Jiko Mac and Cheese | the disney food blog

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REVIEW: It Takes an ADVENTUROUS Eater to Try This Disney World Restaurant! Are You Up for It?

Most signature dining experiences in Disney World are known for high prices and high quality; is that a tradeoff you’re willing to make? And while you’re at it, ponder this: are you willing to leave the Disney parks for a meal at a Disney hotel? It’s a tough call! There are TONS of great eats in all four parks, but does the experience compare to a quiet sit-down dinner at a hotel’s signature restaurant?

Talk about DRAMA!

We’re considering all these questions and more as we head over to the newly reopened restaurant, Jiko — The Cooking Place, at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge — Jambo House.

[Read more…]

Reopening Menu Revealed for Jiko in Disney World

By Carly Terzigni 2 Comments

We recently learned about a few BIG restaurant reopening dates around Disney World! We’ve been waiting to hear about several resort hotel restaurants to return following Disney World’s temporary closure back in 2020, and we finally know about a few of them!

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge

One of the returning restaurants we’re most excited about is Jiko — The Cooking Place! This signature restaurant at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge will reopen on February 17th.

[Read more…]

3 Disney Recipes You Can Make From Stuff You ALREADY HAVE at Home!

By Carly Terzigni Leave a Comment

Looking to bring some Disney magic to your dinner table? Many recipes from the Disney parks are accessible via our recipe page as well as various cookbooks that you can purchase online!

Minnie Mouse at Chef Mickey’s

Today we’ll be highlighting three Disney recipes that you can make tonight with ingredients you most likely already have in your pantry!

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Disney Food Post Round-Up: April 9, 2017

By Traci C 1 Comment

Happy weekend! We hope you’re having a wonderful and relaxing spring weekend (and that it’s finally WARM where you live). Now it’s time to sit back, relax, and check out the latest in Disney food news!

Pastry assortment at the Bon Voyage Breakfast

The 2017 Epcot Flower and Garden Festival with its Outdoor Kitchens is in full bloom through May, and we have all the menus and food photos for you!

Last month we did our FULL REVIEW of the 2017 Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival and we have the full booth menus and all the food photos.

Don’t forget, the 2017 Epcot Food and Wine Festival starts in August this year! Whew!!

And if that’s not enough food news, we also have news on the updated menus for the 2017 Swan and Dolphin Food and Wine Classic!

We have a lot to share with you this week, so let’s jump right in…

Disney Food News

We checked out the new Rapunzel Bon Voyage Character Breakfast at Trattoria al Forno!
We recently dined at the Pacific Wharf Cafe at Disney California Adventure.
The Polite Pig opens tomorrow (April 10!) at Disney Springs!
Check out our photo tour and review of Wind and Waves at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort.
We checked out the falafel at Mr. Kamal’s in Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
We recently enjoyed dinner at LeCellier in Epcot’s Canada Pavilion!
We have the recipe for the Warm Berry Buckle from The Berry Basket at the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival!
The Jiko Filet with Mac and Cheese is back on the menu at Jiko!
Check out the Blueberry Lemon Funnel Cake at the Hungry Bear Restaurant in Disneyland.
New DFB YouTube video is about the new Chuck Wagon Fresh Fixin’s Food Truck at Fort Wilderness!

Check out all the latest Disney Food News — even the stuff we don’t mention in posts on the blog! — on our Disney Food News Pin Board, including menu updates, restaurant closures, special events, and more! We’ve got all the latest for you, so check it out before you go.

New DFB Video!

Have you subscribed to the DFB YouTube Channel? We’ve got great content going up twice a week showcasing our adventures in Disney World and Disneyland! Check it out below — and subscribe here!

Deal of the Week: Save on The 2017 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining e-Book Second Edition!

This week we launched the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining 2017 Second Edition! To celebrate this milestone — the first time we’ve shared a second edition — and to say thank you to all of our loyal DFB readers – you can order the Second Edition for 20% OFF your purchase with code SAVE2017!

Why a Second Edition, You Ask?

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News: Jiko Filet with Mac and Cheese Back on the Menu Starting Tomorrow (With a Twist!)

By AJ 6 Comments

There are two things that are high on the list of things we LOVE here at the DFB.

Learn About:Jiko -- The Cooking Place

Animal Kingdom Lodge
Disney World Restaurants

One: Jiko — The Cooking Place in Animal Kingdom Lodge. And two: MAC AND CHEESE!!

Once upon a time, these two things together made for a magical combination, as Jiko’s flavorful, rich, 4-cheese Mac and Cheese used to be served with the Oak-grilled Filet Mignon. However, times change. And for some time now, the signature Filet has instead been served with a rotating side, changing every couple of months or so (which is the reason I always recommended working the system a bit and ordering the Kids’ Macaroni and Cheese to go alongside your dish). For instance, the Filet is currently served with Pumpkin Pap “Isidudu,” Grilled Delta Asparagus, and South African Red Wine Sauce.

Until tomorrow. Because — and we are SO PUMPED to tell you this — starting tomorrow (April 7th), the Filet Mignon will once again be served with the Mac and Cheese! With a twist, that is…

Oak Grilled Filet with Mac and Cheese

The Mac and Cheese will be made with the same four cheese sauce, but will also feature many of the ingredients that can be incorporated into a Bobotie (just click here to read a bit more about this dish as it’s served at Boma, also located in Animal Kingdom Lodge). [Read more…]

Review: Jiko — A Cooking Place at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge

By AJ 21 Comments

On a recent trip to Walt Disney World, I made it a mission to revisit one of my favorite restaurants, Jiko.

Learn About:Jiko -- The Cooking Place

Animal Kingdom Lodge
Disney World Restaurants

The restaurant is your top-of-the-line, signature dining option at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Resort, and I’ve been a big fan of the spot since my very first visit.

With a combination of wonderful ambiance, exotic flavors, and a killer wine list, it’s sure to please any adventurous food lover, and it always surprises me that it tends to fly a little under the radar. This may be because the food is a bit less mainstream, or because the restaurant is a hike to get to.

As regular readers know, though — no matter how much I like a restaurant, I insist on visiting and reviewing them time and again to make sure that I can still recommend them. Fortunately, that’s nearly always a pleasure to do.

Come with me as we take a look around and see what’s new at Jiko.

Atmosphere

If you’re looking for Jiko, head down from the main lobby of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, past Victoria Falls Lounge, until you get to the bottom floor. Boma is below Victoria Falls, and then you can access The Mara and the resort’s pool here as well. Jiko is to the right.

Jiko Sign

Enter the refined space, and you see immediately that wine is given a place of prominence here. Jiko boasts the largest collection of African wines outside of the African continent. If you’re a wine lover, you’ll want to check out their suggested pairings. [Read more…]

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REVIEW: It Takes an ADVENTUROUS Eater to Try This Disney World Restaurant! Are You Up for It?

Reopening Menu Revealed for Jiko in Disney World

3 Disney Recipes You Can Make From Stuff You ALREADY HAVE at Home!