Friday, June 9, 2017

Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen - Magic Kingdom

Yesterday, my daughters and I had lunch at Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen, the Jungle Cruise themed restaurant in Adventureland at the Magic Kingdom.



Skipper Canteen, which is staffed by the crew of the fun loving Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd., features Asian, South American, and African cuisine.  The chefs at Skipper Canteen have put together an impressive allergy-friendly menu.  It lists options for people with gluten/wheat, milk, egg, soy, fish/shellfish, and peanut/tree nut allergies.  If gluten/wheat is listed under a dish on the menu, it is safe to eat.  On a previous visit, a chef told me that they only use gluten free tamari soy sauce in the restaurant, which shows Disney's commitment to serving people with special diets.


Gluten-Friendly Appetizers
  • Bread Service - allergy-friendly rolls with fenugreek-infused honey
  • Orinoco Ida's Cachapas - house-made corn pancakes, mojo-braised pork, black bean salad, and avocado cream
  • Falls Family Falafel - a secret recipe of chickpeas, garlic, onions, lemon juice, and herbs served with white bean dip and tomato-cucumber salad
  • Ginger's "Croc" of Hot-and-Sour Soup - flavored with ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and rice wine vinegar, finished with fresh egg, tofu, and wood ear mushrooms 



Gluten-Friendly Entrees
  • Nile Nellie's Noodle Bowl - rice noodles with fragrant broth served with choice of chicken or duck with mushrooms, jalapenos, and fresh herbs
  • Char Siu Pork - marinated grilled pork served with Chinese broccoli and jasmine rice
  • Whole Fried Fish - catch of the day served with jasmine rice, grilled scallions, and soy-ginger vinaigrette
  • Trader Sam's Head-On Shrimp - sustainable local farm raised shrimp tossed in a chili-garlic sauce and served with Chinese broccoli and jasmine rice
  • Dr. Falls Signature Grilled Steak - churrasco-marinated New York strip steak, mashed plantains, toasted Brazil nut pesto topped with farofa
  • Tastes Like Chicken Because It Is - crispy fried chicken with citrus and ginger-scented rice, chili glaze, and seasonal vegetables
  • Sustainable Fish - catch of the day served over Chinese broccoli, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, and red bell peppers in a fragrant lemon grass broth 


Gluten-Friendly Kids' Meals
  • Serengeti Salad - romaine with tomato, carrots, broccoli, and cucumber with Italian dressing
  • Safari Snack - yucca fries and cucumber planks with dipping sauce
  • Tiki Tiki Fishy Fishy Grilled Sustainable Fish - fish served with jasmine rice, steamed broccoli, and fresh seasonal fruit
  • Sizzling Savanna Grilled Steak - steak served with steamed broccoli, fingerling potatoes, and fresh seasonal fruit
  • Smiley's Little "Croc" O' Soup - chicken noodle soup with fresh seasonal fruit
  • Chef Tandaji's Crispy Chicken - served with jasmine rice, seasonal vegetables, and sweet-and-sour sauce
  • Monkey Bites - with candied chocolate-sunflower seeds and chocolate-dipped banana bites
  • Fresh Seasonal Fruit - watermelon, kiwi, strawberries and pineapple


My meal started with Ener-G rolls served with butter and fenugreek-inflused honey.  My Ener-G rolls were heated well, but as always, I find them to be pretty unappetizing.  I much prefer the Deanna's gluten free rolls that are served at some restaurants on Disney property.


My daughters and I loved the cachapas, which we ordered with avocado instead of the avocado cream.  The corn pancakes were delicious, and the mojo-braised pork was tender and flavorful.


After reading my friend Sarah's review on her blog Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free at WDW, I had to order the Tastes Like Chicken Because It Is.  The chicken was nice and crispy, and overall, I liked this dish, but I wish the chili glaze was a little bit sweeter.  I ended up adding some of the fenugreek-infused honey that came with my bread service.


For dessert, I ordered the one gluten free option on the allergy-friendly menu, the Quick Sand, which is jasmine rice pudding served with mango sauce, lemon curd, a hibiscus meringue, and pineapple.  I was a little worried when it came out with what looked like a cookie on top, but a nearby server read me the ingredients, which are safe, because it is made with almond flour.  I will definitely be ordering the Quick Sand on future visits, because it is one of the most interesting gluten free desserts I have had at Disney World.  I love rice pudding, and the mango and lemon curd were the perfect accompaniments.   

June 11, 2017 Update

Earlier today, we had lunch at Skipper Canteen for the second time this week.  I was not in the mood for quick service, and there were several other entrees I wanted to try on their amazing allergy-friendly menu.  I was able to make advance dining reservations this morning, but we would have had no trouble walking-up without one at 11:30 when the restaurant opened.



I ordered Trader Sam's Head-On Shrimp with Chinese broccoli, jasmine rice, and a chili-garlic sauce.  I would prefer my shrimp without heads and tails, and I would have liked a few more of them, but other than that, this entree was very good.  The sauce was a little bit sweet, just like I like my Asian food, and it was the perfect light lunch I needed with our dinner plans at D-Luxe Burger in Disney Springs.  


In all honesty, I did want to try some other entrees at Skipper Canteen, but the main reason I came back was for the Quick Sand.  We had a table with better lighting today, so I was able to get better pictures.


Here we go, the back side of Quick Sand.  Sorry, I could not help myself.  For those of you who are new to Disney and have not been on the Jungle Cruise, the skippers always make a big deal about showing you the back side of water.  Check out all that delicious lemon curd that was hidden from view by the cookie.


My daughters ate a lot of food at The Mara this morning, so they were not in the mood for lunch.  I had hoped to split at least two entrees with them, but they opted for the Schweitzer Slush, the signature non-alcoholic drink at Skipper Canteen.  It contains frozen apple juice and passion fruit, and is topped with green apple boba balls.  We enjoyed this drink on a past visit, and I double checked that it was still gluten free, which it is.

December 10, 2017 Update

Over Thanksgiving Break, we had lunch at Skipper Canteen with my extended family.


I ordered the Tastes Like Chicken again, but did request a side of the chili-garlic sauce that is served with Trader Sam's Head-On Shrimp.  My crispy fried chicken, citrus and ginger-scented rice and vegetables were great, but the sauce was very salty, so I barely used any of it.  Next time, I might ask for a side of the sweet-and-sour sauce from the Kids' Menu.


My Quick Sand was just as amazing as it was on previous visits, and it has become one of my favorite desserts at Disney World.


My husband enjoyed his Falls Family Falafel with chickpeas, garlic, onion, lemon juice and herbs, served with white bean dip and tomato-cucumber salad.


For dessert, my health-conscious aunt asked for fresh fruit, and was served this dish from the Kids' Menu with watermelon, kiwi, strawberries, and pineapple.  Overall, my whole family enjoyed their meals, even though we all found the sauces to be a bit salty on this visit.


On our previous visits, which you can read about here, we have tried the Nile Nellie's Noodle Bowl, the Char Sui Pork, which I do not recommend, and a modified Kungaloosh dessert.  The menus pictured in this post are current as of November 19, 2017.  

You can read more about Skipper Canteen, view their menus and hours, and make advance dining reservations on Disney's website here.  

What are your favorite gluten free options at Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen? 



4 comments:

  1. Can't wait to try the Quick Sand! Nice to see something besides the usual options of sorbet or allergy-friendly cookies!

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    Replies
    1. It was so good, I want to go back again tomorrow when we are at the Magic Kingdom!

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  2. AWesome, loved reading this review! When we tried this restaurant in November, we were told they could make any entree (with the exception of two things) gluten free. Very impressed!

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