Jiko-AKL

[7165red]

I just heard they have a new chef and they have changed their menu and it's not for the better. Has anyone been there recently? I have ADR for Dec. it's kinda late to be changing. Feed back please.

[BugeyedMuggy]

We heard just the opposite. We have an ADR for early Nov. so I would be very interested in anyone who has been there recently also.

[Mogie]

I was just there on Sat 9/18 and itJiko was outstanding.

Jiko's last Chef took over at CA Grill. And the chef at Jiko is now John Clark, who was head of culinary operations at the Grand Floridian, so his resume is pretty impressive.

The food at Jiko is awesome. I feel it is geared for us more adventurous foodies because of the use of exotic spices, lots of curry, masala etc. South African cuisine has a very large Indian influence and it is very apparent on the menu.

We also ate at CA Grill on 9/16 and have to say that the service, ambiance, and quality of food was significantly higher at Jiko. CA grill was a chaotic hectic experience as the restaurant was jam packed with constant movement during the fireworks. While the food was good, our food came out over cooked and dry as it must have been sitting on a hot plate already prepared due to the large turn out. Our waiter seemed overwhelmed as he was serving half the room. We felt rushed.

At Jiko everything was prepared fresh with plenty of attention to detail, and cooked exactly to our order. The staff was friendly and accommodating and allowed us to take our time and enjoy our meal.

I recommend asking for a seat at "The Cooking Place" where you can interact with the chefs as they work and you eat. They were very friendly and we looked quite a bit about South African cuisine during our dinner.

We ordered The Taste of Africa, and the Wild Boar to start. For our Entrees we both had the duck. Awesome.

[MinnieMommie]

We have dined there in the past and the meal and experience have always been relaxing and exceptional. We plan to dine there again in October and I look forward to this experience with the new head chef. Looking forward to seeing what this change may bring towards enhancing the dining experience. :mickey: