Over the weekend, Matt and I had a reservation for Teppan Edo. It had been a very long time that either of us had been there, but a sushi craving caused us to nix those plans in exchange for a meal at Tokyo Dining.
It has been quite some time since I’d last dined at Tokyo Dining. It was shortly after the refurbishment when I visited, and the menu has changed a bit over this time. I remember ordering seaweed salad, which I did not see on the menu.
There is also only one option for sashimi: The Sashimi Sampler, which consists of tuna, salmon, and yellowtail. Eel was available for nigiri and in a roll, but when I asked if it was possible to have it served as sashimi, I was told this was not possible. Bummer.
Matt ordered Tuna Nigiri ($6.00), which was devoured before I could blink. My guess is that it was good. 
He also ordered a Philadelphia Roll ($7.95). Neither of us have had this sushi menu staple in the past.
Matt thought was that it was okay, but it’s not something he’d order again. I tried a piece and didn’t care for the cream cheese texture in combination with the rice. The taste was fine, we just really weren’t fans.
I ordered the Tuna Salmon Sensation ($8.50). It is composed of raw tuna, salmon, and avocado cubes served in a sesame-sake-soy dressing.
The dressing did have a slight depth of flavor, but the soy was certainly the prominent ingredient. Japan’s kiosk for Food & Wine offered a sampling of this, which neither Matt nor I tried. I’ve seen pictures, however, and the $5.95 F&W “taste” might have had the same amount of ingredients, if not more. I thought the dish was fine, but nothing I would order again.
Our overall experience was fine, but if we have a sushi craving in the future, we’d likely pick up a roll from Katsura Grill or head over to our home base of Mikado or to Celebration for Seito Sushi. The limited options here were a bit of a deal breaker. If you like the basics, I recommend Tokyo Dining, but I don’t see myself visiting again unless I’m with someone that really wants to dine there.
What are your thoughts on Tokyo Dining? Have you found it to be relatively ho-hum like we did, or have you had something that was a stand-out there?
Never eaten there, but when my son gets older I hope we can make a stop there.
I used to go there all the time, as many of my hostages — wait, I mean, friends I dragged to WDW — wait, I mean travel companions are sushi fans. Last time I was there they had removed my beloved sweet potato roll, and this bummed me out in a big way. If more hostages want sushi, I’d probably make the ADR again, but I don’t think I’d be inclined to go back alone.
Exactly. The menu has become very basic. I’ve heard great things about Kona Island Sushi Bar (have yet to try) and California Grill’s rolls are fantastic (we often just visit the bar area). Kimonos at the Swan was decent, and had more variety than Tokyo Dining.
Can you really still go and just sit at the bar area for some drinks and snacks/meal? It’s been close to 15 years since I last ate at California Grill (this was back when check-in was at the restaurant and it wasn’t so restricted) and I remember people being able to grab a seat at the bar and have dinner (or at least drinks and some apps) but I thought they took that away. It might be a good alternative for me and my friends since it’s so hard to get a ressie nowadays.
Yes, you can still go to the bar area to order drinks and dine. They only request you remove your hat if you’re wearing one. We’ve done it on several occasions over the years, and we always enjoy it!
Excellent! Thanks for the info Sarah. I’d been wishing the bar was still open for a while (I had thought it closed off to only people with reservations), especially when it’s just me at Disney, so that I could eat there again.
Just remember that the restaurant will be undergoing refurbishment early next year, so be sure to plan accordingly!