Jiko – The Cooking Place at Disney’s Animal Kingdom lodge now features a new menu, as well as new chefs.
Chef Daniel Sicilia and Pastry Chef Michael Craig recently were brought onto the team about 6 months ago. With them now firmly on board, they have created a brand new menu for this luxurious 4.6 star African Restaurant. The restaurant has uniquely themed African dishes, while the dining room itself is inspired by the art style of The Lion King.
As you’re sitting in the dining room, waiting for your food, you can smell the intoxicating aroma of the wood burning ovens cooking and roasting your food to perfection. Jiko has always had Maize-Crusted fish in tomato butter sauc, but now they are using fish straight from Lake Victoria in Africa. Mrouzia style lamb tagine, as well as Durham Ranch Elk loin are some of the newer options created for the menu.
A favorite among many guests who visit is the “Taste of Africa”, which is all made in-house with pappadam, sesame fatir and flax seed naan, served with a variety of dips including hummus, green chermoula, goat butter and mango chutney. Manti Dumplings, which is an all new appetizer, is filled with boar, bison and elk and served with spicy tomato sauce and saffron yogurt.
After your meal, you can choose from a variety of delectable desserts. One of your new options is the Tanzanian chocolate mousse (pistachio financier, pink peppercorn meringue, cacao nib crunch and pineapple flavored with ras el hanout, a Moroccan spice blend). There’s also a strawberry shortcake with local berries and sweet potato cheesecake with sweet apple chutney.
If it would like to pair your dinner with a fine beverage, Jiko offers a long list of exclusive African wines. They have over 125 different wineries showcased to choose from. With their large selection, they are the largest South African wine offering in the US.
I hope they aren’t looking to replicate the tiny portions over at Tiffins.