Reviews of Jiko – The Cooking Place – Jambo House
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Menus at Jiko - The Cooking Place
Reviewed by TeacherManJoe Review Date: 05/21/2022
Rating: (8) Recommended
We went to Jiko on our honeymoon and felt like we understood why it is so well-loved by many in the community. The food was excellent and offered some truly unique eats that really made the experience feel special. The atmosphere felt classy without being stuffy. Small details and touches can be found all throughout that add to the ambience. We LOVED the African inspired décor and thought that the cultural elements included here were beautiful and joyful.
With all of that glowing commentary being said, we did find that Jiko was not necessarily a place that we felt like we absolutely had to go back to. The food was excellent. The service was top notch. The menu was unique and varied. But we also did not find anything that felt truly craveable or like it left us wanting more. This is not an insult or a reason for others to be turned away by the idea of it. However, it just was not somewhere that would be on the top of our minds for a revisit.
Pros:
Truly excellent food with a varied and unique menu Great atmosphere and feelCons:
May be a bit tougher to please unadventurous palates (though there are far more accessible options than people sometimes think)Reviewed by Liz McKinnell Review Date: 09/21/2018
Rating: (8) Recommended
We ate here after a full day in Animal Kingdom on 10th September. We were a bit early for our reservation but they were fine with that, apart from the fact that my husband was not wearing a collared shirt (my fault for not reading the dress code) but they were able to led him one so all was OK.
The food was wonderful - very different from anything else in WDW.Our server was lovely and very attentive.
This was one of the nicest meals we’ve ever had at WDW
Pros:
Food, atmosphereCons:
Make sure you read the dress code!Reviewed by Eean Review Date: 10/16/2014
Rating: (8) Recommended
We ate dinner at Jiko on August 14, 2014. We are family of five, with three boys ages ranging from 12 to 6.we had never eaten at Jiko before, but I wanted to try a restaurant at the Animal kingdom lodge. We usually eat at the California Grill, since we like to stay at the contemporary resort. After a hot and tiring day at the animal Kingdom park, the ambience at Jiko was very relaxing. Our server's name was Alfredo, and he couldn't have been friendlier. We started with the taste of Africa appetizer, which all of my boys thought was interesting. For my entrée, I ordered the monkfish. Although I usually like fish, this was not my favorite. My kids and my husband all ordered the filet with the mac & cheese. Two of my boys are still raving about their meal. They said hands-down this was their favorite restaurant at Disney. My husband's secretary went there last month and we recommended Jiko to her and her husband. She agreed that this was also their favorite restaurant. Even though I wasn't the biggest fan of the monkfish, the attentive service and the quiet atmosphere made this a winner in my book! It was even better this year than the California Grill. My kids have asked if we could go there again next time, and I will definitely try the filet.
Pros:
Quiet ambience; attentive serviceCons:
Expensive- 2 credits on DDPReviewed by dgurgens Review Date: 04/15/2013
Rating: (8) Recommended
My husband and I ate here on 4/7 and we ordered a bottle of African Wine and both got the fillets. The meat itself was perfectly cooked and well seasoned, though it was a bit overly salty for my taste. The steaks were served with some sort of grain, which neither my hubby or I were keen on trying. There were also some Brussels Sprouts, which I was looking forward to. I found the Brussells Sprouts in edible.
The bread we got before dinner wasn't quite my style either. (since when does a fat girl pass up bread?!)
Dessert was delicious, but service was very slow. I'm glad we went, because now I never have to go back.
Pros:
Perfectly cooked filletCons:
Service and some favors that a picky eater may not like.Reviewed by jcjohns91107 Review Date: 01/21/2020
Rating: (9) Recommended
Great food and service. Prices similar to any upscale dining outside the park. Great room.
Pros:
Food, service, ease of reservationsCons:
Wine is a little pricey.Reviewed by Anonymous Review Date: 09/26/2018
Rating: (9) Recommended
What a fabulous restaurant in an amazing location!! Located inside Jambo House at Animal Kingdom Lodge, Jiko's serves African-inspired cuisine and is open for dinner only. Due to their popularity I highly recommend reservations, which you can make up to 180 days in advance.
My visit to Jiko's was part of the Wanyama Safari (which I HIGHLY recommend!). Our dinner was served family style and included traditional African dips and breads, sampling of African-inspired appetizers, Beef short ribs, north African-style chicken, maize-crusted sustainable fish with seasonal vegetables and dessert sampling plate. Each course was paired with a delicious South African wine.
Based on our meal, I would highly recommend Jiko's Signature Dining!!
Pros:
Food is delicious! Love the open area where they make the bread. For those wanting to know what the restaurant is all about, there is a free daily tour at 4:15pm (highly recommend)Cons:
Very pricey and most likely, you will need a reservation.Reviewed by Collime Review Date: 12/09/2014
Rating: (9) Recommended
We had an amazing adult dinner, (dropped the kiddos at the Kids Club before dinner) at Jiko in November. We were a party of 4 and sat in the wine room off the lobby which we loved, as it was much quieter than the main dining room.
Although, on the dining plan we did not stick to only an entrée and dessert - oh no, we went all out - with wine, starters, entrees, desserts, coffee and after dinner drinks.
We tried the short rib, lamb, filet and the special fish dish. Everything we had was delicious and prepared amazingly well! One of the best dinners I have had in a long time!
Pros:
Food, WineCons:
ExpensiveReviewed by Nicklissa Review Date: 12/28/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
Our family of 4 (including my husband and his parents) ate here on Christmas night 2013. We checked in 20 minutes earlier than our reservation and were seated within five minutes. Staff were very friendly and genuine. The restaurant is beautifully themed, and the quiet, muted, dark tones are appreciated by people such as myself who suffer terribly from migraines.
Our waiter was friendly and the number one reason we chose Jiko for Christmas dinner is this is one of the few restaurants on Disney World property that has a full, separate vegetarian menu. My husband and I are vegetarian, though my husband still eats fish. Having full options from appetizers and soups to entrees was a welcome change. We usually have to ask how everything is made and then try to negotiate changes to adhere to our dietary restrictions. Having the menu, a regular part of Jiko, on hand was lovely.
After drink orders were taken by our waiter, another staff member brought us an amuse bouche of plum pudding. Very tasty, and I usually hate plums.
We ordered the Taste of Africa and the cheese plate as our appetizers. The Taste of Africa is a selection of breads/flatbreads/crackers with four unique African-inspired/spiced dipping sauces. All was very good, and experiencing new spices was fun. The cheese selections were paired with sweet chutneys/brittle/jam, etc. and were wonderful. The only part of the appetizers we didn't like was when the plates were empty.
For entrees my father-in-law ordered Spicy Botswana-style "Seswaa" Beef Short Rib served with Cassava-potato puree, sambal, mushrooms and fava beans. He was leary of the short ribs being off-the-bone, but said it was delicious. My mother-in-law ordered the Lamb Two Ways which was served with autumn vegetables, pumpkin seed duqqa, grilled olive ciabatta and pomegranate demi glace. She is hard to please, especially with lamb, and she literally wanted to suck the bones (disgusting for us vegetarians), but she said it was the best she's ever had.
My husband ordered the West African Jerked Scallops that came with basmati rice, red quinoa, baby rainbow carrots, and coconut curry sauce. He enjoyed it very much and said the scallops were cooked well, not rubbery, and spiced nicely.
I ordered the Braai Pie that I can best describe as a type of quiche with a crust, filled with squash, carrots, potatoes, garbanzo beans, wilted greens and "tamatie bredie - a type of tomato sauce I think. It also came with some pickled veggies such as radish, etc. and that was terrible - too salty and weird textures. I did not eat that. The pie was delicious - but very small.
The reason I can not give Jiko a score of 10 for this visit is the time we waited for entrees. It took a while, which was fine. However, when the food arrived, everyone got what they ordered except for my husband. Since we told the waiter we were vegetarians, but that my husband still ate fish, the waiter noted the table as two of us being vegetarians. This was fine, but when the waiter put in the order for jerked scallops, the kitchen made the vegetarian version of this - which is jerked tofu. They took the dish back and my husband watched as we all ate. We tried to wait, but the food was getting cold. A floor manager checked in on us and when she found out about the mix up she promised to check in with the kitchen. She was very nice and very apologetic. However, the three of us finished our entire meal before my husband was even served.
It took some time after entrees to get our dessert ordered and served. Mother-in-law and I had the Chocolate and Tea Safari which included Vanilla rooibos-Tanzanian chocolate cake, free form "kit kat" and green tea ice cream. The ice cream was gross to me, but mother-in-law enjoyed it. Everything else, however, was divine - truly truly divine.
My husband ordered the banana bread pudding. It was served with ice cream in a separate dish. He enjoyed it but found it dry.
Father-in-law ordered the milk tart which included fig jam, whole figs with gold leaf sprinkles, and goat's milk balsamic ice cream. He said it was very good, but very small.
Getting the bill took a while as well, but we had a great time overall. We were on the dining plan, so 2 credits per person were used. The meal, had we not used dining credits, was almost $400 (including appetizers, entrees, 3 alcoholic beverages, 4 non-alcoholic beverages, desserts, taxes, and tip).
We will be back and I highly recommend you try it here. They do have a dress code, so you may want to check with the restaurant or Disney Dining when you make your reservation.
Pros:
Food, Vegetarian MenuCons:
Can be slow; pricesReviewed by gthurber Review Date: 11/11/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
The filet and the lamb were the hits at our table. The Jiko salad was also very good. The pacing was good because we did not have to wait too long for our food (which was nice with children!) Very nice and attentive server.
Pros:
Wonderful food. Good pacing of the meal.Cons:
None.Reviewed by alyssavm Review Date: 02/13/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
This is still one of the best restaurants at Disney. Love the hot towels that come out before the meal. Our waiter was very knowledgeable about the wines and steered us in the right direction. The "taste of Africa" starter is great! You can still get the filet with the mac & cheese as it was served a few years ago. The short rib was great but needed a different side. Desserts were pretty good, but the tea and coffee are the real stars. We LOVED our meal here!
