Thursday, June 15, 2017

Tiffins - Disney's Animal Kingdom

Last week, we had dinner at Tiffins, a signature dining restaurant in Disney's Animal Kingdom.  Tiffins is located right outside the entrance to Pandora - The World of Avatar.


The theme of Tiffins is travel, and it features a globetrotting menu of international cuisine.


The room we sat in was beautiful, and the wall above our table featured Rivers of Light lanterns.


I had no trouble making advance dining reservations a couple of days before we dined at Tiffins, and the restaurant was very slow when we arrived early for our reservation, shortly after 4:00.


Tiffins has an extensive allergy-friendly menu with plenty of gluten free options to choose from.


Gluten-friendly appetizers:
  • Lobster-Popcorn Thai Curry Soup 
  • Black-Eyed Pea Fritters - a member of my Gluten Free in Orlando Facebook group recently had this appetizer, and said the fritters were great
  • Marinated Grilled Octopus
  • Apple Walnut Salad
  • Sustainable Fish Causa
  • Watermelon and Barrel-Aged Feta - our server recommended this appetizer


Gluten-friendly entrees:
  • Pomegranate-Lacquered Chicken
  • Duo of Venison
  • Berkshire Pork Tenderloin
  • Grilled Swordfish
  • Pan-seared Duck Breast
  • Seared Hokkaido Scallops
  • Roasted Vegetable Curry
  • Wagyu Striploin and Braised Short Rib - my friend Lorraine ate at Tiffins the week before we did, and said this entree was amazing, and that her dining experience at Tiffins was one of the best she has ever had in Orlando


Gluten-friendly kids' meals for guests ages 9 and under:
  • Roasted Chicken
  • Pan-seared Sustainable Fish
  • Grilled Beef - my friend Lorraine's daughter had this entree and loved it
  • Caramel-Chocolate Cake - we had this dessert at neighboring Nomad Lounge last year and enjoyed it
  • Fresh Fruit Salad 



Gluten-friendly desserts:
  • Calamansi Mousse
  • Passion Fruit Tapioca Creme
  • Sorbet Tasting


We all ordered a Balinese Breeze, which is mountain berry tea with simple syrup and lemon juice.  Looking on Disney's website, it might only be on the menu at Nomad Lounge, but they share a bar and kitchen, so our server said we could order one.


My complimentary bread service came with gluten free papadum and a mixture of pomegranate, molasses and olive oil.  I loved the bread service when I had it next door at Nomad Lounge last year, but I found my papadum and my dipping sauce to be a bit salty, which is odd for me, because I like my food to be well salted.


My gluten-eating daughters shared Tiffins Signature Bread Service, which can be made gluten free if they serve it with just papadum, which is thin and crunchy, and is often made from lentil or chickpea flour.  Their accompaniments arrived in a Tiffin, which is a tiered container that working men in India ate light lunches out of.


For an appetizer, I ordered the lobster-popcorn Thai curry soup, which was so creamy and delicious, I would definitely order it again the next time we dine at Tiffins.


I chose the pomegranate-lacquered chicken with sweet potato pap, Thumbelina carrots, and a citrus-fennel salad for an entree.  I enjoyed this dish, but it could have used way more of the pomegranate sauce that was drizzled on the plate.  My chicken was tender and cooked to perfection, and was well complemented by the sweet potato pap.  Even though I liked this dish, I would probably order something else on future visits.


My daughters shared the Berkshire pork tenderloin with a pork and masa tamale, hominy succotash, and red mole sauce.  I was shocked when I saw how pink the pork was, so we ended up sending it back.  Berkshire pork has a pink-hue, but it looked incredibly rare, and my daughters would not eat it.  My girls loved the pork and masa tamale, which is the main reason they ordered this dish, and they enjoyed the hominy succotash, but they did not like the mole sauce, and only took a bite or two of the pork once we received our second dish.  I would have tried it myself, but we did not have it marked as an allergy order, so I did not feel comfortable eating it, even though it is listed as a gluten-friendly option on the allergy-friendly menu.


For dessert, I chose the Calamansi Mousse with mango lava and Swiss meringue.  The calamansi mousse had the flavor of an orange, and was filled with a generous amount of mango lava.  My favorite part of the dessert was the basil sugar on top, and the meringue was delicious too.  I almost did not eat it, because I was told it was a coconut meringue, but it did not taste like coconut at all.  I liked this dessert, but did not love it, which is how I felt about my entree as well.


When I dine at signature dining restaurants and pay signature dining prices, I want to love my food.  Overall, we liked our meals, but I don't think we will be rushing back to Tiffins any time soon.  The service though was phenomenal, and the restaurant was beautiful.  I wish I remembered the name of our server, who was super attentive and friendly, and had my daughters' entree removed from our bill, because the pork was not cooked to temperature.

You can read more about Tiffins, view their menu, and make advance dining reservations on Disney's website here.

What are your favorite gluten free options at Tiffins?



2 comments:

  1. When we ate there a few months ago, the only food that really rocked my boat was the black-eyed pea fritters. I would go back and only order them... I asked for the recipe, but they wouldn't share.

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    1. Linda - I will definitely have to give them a try if we go back.

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