by Shontell Crawford

If you have already dined at the Flying Fish Café I would venture to guess you might agree with me that the name hardly does it justice. The food is star worthy and it is far more impressive than any other café I have ever experienced.

Located directly on the Boardwalk of Disney’s Vacation Club with the same name, one might walk right past it being distracted by the carnival like entertainment outside or perhaps the giant ESPN sign or Dance Hall located on either end. But trust me, if you have missed out on this delightful restaurant, it is time to stop and wander in!

I originally intended to keep these blogs short and let the videos speak for themselves, but so many things about this evening are worth mentioning. I hope you will find the included nuances worthwhile. There are so many details to share!

Our guest for this segment was originally drawn to the café through her admiration of the former Brown Derby manager, Keith Gimbel. Certainly a “foodie” by most people’s standards, our guest, Sandi has dined in some of the most exclusive, upscale restaurants in the US.

Our meal began with Keith stopping by to welcome our guest and us by offering a sample of one of the wines he fancies, Blackbilly Pinot Gris from Australia. I would describe it as an ideal summer white, chilled perfectly, refreshing, crisp and delicious. Did I mention I’m a red wine drinker ninety-five percent of the time? Rest assured this was one of the best whites I’ve ever tasted. I was so impressed I wanted more but I also wanted to know if everything else was going to be just as good!

Our server, Chris, followed shortly thereafter and shared the specials for the evening in great detail and encouraged us to peruse the specialty drink menu as well as the extensive wine list. After much debate, we all made our selections for the evening: soup and calamari to start, followed by tilapia, tuna, and snapper for our meals. Let the feast begin!

The chef surprised us with an Amuse-bouche of a sautéed scallop atop a crisp plantain, complimented with greens and delicious chive oil.

Amuse Bouche (click for a larger photo)

Sandi enjoyed the Roasted Tomato and Basil bisque and I gazed longingly at it upon seeing the Gorgonzola Focaccia Crostini that came with it – yum! The calamari was tasty, beautifully presented and complimented with an Asian dipping sauce.

Side note: Of the alternative red wine flight, I enjoyed the Australian Fire Block Old Vine Grenache ‘04 best with the calamari.

Calamari (Click for a larger photo)

Between app and entrée, Chris delivered a Lychee sorbet – brand new to me, I was informed that Lychee (photo) is an ancient Chinese fruit, favored by Emperors. Who knew? Sandi did, of course!

When the main course arrived there was no disappointment to be found: The tuna melted in your mouth, the tilapia was fresh from “The Land” over at Epcot, and absolutely perfect! ~ Did I mention that FF gets a lot of its items from The Land? Sandi had been on a tour earlier that day and noted she may have seen her dinner swimming around before it arrived on her plate! How many places in the world can that happen? ~ I don’t normally like tilapia but felt adventurous, ordered it, and truly enjoyed it. The chef brought out all the best flavors. The signature snapper was as pleasing to the palette as it was to the eye and will be my entrée to try when I return next. (Friday’s film gives a little more detail about it!)

The Epcot Tilapia (Click for larger photo)

Certainly satisfied at this point we all contemplated dessert…of course we had some – for you, of course, our valuable reader, in the interest of “research” – I sound convincing, right? We chose the Ginger Scented Banana and Macadamia Tart, the Caramelized Peach Crème Brulee, and A Study in Chocolate. Upon delivery, Keith came by and poured a glass of the Magicale Brachetto d’Acqui dessert wine. Oh, the decadence! I honestly can’t pick just one….each was delicious in its own right, for its own reasons.

Study in Chocolate (Click for a larger photo)

I am reminded of the DVC Resorts (people ask me daily which is the “best” and why)…Disney has built each with a different “flavor” to appeal to all the different palettes of the world! But truly, one must try them all!

I certainly implore you to visit this restaurant if you haven’t already. My words likely aren’t doing it the justice it deserves so I’ll let my guest’s choice; based on her extensive knowledge, assure you of its quality. Please come back on Friday for the weekly film and let us know if we have opened your eyes to, dare I say it – (in the voice of Aladdin) “A whole new world” at one of Disney’s best kept restaurant secrets.

Bon Appétit!

Flying Fish Highlights:
Location: Directly on the Boardwalk of the resort!
Advanced reservations: Are NOT necessary, although encouraged.
A Cast Member is specifically placed outside the restaurant with a kiosk to encourage, help and accommodate walk up guests.
Unique features: Wine flights, food directly from Epcot’s The Land

Our special thanks to Keith and Chris for spectacular service, warmth and patience with all our questions! Please say hello to them on our behalf when you visit.

For all of you food connoisseurs, here is the menu that we had at the time of our dining experience.

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