Quick BDay Celebration Sep 23 - YC/BC, Takumi-Tei, Homecomin' (DONE 1/5)

[BlovesC]

We just did a quick weekend staycation at Yacht Club for DH's birthday and as the birthday boy, he got to call ALL the shots (for once ) in terms of where we ate!

I'll be sharing our reviews from:

• Beaches & Cream
• F&W Odyssey Pavilion
• Yachtsman Steakhouse
• Ale & Compass (breakfast)
• Hurricane Hannah's
• Les Halles
• Takumi-Tei
• Chef Art Smith's Homecoming

DH has already disowned me because of what I've declared my favorite meal from all of the above...so stay tuned

 

[BlovesC]

First, a shout-out to our beautiful room at the Yacht Club, with corner windows and a great view of the lake! We arrived at the resort at around 11:30AM, did mobile check-in, and didn't expect our room to be ready until well after lunch, but we got the text before we'd even made it to B&C!




This was our first time staying at YC, but Beaches and Cream has been a staple for us when we've stayed at BC or Swolphin, so this was a natural first trip meal for us.

I know this is a terrible start to a dining review, but I neglected to get photos of our actual meals. I was so fixated on the ice cream, which is my entire reason for being there.

The B&C menu has far more variety in deserts than in entrees (bring back the turkey club!!!) but DH and I both ordered burgers, his with fries and mine with tater tots. The burgers here are simple and adequate; they taste exactly like burgers on a cruise ship, that are steamed en masse and have never been anywhere near the flames of a grill, if that makes sense. But it's all just to get some protein in before our reason for eating there - the main event, my beloved:

The No Way Jose!!!



A lot of things have changed at WDW over the years, but this beauty remains consistently delightful. We always swap out the vanilla ice cream for coffee (I know, I know, if you haven't had it, it sounds weird but trust me, the bitterness of coffee ice cream with the richness of peanut butter is an incredible combination!) and it ALWAYS hits, and is large enough for us to share while still feeling super indulgent. Practically a bargain by Disney standards and once again it did not disappoint!

 

[BlovesC]

Epcot Food & Wine

We planned on spending the afternoon in Epcot since we had a Cosmic Rewind queue, but those plans whittled down quickly after some time spent in the hottest Disney park when the sun was at its most relentless

Brew-Wing Booth

We stopped into the Odyssey Pavilion so DH could try the infamous festival standouts, the Pickle Shake and "Unnecessarily Spicy, Yet Extremely Tasty Scotch Bonnet Pepper-Curry Wings"!

For myself, I grabbed the slightly less adventurous "Frozen Fusion: Twinings Pomegranate and Raspberry Herbal Tea fused with orange ice cream molecules."




DH is the type of person to order "Thai hot" and then specify "no, really", and so he went into these wings expecting a Disney-level of mild spiciness that was all bark, no bite. But that is not what he got. I got to enjoy the site of his face turning red and his eyes watering as ate these wings. Despite the torture, he loved them!

The pickle shake was an ideal accompaniment, but we both thought its flavor lacked oomph - it tasted like a vanilla shake with a touch of dill. There wasn't really any of that briny pickle saltiness we were expecting!

The tea drink was super frozen and a nice treat on a break from the sun, but my favorite part by far was the orange ice cream molecules - essentially creamsicle dippin' dots. I would have ordered a bowl of them if I could!


After our ride on CR, we stopped by another booth near the area -

The Fry Basket

"Adobo Yuca Fries with garlic-cilantro aïoli"



I adore yucca fries and was excited to see them at a booth! But these were SO salty I couldn't eat more than one. DH agreed they were on the salty side but not to the point of being inedible, so others may enjoy these, but they just weren't for me.





We escaped the oppressive heat of the park and hit Stormalong Bay for the rest of the afternoon, enjoying a super refreshing swim before stopping to relax poolside with drinks from the bar!

Hurricane Hannah's

"Pina CoLAVA: Bacardi Raspberry Rum blended with flavors of coconut, pineapple and Raspberry Puree"



This is poolside PERFECTION! Such a great combo of flavors as long as you don't mind drinks that are sweeter than they are strong! Such an enjoyable treat.

 

[erinch]

Lovin’ your report!

 

[marryfrmtx]

Enjoying your report. Looking forward to more.

 

[BlovesC]

Well, nothing like returning to a review after nearly four months...life happens, you all know how it is.

I apologize, the memory of some specific details of our meals have dulled with time, but I did want to finish my thoughts, so let's jump back in!



YACHTSMAN STEAKHOUSE


This was DH's birthday dinner! We'd eaten at Yachtsman only once before during a prior BC stay and had a good meal, but I'm not a big steak person so it just never really crossed my radar again. But of course I was happy to oblige the birthday boy!

We were seated promptly in the back of the restaurant at a table next to a windowed wall separating the next part of the dining room. I LOVED this table, it was the definition of cozy!

The menu, which is pretty straight-forward and I don't think has changed much since our last visit!





We both ordered a drink for the occasion - DH got a specialty cocktail which I think was the Captain's Mai-Tai. And I got a midori sour - which is my favorite cocktail in the world, but everytime I order it DH teases that the poor bartender will have to travel back the 90s in a time machine in order to make it.




the Yachtsman bread service is legendary here so it needs no introduction - DH is a big fan of anything with onions and he gobbled these up!






For appetizers, we both ordered the Steakhouse Wedge Salad, which was a perfect starter given the richness we were facing with our entrees! The lettuce was perfectly crisp, the bacon was crunchy and smoky, there was plenty of dressing, and honestly any salad that includes egg is a win with me.






For my entrée, after much encouragement from DH to order a steak instead of the seafood (when in Rome, and all), I chose the 12 oz NY strip, medium well (I know, shudder!), with bearnaise sauce and a side of mashed potatoes.



The steak was a little too pink for my liking, but I'm quite used to that, every chef I know would simply choose death over serving a steak at anything other than medium rare It was fine, just not really my thing, however the bearnaise was delicious, and the mashed potatoes must have contained five pounds of butter, how could you go wrong there!


DH ordered the 16 oz Ribeye, Oscar Style (crab, asparagus, bearnaise) with a baked potato side.




Don't let the char on his steak fool you, he ordered his a proper medium rare and said it was cooked to perfection! He was a little surprised that the crab was more crab cake than lump crab, but he thoroughly enjoyed it regardless, and the potato.


We passed on dessert, but our server surprised us with some complimentary birthday treats - two macarons and fruit jellies! DH loves macarons so this went over very well, and both appreciated the gesture.




We had great service throughout the meal and some good food; DH was very satisfied with his choice, but it'll still probably be another ten years before we return for round 3.

 

[BlovesC]

Ale & Compass Breakfast


We hadn't eaten here since it was Captain's Grille, so we thought it would be fun to see how the place had changed. We did a walk-up with no ADR and were seated within about 10 minutes.

The menu - the last time we dined here in the old CG I'm pretty sure you had to choose either the buffet or a breakfast entrée, so it was a neat surprise to us that now you can get both!





We loaded up with pastries, yogurt, fruit, and bananas (these always seem like rare gold at breakfast buffets!)



All pretty standard hotel buffet stuff! The cinnamon rolls were all kind of a mess, the biscuit was pretty dry, but the croissant and that banana ( ) hit the spot!


For our entrées we BOTH went with the Country Ham and Cheddar Cheese Omelet with Arugula and Potatoes.



Eggs are my single favorite food, and I can enjoy any preparation of them, but this omelet was really GOOD! The eggs were sort of french omelet style, closer to the underdone side, very, very creamy with a generous amount of filling.

Overall we enjoyed our breakfast; we were surprised by how dark Ale and Compass is compared to CG in terms of decor, but the atmosphere was soothing, very calm and quiet, and our server kept the water and coffee coming. It was a pretty relaxing breakfast, by Disney standards! Well worth the stop.

 

[BlovesC]

Les Halles Boulangerie

This stop was nothing more than a result of poor decisions. After breakfast we went swimming in Stormalong Bay, then got dressed and walked over to Epcot.

We had no plans for lunch, since our dinner ADR was relatively early, and with a sit-down breakfast already on the books we didn't expect to do more than nibble at some F&W booths.

But the park was crowded, booth lines were loooong, and the day was hot so we wound up circling world showcase and made it almost back to the international gateway before we found ourselves pretty hungry. So we ducked into the last place we'd normally choose to eat at - Les Halles, which, just like Chefs de France, we'd tried only once before and were just underwhelmed by.

So when we found ourself moments later, at a standing table trying to gnaw through an impossibly dry Jambon Beurre and Croque Monsieur, we had no one to blame but ourselves.

I do believe in giving restaurants second chances, but sometimes you just know what you like and what you don't!




But worry not, a savior was just around the corner...


Beaches & Cream To Go Window

After returning to YC from a sweltering Epcot we were beyond happy to get ready for more swimming at Stormalong Bay. We took a break from the pool and decided our disappointing lunch meant we deserved some ice cream!

We ordered a double scoop sundae with coffee ice cream and peanut butter sauce (whipped cream, sliced almonds, and cherry included)



Listen, I really wish I had taken a better picture of this monstrosity with something else in the photo for scale. Because this was not a sundae, it was a TROUGH of ice cream. Those "two scoops" of ice cream felt like they were the size of my HEAD. The bowl was like a freaking dinner salad plate! When they gave us our order we just stared at them in shock - this thing was $6! SIX DOLLARS! And they gave us (in Disney prices) seemingly twenty bucks worth of ice cream! The photo does not do it justice. Maybe the CM took pity on our sun-drunk and swam-out faces, maybe she somehow knew we'd been to les halles, maybe they had a surplus of coffee ice cream they just needed to unload. I'll never know, but I can absolutely say in that moment this felt like the best bargain we'd ever had.

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

That is a massive sundae LOL. SCORE!

 

[erinch]

Welcome back!

 

[BlovesC]

That is a massive sundae LOL. SCORE!

HONESTLY! and such a delight

Welcome back!

thank you!!!

 

[BlovesC]

TAKUMI-TEI


Finally, we've made it to the main event!!

My apologies in advance - since their menu changes with seasonal offerings, the online menu offers a generalized overview of each course, but the specific details of what you're eating are presented to you by your server. And since it's now been four months, I'm afraid I don't remember many of those details beyond how they tasted.


We knew the meal would be lengthy so our reservation was for an early seating. We still had a bit of wait, and as we sat outside we watched a stream of people curiously walk up to the restaurant's posted menu, see the price, laugh and leave. I completely understood how they felt

Takumi-Tei is tucked into the back corner on the first floor of the Mitsukoshi building, and it's pretty quiet back there.




We were led into the restaurant and the host explained that each dining room is themed to a natural element; we were seated at a table in the stone room and handed the very thick wooden menu, which was heavier than it should have been considering it's a fixed deal




I'm not a grape wine drinker but I LOVE LOVE LOVE rice wines like sake and soju, so I had to order a sake flight. Our server explained each of them at length and talked about her favorite. This was definitely the best sake I've ever had, all so crisp and smooth, and the manju on the right had a sweetness I absolutely loved.

Zensai Moriawase -​

Appetizer course ​

Can you believe how pretty this is?! I just stared in awe for a few minutes after our server described the dishes, because I'd never seen such a lovely presentation.

Clockwise from the top middle, it was a cold crab salad (the ice definitely saw to that!), uni/sea urchin with seaweed, salmon roe and greens, sesame tofu, and edamame.



Where DH loves steaks, I love anything and everything that comes out of the ocean. I fully expected the crab salad to be my favorite thing on this place because of the fabulous presentation, but it actually was my least favorite. The crab shell definitely made the presentation nicer but I was not up to the challenge of cracking it to get the meat out, so I let DH have it

The uni and tofu were my favorites, both delicious and packed with umami, and the uni was creamier and seemed higher quality than when I'd tried it before! The roe and edamame were fine, but not much different than what you'd get at most Japanese restaurants.




SUSHI COURSE




I love sushi and sashimi, so I had no complaints about this, but it just wasn't particularly groundbreaking in comparison to the rest of the meal. Memory fails me on the details here, but I *think* it was fatty tuna, flounder, and mackerel nigiri with a makimono roll. Just good quality sushi well-prepared! The wasabi was placed under the fish and there wasn't enough of it for my taste, but then I'm absolutely nuts for wasabi, it's one of my fave flavors in the world (shout-out to anyone who remembers Lay's Wasabi & Ginger potato chips from a few years back, the best flavor they've ever had )

Agemono -
tempura course




Like the sushi course, this was a familiar dish, just really REALLY well prepared. This was a lobster tempura with ponzu sauce and yuzu salt. It was served to us piping hot and deliciously crispy with a simply perfect batter.

The yuzu salt was an interesting touch, but tbh they serve tempura with a wasabi salt over at Shiki-Sai which I much prefer (big shock!)


Sashimi Course




I'm sorry, the first one is tuna but the second and third I can't recall (fluke? bream? I'm guessing!) but I DO remember that they literally melted like butter in my mouth. I preferred this to the sushi course!



Yakimon -
grilled dish

Chilean seabass



Seabass is my favorite fish so I was excited for this! It may look overdone in the photo but it was actually grilled to perfection with a slightly crispy char on the exterior and a soft buttery interior. This dish came with a cup of dashi broth on the side, and my server instructed me to pour it over the dish after eating the fish to enjoy with the rice. I didn't take a picture of it post-broth, since it wasn't pretty, but it was warm and comforting and I may have liked it even more than the fish!


A5 Wagyu



This was DH's selection and I don't remember anything apart from him devouring it


(I hit the photo max, to be continued in a second post!)

 

[BlovesC]

TAKUMI-TEI CONTINUED

Shirumono - soup course​

Before our dessert course we were served bowls of miso soup. Since I'd just enjoyed my miso broth with my rice, this seemed redundant to me, but we certainly didn't want to waste it, so DH took one for the team and finished both bowls!





Dessert Course - Monaka Daifuku with ice cream and kinako crumble




From the top - Monaka, a crisp wafer with fruit paste inside, then an azuki mochi/red-bean filled sweet rice cake, black sesame ice cream with kinako/soybean crumble, fruit, and matcha dust.

Sooooooo, while I'm a huge fan of Japanese cuisine and seafood, I'm not a fan of traditional Japanese sweets. I have a big sweet tooth and my dessert tastes are super simple. I'll choose an ice cream sundae over something more complex, every time. I don't usually enjoy azuki or mochi, so that didn't hit with me as expected. The monaka wafer was super crispy but kind of tasteless. The fruit was fruiting. BUT! BUT! The black sesame ice cream? SHOCKINGLY delicious. The flavor was earthy and nutty and unlike any ice cream I'd ever had before. The soybean crumble was toasted and added a nice textural element. The ice cream was frozen solid (did they use nitrogen, maybe?) which forced me to pace myself but I would have eaten a bowl of this, happily!

Chestnut crème brûlée





This was DH's choice and I was inwardly screaming when it came out. LOOK AT HOW CUTE THIS IS! I was jealous he got to open the adorable owl dish DH loves creme brulee and he thoroughly enjoyed this, even though it was definitely less sweet than he is used to!


Ocha - tea ceremony



With our dessert course, the host CM who had originally seated us and explained the restaurant concept returned to perform a simplified tea ceremony, making fresh green tea for us tableside. We had a lovely conversation with him about the history of the tea ceremony and then life in central FL while he prepared the tea. I love green tea and it was a perfect, comforting, relaxing end to a very lengthy, complex meal!


Final Thoughts on Takumi-Tei

This meal definitely was unlike any we had at WDW. The restaurant was the definition of peaceful, the quietest atmosphere you could possibly get inside a theme park. The service was exceptional, informative and professional but still friendly, approachable, and nothing about the service or meal was "stuffy" or uptight. Food quality was great and each course was clearly prepared with love.

Was this a great experience? Absolutely! Would I do it again? Nope!
DH and I actually disagree on this; he would go back for another special occasion and thinks it was a worthwhile splurge. But our meal, after the sake flight and tip, came to just under $700. There's simply too many other experiences I'd rather have at Disney for that money, instead of eating it. For some, having high quality food may be an ultimate priority. But I'm the girl who was blown away by a $6 sundae, sooooo .

The meal itself took just about three hours, we entered just after 5 and left around 8. We rolled ourselves back through the international gateway and enjoyed the fireworks from our room balcony, a perfect ending to the night!

 

[Counting Stars]

Really great dining reviews! Very much appreciate your taking the time to share- The review of Tekumi-Tei is particularly helpful. I don't see myself spending that on a meal, but I really enjoyed your sharing the experience and the visuals. Sounds like you both had a wonderful evening

 

[BlovesC]

Really great dining reviews! Very much appreciate your taking the time to share- The review of Tekumi-Tei is particularly helpful. I don't see myself spending that on a meal, but I really enjoyed your sharing the experience and the visuals. Sounds like you both had a wonderful evening

Thanks for reading!

 

[BlovesC]

World of Coke Rooftop Beverage Bar

We checked out from YC and drove over to spend some time in Disney Springs before driving home. We had a lunch reservation with plenty of time to spare, and while exploring World of Coke, we wandered up to the roof deck and saw they had specialty coffees.

I ordered a cookie butter cold brew, which despite how it looks was NOT overwhelmingly sweet and had just the right bitterness. There was also no line (a rarety for any coffee in DS) and we loved sipping our coffees while enjoying such a picturesque view of the Springs.

This was a totally random stop for us but kind of an unexpected gem!




Chef Art Smith's Homecoming

This was another first for us! We don't often go to Disney Springs, and Homecoming is one of those places that seems to never pop up on ADRs, but we'd heard so many good things about the place we decided to give it a try.

Also, this feels weird to say, but southern comfort food is actually outside my comfort zone. Even though we live in FL, it's unfamiliar territory for me! I've been to a cracker barrel once in my life and that's kind of the extent of my experience.

We had a little bit of a wait (this place was HOPPING) but were seated at a great table overlooking the water, and our server was super friendly!

Appetizer - Bunch of Puppies

House-made hushpuppies served with pimento cheese and red jalapeño jelly​

So, feel free to laugh at me, but this was my first time trying hush puppies and I thought these would be sweeter for and fluffier for some reason, but they were really savory and dense! This was also my first time trying pimento cheese. I wasn't really a fan but I don't think it has anything to do with the preparation or quality of food, it was just not my kinda thing. DH however loved them, and we both liked the jelly! We rarely encounter anything with jalapenos that we don't enjoy.

Entrée - Art's Famous Fried Chicken​

Buttermilk-brined for 24 hours then perfectly fried and served with creamy mashed potatoes, a cheddar drop biscuit and love



DH and I both ordered the fried chicken. For the record, he tried to persuade me to order something else, like a sandwich or seafood. He truly knows me and my toddler taste buds well, but I just wouldn't listen.

This presentation was so good, it was a very appealing plate of food! I subbed out mashed potatoes for the sweet potato casserole because I loooooooove sweet potatoes and thought this would appease my sweet tooth, and it did not disappoint. The casserole were SO indulgent, so creamy, the marshmallows were toasted perfectly and the mini cast iron skillet stayed warm for awhile. Delicious!

The fried chicken was tasty, although I wished it had been spicy and a little less greasy. The biscuit was really dry so one bite was enough. But the whole plate was just overwhelmingly heavy. After digging into the casserole and chicken breast, I felt like I'd run face-first into a brick wall. This is not to discredit the food itself, I think this was all well prepared, I'm just the type of person who can plow through a dessert buffet unaffected but somehow folds like a leaf at certain kinds of savory food.

DH managed to clear almost all of his plate, but also said "I can't move" and "I need a moment" as soon as he finished. When our server offered dessert, we both nearly shed a tear. The offerings sounded amazing, but we were utterly defeated!

So, we had some good ambience, good service, and well-prepared food, but just not for us. Glad we tried it though, and definitely understand why it's popular!

 

[auntfrannie]

World of Coke Rooftop Beverage Bar

We checked out from YC and drove over to spend some time in Disney Springs before driving home. We had a lunch reservation with plenty of time to spare, and while exploring World of Coke, we wandered up to the roof deck and saw they had specialty coffees.

I ordered a cookie butter cold brew, which despite how it looks was NOT overwhelmingly sweet and had just the right bitterness. There was also no line (a rarety for any coffee in DS) and we loved sipping our coffees while enjoying such a picturesque view of the Springs.

This was a totally random stop for us but kind of an unexpected gem!

View attachment 823205


Chef Art Smith's Homecoming

This was another first for us! We don't often go to Disney Springs, and Homecoming is one of those places that seems to never pop up on ADRs, but we'd heard so many good things about the place we decided to give it a try.

Also, this feels weird to say, but southern comfort food is actually outside my comfort zone. Even though we live in FL, it's unfamiliar territory for me! I've been to a cracker barrel once in my life and that's kind of the extent of my experience.

We had a little bit of a wait (this place was HOPPING) but were seated at a great table overlooking the water, and our server was super friendly!

Appetizer - Bunch of Puppies

House-made hushpuppies served with pimento cheese and red jalapeño jelly​

View attachment 823209

So, feel free to laugh at me, but this was my first time trying hush puppies and I thought these would be sweeter for and fluffier for some reason, but they were really savory and dense! This was also my first time trying pimento cheese. I wasn't really a fan but I don't think it has anything to do with the preparation or quality of food, it was just not my kinda thing. DH however loved them, and we both liked the jelly! We rarely encounter anything with jalapenos that we don't enjoy.

Entrée - Art's Famous Fried Chicken​

Buttermilk-brined for 24 hours then perfectly fried and served with creamy mashed potatoes, a cheddar drop biscuit and love

View attachment 823218

DH and I both ordered the fried chicken. For the record, he tried to persuade me to order something else, like a sandwich or seafood. He truly knows me and my toddler taste buds well, but I just wouldn't listen.

This presentation was so good, it was a very appealing plate of food! I subbed out mashed potatoes for the sweet potato casserole because I loooooooove sweet potatoes and thought this would appease my sweet tooth, and it did not disappoint. The casserole were SO indulgent, so creamy, the marshmallows were toasted perfectly and the mini cast iron skillet stayed warm for awhile. Delicious!

The fried chicken was tasty, although I wished it had been spicy and a little less greasy. The biscuit was really dry so one bite was enough. But the whole plate was just overwhelmingly heavy. After digging into the casserole and chicken breast, I felt like I'd run face-first into a brick wall. This is not to discredit the food itself, I think this was all well prepared, I'm just the type of person who can plow through a dessert buffet unaffected but somehow folds like a leaf at certain kinds of savory food.

DH managed to clear almost all of his plate, but also said "I can't move" and "I need a moment" as soon as he finished. When our server offered dessert, we both nearly shed a tear. The offerings sounded amazing, but we were utterly defeated!

So, we had some good ambience, good service, and well-prepared food, but just not for us. Glad we tried it though, and definitely understand why it's popular!

I think I'm with you in the minority on Homecomin'. I find it is just way too heavy for hot Florida weather! Loved your reviews!

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

Your Homecoming review literally made me laugh out loud. I don’t do heavy/fried food so would have waved the white flag as well

 

[BlovesC]

I think I'm with you in the minority on Homecomin'. I find it is just way too heavy for hot Florida weather! Loved your reviews!

LOL, you hit the nail on the head there, since we were already groaning when we got up from our seats, walking back outside into the 95F sunshine was less than pleasant.

Your Homecoming review literally made me laugh out loud. I don’t do heavy/fried food so would have waved the white flag as well

I've found my people! Really amazing how some things just affect us all differently. I know some who could have cleared that whole chicken plate and asked for more, yet I could eat them under the table in an ice cream contest for SURE. Thanks for reading!

 

[Eastern]

Les Halles Boulangerie

This stop was nothing more than a result of poor decisions. After breakfast we went swimming in Stormalong Bay, then got dressed and walked over to Epcot.

We had no plans for lunch, since our dinner ADR was relatively early, and with a sit-down breakfast already on the books we didn't expect to do more than nibble at some F&W booths.

But the park was crowded, booth lines were loooong, and the day was hot so we wound up circling world showcase and made it almost back to the international gateway before we found ourselves pretty hungry. So we ducked into the last place we'd normally choose to eat at - Les Halles, which, just like Chefs de France, we'd tried only once before and were just underwhelmed by.

So when we found ourself moments later, at a standing table trying to gnaw through an impossibly dry Jambon Beurre and Croque Monsieur, we had no one to blame but ourselves.

I do believe in giving restaurants second chances, but sometimes you just know what you like and what you don't!

View attachment 822356


But worry not, a savior was just around the corner...

This place used to be so good but it was terrible on our recent visit.