BlovesC
home is where the Yeti is
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2008
I'm so addicted to the restaurants/reviews subforum here that I've completely gotten into the habit of snapping pics of everything we eat at WDW, when I used to only take pictures during our resort stay 'vacations'. So here's another short set of reviews! These are actually from two different day trips to AK.
I'll start with our 5/31/12 lunch at Flame Tree BBQ!
Flame Tree seems to be a pretty popular CS pick on the board, and for good reason! :It's my own personal favorite. Good menu, great location, amazing seating areas, and they accept TiW...that adds up to a complete win for us!
Flame Tree BBQ offers numerous outdoor seating areas, spread out very nicely along paths that run alongside the edge of the water with Everest in the distant background. There's bridges, waterfalls, pretty lanterns, tons of trees, plenty of birds to watch...it's just an amazing location to stop and enjoy a meal and feel like you're anywhere BUT a busy theme park.
Our seats for the meal.
DH and I both went with our favorite, the turkey sandwich; "Smoked turkey breast with cranberry mayonnaise and fresh fruit".
These sandwiches are very generously sized...each half is the size of the WHOLE sandwiches we make at home!
The bread is a very hearty grain (with seeds that might deter picky eaters!), the turkey is very thick and the lettuce and tomato are always fresh. The cranberry mayo is subtle, and not slathered on, but adds a slight bit of tang. It's a very refreshing choice, perfect for enjoying out in the sun. I'm not usually a fan of honeydew, or any melons for that matter, but I actually enjoyed it here.
We also shared a side of fries, because heaven forbid we have a completely healthy QS meal at Disney!
They were your standard fries, but that's not a bad thing. Hot and crispy!
Now, when we started eating the sun was shining but clouds were moving in, and we'd just left our water-side tables and gone under the awning to toss out our trash when one of our wonderful Florida Storms showed up with a bang. Our seating area only contained two other families at the time, so luckily there was plenty of space under the roofed area. DH and I took a seat at a table there to wait out the storm....and the kids at the next table SCREAMED each and every time thunder struck. 
Within a few minutes though I'd pretty much fallen into a trance. I love storms...at home I fall asleep to a sound machine on the 'falling rain' setting, so between the good food, being in my favorite park, and the drops falling off the trees around us, I was nearly relaxed enough to slide out of my chair and onto the ground!
This is when the rain was falling...and just looking at it now still makes me sleepy! It was over within about 15 minutes, as usual, and we went on our way.
When we were set to leave the park, I was lamenting the fact that I failed to hit Kusafiri earlier...when what do I see on our way out, but a sign reading "Cotton Top Tamarin Cupcake" on one of the snack kiosks on Discovery Island? I never knew they sold the cupcakes from Kusafiri anywhere else in the park! The white chocolate elephant cupcake is my favorite, but the cotton top was their only offering...but still, I wasn't about to be choosy when we were just about to leave the park! I asked the CM if they had any boxes, but they only had paper bags (the small lunchbag size) so I helped her gingerly drop the cupcake into it. And it actually held up perfectly on the car ride home!
The Cotton Top Tamarin is a rich chocolate cupcake topped with vanilla buttercream and an dorable chocolate lollipop. This wasn't quite as tasty or fun as my usual elephant cupcake, but it was VERY moist and rich, a perfect plain chocolate cupcake.
And now we move on to....
Tusker House Dinner (6/18/12)
This was our very first time eating at Tusker House! DH and I both LOVE Yak & Yeti and we've never had anything but great food there, so it's very hard for us to eat anywhere else at AK when it comes to TS! But we decided to branch out.
Tusker House is beautiful inside...and HUGE. I'm not a huge buffet fan and I really dislike super-cramped and crowded food lines...you won't have that problem here!
And much like Yak & Yeti, everywhere you turn to look there's more and more amazingly detailed decorations. Even the ceiling is gorgeous here:
DH and I had a very early reservation (4:15pm) and were the third or fourth party seated...so I was a little disappointed when we were seated at a two-top table. I personally think two-tops shouldn't exist, especially at buffets when you can easily have multiple drinks and plates accumulated. It doesn't affect the meal, it's just more comfortable with more room. By the time we left, the section we were in remained about 80% empty...so I'd definitely ask to be moved next time!
But anyway....my first plate!
Starting from the top we have hummus and pita, basmati rice with almonds, orzo pasta, curry chicken, tunisian couscous, jollaf rice, and plantains.
I love hummus and this wasn't unusual, but the pita were very soft and tasty. I've never met a plantain I didn't like, so no complaints there! The couscous and orzo pasta were my next favorite things on the plate, the pasta had feta and olives in it, yum. I have no idea what jollaf rice is, it looked like yellow rice to me, but didn't taste like it. The basmati rice was completely undercooked and crunchy, and while I like curry, the chicken was a bit too strong for me.
From the top, we have beef loin covered in sweet & spicy mustard, samosas covered in mango chutney, pita and hummus, marakkesh couscous, and mashed potatoes.
He always clears his plates so it's hard for me to remember what he loved and what he disliked! I think his favorite thing on this plate was actually the samosas and chutney! The only thing he didn't really like was the couscous.
Oh, and in the background of the pic you can see a glass of...JUNGLE JUICE! We always go nuts over this stuff at Boma. I had no idea they served it here, but DH did! In fact, our CM even asked us..."if it's your first time here, how do you know about the jungle juice?!" While it was delicious and refreshing, I swore to DH that it tasted slightly different than the juice at Boma, but he disagrees.
My second plate:
As you can see, I found the kids' station! Ahem, from the top we have mashed potatoes, green beans, rotisserie chicken, a samosa with mango chutney, corn dog nuggets, saffron-infused root vegetables, and corn and carrot medley.
Those corn dog nuggets are so wrong, yet so strangely right. These weren't that greasy, but there was still a heaviness to them that mad me thinking I wouldn't be able to eat more than one. Of course, I finished all of them BUT one. The mashed potatoes and green beans were standard, but good. I enjoyed the samosa, especially with the chutney, but I couldn't for the life of me tell what was inside of it! I didn't enjoy the rotisserie chicken or root veggies at all. The chicken was very dry, and while I like saffron, the root veggies just tasted off somehow.
DH's next plate, aka "50 Shades of Yellow"!
Here we have orzo pasta, tunisian couscous, jollaf rice, plantains, root vegetables, pearl couscous, and a heap of basmati rice.
DH really enjoyed the pasta and plantains, but again didn't like the couscous...except for the pearl couscous! He loved the texture, very tapioca-like. He forced me to try some because I hate tapioca. The shape and feel were definitely like tapioca or caviar to me, but they pearls didn't really have much flavor. DH didn't find the root vegetables "off" like I did, but he didn't enjoy the jollaf rice.
After that it was time for dessert...and I ask you not to judge me when I present my plate....
I know, I know, I'm a glutton when it comes to sweets. My pickiness goes out the window once sugar is involved. BUT! I regretted this plate the moment I sat down, so let this be a lesson! From the top, we have banana-cinnamon bread pudding with vanilla sauce, raspberry tart, a lemon bar, a chocolate pecan tart, a brownie, coconut macaroons, carrot spice cake, passion fruit tart, and chocolate lava cake.
The BEST thing on this plate by far and away was the lemon bar. It was just delicious. Tart yet sweet, soft yet firm, a refreshing and light and tangy dessert, perfect ending after a buffet. As soon as I bit into it I wish I could have turned back time and filled my plate with a few of those and nothing more! The chocolate pecan tart was pretty tasty as well, tasted a lot like a blondie brownie. The bread pudding was ok, but VERY VERY heavy and rich, I couldn't stomach more than a couple bites (yet I never have trouble licking the bowl clean after 'Ohana!) Nothing else on the plate was very good, in fact that chocolate lava cake was downright gross.
DH's much more sensible dessert plate, with the bread pudding, baklava, strawberry cobbler, and carrot cake.
An overall success for him. He enjoyed the carrot cake and bread pudding more than I did! The cobbler was standard, and the baklava didn't quite measure up to some that he had to make for a school project in middle school (that I get to hear about anytime we encounter baklava) but he ate everything!
Overall, we enjoyed Tusker House. The decor is awesome, the place is huge, we had good service and enjoy the spread out nature of the buffet. It's frequently compared to Boma, and I have to say I'd definitely give the edge to Boma, mostly because of Boma's amazing soups, and their desserts are far superior. We do look forward to trying breakfast at Tusker House soon!
I'll start with our 5/31/12 lunch at Flame Tree BBQ!
Flame Tree seems to be a pretty popular CS pick on the board, and for good reason! :It's my own personal favorite. Good menu, great location, amazing seating areas, and they accept TiW...that adds up to a complete win for us!
Flame Tree BBQ offers numerous outdoor seating areas, spread out very nicely along paths that run alongside the edge of the water with Everest in the distant background. There's bridges, waterfalls, pretty lanterns, tons of trees, plenty of birds to watch...it's just an amazing location to stop and enjoy a meal and feel like you're anywhere BUT a busy theme park.
Our seats for the meal.
DH and I both went with our favorite, the turkey sandwich; "Smoked turkey breast with cranberry mayonnaise and fresh fruit".
These sandwiches are very generously sized...each half is the size of the WHOLE sandwiches we make at home!
The bread is a very hearty grain (with seeds that might deter picky eaters!), the turkey is very thick and the lettuce and tomato are always fresh. The cranberry mayo is subtle, and not slathered on, but adds a slight bit of tang. It's a very refreshing choice, perfect for enjoying out in the sun. I'm not usually a fan of honeydew, or any melons for that matter, but I actually enjoyed it here.
We also shared a side of fries, because heaven forbid we have a completely healthy QS meal at Disney!
They were your standard fries, but that's not a bad thing. Hot and crispy! Now, when we started eating the sun was shining but clouds were moving in, and we'd just left our water-side tables and gone under the awning to toss out our trash when one of our wonderful Florida Storms showed up with a bang.
Our seating area only contained two other families at the time, so luckily there was plenty of space under the roofed area. DH and I took a seat at a table there to wait out the storm....and the kids at the next table SCREAMED each and every time thunder struck. Within a few minutes though I'd pretty much fallen into a trance. I love storms...at home I fall asleep to a sound machine on the 'falling rain' setting, so between the good food, being in my favorite park, and the drops falling off the trees around us, I was nearly relaxed enough to slide out of my chair and onto the ground!
This is when the rain was falling...and just looking at it now still makes me sleepy! It was over within about 15 minutes, as usual, and we went on our way.
When we were set to leave the park, I was lamenting the fact that I failed to hit Kusafiri earlier...when what do I see on our way out, but a sign reading "Cotton Top Tamarin Cupcake" on one of the snack kiosks on Discovery Island? I never knew they sold the cupcakes from Kusafiri anywhere else in the park! The white chocolate elephant cupcake is my favorite, but the cotton top was their only offering...but still, I wasn't about to be choosy when we were just about to leave the park! I asked the CM if they had any boxes, but they only had paper bags (the small lunchbag size) so I helped her gingerly drop the cupcake into it. And it actually held up perfectly on the car ride home!
The Cotton Top Tamarin is a rich chocolate cupcake topped with vanilla buttercream and an dorable chocolate lollipop. This wasn't quite as tasty or fun as my usual elephant cupcake, but it was VERY moist and rich, a perfect plain chocolate cupcake.
And now we move on to....
Tusker House Dinner (6/18/12)
This was our very first time eating at Tusker House! DH and I both LOVE Yak & Yeti and we've never had anything but great food there, so it's very hard for us to eat anywhere else at AK when it comes to TS! But we decided to branch out.
Tusker House is beautiful inside...and HUGE. I'm not a huge buffet fan and I really dislike super-cramped and crowded food lines...you won't have that problem here!
And much like Yak & Yeti, everywhere you turn to look there's more and more amazingly detailed decorations. Even the ceiling is gorgeous here:
DH and I had a very early reservation (4:15pm) and were the third or fourth party seated...so I was a little disappointed when we were seated at a two-top table. I personally think two-tops shouldn't exist, especially at buffets when you can easily have multiple drinks and plates accumulated. It doesn't affect the meal, it's just more comfortable with more room. By the time we left, the section we were in remained about 80% empty...so I'd definitely ask to be moved next time!
But anyway....my first plate!
Starting from the top we have hummus and pita, basmati rice with almonds, orzo pasta, curry chicken, tunisian couscous, jollaf rice, and plantains.
I love hummus and this wasn't unusual, but the pita were very soft and tasty. I've never met a plantain I didn't like, so no complaints there! The couscous and orzo pasta were my next favorite things on the plate, the pasta had feta and olives in it, yum. I have no idea what jollaf rice is, it looked like yellow rice to me, but didn't taste like it. The basmati rice was completely undercooked and crunchy, and while I like curry, the chicken was a bit too strong for me.
From the top, we have beef loin covered in sweet & spicy mustard, samosas covered in mango chutney, pita and hummus, marakkesh couscous, and mashed potatoes.
He always clears his plates so it's hard for me to remember what he loved and what he disliked!
I think his favorite thing on this plate was actually the samosas and chutney! The only thing he didn't really like was the couscous.Oh, and in the background of the pic you can see a glass of...JUNGLE JUICE! We always go nuts over this stuff at Boma. I had no idea they served it here, but DH did! In fact, our CM even asked us..."if it's your first time here, how do you know about the jungle juice?!"
While it was delicious and refreshing, I swore to DH that it tasted slightly different than the juice at Boma, but he disagrees.My second plate:
As you can see, I found the kids' station! Ahem, from the top we have mashed potatoes, green beans, rotisserie chicken, a samosa with mango chutney, corn dog nuggets, saffron-infused root vegetables, and corn and carrot medley.
Those corn dog nuggets are so wrong, yet so strangely right. These weren't that greasy, but there was still a heaviness to them that mad me thinking I wouldn't be able to eat more than one. Of course, I finished all of them BUT one.
The mashed potatoes and green beans were standard, but good. I enjoyed the samosa, especially with the chutney, but I couldn't for the life of me tell what was inside of it! I didn't enjoy the rotisserie chicken or root veggies at all. The chicken was very dry, and while I like saffron, the root veggies just tasted off somehow.DH's next plate, aka "50 Shades of Yellow"!
Here we have orzo pasta, tunisian couscous, jollaf rice, plantains, root vegetables, pearl couscous, and a heap of basmati rice.
DH really enjoyed the pasta and plantains, but again didn't like the couscous...except for the pearl couscous! He loved the texture, very tapioca-like. He forced me to try some because I hate tapioca. The shape and feel were definitely like tapioca or caviar to me, but they pearls didn't really have much flavor. DH didn't find the root vegetables "off" like I did, but he didn't enjoy the jollaf rice.
After that it was time for dessert...and I ask you not to judge me when I present my plate....
I know, I know, I'm a glutton when it comes to sweets. My pickiness goes out the window once sugar is involved. BUT! I regretted this plate the moment I sat down, so let this be a lesson! From the top, we have banana-cinnamon bread pudding with vanilla sauce, raspberry tart, a lemon bar, a chocolate pecan tart, a brownie, coconut macaroons, carrot spice cake, passion fruit tart, and chocolate lava cake.
The BEST thing on this plate by far and away was the lemon bar. It was just delicious. Tart yet sweet, soft yet firm, a refreshing and light and tangy dessert, perfect ending after a buffet. As soon as I bit into it I wish I could have turned back time and filled my plate with a few of those and nothing more! The chocolate pecan tart was pretty tasty as well, tasted a lot like a blondie brownie. The bread pudding was ok, but VERY VERY heavy and rich, I couldn't stomach more than a couple bites (yet I never have trouble licking the bowl clean after 'Ohana!
) Nothing else on the plate was very good, in fact that chocolate lava cake was downright gross.
DH's much more sensible dessert plate, with the bread pudding, baklava, strawberry cobbler, and carrot cake.
An overall success for him. He enjoyed the carrot cake and bread pudding more than I did! The cobbler was standard, and the baklava didn't quite measure up to some that he had to make for a school project in middle school (that I get to hear about anytime we encounter baklava
) but he ate everything!Overall, we enjoyed Tusker House. The decor is awesome, the place is huge, we had good service and enjoy the spread out nature of the buffet. It's frequently compared to Boma, and I have to say I'd definitely give the edge to Boma, mostly because of Boma's amazing soups, and their desserts are far superior. We do look forward to trying breakfast at Tusker House soon!
That looks great. I wonder if they have 4 kinds of rice at the lunch buffet I already have an ADR for ... Hmm ...
