Takumi Tei Review at Epcot’s Japan Pavilion
Takumi Tei is a signature dining establishment at Epcot offering Japanese cuisine. When the restaurant initially opened, guests could choose from one of the tasting menus or select à la carte items from the menu. This review is from our first visit to the restaurant after it opened in 2019. It is important to note that some things have changed since this visit. Therefore, you’ll want to preview the menu and prices before making a reservation. As of this update, the restaurant strictly offers a full-course and semi-course menu.
We had the Omakase tasting menu on our visit. Omakase means chef’s selections. Some of the selections include A5 Wagyu, lobster tempura, sashimi, and a choice between two desserts. It’s also important to mention that this kind of dining experience will take up a significant amount of time. We spent a little over two hours enjoying our meal.
Takumi Tei is located on the far right-hand side of Mitsukoshi, the large department store in Epcot’s Japan Pavilion. When you first open the door to the main entrance, you’ll enter a corridor where various earth elements are displayed. A hostess pointed out a few of them and provided a mini-history before seating us.
A kimono was displayed in the small waiting area.
Takumi Tei is comprised of several unique dining rooms, each representing one of the elements. We were seated in the room representing Earth.
Here is another one of the rooms.
A private dining room is available at the front of the restaurant. Reservations for this special dining experience must be booked by phone.
After being seated, we were presented with a menu. If you want to review the current menu, it’s available here on Disney’s site.
The following Japanese Whisky selections were available on our visit:
- Yamazaki 12 Single Malt
- Ichiro Malt and Grain
- Nikka Coffey
- Kaiyo The Single 96
- Hibiki Harmony
- Hakushu 12 Single Malt
Our server discussed the options and recommended the Hibiki Harmony. It was brought out in a modern presentation with one large ice cube.
We also tried the “seasonal watermelon cocktail,” which, unfortunately, wasn’t listed on the menu. While similar to a margarita, it was elegantly presented with a watermelon ice cube and rind garnish. It was not too sweet, not too sour, and pleasing to the taste buds.
Before our meal, a server brought warm washcloths to freshen our hands. This kind of attention to detail impressed me throughout the dinner.
Since we had reviewed the menu before our visit, we had already decided on sharing the Omakase Tasting Menu and then ordering a few à la carte items. Our server agreed that this was acceptable since we planned to try other menu items. However, as of this update, those à la carte items are not available. So it is expected that everyone will order their own tasting menu.
Takumi Tei’s Omakase Tasting Menu comes with seven different courses. It is a dining experience in itself.
- Otoshi — imagined daily by the chefs of Takumi-Tei
- Temari Sushi — Chef-selected assortment of oceanic delicacies
- Nikomi Wagyu — Roasted Bone Marrow, Braised Wagyu
- Hashiyasume — Palate cleansing course
- Wagyu Tabekurabe — Japanese and American Wagyu selections
- Suiren Dani — Japanese Water Cake
- Tea Ceremony — Traditional ceremony featuring Matcha Green Tea
*Some of these courses might have changed since our initial review.
Again, our meal was paced and took a little over two hours. Make sure to allow for plenty of time. You would not want to feel as though you had to get anywhere else after the meal was over.
Our first course of the tasting menu at Takumi Tei starts with an amuse-bouche. Since we split the course, we were each given this potsticker-style appetizer. Usually, you would receive a more significant portion. It was a tasty bite that was appropriately seared. Inside, the filling was creamy and offered a nice texture.
The second course of the Omakase Tasting Menu was a Temari Sushi. It was elegantly presented with fine garnishes and the usual accompaniments.
The presentation was exquisite. A warning here, the wasabi is high quality. So make sure to use it sparingly. It was a wonderful spicy-hot addition to the sushi.
Our sushi was Tuna, Toro, Salmon, Yellowtail, Uni, and Ikura. I enjoyed the ability to try all the options offered on the regular menu.
Our appetizer, the bone marrow short rib, was the third course of the meal. It looked like more of an entree. Our short rib was packed into a roasted bone containing delicious bone marrow.
The preparation was stunning with the broth-brushed plate, spicy wasabi sauce, and grated ginger.
The short rib had a texture similar to a roast. But it did have a unique taste and was complemented by the bone marrow underneath. A serving spoon is brought to the table with the dish for scooping out the bone marrow.
A palate cleanser was brought to the table during the middle of the meal. It was a cucumber flavor that was cold and refreshing.
Our entree, the Wagyu Tabekurabe, was the star of the tasting course. After eating so much already, I wasn’t expecting this large platter.
This entree compares American and Japanese Wagyu. The American in the picture is the less fatty option on the left-hand side. The Japanese version is on the right and is heavily marbled. The chef prefers to cook this item medium-rare. We were given a choice, and went with his preference. Those are lobster mushrooms in the center of the platek along with curried potatoes and onions. A pleasant reduction enhanced the flavor of the dish.
Moving on to the dessert course, we have the Suiren Dani. This dessert is a Japanese rose water-style cake with a crumb topping. We found the dessert visibly appealing, and the rose petals were edible.
I wanted to give it points for being so unique, and I didn’t feel let down by the dish because I was so full. However, it didn’t provide that sweet indulgence feeling you would normally get at the end of this type of meal. After the fact, I was grateful for not adding a ton of dessert calories. But I did end up at Boardwalk’s Screen Door store about an hour later, picking up a slice of chocolate fudge.
And after some thought, that shouldn’t have happened. So it is my only complaint about the meal. However, it wouldn’t keep me from returning. We were also presented with a special Takumi Tei tea ceremony at the end of our meal. Our server brought out a pot of hot water and ingredients to brew green tea. She reminded us that we were honored guests and told us she was grateful to share the evening with us.
After preparing the tea, she presented us with a beautiful clay cup. During the presentation, there was a mention about how they offered you a special cup to drink from. The cup had an intricate floral design and a lovely shape.
Of course, this is a Matcha green tea that might remind you more of a cup of coffee than actual tea. It is not sweet to the taste, but felt cleansing. I couldn’t imagine a better way to end our meal. Our server also brought me a souvenir. I don’t know if this is part of the entire experience. It wasn’t mentioned on the menu. But it was the sweetest gesture. It was a tiny capsule of rock candy, and a thank-you note on the loveliest Japanese card.
Since we had ordered the tasting menu to share, we also ordered the Sashimi preparation off the regular menu. This dish was pleasing, not only aesthetically, but it tasted as good as it looked. It was, perhaps, one of the most stunning orders of sushi I’ve ever been presented.
In the center of the platter, the salmon was formed to look like a rosebud. And that’s Uni draped across rings of cucumber. Yellowtail is towering toward the center, along with Tuna. Ikura and Toro are placed elegantly around it.
I could revisit Takumi-Tei and order this alone and be completely happy. Hopefully, we’ll see some of these à la carte options return. Overall, we had a lovely evening at Takumi Tei, and other than dessert, I genuinely felt this lavish dining experience was worth the high price tag. However, you’ll want to consider if such a meal is also worth setting aside the time for during your visit.
Whatever you do, I wouldn’t plan much before or after this meal. You wouldn’t want to go into this kind of dining experience feeling pressured to be somewhere. For more dining, you might enjoy browsing our list of Disney Dining Reviews.
In the Comments
Are you considering a meal at Takumi Tei? Did you find this review helpful? Have you had the chance to dine here? Let us know your thoughts below in the comments.
