Trip Report "Dreams Really Can Come True" 6/1/09-6/8/09 - COMPLETED 7/19 About This Page:

[goofyboysmama]

I’ll try not to sound like I’m mooning over The Wave, but it was fantastic!

We got to the restaurant with just a little confusion about where it was. The CM at check-in was very nice and told us to wait for a few minutes with our pager in the waiting area. It was so relaxing sitting there – I felt like I was in an aquarium.



We were called after a few minutes and we were seated in a corner by the kitchen. It was a pretty place and not loud by the kitchen so it was okay. We really didn’t care, although I know this annoys some people.


Looking out from where we sat.

The tables were full, but the lighting and décor made it sort of subdued. As far as the noise level, it was like any typical Saturday night at a restaurant. The place felt trendy, but we were comfortable there. Our server, Barbara, was first-class. She explained the menu after we told her we were on the DDP.

I had wanted to try some South African wine at Jiko, so I took my chance here. I explained that I’m not a wine drinker, but I would like to try some, even though I had no idea how to order. Barbara immediately put me at ease and basically said that I could get whatever I wanted to – the red with beef and the white with fish was an old school notion. I told her I just knew I wanted something on the sweet side, not too dry. She brought out the “wine service” (I think it’s called that) which was 3 different types of wine to sample. She gave me an impromptu sommelier lesson for the layperson – she was not preachy or stuck-up at all. Medium story short – I chose the Wild Rock Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. The reason: because it smelled so good. (She told me to never have a svb from California b/c they are wack. Not her word.) I looked up the wine menu on Disney’s website, but it isn’t on there for some reason. (Maybe the online menu is different than the real one.) I think I remember her saying something about Disney having exclusive, blah blah something about wines. I wish I could remember it now, but I had vacation brain at the time. After I looked it up, I realized that it was totally “wrong” for my meal, but it sure was nice at the time .

Our meal:
I was craving an appetizer, but we had to stick to the Plan, man! The bread that was served was a hearty, whole grain type that came with butter and gray Hawaiian sea salt. The boys, including DH weren’t that impressed, but I was loving it. Salted butter and bread – so good! Okay, my mouth just watered…

I ordered the Marinated Flank Steak with vegetables, chimichurri and guacamole. I think the vegetables were sweet potatoes. I had to look up “chimichurri” – it’s a green marinade for meats used in Uruguay and Argentina. The flank steak was tender and delicious with a great grilled flavor that was so good with the guacamole and the onions. I honestly don’t remember the vegetables, but my plate was clean, so they must have been good. As for the wine, I was happy with my choice. It smelled just like fruit, like “citrusy berries”. (Barbara showed me how to swirl it on the table and sniff it, hee hee .) I can’t describe the taste without sounding like an idiot. (DH said that it tasted like “wine”. He doesn’t drink either.) I’ll just say that it tasted good after each bite of food because it like cleaned my mouth with a sharpness. derrr I enjoyed it, and especially smelling it. I must have looked like a goofball sniffing my glass all night. Very sophisticated!



DH got the Sashimi-grade yellow fin tuna with edamame stew and cilantro chutney. Barbara recommended that he get it still pink inside (she’s so smart!) but he requested medium and regretted it. (He is terrified of sushi and didn’t want “raw fish” .) Still, he said it was good and that his meal was very fresh tasting. He was happy, especially after eating all those burgers all week.



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