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Sounds exciting, right? The result was enjoyable, especially the combination of the seared tenderloin and smoky sauce, but nowhere near the kind of umami that list of ingredients promises. The house's showcase maki roll, the Gyu No Kani ($32), packed slices of seared beef tenderloin atop snow crab, avocado and cucumber with black garlic aioli, scallions, kabayaki sauce and truffle oil. If the red pepper and capers advertised were included in the tiny sakana fritters ($16), each about the size of a gumball, we couldn't taste or see either of them. This was the favorite dish of the night, but other than the watermelon and the sweet saline crab meat, no other flavors could be found. We started with a bowl of edamame ($10) with piquant togarashi sea salt, and the watermelon & crab ($17) - four one-bite lollipops of compressed watermelon with a mound of lump crab, grapefruit and pickled daikon radish with honey-lime vinaigrette. I found myself wondering several times whether ingredients listed had simply been forgotten, or whether my palate was deceiving me. The descriptions, which sound flavorful and innovative, just don't translate onto the plate. Unfortunately, the menu at Illume is writing checks it can't cash.Īll of the menu items at Illume are meant to be communal, from the eight-piece signature maki rolls to shareable plates with three to four individual portions. Next time I visit, we'll stop there and go to another of Orlando's excellent Japanese restaurants nearby for dinner. The rest of the beverage menu features a generous selection of Japanese whisky, beer, wine and sake both by the bottle and the glass. We also sampled the Tozai Blossom of Peace sake ($16), a sweet selection with notes of almond, plum and cherry. My companions opted for the Illumination ($19), with tequila and passionfruit, served in a striking black long-stemmed coupe glass, and the Japanese Manhattan ($21), made with Askashi White Oak whisky and plum, Japanese vermouth and yuzu, garnished with a gold origami crane in a vintage cut-glass vessel. I ordered the Fire Bird ($20), a concoction of Suntory Vodka, sake, cantaloupe, green tea syrup and ginger jam, served in a stunning bird-shaped glass with a straw sticking out from the tail. The 360-degree bar is front and center, where the bartenders shake and stir some of the most creative (and expensive) cocktails in Orlando, ranging from $18 to $29.
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Illume's interior is stunning, with warm lighting and natural wood, cream-colored plush sofas and armchairs in muted colors. There are bistro tables with chairs, so if you're looking for a less casual dinner experience, request one when you make a reservation. We shuffled and arranged ourselves awkwardly around a low, round coffee table bordered by an oversized lounge chair - too large for one person but not quite large enough for two - and sofa. Relaxation and libation are the two focuses here, with traditional dining as a distant third. This isn't a restaurant, and the seating situation confirms it. At one point, two separate firework displays lit up the sky: one at the neighboring Waldorf Astoria, and Epcot's new "Harmonious" display. We were shown to a spot on the airy balcony with a spectacular panoramic view of the Bonnet Creek area of Lake Buena Vista, just a stone's throw from Epcot's glowing golf ball. Open since May, almost a year after the hotel itself started welcoming guests, Illume's rooftop location is showstopping.