Jiko: great food, spotty service at best
After hearing many recommendations on this board for Jiko, I was excited to visit for the first time this past week. I was surprised how odd my meal turned out to be.
My server arrived and plunked my place setting down unceremoniously, handed me a menu and said "Ok, do you want your water fizzy or not?" That was an odd way to welcome me to Jiko, but I rolled with it and got Evian. Looking over the menu, I had some questions about food items I'd never seen before, but my server just gave me a blank look when I asked about them. Moving on, I asked what was on the appetizer cheese plate, described on the menu as "Five goat, cow, and sheep cheeses from around the world"; she responded, "Uh... you get four cheeses, one of 'em is a goat cheese, I think." And then she just walked away.
When she returned with my iced tea, I ordered the maize-crusted sturgeon (their house special, she told me) and asked what wine she'd recommend with it -- seeing as how this was a 'restaurant and wine bar' and she'd told me that they have the finest selection of African wines in America. She scowled at me. "I dunno, do you like citrusy wines or maybe chardonnays?" I said, well, sometimes, but I'd like a recommendation. "I guess a chardonnay maybe," she said. "You're supposed to drink white wine with fish." I said okay... but I'd like a recommendation. "What do you want?" she asked, blinking. I asked her if there's a wine on the wine list that is often paired with that dish. "I dunno, just get a white wine," she said. I told her to forget about it and she left.
At this point, my DC wondered if we should've just gone back to Boma.
Now, when our food arrived, we were very happy... the sturgeon was fantastic in its tomato-butter sauce, my DC's filet mignon with their famous mac and cheese was equally great, and when we finally got our bread (after having to request it), it was also delicious.
But it's been awhile since I've had such incompetent service... and at Disney, that seems inexcusable. Should I complain, do you think?
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Icantread
Feb 9, 2009 05:12 AM
Service at Disney is not consistently great across the board, but service at the infrastructure level and in the larger and higher end draws is. As a Florida native, I have been to Disney many, many times and I would say 95% of our experiences have been wonderful. When we feel they fell short, we courteously discussed it with local management or through a letter and always had some sort of positive result (even if only a token).
I would say your experience in Jiko is not in keeping with Disney's expectations and they would appreciate being informed of your experience.
