I was at WDW over roughly the last two weeks (with a cruise in the middle of it)
If anybody cares, these are my impressions of where we ate (I wont go so far as to call them reviews)
Dining was me and my two girls (ages 8 and 10)
Mon Aug 17 - Ohana' - Very disappointing. This was not our first time here, but it may be our last for a while. All three of us were not happy. Meat was way overcooked. The whole kids parade thing seems much noisier and intrusive than ever before. The wait staff forget to bring us broccolli and the noodles dish. I had to remined them of it, and when it did come, the broccoli was cold, and the noodles was as if they were coated in paste. Our wait staff seems nonexistant at times. Just a bad expereince overall
Tues Aug 18 - The Garden Grill. Again we were disappointed. Not as badly as at Ohana, but we did feel let down. Wait staff and character interaction was excellent. Instead of catfish, they were serving panko crusted mahi mahi filets. When did that start? Not bad at all, but I do like catfish. The flank steak was a mix of well done to rare. I don't know if they select a blend on purpose or if it just happend that way. Other times I have eaten here, the steak has all been meduim rare. It was also missing the flavor of the marinade. My 8 y/o LOVES that steak, but this time not so much. She was very disappointed as she was looking foward to "that really good steak". She now thinks its better when I make it at home. The rest of the meal was decent. Not stand out, but not bad by any stretch as well. And yes, the place still rotates during the Living with the Land refurb, and you can stlll see into the attraction, just with lower light levels.
Wed Aug 29 - T-Rex. Whenever I see this name, I think of composite decking. I was very plesantly suprised by T-Rex. I abhor Rainforest Cafe and I was expecting another pile of salty assembly line factor food at jacked up prices. Well yes, the prices are on the high side for what you get, but you are paying for the show as well. Ribs, mashed potatoes, and cole slaw was quite good, and portioned correctly. Kids had pizza and pasta. Both said it was good, and there is pasta and pizza they do not like (over cooked limp pasta, or plastic cheese pizza) The Chocolate Extinction I would pass on if we go again. Really not woth the price for what amounts to some brownies and ice cream with a shaker of dry ice placed in the middle fo the place. But still, I enjoyed the food, and the show is what it is. Lots of lights, anamatronic dinos, and booms and crashes. Not fine dning, but then thats not what it tries to be.
Thurs Aug 20 - Chefs de France - Excellent. I had the duck and a crepe for dessert. My 10 y/o had the roast half chicken (and now also has a taste for duck - that kid is getting expensive to take to dinner) and the profiterols for dessert. My youngest had chicken nuggets and pasta off the childrens menu (and least one of them still eats cheaply). All was excellent. Service was great, food was great, and the wine selection was not bad either.
Friday Aug 21 - Teppan Edo - Good, but I have had better. My 8 y/o had a standard routine whenever we go to a teppan place. Two cucumber rolls, an order of white rice, and an order of noodles (maybe she is carbo loading - I don't know) - They could not handle that at Teppan Edo - they only have the 2 or 3 sushi items that are listed on the menu. They also did not do just a side of noodles, but required a whole kids meal. Not a big deal, as she ate the chicken that came with the meal anyway, but her thing is just plain noodles and rice. I had the shrimp and my 10 y/o had the tenderloin (I told you she is expensive to take out). Her verdict was "good, but I like Kiku (our local place) better" The teppan items here were not flavored as much as at other places, just salt, pepper, and sesame oil, but the I did like there sauces a lot better than many other teppan places I have been at. They also do not light the onion volcano on fire (the chef said Mickey won' let here) a small thing I know, but still somthing other places do. The chef was not bad. She was very talkative and humorus, but did not quite have the technical skills that others seems to have. However very oft that is luck of the draw. It was funny when she made a big mickey head out of onion slices and then cleaved it right down the middle, and then said "Oh, dont cry, dont cry, Mickey cant die"
Sat Aug 22 - Boma - First Time here. Overeall good. Some items not so appealing, but then I am no expert on African food. I do love me a good yassa, which is a Seneglese dish (I make a mean Poulet Yassa) and I was suprised to not see it offered. From what I understand Yassas are pretty much a staple dish. Some advice DO NTO GO AT 5:00 (30 minutes after it opens) Holy lines Batman. Because everybody is sitting at the same time, everybody is getting in the buffet line at the same time. By 5:45 it was down to 5 people in line, but initialy it was a 25 minute wait to get to the START of the buffet. Or waiter told us when we were seated that the lines were long but we could allways get desserts and bread. Yeah, because I want to start with dessert and fill up with bread. I wil say I did not think the Zebra Domes were all that great
Sun - Wed - Cruising - with good food all around except for sushi - but thats for a different thread.
Thurs Aug 27 - Whispering Canyon Cafe - First time here. A fun family place. The kids had fun running around and delivering catsup and crayons. We all had the skillet. It would say it was OK. Not great BBQ but not bad. Corn on the cob was nasty, but then I have never had good corn on the cob in a restaruant. They leave it soaking in "butter water" Bleah
So, there you have it. Thats what we ate.
-dave
If anybody cares, these are my impressions of where we ate (I wont go so far as to call them reviews)
Dining was me and my two girls (ages 8 and 10)
Mon Aug 17 - Ohana' - Very disappointing. This was not our first time here, but it may be our last for a while. All three of us were not happy. Meat was way overcooked. The whole kids parade thing seems much noisier and intrusive than ever before. The wait staff forget to bring us broccolli and the noodles dish. I had to remined them of it, and when it did come, the broccoli was cold, and the noodles was as if they were coated in paste. Our wait staff seems nonexistant at times. Just a bad expereince overall
Tues Aug 18 - The Garden Grill. Again we were disappointed. Not as badly as at Ohana, but we did feel let down. Wait staff and character interaction was excellent. Instead of catfish, they were serving panko crusted mahi mahi filets. When did that start? Not bad at all, but I do like catfish. The flank steak was a mix of well done to rare. I don't know if they select a blend on purpose or if it just happend that way. Other times I have eaten here, the steak has all been meduim rare. It was also missing the flavor of the marinade. My 8 y/o LOVES that steak, but this time not so much. She was very disappointed as she was looking foward to "that really good steak". She now thinks its better when I make it at home. The rest of the meal was decent. Not stand out, but not bad by any stretch as well. And yes, the place still rotates during the Living with the Land refurb, and you can stlll see into the attraction, just with lower light levels.
Wed Aug 29 - T-Rex. Whenever I see this name, I think of composite decking. I was very plesantly suprised by T-Rex. I abhor Rainforest Cafe and I was expecting another pile of salty assembly line factor food at jacked up prices. Well yes, the prices are on the high side for what you get, but you are paying for the show as well. Ribs, mashed potatoes, and cole slaw was quite good, and portioned correctly. Kids had pizza and pasta. Both said it was good, and there is pasta and pizza they do not like (over cooked limp pasta, or plastic cheese pizza) The Chocolate Extinction I would pass on if we go again. Really not woth the price for what amounts to some brownies and ice cream with a shaker of dry ice placed in the middle fo the place. But still, I enjoyed the food, and the show is what it is. Lots of lights, anamatronic dinos, and booms and crashes. Not fine dning, but then thats not what it tries to be.
Thurs Aug 20 - Chefs de France - Excellent. I had the duck and a crepe for dessert. My 10 y/o had the roast half chicken (and now also has a taste for duck - that kid is getting expensive to take to dinner) and the profiterols for dessert. My youngest had chicken nuggets and pasta off the childrens menu (and least one of them still eats cheaply). All was excellent. Service was great, food was great, and the wine selection was not bad either.
Friday Aug 21 - Teppan Edo - Good, but I have had better. My 8 y/o had a standard routine whenever we go to a teppan place. Two cucumber rolls, an order of white rice, and an order of noodles (maybe she is carbo loading - I don't know) - They could not handle that at Teppan Edo - they only have the 2 or 3 sushi items that are listed on the menu. They also did not do just a side of noodles, but required a whole kids meal. Not a big deal, as she ate the chicken that came with the meal anyway, but her thing is just plain noodles and rice. I had the shrimp and my 10 y/o had the tenderloin (I told you she is expensive to take out). Her verdict was "good, but I like Kiku (our local place) better" The teppan items here were not flavored as much as at other places, just salt, pepper, and sesame oil, but the I did like there sauces a lot better than many other teppan places I have been at. They also do not light the onion volcano on fire (the chef said Mickey won' let here) a small thing I know, but still somthing other places do. The chef was not bad. She was very talkative and humorus, but did not quite have the technical skills that others seems to have. However very oft that is luck of the draw. It was funny when she made a big mickey head out of onion slices and then cleaved it right down the middle, and then said "Oh, dont cry, dont cry, Mickey cant die"
Sat Aug 22 - Boma - First Time here. Overeall good. Some items not so appealing, but then I am no expert on African food. I do love me a good yassa, which is a Seneglese dish (I make a mean Poulet Yassa) and I was suprised to not see it offered. From what I understand Yassas are pretty much a staple dish. Some advice DO NTO GO AT 5:00 (30 minutes after it opens) Holy lines Batman. Because everybody is sitting at the same time, everybody is getting in the buffet line at the same time. By 5:45 it was down to 5 people in line, but initialy it was a 25 minute wait to get to the START of the buffet. Or waiter told us when we were seated that the lines were long but we could allways get desserts and bread. Yeah, because I want to start with dessert and fill up with bread. I wil say I did not think the Zebra Domes were all that great
Sun - Wed - Cruising - with good food all around except for sushi - but thats for a different thread.
Thurs Aug 27 - Whispering Canyon Cafe - First time here. A fun family place. The kids had fun running around and delivering catsup and crayons. We all had the skillet. It would say it was OK. Not great BBQ but not bad. Corn on the cob was nasty, but then I have never had good corn on the cob in a restaruant. They leave it soaking in "butter water" Bleah
So, there you have it. Thats what we ate.
-dave
