I will not repeat...I will not repeat! Updated Flying Fish

[auntfrannie]

Some miscellaneous snacks from last week:

Jalapeno Pretzel


I love this snack! I wish they had it in all the parks. I could only find it in the Animal Kingdom. It had just been delivered to the kiosk so it was nice & hot. The jalapeno cheese was melty and gooey! The piece broken off in the picture looks like it didn't have any cheese but I think it dripped out and onto the napkin before I snapped the picture. So, so good!

Berry Croissant Bread Pudding


I skipped breakfast one morning and happened to be in the Land pavillion when I started to get a bit noshy. While this wasn't bad, I wouldn't make a special trip to get it. As I get older I'm finding that I don't care for sweet items early in the morning like I once did.

 

[auntfrannie]

Although I've frequently dined at Kona Cafe, it's been quite some time since I've been there for dinner. Time to change that!

I started with a Malibu Macaw. I really should have taken a photo of the drink menu because I have no idea what was in this one. Tropical goodness, I'll leave it at that! It was good.


My nephew and I shared the Volcano Roll from the Kona Island Sushi Bar. Spicy tuna and shrimp salad with tempura crunch. Very good; not as good as California Grill's Spicy Kazan Roll but also much cheaper! I don't know where my head was! I didn't take a picture.

I went with the Coconut-Almond Chicken for my entree. I love coconut but I thought this dish needed something spicy to offset the sweetness of the coconut. So while it was good, I did not finish it. The salad that came with it was very refreshing. There was a light citrus vinaigrette on the salad that also had strawberry slices and almonds.



No dessert for me! Nothing really appealed to me. As I mentioned earlier, I did not do the DxDP this time. Because I didn't have the pressure (!) of ordering a dessert just because it came with the meal, I think I only got dessert at two places. Overall, I saved money and calories! Can't go wrong with that!

 

[auntfrannie]

The next night took us to Raglan Road. Their menu is pretty extensive, making it all the more difficult to decide!

I finally went with the Shepherds Pie.



It looks great, doesn't it? Unfortunately, it wasn't. This is the first time in all the years I've been going to Disney that I actually had to salt my food to give it some taste. This was incredibly bland and tasted a bit better with some salt.

I know people rave about Raglan Road but I won't be making any effort to go back. We were seated at one of the first booths as you enter. Since the waiting area is so small, by the time we were finishing dinner there were people lining up close to the booths watching the stage entertainment. So we had a lovely view of peoples' backsides.

 

[iloveeeyore]

We have found the food quality at RR to be very hit-or-miss. Ironically, the one dish that has impressed us both times we've tried it is the Shepherd's Pie. We didn't find it bland at all, but it just goes to show how even more hit-or-miss the place is. We go for the band and the dancers more than the food. I could easily skip this place, but for DH and DKs it's a must-do.

 

[gardengirl628]

Great reviews! Thanks for sharing!

 

[happy2012]

That cherry drink looks AMAZING!!!!

 

[auntfrannie]

We have found the food quality at RR to be very hit-or-miss. Ironically, the one dish that has impressed us both times we've tried it is the Shepherd's Pie. We didn't find it bland at all, but it just goes to show how even more hit-or-miss the place is. We go for the band and the dancers more than the food. I could easily skip this place, but for DH and DKs it's a must-do.

Isn't that the truth! That's why reviews are always helpful as a point of reference but certainly doesn't guarantee that the next person is going to have the same experience.

Great reviews! Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for reading!

That cherry drink looks AMAZING!!!!

It really was! I had another one at the Sanaa lounge and at another location but the POR had the best. I think the other locations didn't have as much bourbon in them!

 

[TheNewMrsB]

Aaaah I can't wait to get back to Kona! (And the tropical deliciousness that is the pool bar at the Poly!)

I'm with you on the desserts at Kona, though. Nothing really jumps out at me. Then again, not many Disney desserts do it for me in general. I'd rather get a sundae from B&C or Ghirardhelli. But like you said, meal plan.

 

[auntfrannie]

Here are some miscellaneous quick meals I had:

Tangeriene Cafe, Lamb Sharmwa Platter


I've never been disappointed by the food at Tangeriene Cafe. My meals have always been good quality and very filling. It's a nice change from typical theme park food. I only wish I had good things to say about the service. On this trip it seemed like they weren't interested in being there.

The lamb, couscous, hummus and pita bread were really good. The green stuff (not sure what's it's called) didn't make much of an impression on me. Overall, Tangeriene Cafe is a place I continue to revisit!


Main Street Bakery, Ham, Egg & Cheese Croissant


This is another perennial favorite! A buttery croissant with deli-shaved ham, ooey-gooey cheese, and eggs. Oh so good! This is another quick bite I love to grab when I'm in the MK.

Pecos Bill Taco Salad


After reading so many positive reviews on this, I made an effort to stop by and try one. I was very pleasantly surprised! At the counter you're given the taco shell with a dollop of seasoned beef. It's then up to you to load it with goodies at the toppings bar. Melted cheese, shredded cheese, sauteed onions, sauteed mushrooms, lettuce, tomato. Very, very good!

 

[auntfrannie]

Sanaa is a new experience for me! I'm happy to say it was worth the trip to AKL. I met my niece and her boyfriend in the lounge next to Sanaa for drinks and a few appetizers before our ADR. We had a couple hours to kill and was waiting for the rest of our group to get there.

I didn't get pictures of the apps but we shared the samosas and the mustard-seed crusted scallops with coconut sauce. They enjoyed the samosas and we each had one of the scallops. It was just enough to hold us over during our wait. I never make scallops at home, I don't know why because they seem like they would be very easy. I guess that just makes them that much more of a treat for me when I eat out! The scallops were great; seared to perfection and the coconut cream sauce was something I've never had with scallops before.

Once the entire party gathered, we were seated and ordered 2 of the bread services to share. I thought we would be limited to selecting 6 of the dipping sauces but they brought out all nine of them for us to try! I know allears lists 8 sauces but we definitely had 9. There was a coconut based one that I don't see listed on allears.

All of the sauces were great. When the server delivered them he quickly ran through what each was but by the time he got done saying what the 9th one was, I had already forgotten the 1st one he listed.

None of the bread was left! Everything was quickly shared and eaten. This is a great way to start the meal.

For my entree I selected the slow-cooked options of Butter Chicken and Spicy Durban Chicken with Basmati Rice. In teh photo below, the Butter Chicken is on the left and the Spicy Durban Chicken is on the right.



The spicy durban chicken was the spicier of the two but the butter chicken still had a bit of a kick to it. The basmati rice was delicious! Everyone enjoyed their entrees but the general comment was that there really wasn't a lot of meat in the slow cooked selections. If we hadn't started with the bread service we might have been feeling a little hungry; just a note in case you have any big appetites in your group!

For dessert, I decided to try the Mango-Berry Tapioca Pudding. I don't think I've ever had tapioca pudding before but I thought this was a very nice, light way to end the meal.



There was half a strawberry, a raspberry, a blackberry and a chocoloate straw decorating it. There was a layer of mango on top of the tapioca pudding. It was light and creamy and not heavy at all.

Overall, a great meal and someplace I would return to!

 

[TheNewMrsB]

Sanaa looks delicious! But I'm concerned over your comment re: portion sizes. Did others at the table who didn't order the slow cooked dishes have more meat? I already have my eye on that butter chicken...

 

[vettegirl]

The next night took us to Raglan Road. Their menu is pretty extensive, making it all the more difficult to decide!

I finally went with the Shepherds Pie.



It looks great, doesn't it? Unfortunately, it wasn't. This is the first time in all the years I've been going to Disney that I actually had to salt my food to give it some taste. This was incredibly bland and tasted a bit better with some salt.

I know people rave about Raglan Road but I won't be making any effort to go back. We were seated at one of the first booths as you enter. Since the waiting area is so small, by the time we were finishing dinner there were people lining up close to the booths watching the stage entertainment. So we had a lovely view of peoples' backsides.

That's too bad about the shepherds pie. I have had it several times and it's always excellent.

 

[auntfrannie]

Sanaa looks delicious! But I'm concerned over your comment re: portion sizes. Did others at the table who didn't order the slow cooked dishes have more meat? I already have my eye on that butter chicken...

Everyone ordered from the slow cooked options. My niece & her boyfriend ordered the veggie option with the spicy chickpeas and paneer & spinach and the meat option with spicy durban shrimp and beef short ribs; they split them between the two of them. They both commented that there was a lot of food in the veggie bowls but not too much in the meat bowls.

Like I said, we were plenty full because of the bread service and we really enjoyed all the food.

That's too bad about the shepherds pie. I have had it several times and it's always excellent.

Maybe it was just an off night for me. My niece's boyfriend had to salt his meal as well....I think he got Kevin's Heavenly Ham. I don't think I've ever salted ham in my life! However, my niece enjoyed her fish & chips and my nephew really liked the Bangors & Booz.

 

[TheNewMrsB]

Everyone ordered from the slow cooked options. My niece & her boyfriend ordered the veggie option with the spicy chickpeas and paneer & spinach and the meat option with spicy durban shrimp and beef short ribs; they split them between the two of them. They both commented that there was a lot of food in the veggie bowls but not too much in the meat bowls.

Like I said, we were plenty full because of the bread service and we really enjoyed all the food.

Oh, this won't stop us from going! And I'm sure I'll be fine with whatever - but DH has a heartier appetite than I do sometimes. Of course I'm sure that by the time we go we'll be so full from everything else we've eaten so far that it won't matter.

 

[Princess Vespa]

I loved Sanaa!! It was one of our favorite places to eat the last time we went (and that was a first time for us at that resturaunt) I am glad you enjoyed it. That is on my list of possible repeat visits.

 

[auntfrannie]

At some point I was shopping in DTD and decided to visit one of my favorites for lunch: WPE. Sticking to my goal of not repeating anything I've had on previous visits, I decided to try the bacon-wrapped meatloaf.



This gets rave reviews. I liked it. I wouldn't get it again. Meatloaf is just not one of those things I ever order in a restaurant. Maybe because I really like my Mother's meatloaf? Maybe I just don't think it's fancy enough to order when I'm out? I don't know. This wasn't bad.

The sauce/gravy had a wine base so maybe that's what made it so different for me. I enjoy some of WPE's other entrees much better. Like their pizzas or salads.

On Sunday morning we decided to try Grand Floridian Cafe for breakfast. An absolutely beautiful restaurant!!

We were seated quickly and service was attentive. Here's the odd part. My niece's boyfriend wanted the pressed pot coffee. The waiter was adament that he did NOT want that. He insisted that he would only get one cup out of it and it tasted the same as regular coffee. While our waiter was telling him that, another waiter came over and agreed. It just seemed so odd.

I'm not a coffee aficiando by any means and I'm sure I wouldn't be able to tell the difference, but I'm supposing that some people can tell the difference between regular brewed coffee and pressed pot coffee. Like I said, just odd! He ended up ordering the regular coffee.

I wanted to try something I've not seen at other restaurants for breakfast so I ordered the lobster eggs benedict.



So good! The eggs were perfectly poached and went wonderfully together with the lobster hash. The ony downside was that it was a heavy breakfast and I was ready for a nap afterwards!

One more restaurant yet to review and it's one of my favorites: the Flying Fish Cafe!

 

[ilovepete]

I am a huge sucker for Eggs Benedict. That looks so good!

 

[auntfrannie]

I am a huge sucker for Eggs Benedict. That looks so good!

They were wonderful! I'm so glad I tried something different!

 

[auntfrannie]

My last review for the trip and I forgot to take pictures. Silly.

One of my top 3 restaurants is Flying Fish. It's a must-do every trip and I've never been disappointed by either the food or service. Sadly, my niece couldn't join us for dinner this evening as she had a prior commitment elsewhere. She missed a great meal!

I started with some kind of spicy tuna sushi roll. Three large pieces and absolutely wonderful! So good I had to share with my nephew (loves sushi) and my niece's boyfriend. They both enjoyed it, too.

As many times as I've been to FF, I've never tried their scallops and they get great reviews. I had to focus my concentration away from all the other great options and order the scallops. The scallops were so flavorful and seared to perfection. This is probably the 4th time I've had risotto and and I'm still not crazy about it. This had green pea risotto which I'm sure any risotto lover would enjoy. Just not me!

For dessert I went with the boardwalk trio. The Popcorn Mousse with Caramel Corn didn't really do much for me. Eating the mousse alone I really couldn't discern any popcorn flavor. I gave the cherry-limeade popsicle to my nephew so I can't comment on that. The PB/Chocolate/Marshmallow moon pie tasted just like a girl scout tag-a-long cookie to me. Pretty good. The good thing about FF's desserts is that they're always changing so something always looks good.

That's it for my reviews. I hope you enjoyed reading them; I enjoyed reliving some wonderful dining experiences!

 

[vettegirl]

Wow I love the look of that lobster benedict! I have always wanted to eat breakfast at the GF Cafe, and need to make a point to do that! I need a solo trip