Daniel B.
Yelp
Takumi-Tei Japanese restaurant at EPCOT is one of the best dining experiences my wife and I have had anywhere--and we've eaten at a lot of high-caliber spots around the world (omakase, Michelin-starred, etc.). I say that to provide a frame of reference. This place is legit.
I was kind of surprised a restaurant of this caliber exists inside Disney World, but now I know. (My wife, who is the Disney expert and enthusiast between the two of us, already knew.) Simply put, if you want to experience the best of Disney dining, Takumi-Tei is it.
My wife said she felt like she had been transported to Japan. This place is truly authentic. All of the staff are from Japan. The format and atmosphere is that of a traditional kaiseki (Japanese multi-course) dinner. It's omakase only (essentially a fixed-price tasting menu here), though you can choose between certain dishes for certain courses (examples of which you will see in the Ichiyu-Sansai and Shii-Zakana courses below).
I ordered the "Full" seven-course omakase while my wife, who can't eat as much as me, ordered the "Semi" four-course omakase. When it came to courses where we could choose from multiple options, we each chose something different so we could try more things. I like that Takumi-Tei gives you these options. Oftentimes when my wife and I have omakase, we have to order the same amount of food and she can't finish it all and we both end up overeating.
Note: Takumi-Tei offers "Kiku" omakase which includes meat and fish and "Hasu" omakase which is vegetarian.
Here's what we had:
* Beverages
Copenhagen Sparkling Tea
Lysegron ($12) - sencha, green tea, citrus
Japanese Beer
Coedo Ruri Draft ($15)
* Omakase Menus: one "Kiku" Full ($250) and one "Kiku" Semi ($150)
Aperitif
Course 1 (Full): Ichijyu-Sansai
Sea urchin and squid temari topped with soy sauce jelly and wasabi
Course 1 (Semi): Ichijyu-Sansai
Crisp golden tofu with delicate silken tofu, served in white miso broth
Course 2 (Full): Sashimi
Bluefin tuna sashimi served with wasabi soy sauce and shiso leaves; kombu-cured sea bream and striped jack, with seared scallop, julienned vegetables, yuzu miso dressing and shiso blossoms
Course 3 (Full) and Course 2 (Semi): Hassun
Assortment of seven seasonal ingredients artfully served on individual small plates
Course 4 (Full)
Dobin mushi (broth steamed in a teapot) A5 wagyu meatball and an awabitake mushroom with yuba and ginko nuts
Palate-refresher Sake
Non-Alcoholic Cocktail - Okinawa Sunshine
Yuzu Juice ($12) Palate-refresher sake before Omakase Course 5
Course 5 (Full): Shii-Zakana
A5 Japanese wagyu steak with carrot and onion vinegar, maitake mushroom, cauliflower crispy fried spinach, and gold leaf (additional $35)
Course 3 (Semi): Shii-Zakana
Steamed alfonsino "Matsumae style" with carrot and onion vinegar, purple sweet potato puree, maitake mushroom, cauliflower, crispy fried spinach, and gold leaf
Course 6 (Full) and Course 4 (Semi): Gohan-Mono
Hitsumabushi (grilled eel over rice) with shredded omelet; shredded shiso leaf and nori seaweed, wasabi, and bonito broth; assorted homemade pickled vegetables
Course 7 (Full): Matcha and Kanmi
Green tea accompanied by homemade Japanese sweet potato Mizu-Yokan with caramel whipped cream and assorted crispy chips
After tax and tip, this meal cost $615.04. Expensive, but worth it for something so special and unique.
The food and drink was phenomenal. Really creative, inventive, and complex flavor and texture combinations, outstanding quality, and absolutely beautiful presentation with an incredible attention to detail. We loved everything. In the final course, fresh matcha green tea was handmade at a tableside cart by our server (Cast Member) Eriko. She's from Fukuoka.
From the hostess and host outside to Eriko in the dining room, service was exceptional. A nice touch was a handwritten note on origami by Eriko that came with our check. We liked Eriko so much that we sent her Cast Compliments in the Disney app.
We sat in the Washi Paper Room. It felt very intimate because there were only two other couples the room. We got a lot of one-on-one attention. There are five rooms: Wood, Stone, Earth, Washi Paper, and the exclusive "hidden" Water Room (which serves as the private Chef's Table and features a waterfall with a $100 flat-fee upcharge).