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Old 4 Apr 17, 10:32 AM  
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Breakfast, Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport

Breakfast » Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport

The first part of our month long holiday was to be a time for us to chill out, relax, and not do very much. We had both been having a tough year with work, and other stresses, and were looking forward to this breakaway from everything. Our check-out time from the Hyatt Regency was at 11:00am, and we couldn’t check-in at Vero Beach until 4:00pm, so we figured we’d make use of the hotel room for a few hours.

Steve went to grab some breakfast from the hotel restaurant – you can pack up boxes to-go which is very handy. He also took some photos for the trip report too.

Since I didn’t actually see the breakfast buffet, I can only go by the photographs, and what Steve told me about it: “Everything was well laid out, and looked fresh. The staff were happy to provide boxes, cutlery, and napkins to box up food to take back to our room. There were cooked options – eggs, sausage, bacon, potatoes, pancakes, etc; cold options – sliced ham, turkey, cheese, smoked salmon, fruit, etc; cereals, oatmeal, breads, and baked goods.”

The cost of breakfast was included in our room rate.























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Old 4 Apr 17, 10:36 AM  
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The Green Cabin Room, Disney's Vero Beach Resort

The Green Cabin Room » Disney's Vero Beach Resort

After settling into our room at Vero beach, unpacking, and refreshing ourselves, we went to grab some dinner at The Green Cabin Room – a lounge bar, which was literally next door to our room.

(Places to eat within the resort itself was limited as one restaurant had closed down – Sonya’s; Shutters was open, but we didn’t fancy a full on meal; and Bleachers was poolside, and closed at that time.)

There was seating outside on the terrace, as well as inside. We chose to stay inside and listen to the singer/musician that was performing. A dessert party had been going on, but was coming to an end. We found a table and sat down, and waited for a server to come over. We did have to wait a fair while, but she did acknowledge us as she was rushing around.










I don’t often drink on holiday as I tend to be the one that is driving, so having the opportunity to have a couple of drinks was very good! I had already decided to have this colourful Magic Star cocktail earlier in the day, when I was looking at the menu in the lobby! There is a super quick video below showing it changing colours.

The Green Cabin Room

Starters...

US: Hummus Plate – Garlic Hummus and Cucumber Cream served with warm Pita Bread,Cucumber Slices, and Couscous Salad ($8)


Main Course...

Me: Sliders – Three Sliders: Southwest Chicken, BBQ Pork, and a Beef topped with American Cheese, Bacon, Pickles, Pico de Gallo, and Onion Strings ($12)

Him: BBQ Chicken Flatbread – Pulled Chicken topped with BBQ Sauce, Red Onion, Pepper Jack and Mozzarella ($14)




Drinks...

Me: Magical Star Cocktail – X-Fusion Organic Mango and Passion Fruit Liqueur, Parrot Bay Coconut Rum, Pineapple Juice, and a souvenir multicolored Glow Cube ($12)

Him: Angry Orchard Cider ($8)





***********************************************

The Green Cabin Room, Vero Beach

Bill: $54 + Tip: $9.72 + Tax: $3.03 = $66.75
TiW Discount: –$10.80
Total Bill: £55.95

***********************************************

We paid our bill, and used our Tables in Wonderland card, which I mentioned earlier – and on our way to recouping the $150 we spent on it! We didn’t hang around for too long, and walked the few metres back to our room where we sat out on the balcony to listen to the waves. Steve then went down to the resort store to pick us up a couple of Mickey’s Premium Ice Cream Bars, because no stay at a Disney Resort is complete without one of those!

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Old 4 Apr 17, 10:40 AM  
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Bleachers "On The Go", Disney's Vero Beach Resort

Bleachers "On The Go" » Disney's Vero Beach Resort


There was some refurbishment works going at the resort while we were there. It didn’t affect us too much, but as I mentioned in the resort tour, some of the restaurants were closed or running at a reduced service. One of them being Bleachers, which was the poolside bar and grill. Instead, they had a bar and food service area set up in the big gazebo, called it Bleachers “On The Go” and served a restricted menu.

Since our visit everything has changed, so Bleachers no longer exists!




Anyway, it was from here that we got lunch for the day – standard quick service fare of burgers and fries, with a couple of sodas. He also bought me the aforementioned souvenir mug, because I am a sucker for collecting those!

For dessert I had to have a Mickey Ice Cream Sandwich because they’re one of my favourite Disney snacks; So Steve bought us both one each, and he also bought a Frozen rice crispy bar, because… who knows?! Seems he went to the Island Grove Packing Company to buy those and spent $15.40 on them – so says the receipt I have.

Bleachers "On The Go"

Main Course...

Me: 1/3lb Angus Bacon Cheeseburger – with fries ($9.99)

Him: 1/3lb Angus Mushroom Provolone Burger – with fries ($9.99)

Drinks...

Me: Crush Souvenir Mug with soda ($11.99)

Him: Soda ($3.29)









***********************************************

Bleachers “On The Go”, Vero Beach

Bill: $37.73
Tip: $0

***********************************************

We retreated back to our room late afternoon, for a nap – the sea air really does take it out of you! And in the evening we just had dinner out on the balcony with our provisions bought at Publix. A perfectly chilled, do nothing day!
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Old 4 Apr 17, 10:44 AM  
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Shutters, Disney's Vero Beach Resort

Shutters » Disney's Vero Beach Resort

We had dinner to-go from Shutters, the (then) resort restaurant (it's now closed down). I am so glad that they did food to go, as we just wanted to spend a night chilling out after what, for us so far, had been a busy day! We were really getting used to the beach life and doing not very much! We will definitely work a few days at Vero Beach into future Florida plans!

I’ve listed out the dishes we had below. Sorry for the shoddy photos of these – only so many ways you can make boxed food look attractive! The food was delicious, especially my coconut shrimp – I live for that dish when in Florida!

Shutters

Starters...

Me: Coconut Shrimp – Orange-Horseradish Marmalade ($13)

Him: Pan-Seared Crab Cake – Crunchy Slaw and Stone-Ground Mustard Rémoulade ($13)




Main Course...

Me: Manhattan Filet and Shrimp Scampi – Lean, tender and full-flavored Filet cut from the Strip Loin, Herb-Crusted Fingerling Potatoes, and Seasonal Vegetables ($34)

Him: Bourbon-Glazed Salmon – Sweet Potato Mash, Sauté of Edamame, and Fresh Sweet Corn ($24)




We didn't or couldn't use our Tables in Wonderland card here - it might be because we were taking the food to-go, or because they didn't accept the card at this restaurant. Either way - we can't remember!

***********************************************

Shutters, Vero Beach

Bill: $89.88
Tip: $15.12

***********************************************
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Old 4 Apr 17, 10:49 AM  
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Bleachers "On The Go", Disney's Vero Beach Resort

Bleachers "On The Go" » Disney's Vero Beach Resort


Obligatory feet in the sand photo!


We made sure to keep ourselves hydrated and topped up with suncream, and grabbed some lunch from Bleachers “On The Go” eating exactly the same as what we had a few days before at the pool. After our time on the beach, we also spent an hour in the pool to cool off, before spending the night with a couple of drinks, and sadly packing up our stuff ready to leave the next day.




Bleachers "On The Go"

Main Course...

Me: 1/3lb Angus Bacon Cheeseburger – with fries ($9.99)

Him: 1/3lb Angus Mushroom Provolone Burger – with fries ($9.99)

Drinks...

Me: Soda ($3.29)

Him: Soda ($3.29)

***********************************************

Bleachers "On The Go", Vero Beach

Bill: $28.42
Tip: $0

***********************************************
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Old 4 Apr 17, 10:52 AM  
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Pineapple Lanai, Disney's Polynesian Village Resort

Pineapple Lanai » Disney's Polynesian Village Resort

Whilst waiting for our room to be ready, We popped outside to Pineapple Lanai and had a Dole Whip – it would be rude not! And since they had souvenir containers, naturally I had to purchase those too!








Pineapple Lanai…

Me: Dole Whip Soft Serve Swirl Served in a Souvenir Tiki Bowl – Pineapple Swirled with Vanilla ($9.19)

Him: Pineapple Float Served in a Souvenir Tiki Sipper – Vanilla or Pineapple with Pineapple Juice ($10.29)

***********************************************

Pineapple Lanai, Polynesian Village

Bill: $19.48 + Tax: $1.27 + Tip: $0 = $20.75
TiW Discount: $0
_______________________________________________

Total paid: $20.75

***********************************************

No sooner had we sat down to eat our treats, than I received a text message informing us our room was ready. Typical!
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Old 4 Apr 17, 12:24 PM  
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Old 4 Apr 17, 01:08 PM  
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'Ohana, Disney's Polynesian Village Resort

'Ohana » Disney's Polynesian Village Resort

As the night started to draw in, we made our way to the Great Ceremonial House for our dinner reservation at ‘Ohana. We dined here a few years ago, and enjoyed it, so were looking forward to our first Walt Disney World restaurant meal of this trip. Before I tell you about that, here are some more photos from around the resort at night.


Walking towards the Great Ceremonial House

‘Ohana is situated on the 2nd floor (1st floor for us Brits), and while waiting for our table to become available, we had a wander around up here, popped into Moana Mercantile. It wasn’t too long before our buzzer went off to indicated we could go in.


We were shown to our table at the front of the restaurant, tucked away in the corner – I don’t know if the rest of the restaurant was full, but our table could have easily seated 6 people! I wasn’t complaining though, as it was nice to be in a different area from previous visits.

‘Ohana is an all-you-care-to-enjoy Polynesian style feast, served over three courses. The starters are brought to your table for everyone to share, as are the sides, and the dessert. The fish and meat are prepared over an oak fire, which is the centerpiece of the restaurant (no pictures this time, sorry!), and brought to the table on long skewers and served directly onto your plate. A non-alcoholic beverage is included with the price of the meal.

It is a set price for dinner at ‘Ohana, which varies – both seasonally, and weekday/weekend. We paid $80 for the two of us, and also bought alcoholic beverages, including my much lusted after Lapu Lapu – not driving meant I could finally have one!


'Ohana

Starters...
  • ‘Ohana Pineapple Coconut Bread
  • Honey Coriander Chicken Wings
  • Mixed Greens Salad – with a Lilikoi dressing
  • Pork Dumplings – tossed in a garlic ginger sauce


‘Ohana Pineapple-Coconut Bread


Mixed Greens Salad with a Lilikoi dressing


Pork Dumplings tossed in Garlic-Ginger Sauce


Honey-Coriander Chicken Wings

Main Course...
  • Spicy Grilled Peel-n-Eat Shrimp – prepared over an oak fire, served on Skewers with Peanut and Sweet-n-Sour Sauces
  • Sweet-n-Sour Chicken – prepared over an oak fire, served on Skewers with Peanut and Sweet-n-Sour Sauces
  • Szechuan Sirloin Steak – prepared over an oak fire, served on Skewers with Peanut and Sweet-n-Sour Sauces

Sides
  • Noodles – tossed in a Teriyaki Sauce with Fresh Vegetables
  • Stir Fried Vegetables


Noodles, tossed in a Teriyaki Sauce with Fresh Vegetables with Sweet-n-Sour Chicken

My notes from the night tell me that the food was good, but not as hot as it could have been. We have found that food across Disney restaurants isn’t always piping hot. I really enjoy the salad here, and save it to eat with my mains. However, I know from our last visit that the server couldn’t wait to whisk the bowl away, so I made sure it stayed on the table!

Whilst it is all-you-care-to-enjoy, the do practise portion control on how much they give you from the skewer. If you want more however, you can ask. Once they go around with each of the different skewers, they seem to avoid going around again – but again, if you want more, just ask your server. They are quick though to offer more noodles and veg! (A cheap filler!)

I’m very picky with chicken, especially when I haven’t cooked it myself, so I do tend to cut pieces open to check. The horror when I found a nice bloody piece… *boke* The rest of our chicken was fine, it was just that one piece that got away. I didn’t make a fuss, but quietly mentioned it to the server as he cleaned away our dishes. Next thing we know he’s back at the table with the Head Chef who came to personally apologise, and to say how he check the chicken, and said it was definitely cooked, but that it was “just a blood vessel”. Gross! I explained that it was “fine” (in that I didn’t wish to make a fuss), but then our server brought us out more freshly cooked chicken and noodles… we were well and truly stuffed. I couldn’t eat much more, but Steve… of course he did!

At this point we knew we wouldn’t be able to manage dessert, so asked if we could take it to-go. The server explained that they’re not allowed to do that at this sort of restaurant – not sure why? Maybe because it’s an all-you-care-to-enjoy? Who knows! The ‘Ohana Bread Pudding is LUSH! I don’t actually have a picture of it, as in the end we did take it to go – I’ll explain in a second – so the picture below is from when we went in 2013!

Back to the dessert situation. The Head Chef suddenly re-appeared at our table with a couple of bespoke desserts by way of an apology. He said he would also box us up some bread pudding to-go (which we ate for breakfast the next day!) Steve and I just looked at each other with faces of “how are we going to eat this too?!” We couldn’t just up and leave it – how rude! I couldn’t tell you exactly what the desserts were, because they are not on the menu, but it looks like a chocolate pudding and a crème brûlée. I couldn’t manage more than a polite spoonful. So Steve, with his hollow legs ate them up!

Dessert...
  • ‘Ohana Bread Pudding – à la mode (a scoop of vanilla ice cream) with Bananas-Caramel Sauce


‘Ohana Bread Pudding à la mode with Bananas-Caramel Sauce


Chocolate Cake


Crème Brûlée

Drinks...
  • Angry Orchard Cider ($7.50)
  • Lapu Lapu – Myer’s Original Dark Rum and Tropical Fruit Juices served in a fresh pineapple topped with Bacardi 151 Rum ($14)

I spied this cocktail on our first visit to ‘Ohana, and have wanted on ever since! Because I am the driver, I rarely drink on holiday, but since we were just a short walk away, I knocked one of these bad boys back! It was a seriously strong drink! (Or maybe I’m a lightweight when it comes to booze these days!)





***********************************************

'Ohana, Polynesian Village

Bill: $101.50 + Tip: $18.27 + Tax: $5.28 = $125.05
TiW Discount: $20.30
_______________________________________________

Total paid: $104.75

***********************************************

We paid our bill, and used our Tables in Wonderland (TiW) discount card, and then exited the Great Ceremonial House towards the beach so we could see Cinderella Castle – it felt weird to be so close, yet without tickets until Monday, so far away! The Bora Bora Bungalows looked gorgeous lit up at night too.

After our late night wander of the resort, we headed back to our room to crash out!



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Old 4 Apr 17, 01:18 PM  
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Victoria & Albert's, Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Victoria & Albert's » Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

It was soon time for us to dress up in our glad rags for my [early] 40th birthday meal at Victoria & Albert’s! We took the Monorail around to the Grand Floridian – having the walkway to TTC so close to our Longhouse was awesome!


Victoria & Albert’s has been on my Disney Bucket List for a long while, and for my 40th birthday, Steve treated me to this dining experience. We have one word to describe the evening – amazing.

The ultimate in fine dining at Walt Disney World® Resort and one of the finest restaurants in the Southeast, Victoria & Albert’s features Modern American cuisine with exquisite products sourced from around the world – truffles from Italy, the finest caviar, fresh herbs from Ohio, beef from Japan, poulet rouge from North Carolina, oysters from North Florida. Chef Scott Hunnel’s approach is imaginative and his food is an art form, featuring vivid colors and textures, with exquisite wine pairings offered with each course. Recipient of AAA’s highest achievement, the Five Diamond Award, “Forbes Travel Guide” Four Star rating and glowing reviews from Zagat and others, the restaurant in Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa evokes another era when dining was an elegant ritual, with a knowledgeable maître d’hôtel and chefs in classic white toques. – Victoria & Albert’s website




There is a strict dress code at V&A’s – men must wear a dinner jacket, with smart shirt, trousers, and shoes. Ties are optional. You can borrow a jacket from the restaurant, we emailed in advance to request one. This saved us stressing about Steve bringing out a full suit to Florida. He didn’t wear a tie, but most of the men in the restaurant did. He said he felt a bit underdressed without it. For women, a cocktail dress, “nice” dress, pant suit, or skirt and blouse must be worn. I wore a brightly coloured maxi dress, as you’ll see in the pictures of me.

Jeans, shorts, capri pants, sandals, flip-flops or tennis shoes are not permitted.

For the price you are paying at this restaurant I’m not even sure why you would even want to get around the dress code! It felt gorgeous to dress up so fancy for dinner!

There are three separate rooms for dinner:
  • Dining Room, with one sitting, and fourteen tables. You can dine from either Chef Scott Hunnel’s seven-course menu or the ten-course Chef’s Tasting Menu.
  • Queen Victoria Room, seats just eight guests for a ten-course dinner with French gueridon service and wine pairings exclusive to the private room.
  • Chef’s Table, In the kitchen, guests gather around the coveted Chef’s Table for a front-row seat of the action. Chef Hunnel starts the evening with a Champagne toast as he and the Victoria & Albert’s team begin to craft your dinner with up to 13 courses.

We had chosen the Dining Room – as it was the least expensive of the three – I won’t say cheapest, because it is anything but!

I didn’t want to spoil the ambience by taking lots of photos of the decor – I knew there would plenty on line for you to see. But I did want to at least document the food experience for you. The lighting in the Dining Room was very dim, and I still didn’t know my new camera very well. The photos I got of the food are a bit rubbish, lighting is all over the place, I missed the focused, but it’s all I have! I hope you’ll forgive the quality!

Victoria & Albert’s is very much an adult affair, however Guests over the age of 10 are permitted to dine. But honestly, unless your child is really into fine dining, this is definitely just one for the grown ups.

When we arrived, we were greeted warmly. Everything felt so fancy, and as far from Disney as you can get, at Disney World! We were shown to our table and I clocked the seat with arms (fat people problems), and must have looked pained. Without hesitation, the seat was switched for me to one without arms – that to me is fabulous service. There was also a little stool for our thing – like handbag, purse, etc. i told you – fancy!




Here is the write up about the Dining Room from the restaurant’s website:

With just one seating each evening, this oasis of opulence captivates with the setting, the knowledgeable staff, the fresh flowers, the fine tableware, the extraordinary food. With Chef Scott Hunnel’s imaginative approach, tradition melds with innovation for an avant-garde culinary journey on both the seven-course menu and the ten-course Chef’s Tasting Menu. Tableside touches include specialty cocktails, a Champagne trolley, butter carving, and a cheese gueridon. The warmly lit Dining Room’s classic rotunda features a hand-painted dome and just fourteen tables elegantly dressed in Italian linens, handsome Wedgwood china, and Sambonet silverware. With soft music from a harpist, the Dining Room embodies the spirit of luxury and romance.






We had two servers – Danny and Sharon. My understanding was that Sharon was a higher level than Danny – it was explained to us, but honestly, I’ve forgotten now. Sharon went through the menus with us – we decided to splash out and have the Chef’s 10 Course Tasting Menu – it was [nearly] my 40th birthday after all! The menu is personalised, and they place it in an envelope for you to take home.

We were offered wine pairings (extra cost), but as we are not big wine drinkers, we declined.

Danny did most of the service, and explaining of dishes, and I wish we were able to record him telling us about each course. His knowledge of the menu and ingredients was outstanding, and he even told us stories behind some of the ingredients too. Dining at V&A’s is described as an experience, and we would wholeheartedly agree with that. I wish I could remember everything, but I really can’t.

We were poured a glass each of water, and was offered a Water Service with waters from around the world. Uhm, what?! That’s $9 for a 750ml bottle of England’s finest water! We also passed on this! I know I enjoy drinking water, I’m a bit sad that it’s my soft drink of choice, but I don’t love it enough to spend that kind of money!


For drinks, Steve had a bottle of Budweiser ($6.50). When it was poured out for him, the bottle was swiftly taken away. We both looked at each other, as the bottle hadn’t been completely poured, but we later learned that they keep the bottle on ice for top ups! I had a Citropolitan – Absolut Mandarin Vodka with Lemoncello, and Cranberry Juice ($10)




During the evening we had a bread service, which was included. Unfortunately, I don’t have full details about the breads and butters we were served, but there was a story behind each and every one! The little pink pot you can see in the photos below was filled with salt, so that we could salt our butter. Too precious!












I think I’ve covered pretty much everything about Victoria & Albert’s, so onto the food itself! Because we chose the 10 Course Tasting Menu, we could, if we wanted, switch some items from the Prix Fixe 7 Course Menu… I’ll go into more detail as we go through each course.

Victoria & Albert’s »

First Course

Amuse-Bouche…

Cauliflower Panna Cotta with American Caviar

An amuse-bouche is a small pre-starter – just a few bites in size. The French words literally translate to amuse the mouth – or in foodie terms to excite the palate for what is to come. Now this is where I wished I’d recorded what we were told about everything on the plate. I am sure that sitting in the Cauliflower Panna Cotta were three tiny salted potato chips, and there was a herb resting on the caviar – maybe a chive?!

We were presented with spoons made from mother of pearl to eat the caviar with, as a metal spoon is said to impair the flavour. I’m a fountain of food knowledge, and was telling Steve about this before the amuse-bouche was brought to the table.

I was not a fan of the American Caviar, but Steve seemed to enjoy it. The Cauliflower Panna Cotta was nice though.

There was the option here to upgrade the caviar – Galilee Osetra Caviar with Traditional Garnishes – $105 for ½oz, $210 for 1oz. That was a no from us!




Second Course

Steve and I had different dishes for the first course. I am not a fan of one of the ingredients in the dish he had, so I switched to the dish from the 7 course menu.

King Salmon with Cucumber and Dill

Dill is a herb that I really can’t get along with, so this dish was not for me. The King Salmon is that orange-y cube you can see at the front of the dish. Again, I wish I could tell you what everything else on the plate was, but alas, I can’t.


Popcorn Crusted Diver Scallop, Panisse and Blood Orange

I love scallops, and this dish tasted very good. What is a panisse you ask? Well, it’s a fried, chickpea flour cake from the South of France. There, we both learned something today!


Third Course

Alaskan Sablefish with baby Bok Choy

We have never heard of this fish before, but it was very nice indeed – tender and buttery. From the photo I can see it was served with mushrooms and edamame beans too.

In the background of the photo below, you can see a little wooden board. I’ve provided a larger picture too. It is called a Oroshigane – a sharkskin grater which is the best thing to grate wasabi on. This is proper wasabi, and not the green horseradish that pretends to be wasabi that we get with sushi!

There was an option here to have a different (upgraded) fish dish – Wild Turbot with Toasted Capers and Preserved Lemon – $35.




Fourth Course

New Zealand Langoustine with Nage Crema

This course was one of my personal favourites. In my diary I’ve written “Delicious, delicious, langoustine. So soft and flavourful – amazing!” You know when you just don’t want the mouthful of food to end because it tastes so good? That was this dish!

What is Nage Crema? I’m glad you asked… Nage is the term used in the USA for a flavored liquid used for poaching delicate foods, typically seafood. A traditional nage is a broth flavored with white wine, vegetables, and herbs, in which seafood is poached. The liquid is then reduced and thickened with cream and/or butter. (Thanks Wiki!)


Fifth Course

Smoked Rohan Duck with Peaches and Celery Root

I am not a fan of celery – it’s my top, most hated food ever. But I love duck, and so, I asked if the celery could be left off, and it was. This was a real theatrical dish, brought to the table covered with a smoke filled cloche, which when lifted, wafted out the aromatics from the dish. Wonderful!






Sixth Course

Marcho Farms Veal “En Croute”

This dish was another winner. The veal was served two ways – I know one was wrapped in pastry – the en croute part, and the other towards the front of the plate just grilled with truffle shavings. I couldn’t tell you what is in the middle, or what the meat is sitting on (and no smart “on a plate” replies here please). It could be puréed potato, or cauliflower… whatever it was, in my diary I described this plate of food simply as divine.


Seventh Course

Australian Kobe-Style Beef with Roasted Garlic Potatoes

This dish was available with an add on of 宮崎牛 Miyazaki Japanese Beef – $55, which I, as the birthday girl, opted for; Steve didn’t. This beef is 100% purebred Japanese Wagyu from the Miyachiku co-op. The name of the breed of cow that is used by Miyachiku is Kuroge Washu, also known as “Japanese Black”.

For reference on the plate, it is five slices to the right of the steak. This was not some pretend Wagyu beef that you buy as a burger in Iceland, this was the real deal. At just over ten bucks a slice it was some of the yummiest meat I have ever eaten. I did offer my wonderful husband a slice, but the rest was all mine!

The potatoes were lovely, and beautifully presented too – piped on the plate, with tiny vegetables nestled between the folds. The gravy, which was in the little pot on the plate, was very good too – probably made over days from all the meat bones and reduced right down.

This whole plate of food was scrummy! It was the sort of plate you want to pick up and lick clean – but you can’t because you are in a posh restaurant!




Eighth Course


Selection of Cheese from the Market

The cheese selection was wheeled over on a trolley, and served up at the table. Now, I don’t know what the cheeses were, but the Disney website tells me the following: Gouda Reypenaer, Point Reyes Toma, Wyngaard Chèvre Affiné, and Colston Bassett Stilton. They may change their cheese selection seasonally, I do not know, but I know for sure there was a blue cheese on there, because I don’t like blue cheese and requested that it be left off my plate. I was given extra of one of the others instead.

The cheese came with some accoutrements, which is posh for “the things you eat with the cheese” – crackers, pickles etc. I learned that word from our Signature Dining at Walt Disney World over the years.






Ninth + Tenth Course

You receive not just one, but two desserts on the 10 Course Tasting Menu! We were starting to feel full, but not uncomfortably so. Service was nicely paced, and the portion were small. Because we could also choose from the Prix Fix 7 Course Menu, we picked four different desserts – I hope I can remember which four!

Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Wild Strawberries

This was one of the desserts on the 10 Course Tasting Menu. Look how pretty it is – and with a touch of gold leaf too – fancy!


Peruvian Chocolate Crunch

This ended up being my birthday dessert – the plate was brought out with the greeting piped on in chocolate. More gold leaf! This was the second dessert on the 10 Course – so small in size. The other two desserts below are from the 7 Course, and since you only have one dessert on that menu, they are bigger portions.


Caramelized Banana Gâteau

Steve yummed this one up! Looks like some macadamia nuts tucked in there, and a random blackberry. We were most impressed with the spun sugar decoration resting on top.


Hawaiian Kona Chocolate Soufflé

What’s not to love about an ooey gooey chocolate dessert?! I think that was a scoop of ice cream on the side.


We are not finished yet! We’ve got Sulawesi Island Coffee by Joffrey’s, and Friandises to go.

The coffee was brewed in a reverse percolator – which makes the coffee in a vacuum. It was another theatrical piece, and fascinating to learn about.




We are learning lots of French in today’s trip report aren’t we?! Friandises is the French word for sweets. A huge chocolate box was wheeled over, and we could pick as many as we liked, so we went for one of each. The chocolates are made by a Master Chocolatier, and were very good. We decided we would take these home with us, but I did take a quick photo before Danny boxed them up for us.


After our dining experience, Danny and Sharon emailed us to thank us for dining with them. I replied, giving them utmost praise, and also asked if we could know what the different chocolates were. Danny was kind enough to reply with the following.

From left to right in the box –
  • Almond flour Marzipan with Grand Marnier
  • Chocolate Hazelnut Praline with Frangelico
  • White Chocolate Raspberry with Valrhona White Chocolate and Chambord
  • Dark Chocolate Banana Fosters
  • Orange Rind dipped in Dark Chocolate
  • Cherry Brandy (Rainier Cherry soaked in Kirsch for over a year, then dipped in Dark Chocolate)
  • Chocolate squares with Caramel Infused with Myers Dark Rum
  • Chocolate Mimosa (Champagne and Orange)


Our wonderful night at Victoria & Albert’s was coming to an end. All in all, we’d been there for 4 hours, but it really didn’t seem that long. It is lovely that there is just one sitting, which means you are not rushed through, and can enjoy everything at leisure. I was presented with a single red rose, and we were given a little bag with our boxed chocolates, our menu, and also a little mini cake to wish me happy birthday, which I thought was very sweet of them. We also had our picture taken as a memento of our evening.


Next it was bill paying time… hold your breath, because this one will be a shocker!

***********************************************

Victoria & Albert’s, Grand Floridian

Bill: $542.25 + Tax: $32.25 + Tip: $108.50 = $686
TiW Discount: $0
_______________________________________________

Total paid: $686

***********************************************

Was it worth the money? For us, absolutely! Given the surroundings, the service, the knowledge, the food, the extra touches, it breaks down to about $34 per person, per course. We had some top notch food, with impeccable ingredients, and we would not hesitate to recommend Victoria & Albert’s at Walt Disney World. I’m am so glad that we got to dine here for my 40th birthday – it made it one to remember, and reliving it by writing everything up has made me excited to visit again one day.

As we stepped out of the restaurant, we could hear the firework bangs from Wishes, and decided on walking back to Poly instead of taking the Monorail – it was a lovely end to an out of this world dining experience.
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Old 4 Apr 17, 01:36 PM  
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gettingthere
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Join Date: Mar 11
WOW,sounds like a fabulous experience,i could never do it as i am such a fussy eater ,but desserts and chocs def be for me,
My friend and her husband wold totally LOVE it there though
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