Jiko The Cooking Place Dining Review- Animal Kingdom Lodge Fine Dining

Jiko- The Cooking Place is a fine dining restaurant located inside Animal Kingdom Lodge. This restaurant offers a variety of traditional African, Indian, and Mediterranean cuisine. The menu changes seasonally which is a great way to repeat the dining experience for fans. My Jiko- The Cooking Place review will cover the most popular appetizer, fan favorites, and plant based options.

Animal Kingdom Lodge is one of our favorite Walt Disney World hotels and one that I have stayed at multiple times. This deluxe hotel has great on-site dining experiences and our recent experience at Jiko- The Cooking Place further confirmed my love for this hotel.

I visit Walt Disney World frequently and have stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge more than once! We were invited by Disney to experience Jiko- The Cooking Place but as always, all our opinions are our own. Keep reading for my full breakdown of this signature dining experience in my Jiko- The Cooking Place review.

Jiko- The Cooking Place Overview

Jiko- The Cooking Place is a Disney Signature Dining experience which means that guests should dress accordingly in attire “that respects the restaurant's sophisticated and upscale aesthetic.” Clothing should be clean, neat, and in good condition. No swimwear allowed.

Aside from that, there is no strict dress code but many guests will dress up for these experiences although we did see guests dining in regular park clothes so there is a bit of leeway here as long as clothes are clean and neat.

Jiko- The Cooking Place overlooks the grounds of Animal Kingdom so guests can enjoy views of the savanna with feature a diverse variety of animals like zebras, giraffes, ostriches, and more.

Jiko- The Cooking Place Menu

Jiko- The Cooking Place offers a a variety of African, Indian, and Mediterranean cuisine including chicken, steak, seafood and plant-based dishes. These dishes are all made with a bold blend of flavors and spices.

There is a children's menu featuring pizza, grilled chicken or steak, and market-fresh fish served with ancient grains and vegetables. So don't worries if you have picky eaters along for the ride! Let's get into all the dishes we enjoyed in our Jiko- The Cooking Place review.

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Jiko- The Cooking Place Review

During our experience we enjoyed some of the most popular options at Jiko- The Cooking Place.

We started with the popular Giraffe Bread! This bread is made in house and is absolutely delicious. Who doesn't love a good bread course?

Another extremely popular appetizer at Jiko- The Cooking Place is the Braaied Wild Boar Tenderloin which was served with creamy pap, chakalaka tomatoes, and herb-smoked oil. This is a fan favorite for many guests! Since I am a vegetarian, I did not partake in this appetizer but everyone in our group raved about it.

Next was the Jiko Salad featuring Quinoa, Radish, Petite Vegetables, Seasonal Fruit, Pomegranate, Tangy Cashew Cheese, Lemon-ginger Vinaigrette. This was a delicious salad and the vegetable chosen for this salad really held the water making it a refreshing course. Even my picky teenager loved this salad.

Next we enjoyed the popular Duck Confit and Honeyed Raisin Flatbread. I had mine without the duck and it was a delicious, you could really taste the honey and harissa and it was a perfect balance with the chickpeas and mozzarella.

Injera Basket was the main entrée that I chose which is a selection of seasonal plant-based stews served with house-made Injera. This is the plant based option at Jiko- The Cooking Place and it was so much different than your usual plant based option at table service restaurants! I really appreciated that variety. As a vegetarian that dines often at Walt Disney World, I also find myself being offered the same old dishes and this was the most unique I have tried. The plant-based stews spread on the Injera made for a delicious meal although it was definitely large enough to share.

The most popular dessert at Jiko- The Cooking Place is the Potjie Pot. This desert features Chocolate Custard, Lemon-Olive Oil Cake, Whipped Caramel, Cocoa Nib Crunch, and Cherries. I don't think I've ever met a dessert I've not loved but this one was especially good.