JUST IN: Shiki-Sai- Sushi Izakaya is Having a Soft Opening and MickeyBlog is There!
We’ve got some exciting news for Disney foodies!~ If you’ve been following along with us here at MickeyBlog you may have heard the news that Shiki-Sai, the new table service eatery at EPCOT’s Japan Pavilion released its full menu and it’s AMAZING! We also heard a rumor that the restaurant was having a soft opening STARTING TODAY. Our dedicated MickeyBloggers rushed over to EPCOT and we are excited to bring you a first look at the Shiki Sai – Sushi Izakaya dining experience!
Here we are arriving at a newly opening Shiki-Sai- Sushi Izakaya!
Word seemed to be out regarding the soft opening and there was already a crowd when we arrived.
The cast members came out to greet the crowd in front of a mural of cherry blossoms, fireworks, and woodland creatures.
Our hostess is giving us a first look at the new menu!
We were lucky enough to catch a wonderful opening ceremony for Shiki-Sai- Sushin Inakaya.
The official description of the restaurant is as follows:
“Authentic Japanese Sushi – Mitsukoshi offers a festive dining experience in the fun-loving and sociable Izakaya style at Shiki-Sai, “festival of the four seasons.” Enjoy the delights of an open sushi bar and grill immersed in enchanted scenes from the Japanese seasons and festivals.”
The front of the menu illustrates the ethos of serving up seasonal flavors with beautiful blooms that represent each of the four seasons.
The current menu is a celebration of Summer flavors. It’s very well done and full color!
The restaurant has a lovely bar area where you can pick up a drink while you wait.
On offer is a nice selection of wine and beer
Shiki-Sai also offers house sake as well as canned brands.
There’s also a nice cocktail menu.
We found out a fun tidbit about the bar. It is named Tōkaidō which means Eastern sea road. According to our MickeyBlogger Miranda, this is a historic road connecting Osaka and Kyoto with Edo (now Tokyo) in Japan. The bar is aptly named because it connects two restaurants – Shiki Sai and Teppan Edo
We tried the Tokyo Sunset which was a beautiful drink made with coconut rum, creme de banana, peach schnapps, and pineapple juice.
This drink retails for $16.00.
The dining room was beautiful with booths next to windows offering beautiful vistas of summer in Japan.
For their meal, our MickeyBloggers started with the Miso Soup.
The Miso Soup is actually spectacular. It features wakame, tofu, and scallions and is $6.00. We couldn’t find fault with this starter at all!
Next up is the Kushi (Beef Skewer) which retails for $8.00. This dish was so tender and juicy. The sauce added just the right amount of tanginess. We were absolutely blown away by how good this was! Miranda said this was the best piece of meat she’s ever had!
Here’s a look at the Japanese Potato Salad. The Potato Salad includes crispy bacon, smoked daikon, and sweet red bean paste. This dish retails for $8.00.
The sweet bean paste was the perfect addition to this dish and the daikon radish added just the right amount of crunchiness.
Our MickeyBloggers also shared the Spicy Tuna Roll which was perfect. Unlike the name might suggest it wasn’t too spicy, was perfectly balanced, and delicious.
For dessert, we opted to keep it simple and went for the ice cream.
This is standard Disney soft serve but was perfect in its simplicity and just want we need to cleanse the palette after a delicious meal.
On a side note, when you finish your meal, you get a card and are encouraged to write your wishes on it and hang it from the bamboo tree.
We want to take a minute to thank all of the cast members. Their spirit made for such a positive atmosphere. They greeted every guest as they walked in with chanting and celebration and again as you left!
How do I get in to dine at Shiki Sai: Sushi Izakaya?
- Soft Opening – The restaurant is currently open for Soft Opening on a walk-up basis. Operating hours may vary.
- Reservations Available – Reservations can be made up to 60 days in advance via the My Disney Experience app. Reservations are available to book for dates staring on August 28, 2023.
- Official Opening Date – Though reservations open starting on August 28, 2023 we’re told that the official grand opening is August 30, 2023.
Menu & Pricing
Lunch and dinner range between $15 – $34.99. You can check out the full menu here.
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