enough visitors brave enough to try it.

 

[flyerjab]

I wonder if Tiffins will survive in the same vein. My family of four had been before and loved it (including a 8yo and 12yo); the last time we were there we took my parents as well and I was daunted by the offerings on the menu - they looked so exotic - but in the end everyone loved it! I hope that there are enough visitors brave enough to try it.

IMHO, Tiffins is the best dining experience on property (not including V&A’s). My wife and I enjoy the signature dining experiences throughout property. For her and I, the best one-two-punch meal in park would be Satu’li Canteen for lunch and Tiffins for dinner, with after dinner coffee and cocktails at Nomad Lounge.

I am hoping Takumi-Tei is up at the top also regarding food quality, service and ambience. 23 days until we find out!