Wolfgang Puck Express

When one hears the name Wolfgang Puck the thought of a casual, quick service dining experience is not necessarily the first thing that comes to mind, but that is exactly what is offered at the Wolfgang Puck Express at the Downtown Disney Marketplace. Specializing in sandwiches, salads, and pizzas, this restaurant certainly lives up to its slogan that “simple is delicious,” putting a new spin on these traditional offerings.



Overview:
Downtown Disney offers plenty of dining options and features a wide array of cuisines, but when I am looking for a quick meal without having a long wait the Wolfgang Puck Express is one of my favorite places to eat. Tucked back between Disney’s Days of Christmas and Mickey’s Pantry, Wolfgang Puck Express can sometimes be overlooked, but it offers a dining experience worthy of its illustrious namesake. Presenting a more casual take on some of the signature dishes that made chef Wolfgang Puck famous, this restaurant offers a great alternative to the large crowds found in Downtown Disney’s various sit down locations. The restaurant is what I consider to be an “enhanced” counter service location; you place your order at the counter as you enter, find a table to sit at while your food is being prepared, and then have your meals delivered directly to your table. The result is that you get the feel of a sit down restaurant but with much quicker service.



Atmosphere:
The Wolfgang Puck Express is not the largest dining venue, but it does offer plenty of seating both indoors and outdoors. While the restaurant’s decor has no specific theme, the overall design is very minimalist and simple, giving it a casual and laid back atmosphere. One thing I really like about the restaurant is its sense of openness, with its high vaulted ceilings and numerous windows which allow for plenty of light and give the dining room a sense of being larger than it actually is.



The outdoor seating is mostly covered and those tables not under the covering do have umbrellas. There are also several fans located above the tables in the outdoor dining area which provide some relief from the Florida heat. What is nice about the restaurant’s location is that it is tucked back out of the way, so if you are eating outside there are not a lot of people walking and there is very little noise.



Back inside, the only real visual elements in the main dining area are black and white photographs on the walls of Wolfgang Puck, various foods, and a couple of Disney World, one featuring Spaceship Earth and the other the Tree of Life. I think that more black and white photographs of different theme park locations would have helped to give the décor more cohesion, because the way they appeared next to photographs of Wolfgang Puck seemed a little random.



My personal favorite element of the restaurant’s atmosphere was the area just after the counter where you place your order. As you make your way into the main dining area you pass through a room that makes you feel as though you are walking through the kitchen. Not only are there pots and pans hanging from racks on the ceiling, but you are able to see right into the area where the chefs are preparing the food as well as the large over used for making the pizzas. This part of the restaurant presents a bit of a contrast from the main seating area, a more classic style as opposed to the modern feel of the dining room.



The Menu:
One of the first things I noticed about the menu was that it had changed since the last time I visited. It was disappointing to find that the menu had been scaled back and several items I usually look forward to getting were removed. Among the items missing were the Barbecue Chicken and Roast Beef & Cheddar sandwiches, the Barbecue Chicken Quesadilla, and the Chicken Tortilla, Rotisserie BBQ Beef, and Mediterranean Vegetable Focaccia Melts. The selection of pizzas was also cut back, no longer featuring the Italian Sausage & Roasted Red Pepper or the Spicy Chicken. One area of the menu that was expanded was the “Large Plates” section, which in addition to several pasta dishes now also includes an Oven Roasted Salmon and a Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf.

Despite all the changes to the menu, there are still plenty of selections to choose from among soups, salads, pizzas, and pastas. Some of the more exotic menu items are actually salads, including a Curried Chicken salad with apples, avocados, and toasted pecans or a Greek salad featuring feta, tomatoes, cucumbers, and a creamy yogurt dressing. For the less adventurous, there is a Hearts of Romaine salad served with Caesar dressing and the option of adding grilled chicken. The sandwich selections include a Rotisserie Turkey Club, Pesto Chicken Salad, and Warm Turkey Melt. Among the different types of pizza to be found on the menu were the Margherita, Barbecue Chicken, Roasted Vegetable, Four Cheese Pesto, and Meatball & Peppers. The menu also featured several traditional pasta dishes such as Pennette Chicken Alfredo, Macaroni and Cheese, and Spaghetti and Meatballs. The dessert selections are simple and straightforward, with the choice of Creme Brule, Cookies, Brownies, or Frozen Yogurt.

For my meal I selected the Butternut Squash Soup as well as the Barbeque Chicken Pizza. First, I must say that the portion sizes are very good and after having the soup I was only able to finish just a couple of slices of the pizza. The Butternut Squash Soup was absolutely delicious. Smooth and creamy, it was just the right consistency and I liked the fact that there were no real big chunks of squash in the soup. The soup came garnished with a roasted pepper swirl and chives, which proved to be the perfect compliment to the squash. The soup itself was somewhat sweet, but not overwhelmingly so, and the red pepper and chives actually helped to enhance the flavor and added some depth and complexity to the taste. The soup was rich and filling and also came with a small slice of bread which was perfect for dipping.



The Barbeque Chicken Pizza was also extremely good. The barbeque sauce itself had a bit of a kick, but it did not overpower all the other ingredients. In fact, I would not have minded if there was a little more barbeque sauce on the pizza. There was a good amount of chicken on the pizza, but I would have liked to have had a little more red onion because it paired very well with the chicken and added more flavor to the pizza. I was worried that the cilantro would be too strong, but there was just the right amount to compliment the other flavors and not overpower everything else. The pizza itself had a very thin crust, nice and crispy along the edges and softer toward the center. The dough was nice and light and it was cooked to perfection. I do not normally like my food burnt (especially when it comes to pizza crust), but the edges of the pizza was burned just enough that it added to the other flavors.



Service:
At a counter service restaurant one of the things you expect is fast service. The two workers taking orders were very efficient and the one who waited on me was also very observant. She was quick to tell me that I could receive a cast member discount, before I even had the opportunity to ask, because she had seen me just starting to pull out my Disney ID. Because of the way the restaurant works, you place your order at the counter and then have your food delivered to you. While the food was brought out in a timely manner and the waiter asked me if I needed anything when he served me, I was surprised that he never returned at any point while I was eating to check to make sure that everything was okay. It seemed that the waiters were most concerned with getting the tables turned over once guests had finished eating, which is important in a quick service restaurant, but it seemed to come at the expense of their interaction and attention to the guests.

Dining on a Budget:
The Wolfgang Puck Express itself is a good option for dining on a budget, especially if you want an experience similar to the Wolfgang Puck Café (also found at Downtown Disney). While the menu selections are fewer and simpler than the Café, the quality and taste are just as good. In addition, the portion sizes are big enough that sharing a dish between two people becomes an easy way to save some money. I would recommend each person getting a soup or a salad and then splitting a sandwich or a pizza. If you are still hungry you could get a dessert as well, which are all reasonably priced. When dining at Wolfgang Puck Express, I recommend getting either a soup, salad, sandwich, or pizza. While the pasta dishes all look very good, they are a bit pricey for a counter service restaurant.

The Overall Experience:
At this point I should note that while I went to the Wolfgang Puck Express located in the Downtown Disney Marketplace, there is also one in Downtown Disney West Side as well. The West Side location is smaller and its menu options are more limited, featuring just soups, salads, sandwiches, and pizzas. Surprisingly, there are actually a couple of items on the West Side menu that are not found on the Marketplace menu, but overall they are basically the same. The West Side location has a counter to sit at indoors, but the only tables are located outside. I prefer the location of the Marketplace’s outdoor seating better because on the West Side there are a lot more people walking by and it is far noisier.





Even though I was a little disappointed that the menu had been scaled back, I still left completely satisfied with my meal. The Wolfgang Puck Express is a great place to grab a quick bite to eat and I highly recommend it to anyone shopping at Downtown Disney who does not feel like waiting for a table at one of the sit down restaurants. In my opinion, it is one of the better counter service restaurants to be found in all of Disney World and that is why I will definitely be returning there in the future.

Yak and Yeti Restaurant

In Sanskrit, Anandapor means “place of delight.” Located within this tiny village in Asia at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the Yak and Yeti Restaurant can certainly be considered a “place of delight” for your taste buds.



Overview:
Prior to this visit, I had never been to Yak and Yeti, but I had been to two other locations operated by Landry’s Restaurants: Rainforest Café and T-Rex. The dining experience offered at Yak and Yeti, however, is certainly different than these other two locations. One of the things I most liked about Yak and Yeti was that it had its own back story, which helps you feel more immersed in the overall theme of the restaurant and also lends significance to the décor that you see all around you. To provide just a brief description of the restaurant’s story (which is conveniently located on the backside of the menus), the village of Anandapor sits on a highly traveled road to India upon which journey many travelers, pilgrims, and traders. In the village, a merchant named Arjun decided to convert his home into the Yak and Yeti hotel, which would cater to wealthier adventurers. Its décor and furniture are “an amalgamation of mismatched artifacts Arjun has collected through his years of travel in Southeast Asia,” and located at the center of the hotel is the Yak and Yeti Restaurant.



Atmosphere:
One of the great assets of Yak and Yeti is its décor. The restaurant itself is casual, but it has an exotic, almost sophisticated, feel. The amount of detail in the restaurant is impressive, from its large suits of armor that look like they belong in a museum to cabinets filled with small knickknacks; even the various light fixtures and different sets of tables and chairs found throughout the restaurant add to the story. All of these little touches and themed furnishings give you plenty to look at during your meal, but at the same time do not overwhelm you. One thing that came to mind as I was looking around was that it did not feel like the other Landry’s restaurants I have been to. Unlike Rainforest Café and T-Rex, which feature all-out, over-the-top theming, Yak and Yeti’s décor is much more subtle and subdued but no less effective and immersive.





What I also liked about the restaurant was how it was divided into a series of smaller rooms rather than featuring one large dining area. This gave it a much more intimate feel and really cut down on the noise. I was lucky enough to get a table upstairs by the windows, which offers a great vantage point for people-watching. I would definitely recommend asking for a table upstairs because the lower level has fewer windows and as a result is much darker. Overall, I think what makes the atmosphere of Yak and Yeti so effective is that it fits perfectly with the theme of the rest of Asia and the village of Anandapor. The restaurant itself is enhanced by everything else you experience as you walk through this land and is part of a much larger story.





The Menu:
The best way to describe the selection of food found on the menu would be Pan-Asian. Not limited to any one particular region or area of Asia, the menu offers much more than your typical Chinese restaurant fare. The menu is divided into several sections and features a wide array of choices. Among the appetizers are standards such as Pork Egg Rolls and Pot Stickers or Seared Ahi Tuna for the more adventurous. The “Noodles” section offers Chicken, Shrimp, or Vegetable Lo Mein while the “Wok” section features, among other things, Crispy Honey Chicken and Stir Fried Beef and Broccoli. Listed under “Specialties” are some seafood selections such as Seared Miso Salmon and Tempura Shrimp and the “Grilled” section includes Maple Tamarind Chicken and even Baby Back Ribs or a Kobe Beef Burger for those who are looking for something less exotic. Be sure to save room for dessert as the menu offers several sweet treats such as Fried Wantons and Mango Pie.

My server pointed out several of the more popular items on the menu. He said that the Shrimp Lo Mein and Baby Back Ribs were his two personal favorites, but that the Shaoxing Steak and Shrimp combination and the Tempura Shrimp were also very good as well. I wasn’t too hungry, and also wanted to make sure I saved room for dessert, so I ordered the Pork Pot Stickers appetizer as my entrée and also got a side order of the Fried Green Beans. For those of you not familiar with pot stickers, it is a Chinese dumpling which has a meat (or sometimes vegetable) filling wrapped in a thin piece of dough. The Pot Stickers at Yak and Yeti are offered two ways, either steamed or seared. I chose to have mine seared which turned out to be a good choice because they were cooked just right. The dough was slightly crispy, but still moist and not too dry, and the pork filling was nice and tender. The Pot Stickers came with a soy lime dipping sauce, but this was a little too strong for my taste.



As good as the Pot Stickers were, the Fried Green Beans were even better. First of all, for a side order the portion was huge and I ended up taking some home with me. I likened the green beans to healthy French fries; they had just the right amount of batter and were very light and crispy. What made the Fried Green Beans even better was the plum chili dipping sauce that they were served with. The sauce was not overly spicy, but added just the right amount of kick to the green beans.

For dessert I ordered the Fried Wantons, which my server explained was their most popular dessert item, and I am so glad that I saved room for it. Light and flaky on the outside, with a smooth cream cheese center, the wantons were amazing. They were complimented very well by pineapple and strawberries as well as just the right amount of vanilla ice cream so as not to overwhelm the wantons. What truly made the dessert was the honey vanilla sauce that came drizzled over the top. It added just the right amount of sweetness to the dessert, its flavor pairing very well with and enhancing both the wantons and the fruit.



Service:
Right from the moment I entered the restaurant the service was top notch. I did not have a reservation, but they were still able to seat me immediately. As a side note, I would definitely recommend making a reservation before dining here, as I would with all Disney dining locations. Even though it was not too crowded when I came into the restaurant at around 11:30 it was packed when I left about an hour later. My server was very nice and when I told him it was my first time eating at Yak and Yeti he went out of his way describing different items on the menu and offering a few suggestions. He was very personable and immediately struck up conversation when I told him that I went to college in Washington DC. What surprised me was that we also started talking about other Disney restaurants and even exchanged a few of our favorites. The food was brought out in a timely manner, but I did not feel rushed at all. My sever was also very good about checking in on me several times to make sure I was enjoying everything.

Dining on a Budget:
One money-saving tip I would give is to take advantage of the side order items on the menu. Many of the sides are the same as appetizers items, including Egg Rolls and Fried Green Beans as well as Chicken Fried Rice and Stir-Fried Vegetables. If you are undecided about which appetizer to get, you could choose to order a couple of sides instead. The portion size (at least for the Fried Green Beans that I ordered) is still very good. Another option for two or more people would be to split an entrée and get a couple of sides to go along with it. Another way to save some money, and if your looking for a quicker meal, would be to sit at the bar just to order a drink and a couple of appetizers. The appetizer portions are a good size and two split between two people would be filling (and you could always get a dessert if you are still hungry).

The Overall Experience:
I left Yak and Yeti very satisfied with my experience. The restaurant features a successful combination of great theming and detail, friendly service, and excellent food. There are still several other items on the menu that I want to try, so I will definitely be returning in the future; the Fried Wanton dessert is worth a repeat trip just by itself. I would definitely recommend Yak and Yeti to anyone visiting the Animal Kingdom, especially given the lack of other sit down restaurants in the park. It is a great way to relax and refresh, escaping the hustle and bustle of the crowds for a little while, but at the same time still allows you to continue to be immersed in the story and theme found throughout the Animal Kingdom.

Welcome to "Taste of the World"

Whenever I venture into the theme parks of the Walt Disney World Resort, not only do I enjoy experiencing the timeless nature of attractions such as Pirates of the Caribbean or Haunted Mansion at Magic Kingdom, the thrills of Tower of Terror at the Hollywood Studios, the sheer majesty of Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom, or the hilarity of Turtle Talk with Crush at Epcot, but I also appreciate elements of the parks which go beyond their rides and shows. Whether it is meandering through the winding paths and trails of Animal Kingdom, absorbing the different cultures of World Showcase at Epcot, or strolling through the various shops on Mainstreet in the Magic Kingdom, Disney World has much to offer its visitors beyond its attractions. One of my favorite elements of Disney World is its restaurants.

Some of the characteristics which make Disney so successful are its attention to detail, theming, depth, story, and quality. Not only are these found in the many attractions of Disney Wolrd, but can also be seen in its restaurants as well. Across its parks and resorts, Disney's restaurants offer visitors a plethora of choices and this blog seeks to lend insight into the wide variety of dining experiences that are available.

Each week this blog will highlight a different dining location. Some weeks the restaurant featured will be sit-down, at other times quick-service, or sometimes even just a place to grab a snack. The format for my reviews of the particular restaurants is as follows:

First, I'll provide an introduction and overview of the restaurant, including its location and any interesting theming or backstory it may have.

Next, I'll talk about the atmosphere, touching upon the restaurant's design, detail, and decor, as well as any "Disney touches" that make it unique.

Third, I'll analyze the menu, highlighting the various appetizers, entrees, and desserts available, particular "must have" or signature items, and then my personal selections and opinions of them.

Fourth, I'll touch upon the service I received and how the servers performed, paying special attention to anything they did that really stood out.

Fifth, I'll offer some cost-saving tips for those on a budget because, while Disney restaurants can sometimes be expensive, you need not spend a fortune every time you eat in the parks.

Lastly, I'll provide a review of my overall experience, including whether or not I would go back or recommend it to others and anything else that really made the meal special.

It is my hope that this blog will serve as a resource for those planning their Disney vacations, shedding light on the many different dining experiences that Disney has to offer. I seek not only to talk about my own personal experiences, but also hope detail everything that each of these restaurants has to offer. In the end, everyone will have their own opinions of the restaurants they eat at, but it is my goal to offer readers just a little "taste of the world."