Thank you everyone for sticking with me when I ventured to the dark side (off-site
). Silly as it is, I was actually nervous about posting about as I promised a DxDP report and it turned out very different to expected.
And Happy Halloween! We're having a little buffet for tea tonight as we're (hoping!) we'll be too busy with trick-or-treaters to cook.
***
DAY 6
The plan was Crystal Palace breakfast, then it was an early lunch at Electric Umbrella, but after much debate we ended up somewhere else…
Denny’s
You can see their menu
here.
Mum had
All-American Slam -
Three scrambled eggs with Cheddar cheese, two bacon strips and two sausage links, plus hash browns and two slices of white toast
She enjoyed this, but thought iHop was better.
Nik had
The Grand Slamwich -
Two scrambled eggs, crumbled sausage, bacon, shaved ham and American cheese on potato bread grilled with a maple spice spread. Served with hash browns
This was delicious, I could eat it right now, and wish we could recreate it at home! It was even better than the much loved iHop sandwich. Nik was worried the maple spice spread might make the sandwich too sweet but it was very subtle. The hash browns were also better than iHops, they were crispier here.
I would have been quite happy never to have seen an egg again
so I had the
Build Your Own Sampler with Mozzarella Cheese Sticks, Chicken Strips and Bacon Cheddar Tots.
Unfortunately, this was as beige as it looks! It is listed on the menu as saying it comes with your choice of dipping sauces, but I wasn’t offered any and had to asked for some barbecue and ranch. The cheese sticks were no better than you’d get in McDonalds here, the chicken strips were nothing special, and the bacon cheddar tots were horrible, the bacon flavouring just made them taste greasy, Mum liked them though.
I don’t seem to have snapped a picture of the receipt here, but IIRC it was even cheaper than iHop. Great value again, and a reminder that there is yummy food outside of Disney.
***
Tiffins
We had a Rivers of Lights Dining Package reservation at Tiffins, due to the
ADR slots for the package we had to eat relatively early at 4.45 so we skipped lunch, the unused dining credits were racking up but I was determined not to start panicking about this and instead concentrate on enjoying our trip.
Tiffins was one of a few restaurants that had some variety in the -Non-Alcoholic Specialities’ section most Signatures offered a virgin pina colada, virgin strawberry daiquiri, or a no-jito.
I had the
Lilly Gorill-Ie - which was sprite flavoured with strawberry. I didn’t like (when will I learn I just like coke!), it wasn’t sweet enough for me.
Mum had
Hibiscus Henna which was watermelon, hibiscus, soda water and lime juice. I didn’t try this as I think watermelon tastes like soap, but she liked it!
Nik had
Kiama Mamma which was watermelon and sprite, he also enjoyed his drink.
This was the worst bread of the tip. It was very doughy and when dipped in the molasses it wasn’t pleasant at all.
To start, I had the
Chef’s Houe-Made Charcuterie Board -
Selection of Cured and Smoked Meats.
This was excellent, just as it was last year. My only criticism is that the naan bread served with it had a glaze on it that made it much too sweet.
Nik and Mum both had
Asparagus-Leek Soup -
Jumbo Lump Crab, Meyer Lemon Oil.
There were no complaints about this.
When I saw this dish in
Niki T’s latest report I knew I had to have it - Tiffins wasn't originally going to work in our plans but I scrapped Boma dinner for it.
Fort McCoy Beef Tenderloin -
Char-crusted Beef Tenderloin, Loaded Crushed Potatoes, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Bacon-cherry Vinaigrette, Crispy Shallots Nik ordered the same, although I had tried to swap him towards the Surf and Turf!
Sounds incredible, right?! Oh my, this was almost inedible, it was ridiculously salty, I think the char crust must have been made purely from salt. I love salt but this was way too much for me. I didn’t like the crispy shallots, I thought they were like cheap crisps (Nik liked them), and the bacon-cherry vinaigrette spoiled the potatoes for me, as the bacon flavouring was almost as overpowering at the salt. I thought the sprouts were the nicest thing on the plate!
My meat was served the suggested medium-rare, here's Nik's medium.
Mum had
Shrimp and Grit -
Anson Mills Grits, Applewood-smoked Bacon, Heirloom Tomatoes, Smoked Pepper Jam
This was a huge portion, she cleared the plate but said it was very spicy!
Of course, we had to try the
Lobster Mac and Cheese -
Black Diamond Cheddar Cheese, Shery, Orecchiette Pasta
I thought this was the best of all the mac and cheese we sampled, probably because it just tasted like standard mac and cheese. I didn’t think they were particularly generous with the lobster.
Mum had the
Tiffins Trio -
South American Chocolate Ganache, Whipped Cheesecake, Passion Fruit Tapioca Crème
This was nicely presented with all three little dishes stacked on top of each other. The portions were quite large so it would be perfect for sharing. She said she didn’t have a clue what she was eating but it was all nice
I asked if I could have the
Neopolitan Macaroon -
Strawberry and Vanilla Macaroon with White Chocolate Mousse, Pate de Fruits, and Macareted Strawberries
This was really nice, much too nice to be languishing on the kids’ menu!
Nik had
Whipped Cheesecake -
Amarula Panna Cotta, Sesame Crumbs, Espresso Sponge
The was much hilarity between Nik and Mum over the presentation of this. It is a very popular dessert and lived up to the hype for Nik, personally, I didn’t think it was anything special.
Dinner came to $234.84 not including the macaroni and the two extra Cokes Nik and I ordered. Interestingly, some restaurants allowed you a soda alongside a speciality drink with no extra charge, but others didn’t.
We were given our tickets for Rivers of Light. But, just as last year after our Tiffins
ADR, thunder and lightning started whilst we were on the safari and we decided to make a run for it to the car before it started raining. I don’t think it did rain, just our luck.
We were also given this chocolate as a gift as a returning guest alongside the little artwork all guests are given, a nice touch. I didn’t get around to trying the chocolate.
After we’d eaten Nik said that we’d tried Tiffins twice now, and he hadn’t enjoyed it either time, so I’m not sure if we’ll be back. It's a shame as it gets rave reviews and there's lots of the menu that appeals to me personally.
The Rivers of Light dining package is $68 per adult, you get three courses, can have an alcoholic drink if you wish, and get reserved seating, it's actually a really good deal out of pocket.
CREDITS USED 51
TOTAL IN $$ 1,493.98