One of the things I usually recommend to fans looking to enjoy a visit to Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Sanaa is to keep an open mind.  Great food, for sure, but it’s not common, everyday fare.

Well, at the moment, I could say the very same thing about Magic Kingdom’s Jungle Navigation Co., Ltd. Skipper Canteen!  Hey!  Be open to trying new things, my friends!

Actually, recently reported news suggests that a lot of Guests find the canteen’s current menu to be quite intimidating.  The result?  An entirely new menu might be on its way.

I’ll be the first to admit that we found Skipper Canteen’s menu to be even more “off the beaten track” than that offered by Sanaa.  Should it be completely replaced, however?  Well, I guess that jury is still in deliberation.

Located in Adventureland, this particular skipper melds the bold and flavorful cuisines of Asia, South America, and Africa with the punny banter of Jungle Cruise’s talented riverboat pilots.  Wow!  How can that not be a good thing?

Is your palate ready for exotic flavors, though?  Yes?  Then, Skipper Canteen is the place to go!  No?  Then, please proceed to somewhere more tame – like Be Our Guest!

A month or so ago, Mrs. All in WDW and I dared to give this new slice of the Jungle Navigation Co. a chance!  Here’s what we had!

Looks good, eh?  It’s Egyptian Celebration Bread with Honey.  It came with the meal, but, for us, it was just OK.  First of all, I’m not a big fan of honey.  Second of all, it left us craving butter!

For appetizers, Mrs. All in WDW ordered the skipper’s Sustainable Fish Collar.

It was tender, but it was grouper.  In past posts, I’ve made my feelings about grouper very clear.  Much too strong of a tasting fish for me.

On the other hand, the warm slaw accompaniment – which was a green papaya salad that owned a little bit of a bite – was quite good.

For my starter, I chose the Falls Family Falafel.

A recipe of chick peas, garlic, onions, lemon juice, and herbs served with white bean dip and tomato-cucumber salad, it was my first-ever sampling of falafel.  I enjoyed it.

For her entree, Mrs. All in WDW selected “A Lot At Steak” Salad.

Simple, yes, but she loved it.  To be truthful, it could have had just a bit more marinated flank steak.  I guess that the word “lot” is a subjective term.

For my part, the Char Siu Pork caught my fancy.

Marinated and served with rice and Chinese broccoli, its flavor was a good balance between ordinary and extra-ordinary.  In other words, it wasn’t too “out there” for my palate!

Did we enjoy our brief lunch in the jungle?  Absolutely.  As is, however, will we go out of our way to return?  Probably not.  Oh, Skipper Canteen’s theming and decor is phenomenal.

In the end, however, we tend to agree with, what appears to be, overwhelming Guest opinion.  Their menu does need to become more “mainstream”.

Conclusion … if you’re a huge fan of the Magic Kingdom’s Jungle Cruise, as we are, this will be a great and successful restaurant to frequent … once the food becomes more appealing to the common palate!