Sushi at Kimonos - Swan

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

Found this review posted on the Disney Food blog.  We ate at Kimonos for the first time in November and found the sushi to be fantastic - right up there with Calif Grill/Kona. More on that when I dig out our pics...

Review: Kimonos at Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort

Mar 24th, 2011

by AJ.

Sometimes the best things happen at the last minute.

I?d never been to Kimonos over in the Swan and Dolphin Resort, and a friend invited me to join a group for dinner at the last minute this week. Luckily, I was able to swing by and I?m so glad I did!

Atmosphere

I?d been hearing for years how great Kimonos was ? ?they have the best sushi in Walt Disney World!? was the standard review ? and I was really looking forward to trying it.

Kimonos Seating Area and Bar

The atmosphere of the place is excellent. A long, narrow room bordered on both sides with windows features a full bar at the back, a sushi station to the left, and a karaoke stage to the right as you walk into the restaurant.

Sushi Counter

Oranges, yellow, and black are the dominant colors in the clean, contemporary Japanese decor, but pops of color and texture come from kimonos hanging from the ceiling.

Dark, comfortable chairs surround small bar tables. Take a gander at the menu and mark how many of each item you want! Karaoke doesn?t begin until later in the evening, but grab a seat close to or far away from the action depending on how involved you want to be! ;-)

Eats

The menu is long and varied; no matter what you like or don?t like, you?re going to find something here you can sample and enjoy.

Not sure what to get? Head over to the sushi counter to watch the talented chefs creating magic! If you see something you like, ask about it?then order it! ;-)

Sushi Chef and his Creation

Fresh Sushi at Sushi Counter

My companions at the table ordered the Dragon Roll with crispy shrimp and tuna, the Jalapeno Roll with spicy tuna and yellow tail, the Rainbow Roll with spicy tuna and avocado, the Asparagus Roll with asparagus tempura and cream cheese, and the Coconut Shrimp Roll. Their reactions matched those that I?ve heard over and over again ? this is some of the best (if not THE best) sushi in Walt Disney World.

Sushi Platter

Rainbow Roll

Dragon Roll

Coconut Shrimp Roll

Jalapeno Roll

I arrived late (as usual) and ordered the Chicken Satay (very good, but probably not worth $10.95) and the vegetarian Asparagus Roll. I?m pretty sure the Asparagus Roll was awesome as everyone else at the table liked it, but something in it just put me off. I?m not sure if it was the taste of the cream cheese or the mixed texture of the rice plus the cream cheese. Either way, don?t listen to me. Everyone else gave it a thumbs up!

Chicken Satay

Asparagus Roll

I think next time I?ll try the Bagel Roll with smoked salmon, cream cheese, and cucumber; and the Cajun Roll with spicy crawfish!

Overall

As I knew I would be, I was very impressed with Kimonos. Service was excellent, the food was gorgeous and quite good, and the sushi chefs went out of their way to be sure I had some great photos!

Once again, the Swan and Dolphin offer a fantastic night spot with great food and fun entertainment you won?t find anywhere else on property. And don?t be afraid to bring your kids! There?s plenty to sample and try if they?re adventurous, and the nighttime vibe doesn?t begin until the sun goes down.

http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2011/03/24/review-kimonos-at-walt-disney-world-swan-and-dolphin-resort/#more-25855

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

We ate at Kimonos for the first time on 11/22/10

We didn't have an ADR and just walked right in and were seated at about 8pm.  The place wasn't super busy and we were seated at one of the "coffee table" groupings - a comfy couch and a couple of chairs situated around a low coffee table.  The couches were comfy, but you sank in so far it was a little hard to actually eat there - we had to scooch up an sit on the edge to reach our food.

However it was a lovely, comfy seat to relax and enjoy a beverage.  I got a glass of Pinot Grigio ($10.50), can't remember what DH had.  Unlikely he didn't get anything (LOL) but there's nothing noted on the receipt.

We found the atmosphere to be interesting, warm and very relaxing...

Kimonos was decorated with...... kimonos...

There was a moderate size bar area (for WDW) that had a full selection and a couple of TVs

We ordered the Tempura Udon soup to start...

"Tempura Udon - shrimp, crab, asparagus, mushroom $12.50"

It was a large enough bowl to share for an appetizer and the tempura was fresh and delicious.  Noodles were good - not gummy like udon can be when not prepared well.  Broth was clear and delicious, not overly seasoned.  We didn't leave a drop of this behind.

For sushi we ordered all maki rolls...

Spicy Rainbow Roll - spicy tuna, various fish, avocado $11.50

Dragon Roll - crispy shrimp, tuna $15.95

Banzai Roll - avocado, spicy tuna, eel $12.75

Jalapeno Roll - spicy tuna, yellow tail $12.00

Lobster Salad Roll - fried snapper, wasabi caviar $15.50

Prices were quite a bit higher than we are used to here in southern NH, but not out of line for WDW sushi (well, CG - Kona isn't quite this high).  Each roll was approx. 6-8 pieces.

Here is the platter that arrived...

Everything was delicious and fresh.  The lobster salad roll was a particular favorite (I love snapper) and the level of spice on the spicy rolls was good, but not over the top.  Even the jalapeno roll - the pepper on top was sliced paper thin so that it didn't totally overtake the taste of the roll. 

Kimonos does take TIW and it saved us $18 on our total meal.  Our total for all the above...

Subtotal (food & bev)  $90.70

TIW discount  -$18.14

18% Gratuity (incl) $16.33

Tax  $4.72

Total $93.61

All in all some of the best tasting sushi we've had on Disney property and we'd put it up there with Calif. Grill and Kona Cafe.  Given how easily it seems you can get a seat here, the relaxing atmosphere, and the overall quality of food, we'll definitely be back!