Technically, this is a buffet, but it’s like no other buffet you’re likely to encounter. For one thing, the food is all wonderfully prepared. The food, which features a variety of meats, fish and vegetarian items based on African dishes, is adventurous in scope with brilliant flavors. And instead of steam tables most of the food is served on state-of-the-art (if all-you-can-eat technology can be called art) surfaces that allow the foods to be served in pots, pans and other vessels while still keeping them hot.

The only full-service, sit-down restaurant inside Animal Kingdom, this is a true disappointment on all levels. The food is subpar and the service does not meet Disney's usual standards. The restaurant is operated, as is Rainforest Cafe and T-Rex, by Landry Restaurants.

OK, there was one food item I liked. It was a plate of green beans that had been coated in batter (the beans, not the plate) and fried and served with a sweet dipping sauce. A nice way to eat vegetables. But $6.99 for a stack of green beans? Are they kidding?

No, they’re serious, otherwise they wouldn’t have charged $12.99 for the eensy dim sum basket that had a few pork pot stickers, pork and shrimp dumplings and two stale, doughy steamed buns with what looked to be about a teaspoon of barbecue inside.

My guest chose the Shaoxing steak and shrimp entrée, which featured shrimp on skewers coated with something the menu described as tempura batter. Actually, it more closely resembled the substance that insulates a common corn dog at your basic county fair. The meat half of the duo was good, skirt steak saturated with soy marinade. The thin steak was wrapped around a timbale of jasmine rice.... Read more