Chaswdw
06-01-2008, 03:01 PM
This was our first experience at JIKO and I was looking forward to it after reading other folks blogs and posts.
I have to digress a bit here and add some observations about the Disney 'business casual' dress. I have noticed people asking about it. We arrived a bit early for our ADR so we checked in and waited around by the desk for seating. A man came in to see if he could score a walk-in seating for himself and a friend. He was wearing a t-shirt covered by an unbuttoned collared shirt, rumpled pants, and untied athletic shoes. All-in-all I would characterize his attire as comfortable (hey...he's on vacation). We listened to the Maitre d' lecturing him about his appearance and ask if he was a resort guest. The Maitre d' also confirmed he had not made an ADR. The man and friend gave up and departed. During our dinner I noticed people walking out of the dining room after eating, both with and without children, dressed in plastic flip-flops, ripped jeans, old t-shirts (the kind I wear when cleaning out the wood stove), and/or training shorts.
The dress policy does not seem to be enforced for families, resort guests with ADRs, and others.
The lecture was irritating.:stop: A selectively enforced policy seems to me to reflect negatively on Disney and the resort.
At last...the important stuff, though we had to wait awhile for the waitress, she was a gold mine of information about the menu and the way research for it was done in Africa.
I had the "Tamales" appetizer and the Arctic Char.
The appetizer was interestingly presented in little corn husk boats. The fish was not dry nor yet undercooked. The fried okra provided a little crunch. My wife had the Pastilla appetizer and the Scallop entree. She reported thumbs up on both. I sampled her Pastilla and liked it too.
The flavors were outstanding.:eat:
The atmosphere is nice, light levels moderate, and the two of us were able to carry on a conversation at normal levels. The tables are far enough apart so sneezing at another table doesn't make you want to shield your meal. We didn't feel rushed. Though we used the dining plan, if I had paid out of pocket I would have done so gladly.:yes:
I have to digress a bit here and add some observations about the Disney 'business casual' dress. I have noticed people asking about it. We arrived a bit early for our ADR so we checked in and waited around by the desk for seating. A man came in to see if he could score a walk-in seating for himself and a friend. He was wearing a t-shirt covered by an unbuttoned collared shirt, rumpled pants, and untied athletic shoes. All-in-all I would characterize his attire as comfortable (hey...he's on vacation). We listened to the Maitre d' lecturing him about his appearance and ask if he was a resort guest. The Maitre d' also confirmed he had not made an ADR. The man and friend gave up and departed. During our dinner I noticed people walking out of the dining room after eating, both with and without children, dressed in plastic flip-flops, ripped jeans, old t-shirts (the kind I wear when cleaning out the wood stove), and/or training shorts.
The dress policy does not seem to be enforced for families, resort guests with ADRs, and others.
The lecture was irritating.:stop: A selectively enforced policy seems to me to reflect negatively on Disney and the resort.
At last...the important stuff, though we had to wait awhile for the waitress, she was a gold mine of information about the menu and the way research for it was done in Africa.
I had the "Tamales" appetizer and the Arctic Char.
The appetizer was interestingly presented in little corn husk boats. The fish was not dry nor yet undercooked. The fried okra provided a little crunch. My wife had the Pastilla appetizer and the Scallop entree. She reported thumbs up on both. I sampled her Pastilla and liked it too.
The flavors were outstanding.:eat:
The atmosphere is nice, light levels moderate, and the two of us were able to carry on a conversation at normal levels. The tables are far enough apart so sneezing at another table doesn't make you want to shield your meal. We didn't feel rushed. Though we used the dining plan, if I had paid out of pocket I would have done so gladly.:yes: