illume — Restaurant in Kissimmee

Terrible server. Robotic management. Awful experience. Do yourself a favor and dont waste any time or money at Illume. What follows is so absurd that I can’t even believe that it happened.

The server kicked off our dining experience by being combative and short when one member of our dining dining party asked about an item that he had ordered frequently in the past, and he now couldn’t find it on the menu. In hindsight, her attitude should have been a red flag for us to leave or request a different server. When we eventually ordered, I mentioned my gluten sensitivity so that I could get gluten free soy sauce. I made it clear that it was NOT an allergy, and I could navigate the menu by myself since it wasn’t an allergy. (In my case, I avoid gluten most of the time but CAN consume gluten at my discretion, and I made the server aware of that.)

The server then informed me that the sushi options marked with GF were not actually gluten free. She said the rice vinegar that Illume received 2 days ago had gluten in it, so the sushi rice was not gluten free. This was frustrating because we had driven 45 minutes specifically to try their sushi. Nothing else on the menu was appealing enough to make me want to overpay at hotel-restaurant prices, so I decided that I would just deal with the small amounts of gluten from the rice vinegar and order the sushi I had visited for. The overall mood at the table was tense since the server had started with a combative attitude, so, as I ordered sushi, I made a joke to lighten the mood. Apparently, the server’s terrible attitude didn’t absorb the joke well, all because it included a sarcastic comment about a lawsuit over the menu being wrongly labeled.

After orders were placed, the server returned to inform me that they weren’t comfortable serving me sushi. I reassured her that I know my gluten sensitivity, and I’m fine eating the sushi rice. After she left, a manager appeared who informed me that they refused to serve me sushi at all due to my “allergy” and the portion of my joke about the lawsuit. She spoke as though she was a robot who had been uploaded with a policy manual during her Marriott training and lacked interpersonal skills as she stared blankly and waited for a chance to recite more prepared answers. I reinforced that it was not an allergy, and she continued with her robotic replies. She said I could order something else that they deemed to be gluten free from the menu (none of which appealed to me) or another restaurant in the hotel. I made a 45min trip for sushi. I wasn’t going to pay inflated hotel prices for any meal that I didn’t really want. So, I ended up not eating dinner and only had some edamame appetizer.

I encouraged the other 3 in my party to enjoy their sushi orders. At no point during the dinner did we receive a visit to refill our waters, and those who had cocktails were never asked if they wanted another. A peace offering was attempted when a random shishito pepper dish was sent to us, and we sent it back because none of us eat them.

Illume- and by extension, the JW Marriott Bonnet Creek- essentially determined that they were in a better position to handle my personal gluten sensitivity than I was, and they deployed it as a means to refuse to serve me the meal that I desired. If they are going to be over-the-top sensitive about a joking comment regarding a lawsuit over their menu inaccuracies, then they should probably take the menu as seriously as they claim to take “allergies” and correct their menu temporarily so that it doesn’t falsely advertise GF. Plenty of other Japanese/sushi restaurants around Orlando. Run away from Illume and visit any of the local spots, instead.

Side notes: Seating sucks. Very few real tables. More of a bar/lounge feel with low chairs and side tables that aren’t conducive for enjoying a meal. No heaters outside, which is where we were sat since we wanted a real table. Also, my dining party was unimpressed with the sushi and wouldn’t return for the food even if the service had...

Ambiance - 5 stars; beautiful setting and restaurant; the view from the rooftop bar is stunning. Service - 3 stars; mostly due to the runners who bring out the food, but our server Kristin deserves 5 stars for expertly taking all of our orders for the table of 14. Food - 3 stars; due to the hit and miss of some items as further discussed below. Drinks - 3 stars; specialty drinks are expensive and are light on the alcohol. You are paying more for the presentation. Credit card payment for a big group - 2 stars; you are allowed only 3 credit card payments per table so note that before going with a big party. Each credit card is automatically charged a 20 percent service charge even though my bill was only for three people. I gave an additional gratuity but be careful as you may "double tip" if you do not look closely at the bill.

Overall, the four stars rating for the evening is mostly attributed to our outstanding server, Kristin. She handled our table of 14 boisterous individuals (birthday party celebration) with aplomb, patience and always a smile. Although she did a great job, the servers/runners who bring the food from the kitchen did not know where the food or drinks were supposed to be placed. We had several mix-ups, and the table was left to sort it out, including when some appetizers were sent down to the wrong side of the table. Illume needs a better system to identify where the food should be properly placed for a big group (especially when tacking on a required 20 percent service charge for a group of 6 or more).

As for the food itself, I enjoyed the Chicken Potstickers the most. In fact, our group of 3 order it a second time. The Steak Bao Peis were ok. The bao itself was somewhat doughy and the steak in one was quite gristly. My friend loved the Oki Roll and, in fact, ordered a second one. The edamame was a big hit as everyone complimented that dish as we had several at the table. Comments from the other guests at the table said the food was good, but nothing to brag about considering the prices and the small portions. (Of course, you are in a JW hotel, so the high prices are expected.)

Finally, Kristin informed us when the fireworks and the drone light display were about to start. She said we could leave our table to enjoy the light show on the rooftop patio area and then come back. Everyone agreed that was a major highlight of the evening.

One last comment - the illume express elevator does not go back up after midnight. I took a friend down to her room (which requires you to change elevators). When I wanted to go back up to meet my friends at the rooftop, I found out the illume elevator only goes down after midnight. I texted my friends goodbye and I went to...

I got the chance to check out Illume, the brand new rooftop lounge/restaurant at the JW Marriott Bonnet Creek last night, and absolutely LOVED it!!!

I cannot recommend enough if you’re looking for a great rooftop dining experience in the Orlando area! The service was fantastic, no joke we had 4 people come by and check on us often throughout the meal. We took all of their recommendations and they were all right—everything was delicious!

We started with the bao pei (smoked pork belly bao buns with hoisin sauce, yuzu mustard aioli, cabbage slaw, and toasted peanuts) which were some of the best bao buns i’ve had in the area just because the sauces were super tasty and i liked the added crunch from the peanuts.

I also ordered the tuna sashimi (not pictured) which was fresh and a great starter.

The highlight (besides the amazing view and staff) however was the Gyu No Kani…EASILY one of the most unique and best sushi rolls i have EVER had!! You would never imagine all of those items going together so but MY GOODNESS it was such a treat!!!

Cocktail wise, I got the firebird (pictured in the bird glass) which had vodka, sake, cantaloupe, green tea syrup, and local ginger jam. It definitely tasted like cantaloupe to me, but was very refreshing. It was $19 for a very small amount of drink, but that comes with the territory, and I still enjoyed it!

Everyone at our table was impressed with everything we ordered. Absolutely zero complaints.

Important to note they do NOT take reservations, so it is first come first serve.

Basically, just go and take in those sunset views with some great food on the side!

Update: it was so good we came back tonight! I got the Japanese Manhattan which was super smooth and flavorful, and the poke appetizer as a meal which was wonderful as well!

Once again the service was great, and the outdoor seating...