So I had some extra money ($30 Disney Dollars, yes Disney has its own money too) to spend on account of winning an award at work. So I decided to expand my cuisine boundaries, expand my wallet, and take on African-style cuisine in the Animal Kingdom Lodge. The beauty of living in Central Florida is that with the access to Disney, you can engage yourself on all types of food—not just American or pseudo-Chinese. Disney is arguably one of the only spots in Orlando in which you can find African-influenced cuisine. The Animal Kingdom Lodge is a resort that actually has a couple spots with foods and wines that originate in Africa. Jikos is arguably their flagship restaurant as it offers high-quality fancy African cuisine at mammoth prices but with high value. Despite the rather intimidating prices and menu, I decided to give it a shot.
From the getgo when you walk in, you can tell this spot is meant to be for couples and higher-caliber cuisine consumers. Since I was eating by myself, they had me sit in front of where the chefs were prepping some of the food. They have these massive wood-fire ovens that (of course) formed a hidden mickey on the ceiling. Their dinner menu is small, but very varied. The wine menu however is where it’s at. The wine menu was more like a Winery Bible, as it had page after page of wines from all over the world, mostly Africa of course. But, not being a drinker of wines, I couldn’t tell you how impressive the listing is. Nonetheless, if you drink wine, head over here, as you not only see it all over the menu, but also throughout the restaurant hanging on the walls.
After some careful consideration, I went with the flatbread that had African chicken, bacon, and an assortment of other ingredients. One thing about Jikos, there’s a lot of ingredients in all of their items—no simple recipes allowed here. For the entrée, I decided to try this Egyptian dish called kushari—which is a mix of sweet corn cream with peas, tomatoes, and topped with their seasonal fish—which in my case is gulf grouper. Another thing you must mentally prepare for: waiting. Whether their items are made to order or they like to heighten the anticipation of your food, the wait for the appetizer and the entrée is a bit higher than your average place. I guess this is the part where you talk to your significant other. I was alone so I talked to myse---the chefs.
The flatbread arrives and it was delicious in a variety of ways. It was a crazy mix of savory, sweet, with a hickory taste attached. Picture a small pizza caught in a whirlwind with fresh chicken and vegetables lightly drenched in truffle oil. The bread was soft and fresh, while all the toppings were fantastic and individually stood out in the taste buds in different intervals. This was also the best deal of the night, with a small $10 price tag attached. This will not fill you up, but will give a nice kick. They also top the flatbread with some greens, which was odd but strangely worked.
The kushari is a very unique dish that was a mix of good and not-so-good. My ho-hum reaction to this dish has nothing to do with the restaurant and has everything to do with my pickiness. Like I said, it was my first time trying an almost-authentic African dish, so I can’t compare this meal to anything else I’ve ever had. That being said, the grouper was fantastic. This fish was never flaky, never had that fishy taste, as it was thick, juicy, and very filling. The cream sauce on the bottom of the dish and the crispy onions were perfect compliments to the grouper.
The peas that come with the grouper however were a bit underwhelming. They look like they are there more for presentation than for complimenting the meal since it didn’t have much flavor attached. And with it being over $35, it’s a tougher pricing pill to swallow. The entrée prices range from $25 to nearly $50, so whatever you pick it won’t be cheap. Luckily the service more than made up for the slight shortcoming that was the kushari dish. The chefs, servers, managers, and seaters were all very wonderful and delightful.
Now, for dessert I was about to tackle the Madagascar cheesecake and take in a Zebratini (Captain Morgan Spiced Rum, Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur, Frangelico, Amarula, and a shot of Espresso---doesn’t that sound amazing?) but one of the chefs took the menu away and told me “We already took care of it.” In a mix of fear and excitement, I eagerly anticipated what they meant. Because I mentioned my winning of the quarterly awards (and them believing me, I honestly did win it, but I wonder if they even checked for proof) they actually gave me three small samples of dessert. The first was a bit of the cheesecake, which was incredibly rich and packed with fresh flavor. The second was my personal favorite, which was the Tanzanian chocolate creamux. In simpler terms, it was a very rich and powerful chocolate mousse with a nice kick of coffee flavor. Last but not least was their crème brulee, which was very crispy on top, but had a sweet taste with a dainty white chocolate kick.
Bottom Line: Jikos is pricy, very upscale, and perhaps too adventurous for the average eater. That being said, the experience was quite a good one and very unique from your average restaurant. This is the perfect romantic spot as the pacing is calm, the atmosphere is relaxed, and there’s enough wine plastered all over the walls in case your date is going awry. But yes there’s also some good food, even if it’s different from the usual steak or chicken. The price is up, but so is the quality of their food and the quality of the service, in which the latter was phenomenal to the core. There’s better Disney dining options out there, but the uniqueness and style of this African-flavored culinary journey deserves at least one visit.
Final Verdict: Lightly Recommend
Jikos
Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge
2901 Osceola Parkway, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
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