Takumi-Tei’s Omakase Tasting Menu is a Walt Disney World bucket list-worthy expertise. The Japan pavilion’s Signature Restaurant is certainly costly, however is it well worth the cash? This eating evaluation shares meals photographs & ideas on our expertise at this Epcot positive eating restaurant. (Up to date August 1, 2024.)
Let’s begin with the newest replace, which is that Takumi-Tei has gotten one other new menu. Apart from adjustments to the course, each choices at the moment are each priced at $250 per grownup, plus tax and gratuity. Beforehand, the plant-based Omakase menu was $150. Once we final dined at Takumi-Tei, the price of the common Omakase menu (not the plant-based one) was $150–so this can be a $100 worth enhance. Moreover, they’ve eradicated the a la carte menu.
This made since when Takumi-Tei first reopened, pent-up demand was operating sizzling, and friends had been spending freely. That hasn’t been the case for some time, although, and the restaurant often has availability within the final yr. When this menu change was first introduced, my expectation was that it’d be restoring the a la carte menu in an effort to spice up bookings. That is primarily the reverse of that.
To every their very own, however we’ve no need to revisit Takumi-Tei with the one menu choice costing $250 per particular person. This isn’t to single out Takumi-Tei, as the identical goes for Monsieur Paul. It’s a bit shocking to us that these eating places are viable at these worth factors, as we had been to Monsieur Paul on many events once they couldn’t fill half the restaurant even with ‘summer time particular’ menus at a fraction of the present worth level.
Maybe that’s a part of the considering. That it’s higher to fill 10 tables with a menu costing $250 per particular person than it’s to fill 20 tables at $100 per head. I don’t know whether or not that’s the rationale, however I don’t know what else it may very well be. That’s clearly their prerogative, however we aren’t the target market for such an expertise and it’s onerous for us to see the worth proposition of it.
Presumably, anybody with the finances to drop $250+ per particular person on a meal additionally has the means to journey internationally, the place meals of this caliber are a fraction of the worth (particularly due to the robust greenback). We simply did a meal of this caliber in Kyoto for roughly $50 per particular person. Even with out touring overseas, friends do have the power to enterprise off-site or to main cities in the US, the place such meals additionally exist.
Once more, to every their very own. However we’ve a tough time justifying a meal this costly at Walt Disney World except it’s Victoria & Alberts. Perhaps you actually need a premium, genuine Japanese eating expertise inside EPCOT, by which case, Takumi-Tei (and the remainder of this evaluation) is for you!
Takumi-Tei’s Omakase menu is a multi-course eating expertise that includes sushi, wagyu steak, dessert, a tea ceremony, and extra. This isn’t the Chef’s Desk or kaiseki meal, that are served individually within the non-public Water Room. Slightly, the Omakase Tasting Menu will be ordered from any desk at Takumi-Tei.
As a result of excessive price ticket for this meal (it’s much more costly with wine & sake pairings, which we didn’t do), we opted to separate the Omakase expertise whereas additionally ordering from the common menu (not at the moment obtainable). This seems to be fairly widespread, and we’d positively advocate the identical in the event you don’t need to break the financial institution.
This Omakase Tasting Menu evaluation gained’t fixate on theme, ambiance, or service; in the event you’re involved with these issues (and you ought to be!), you’ll want to learn the primary half of our Takumi-Tei Restaurant Assessment earlier than persevering with right here…
We’ll evaluate and distinction our expertise with the Omakase Tasting Menu at Takumi-Tei to a few of our eating experiences in Kyoto and past, however our goal is to not be pretentious about it. Slightly, we share a few of this as a result of Takumi-Tei is maybe the closest Epcot has to an academic eating expertise. (Is edutastement a phrase? If not, it needs to be.)
Past that, all of Epcot’s eating places are reinterpreted for a broad theme park viewers. We don’t need to be nit-picky commentators who decry the inauthenticity of this or that. Even conventional Japanese eating places which have been working for hundreds of years (actually) are continually reinventing themselves and chasing tendencies. Many Japanese cooks at high-profile eating places prepare in Europe, and French delicacies (amongst different kinds of cooking) is massively influential in Japan.
With that in thoughts, the very first thing we’ll level out is that, as nice as it’s (and it’s nice!), the Omakase Tasting Menu at Takumi-Tei isn’t an omakase expertise. In Japan, omakase signifies that what’s served is left as much as the discretion of the chef.
Usually, this implies counter seating and the chef making ready gadgets primarily based upon recent substances and what the restaurant occurs to get on a specific night time. In Kyoto, seasonality is big. Many eating places serve omakase menus comprised of seasonal greens and fish obtained from the wholesalers round Nishiki Market.
At Takumi-Tei, the Omakase Tasting Menu is printed within the menus and posted on-line, and stays largely unchanged for months at a time. Takumi-Tei does have a chef’s desk (the Water Room), which sounds prefer it’s a cross between an precise omakase expertise and kaiseki-ryori.
The one factor that does appear to alter each day on the Omakase Tasting Menu is the otoshi course, which is “imagined each day by the Cooks at Takumi-Tei.” On every of our two visits, we had been served one thing totally different.
In our full Takumi-Tei evaluation, we already lined the Nikomi Wagyu: Roasted Bone Marrow, Braised Wagyu Brief Rib, Yuzu Kosho, Wasabi Shiso Bavaroise, Warishita.
Suffice to say, this is likely one of the greatest appetizers we’ve ever had at Walt Disney World. It appears a tad incongruous with the remainder of the tasting menu, however it’s so phenomenal that we’ll completely overlook this.
Subsequent was the Temari Sushi: Chef-selected Assortment of Oceanic Delicacies.
This has change into considerably stylish within the Gion district of Kyoto, and is spun as being served in spherical, bite-size parts so geisha don’t mess up their make-up and lipstick, and likewise as a result of they couldn’t open their mouths broadly. There aren’t any geisha at Takumi-Tei, so it looks like a pretext for utilizing smaller parts of fish.
It will’ve been one factor if the fish wrapped across the rice, however most didn’t even cowl the highest. That made the Temari Sushi course a disappointment. (Moreover, everybody is aware of that the favourite meals of geisha is…egg salad sandwiches?!)
Following that comes the Hashiyasume: palate cleaning course.
This consists of cucumber jelly and ginger, two issues we love. The flavour is crisp, clear, and refreshing. Does the trick and offers your style buds the clear slate essential to benefit from the delights that await!
And oh what a delight is to return with the Wagyu Tabekurabe: Japanese A5 Wagyu Strip Steak paired with Jackman Farms Wagyu Strip Steak, Roast Cipollini Onion, Curried Potato, Seasonal Mushroom, Daikon and Watermelon Radish Tsukemono, Yuzu Kosho, Contemporary-grated Wasabi, Arima Sansho Pepper Discount, Matcha Maldon.
Tabekurabe is a culinary comparability, and never an unusual one when ordering wagyu in Japan. Right here, I believe it’s an opportunity to dunk on America and say, “see how your faux wagyu stacks as much as the actual factor?!” There really isn’t any comparability, because the A5 wagyu is buttery each in taste and tenderness. Phrases don’t even start to do it justice, and the Omakase Tasting Menu is a good introduction to the Great World of Wagyu.
It’s value noting right here {that a} comparable quantity of wagyu on the traditional menu goes to run you about $100 (averaging the price of the American and Japanese beef). I believe the strip steak is the right lower for Japanese A5 Wagyu–making this a greater choice than ordering the Makiba no Megumi — Reward of Ranch and Ushikai no Shukaku — Cattleman’s Harvest, and splitting these between two individuals.
As an alternative, we’d advocate splitting this Omakase Tasting Menu between two individuals, and likewise including the Sea Bass, presumably the Agedashi Tofu (if you would like one other distinctly Japanese dish), and one of many different two desserts. That may assist present stability to this meal, which is arguably a tad beef-heavy. (HERESY!)
For dessert, we’ve the Shizuku: Water Cake, Yuzu Crumble, Black Grape, Blackberry Sake.
It is a stylish dessert in Japan (the place it’s primarily often called “raindrop cake”), however largely for the sake of Instagram. Your mileage might differ, however I discover this disappointing as in comparison with conventional mochi lined with kinako. As is, this seems fairly, however is moderately bland. The crumble doesn’t do almost pretty much as good of a job of including taste to the water cake as kinako powder would. The opposite two desserts on the traditional menu are far superior to the Shizuku.
Lastly, the Omakase expertise ends with a Tea Ceremony. It is a conventional ceremony that includes matcha inexperienced tea ready in entrance of the visitor.
We’ve carried out a few tea ceremonies in Kyoto and they’re…not my cup of tea. In my estimation, that is the right instance of a cultural expertise tailored for American audiences. It condenses and skips a lot of the tedious steps, distilling it to the vital and attention-grabbing parts. The tip result’s one thing on par with what you’d encounter at Ippodo, a superb tea home in Kyoto that’s over 300 years outdated.
So many issues all of us do at Walt Disney World occur at a frenetic tempo, and we frequently don’t relish every particular person second or expertise. Nevertheless, this night time stays etched in our minds as a result of we did savor it and did not take it as a right. It was a multi-hour meal with pals, ending as Epcot Eternally began.
Afterwards, we purchased a Bonsai tree at Mitsukoshi Division Retailer to recollect the night time (which Yossarian now “loves”), watched the fireworks, after which let our meals settle with a protracted lap of World Showcase earlier than wandering out of Worldwide Gateway.
General, the Omakase Tasting Menu finally ends up being an amazing edutastement expertise in Epcot. It’s a prolonged meal (plan on spending 2+ hours at Takumi-Tei) offering ample alternatives to find out about Japanese tradition, varied areas within the nation, and the Forged Members who double as ambassadors. As with every meal at Takumi-Tei, this tasting menu affords the peak of omotenashi hospitality, with service that’s unmatched anyplace else at Walt Disney World.
When it comes to delicacies, the Omakase Tasting Menu balances stylish and attention-grabbing dishes with conventional ones. Whereas slight liberties are taken, these are fairly reflective of what you’d really discover at eating places in Japan. Even the dishes that aren’t scrumptious (just like the raindrop cake) are fascinating and delightful, which is half the enjoyable.
There are three programs which might be unequivocally distinctive: the Nikomi Wagyu, Wagyu Tabekurabe, and Tea Ceremony. The cumulative value of those dishes can be over $150 (in the event that they had been obtainable on the common menu–and a pair of of the three are usually not), making the opposite 4 programs primarily “bonuses.” When seen in that gentle, the Omakase Tasting Menu is an distinctive decide for anybody eager to splurge and wander into the Great World of Wagyu.
If it’s in your finances, the Omakase Tasting Menu affords a very magical Walt Disney World reminiscence that may final a lifetime–one that you could savor when you’re caught at residence lengthy after your journey has ended. I don’t know after we’ll be capable to get again to Takumi Tei, however I’m already wanting ahead to our subsequent go to.
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Your Ideas
In the event you’ve carried out the Omakase Tasting Menu, what did you consider the expertise and meal? Did you are feeling it was well worth the cash or not? Is that this one thing you’d love to do, or is it too dear? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions we may help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even once you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
