Jiko is simply fabulous! I would eat there again in a heartbeat. Getting seated took very little time, the service was excellent, and the food was outstanding! One of the best eating experiences of my life, and by far my favorite Disney Signature restaurant. I am a picky eater, however they had dishes I liked. The dishes were out of my comfort zone, but I ended up loving them. I ordered steak(I believe a filet mignon) medium rare. Like many fine restaurants, it was fairly rare. It was delicious, but if you don't like your meat very rare, I would suggest ordering one level more done than what you normally would. Like I said, I hope to eat there again.
This is by far our favorite restaurant not only in the Disney resort area but, in the Orlando area! For the vegetarian/vegan this restaurant will make your belly sing. The dishes change seasonally here. Our last visit I was spoiled with a veggie filled Falafel served with a Lentil cake with cilantro yogurt and olive tepenade. I can sum my thoughts up on this dinner in one word "Amazing". My husband chose a dish no longer on menu but, they were happy to accommodate him. They served him a beautiful Fillet over a bed of mac and cheese Jiko Style. This and the short ribs are his 2 favorite dishes. Wine pairing and private dining are available here. The waitress was kind enough to suggest a sweet red with my dinner, Jar Jam. This beautiful South Africian wine went well with my meal.
Went here for the first time in March and I can't wait to go back in October, this will be a must do for me on every trip from now on. I can't even put into words how wonderful Jiko is. Our waiter was very knowledgeable and we didn't have to wait for refills once. The ambiance is wonderful, we especially loved the lighting effects they used on the walls and how it was made to resemble a sunset in Africa. The food was the best we had on any of our Disney trips. My husband had one of the flatbreads that was delicious, and I had the Ahi Tuna which was perfect. The filet melted in my mouth and the "one last cup" for dessert was amazing.
This place is a definite can't miss. We ate there for the first time this past trip and will definitely be making it back. My wife's favorite food is shrimp and she said that the shrimp curry that there was the best that she has ever had anywhere. My wild boar appetizer and filet mignon for my entree were phenomenal. Paired with some great south African wines, it was the perfect way to start our vacation.
Well what can i say,i work as a chef back home in Scotland,and food is my life, so this adr was one i was looking forward to the most,and guess what?it didnt disappoint,infact its up there in my top ten restaurants of world,including this years visit to a world renown restaurant in Dubai,($535 for three of us)not including tip.Anyway from starters to mains,oak age fillets with mac and cheese,to sweets and wine,the service was first class,we were celebrating our wedding anniversary,we even got a card signed by the chef and members of the staff,not forgetting a free bottle of bubbly,a night to remember.If theres one restaurant in WDW you want to try,then book Jikos,you will not be disappointed.
My husband and I ate at Jiko on our belated honeymoon trip in Oct. '10 and were fortunate enough to be seated at the open prep table where the chefs make the bread/appetizer plates. We thoroughly enjoyed interacting with the chefs off and on throughout the meal. They were in no way obtrusive to our own private conversation, but were open and available to answer questions. I'm writing this review almost 8 months late, so I don't remember exact menu item names, but we had a flat bread sampler with different dipping sauces and it was FANTASTIC! My husband ordered the halibut entree and it was also Amazing! I ordered the shrimp curry, and I was disappointed because I felt the spice was extremely overpowering. No other flavors were detected, so it wasn't what I was hoping for. I have to qualify this critique with the fact that I had not experienced a curry dish before. I was feeling adventurous and the flavors sounded good. Since then I have had other curry dishes and still believe the dish that night at Jiko, had no depth. I cannot remember our dessert, except that I enjoyed it. I know it wasn't the chocolate one...it was something lighter. All in all, Jiko was one of our favorite places to eat. I think my overall experience would have been a 10 out of 10 if I'd ordered the halibut instead!
To cut to the chase, Jiko is a straight 10 out of 10 restaurant - one of Disney's best signature restaurants. The food is fantastic, along with the service and ambiance of the dining room. Jiko has been a solid restaurant since it opened, and it's great to see that it is still just as good as when I first visited.
I don't know if I can sing the praises of Jiko enough to do it justice. I had the beef short rib with truffled potato puree, pearl onions, baby carrots and tamarind glaze. I ate the whole thing without the use of a knife, the meat was so tender it fell apart and the sauce was fantastic. Far and away one of the best meals I've had on Disney property and quite possibly anywhere. The service was excellent as well. I wish I could rate it higher than a "10"!
Everything about the dining experience at Jiko was amazing. Great drinks, appetizers. Unique belnd of flavors offered. Steaks prepared to perfection. Priced reasonably. Fantastic, friendly service.
We got to head back to Jiko on Thanksgiving '09...service was excellent! We got the filet with mac and cheese, which was delicious. Pistachio creme brulee and tanzanian chocolate trio for dessert were great. Our favorite restaurant in WDW!
My husband and I ate at Jiko in May 2009 and it was hands down the best meal of the trip...really one of the best meals we've ever had. We started off with the cheese plate, which was very tasty. My husband ordered the chicken dish with goat cheese mashed potatoes...the chicken was nicely seasoned and moist, and the potatoes were awesome! I ordered the filet with macaroni and cheese. The steak was cooked perfectly and the wine sauce added great flavor, and the macaroni and cheese...amazing! My Tanzanian chocolate cheesecake was great as well, and my husband's pistachio crème brulée was delicious. The dining room was quiet and pleasant, and the staff was very accommodating and attentive. Jiko is a must-visit for us for all future trips!
We were on the Deluxe Dining and ate at 4 signature restaurants on our last trip. Jiko ranks number one all around for us. We had the best server, Shellie. She was more than accommodating to our party of 5 with my daughter 4 and son 2. Our other servers actually made us feel like we never should have brought the kids. Anyways, I had my all time favorite Disney appetizer here. The barbecue chicken flat-bread, yummy. I'm going to try to make it myself. I had some fabulous short-ribs and my husband had the best filet of the trip. Shellie recommended a wonderful bottle of Cabernet, so smooth. All in all it was just perfect. Best Creme Brulee as well. And as a bonus we got to check out the giraffes and zebras after dinner which really made the kids happy.
An absolutely beautiful restaurant! A host sat us down with menus and a wine list right on time for our 9pm reservation and we did not see our waiter for another 20 minutes. I was getting ready to suggest that we leave when he finally appeared. We ordered the olive flat bread as a starter and all three in my party ordered the filet mignon....the flat bread and the steaks were delivered within a minute of each other...which seemed strange but we were starving. The flatbread was wonderful..the olive and cheese flavors were fabulous together and the filet was quite good...cooked perfectly ..I was expecting more 'wow' from the macaroni and cheese after reading the reviews..it was just there to take up space on the plate this night. I ordered the chocolate cheesecake for dessert and fell in love..I would venture back to Jiko just for this dessert..the lavender ice cream was so sweet and yummy!!!
Me and my girlfriend had dinner at Jiko last summer and it was maybe the best meal I ever had. I had the grilled pork tenderloin and. the sweet potatoe tamales. The portions were huge and absolutely delicious. The server recommended a great pinotage south african wine which was also amazing. Just being at the AK lodge is fabulous and both Jiko and Boma are my favorite restaurants. If you are looking for something different, definately try Jiko and experience a great meal with an spectacular atmosphere.
My husband and I ate at Jiko's in May, he liked the food, I did not. I had a chicken dish and it was so aweful I couldn't eat it.
I think the problem that most people have with Jiko is what they order. I am a big guy of 6’0” 225lbs and I usually enjoy a healthy portion of food. My first trip to Jiko I ordered the scallops and this is no meal for a hungry person. The portion was small (three scallops) and there was nothing but garnish on the plate. I complained to my brother who recommended the place and he suggested another go of it with what he ordered. He was right. Not only was I full after the meal but I thought it was one of the best meals I had had on property in some time. The filet was on par with the California Grille and the setting of Jiko is very quaint. The African beers are extremely tasty and not very heavy either. The pyramid dessert was great and capped off an excellent meal. Jiko is now on my “must eat” list. The odd thing about this restaurant is that even though it seemed empty each time I have gone I had to wait a bit. I am not sure if it is a cultural thing or what but no one in the restaurant and I still waited over 15 minutes after checking it.
We\'ve been eating at Jiko every trip for a few years now. It\'s a good place to try something a little exotic (South African). The restaurant is beautiful, great for a nice romantic dinner. It\'s Disney so of course there\'s a kids\' menu, but unless they were very quiet, well-behaved kids, I wouldn\'t bring them. The menu has a limited selection, but we\'ve liked everything we\'ve tried. Recommend the flatbreads and pistachio creme brulee. There is also an excellent selection of SA wines, though the prices are very marked-up.
we enjoyed our food, but the services was awful. since we only ordered dinners (no wine or appetizer) we felt like we weren\'t treated as well as those ordering a lot more than us. after we ordered or food, our waiter never came back to our table. we saw him helping all the other tables around us and not even glancing at our table. finally, after i had been waiting for about 10mins for a refill alex asked to speak to a manger. the manager didn\'t seen to care too much either. we were very disappointed with this experience and are not sure if we will return.
I cannot think of one critical thing to say about the cuisine at Jiko. I live in San Francisco which considers itself a serious food town and I have to say that Jikos has beat all the restaurants I've tried in SF. The food is just that delicious. In fact I've voted it my favorite restaurant in the world. Jiko means "the cooking place" in swahilli, and they have two large earthen like ovens in the center of the restaurant. The decor is warm and cozy incorporating dark woods in the floor and seats, and rich earth colors in the fabrics. The forced perspective flock of birds that hang above the diners is also a nice touch. As is the simulated dawn to dusk lighting in the restaurant. As for the menu, I highly recommend the lamb shank, the scallops, and the pork loin. The braised short ribs are also not to be missed. Try something different for dessert and order the cheese platter selection. Excellent. One of my companions is a very picky eater and always orders the sirloin cooked very well done. They butterfly the sirloin so that it is cooked well done but not dried out. You may think the menu won't have anything for children, but they do have a children's menu. And judging by the happy faces of the children we did see on the evenings we were there, it must be good. The service is superb. On my last trip I dined at Jiko three times on my last trip. On two occasions I had a server named Hassan. He was very warm and welcoming and always knew when you needed something. On the one night we didn't have Hassan he came over to welcome us anyway and at one point he walked by our table and saw my glass was empty of water. He quickly picked up my Pelligrino bottle and filled my glass! To me that's the mark of quality service. Taking care of the needs of diners who aren't sitting in your section!! Really, I cannot emphasize enough how much I love this restaurant. It's completely spoiled me and I will now compare all others to it.
Favorite restaurant at WDW. Fabulous food (somewhat adventurous, but not too crazy), great wine list (all South African wines) and just a beautiful place. Also, Boma is so popular, Jiko seems to be somewhat overlooked, so it rarely seems to be incredibly crowded.
There aren't enough superlatives - the atmosphere is amazing, the food is fantastic (who would believe that filet would taste so good with mac 'n cheese?), the CM's are great and the pre- or post-dinner walk and sightseeing is worth the trip in itself! Like most upscale Disney restaurants, this one is not cheap - but it's worth it! If you like the California Grill, try Jiko's!
Great variety, great view. Jiko puts a different and very interesting twist on otherwise very traditional foods.
I would definately say that this restaurant is on par with other eateries on property like the California Grill. The filets were incredible, and you have to try the duck and pork firecracker as an appetizer!
HUGE PIRTIONS AND DELICIOUS AND EXOTIC TASTES. A MUST TRY.
I simply had the best dining experience I have ever had. The entire visit was phenominal. The server was very knowledgable and welcoming and the food was great. A wonderful wine list of 75 different wines all from South Africa. Try the Amaluah Cream. Its made from the Maluah fruit and cream and it is fantastic!
IF YOU LIKE TRYING NEW TASTES, THIS IS THE PLACE FOR YOU. BEING AT THE ANIMAL KINDGOM LODGE MAKES IT A GREAT MEAL.