SPECTACLEFEST dining review--*COMPLETE*--with pics
- Thread starter Praying Colonel
- Start date
arizonacolbys
Owner of 2 Crazy Labs!
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- 2,280
Great dining reviews - love all of the pictures!! 
We can't wait to try the Dining Plan for the first time next month. Sounds like you all had an enjoyable trip! 
We can't wait to try the Dining Plan for the first time next month. Sounds like you all had an enjoyable trip! 
Praying Colonel
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2004
- Messages
- 8,982
We'd never had a Dole Whip before. Can you imagine? We were in MK on this day, so this was the time.
^Dole Float
^Dole Whip, already eaten around the edges due to melting in the late morning sun
Can't believe what we've been missing! The tangy pineapple was a nice counterpoint to the cool ice cream. As I stated in my trip report, they must add pixie dust, too, because we caught our 2nd wind after our Dole Whip break and toured throughout the afternoon without interruption. Nice snack!
For lunch we were looking for someplace we'd never tried before and where we wouldn't have to wait in a long line with the noon lunch crowd. We looked in at Columbia Harbor House, found no lines and decided to give it a shot.
Everybody got the fried fish basket
with the exception of DS, who got the "Captain's Special"--fish and chicken combo basket.
The baskets come with your choice of either fries or carrots. (Yeah, we're ordering carrots with our fried fish.
)
Everything was hot and crisp. The 3 pieces of fish had a flavorful batter on it that reminded me a little of Captain D's fish. I didn't try the chicken, but DS said it was very good, also.
This is another place where they should just label your dessert option "dessert," because they had 1, triple-chocolate cake (showed with the fish basket, above). It was pre-packaged but moist and tasty. The "triple-chocolate" part must come from the icing, because they put an inordinate amount on the cake. I prefer my cake with just a little bit of icing, so I took off most of the icing, but it was chocolaty, too, and went well with the cake.
This was a good place to have a basic fast-food lunch with no waiting. I'm not sure I'd wait in line to eat here, but it served our purposes at the time and we'd come back again.
Everybody has their little foodie things they have to do or it's not officially a WDW vacation. For me, it's a Mickey bar.
DW and I had 1 after watching the afternoon parade. Love the shape of the bar, and that creamy ice cream sure tasted good in the hot Florida sun!
Dinner that evening was at the Kona Cafe in the Polynesian. I'd never been to the Poly and I'd read almost uniformly positive reviews of the Kona Cafe, so this is the meal I'd been looking forward to the most.
We arrived about 30 minutes early for our 8:15 ADR. After walking around the lobby and taking in the beautiful scenery, we checked in at the Kona and were seated immediately. The restaurant was only half full which surprised me, given the positive reviews I'd read.
As at LeCellier, our server here was exceptional. Thuy seemed to have ESP, being right there with what we needed, almost before we knew we needed it.
He also made some great menu suggestions and very nicely saved DS from a potential mistake. DS initially ordered the turkey medallions for his entree, but Thuy very politely advised that the item was on the menu as a low-fat option for folks who are dieting, and DS may be happier ordering something else like the shrimp and scallops. Great save, Thuy!
We started with some fresh bread, served with infused oil.
The bread was fresh-baked, crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. The oil went wonderfully with it. We had to remind ourselves that we had a lot of food coming and not to overdo it on the bread, but it was difficult!
For the appetizer, DD and DS each had the Kona Chowder:
while DW had the Kona Salad
and I had the crab cakes.
The 3 crab cakes were smallish portions, but that was OK--they were extremely tasty and warm. The accompaniments took it to a higher level. The cakes were garnished with a pineapple relish and a wasabi-based sauce added an extra zing. As you can see, they served a lot of greens with the crab cakes, and DW said that if she'd known they would serve that quantity of greens with the crab cakes she would've ordered them instead of her salad. We shared and both of us had plenty. The quality of the cakes and the outstanding accompaniments made the appetizer the best crab-cake appetizer I've ever had.
DD allowed me to sample her chowder, and it was outstanding. It was a creamy bisque with lumps of seafood (fish, shrimp and crabmeat). Although I loved my crab cakes, I momentarily was sorry that I hadn't ordered the chowder. It was the best-tasting soup I've ever sampled.
The Kona salad had a citrus vinaigrette dressing and bleu cheese crumbles on a bed of fresh greens with orange slices and almonds. The mixture of flavors and textures made for a wonderful salad, but I think DW is right--if you're in the mood for a salad, just order the crab cake appetizer so you get both the greens and the exceptional crab cakes.
For our entrees, DW ordered the macadamia-crusted mahi mahi.
The mahi mahi was served with mushroom risotto, sauteed bok choy, a lime sauce and crispy fried onions. There was way too much for DW to finish, so she shared part of her entree with us. The fish was cooked perfectly, and the lime sauce added an extra punch without overpowering the taste of the fish. The bok choy went well with the risotto, a combination that I wouldn't have considered. The onions were fresh and went well with both the fish and the risotto.
The rest of us ordered the shrimp and scallops.
There were 3 large breaded fried shrimp served with 6 sea scallops, surrounding a lump of sticky rice and accompanied with different sauces, 1 fruit-based and 1 wasabi-based. I ordered this because I love scallops--when cooked well. These were perfect. They were pan-seared and had grill marks on them, and they were just right. The sauces also were wonderful, all creamy, spicy and tangy at the same time. There was a garnish of some type of shredded vegetable on top, and I'm sorry to say I don't know what it was, but it was tangy and went well with the sticky rice. There was a little more breading on the shrimp than I prefer, but the shrimp were large and not overcooked.
For dessert DD got the banana creme brulee
DS got the white chocolate cheesecake
DW got the apple brown betty
while yours truly got the Kilauea torte.
As you can see, the cheesecake and torte were both nicely presented with
different flavored sauces that went well with the desserts.
The torte was beautiful. Warm, moist chocolate cake with a warm, gooey, chocolaty center. The vanilla bean ice cream went with it perfectly. There were chocolate shavings for garnish, and I dipped these in the flavored sauces. What a treat!
DD enjoyed her banana creme brulee very much, saying it was the best creme brulee she had all week.
DS is a big fan of cheesecake and he loved his white chocolate cheesecake. He offered me a taste, and it was very rich, thick and not too sweet. The fruit on top went well with it.
DW was pretty full after her meal and only had a couple of bites of her brown betty, but she said it was so good that she was tempted to keep on eating.
And let me say a word about the atmosphere. It was perfect. The restaurant was softly lit, and everything had a (what else?) Polynesian theme to it which was comfortable without going overboard and being kitschy. The kids thought the Polynesian fans were neat, and they loved the chocolate carving of Lilo and Stitch by the dessert area. There was soft music being played by a guitarist outside the restaurant, and it drifted into the restaurant, setting a comfortable, unhurried tone for our meal.
I came in with high expectations, and they were not only met but surpassed. This was one of our consensus top 3 meals of the week, and IMHO was the best overall meal we had. As you can see from the menu, they don't do a wide variety of dishes. But everything they do, they do exceptionally well IMHO. If you ever get a chance to dine here, don't miss it.
Next: Scandinavia and the Mediterranean
^Dole Float
^Dole Whip, already eaten around the edges due to melting in the late morning sun
Can't believe what we've been missing! The tangy pineapple was a nice counterpoint to the cool ice cream. As I stated in my trip report, they must add pixie dust, too, because we caught our 2nd wind after our Dole Whip break and toured throughout the afternoon without interruption. Nice snack!
For lunch we were looking for someplace we'd never tried before and where we wouldn't have to wait in a long line with the noon lunch crowd. We looked in at Columbia Harbor House, found no lines and decided to give it a shot.
Everybody got the fried fish basket
with the exception of DS, who got the "Captain's Special"--fish and chicken combo basket.
The baskets come with your choice of either fries or carrots. (Yeah, we're ordering carrots with our fried fish.
)Everything was hot and crisp. The 3 pieces of fish had a flavorful batter on it that reminded me a little of Captain D's fish. I didn't try the chicken, but DS said it was very good, also.
This is another place where they should just label your dessert option "dessert," because they had 1, triple-chocolate cake (showed with the fish basket, above). It was pre-packaged but moist and tasty. The "triple-chocolate" part must come from the icing, because they put an inordinate amount on the cake. I prefer my cake with just a little bit of icing, so I took off most of the icing, but it was chocolaty, too, and went well with the cake.
This was a good place to have a basic fast-food lunch with no waiting. I'm not sure I'd wait in line to eat here, but it served our purposes at the time and we'd come back again.
Everybody has their little foodie things they have to do or it's not officially a WDW vacation. For me, it's a Mickey bar.
DW and I had 1 after watching the afternoon parade. Love the shape of the bar, and that creamy ice cream sure tasted good in the hot Florida sun!
Dinner that evening was at the Kona Cafe in the Polynesian. I'd never been to the Poly and I'd read almost uniformly positive reviews of the Kona Cafe, so this is the meal I'd been looking forward to the most.
We arrived about 30 minutes early for our 8:15 ADR. After walking around the lobby and taking in the beautiful scenery, we checked in at the Kona and were seated immediately. The restaurant was only half full which surprised me, given the positive reviews I'd read.
As at LeCellier, our server here was exceptional. Thuy seemed to have ESP, being right there with what we needed, almost before we knew we needed it.
He also made some great menu suggestions and very nicely saved DS from a potential mistake. DS initially ordered the turkey medallions for his entree, but Thuy very politely advised that the item was on the menu as a low-fat option for folks who are dieting, and DS may be happier ordering something else like the shrimp and scallops. Great save, Thuy! We started with some fresh bread, served with infused oil.
The bread was fresh-baked, crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. The oil went wonderfully with it. We had to remind ourselves that we had a lot of food coming and not to overdo it on the bread, but it was difficult!
For the appetizer, DD and DS each had the Kona Chowder:
while DW had the Kona Salad
and I had the crab cakes.
The 3 crab cakes were smallish portions, but that was OK--they were extremely tasty and warm. The accompaniments took it to a higher level. The cakes were garnished with a pineapple relish and a wasabi-based sauce added an extra zing. As you can see, they served a lot of greens with the crab cakes, and DW said that if she'd known they would serve that quantity of greens with the crab cakes she would've ordered them instead of her salad. We shared and both of us had plenty. The quality of the cakes and the outstanding accompaniments made the appetizer the best crab-cake appetizer I've ever had.
DD allowed me to sample her chowder, and it was outstanding. It was a creamy bisque with lumps of seafood (fish, shrimp and crabmeat). Although I loved my crab cakes, I momentarily was sorry that I hadn't ordered the chowder. It was the best-tasting soup I've ever sampled.
The Kona salad had a citrus vinaigrette dressing and bleu cheese crumbles on a bed of fresh greens with orange slices and almonds. The mixture of flavors and textures made for a wonderful salad, but I think DW is right--if you're in the mood for a salad, just order the crab cake appetizer so you get both the greens and the exceptional crab cakes.
For our entrees, DW ordered the macadamia-crusted mahi mahi.
The mahi mahi was served with mushroom risotto, sauteed bok choy, a lime sauce and crispy fried onions. There was way too much for DW to finish, so she shared part of her entree with us. The fish was cooked perfectly, and the lime sauce added an extra punch without overpowering the taste of the fish. The bok choy went well with the risotto, a combination that I wouldn't have considered. The onions were fresh and went well with both the fish and the risotto.
The rest of us ordered the shrimp and scallops.
There were 3 large breaded fried shrimp served with 6 sea scallops, surrounding a lump of sticky rice and accompanied with different sauces, 1 fruit-based and 1 wasabi-based. I ordered this because I love scallops--when cooked well. These were perfect. They were pan-seared and had grill marks on them, and they were just right. The sauces also were wonderful, all creamy, spicy and tangy at the same time. There was a garnish of some type of shredded vegetable on top, and I'm sorry to say I don't know what it was, but it was tangy and went well with the sticky rice. There was a little more breading on the shrimp than I prefer, but the shrimp were large and not overcooked.
For dessert DD got the banana creme brulee
DS got the white chocolate cheesecake
DW got the apple brown betty
while yours truly got the Kilauea torte.
As you can see, the cheesecake and torte were both nicely presented with
different flavored sauces that went well with the desserts.
The torte was beautiful. Warm, moist chocolate cake with a warm, gooey, chocolaty center. The vanilla bean ice cream went with it perfectly. There were chocolate shavings for garnish, and I dipped these in the flavored sauces. What a treat!
DD enjoyed her banana creme brulee very much, saying it was the best creme brulee she had all week.
DS is a big fan of cheesecake and he loved his white chocolate cheesecake. He offered me a taste, and it was very rich, thick and not too sweet. The fruit on top went well with it.
DW was pretty full after her meal and only had a couple of bites of her brown betty, but she said it was so good that she was tempted to keep on eating.
And let me say a word about the atmosphere. It was perfect. The restaurant was softly lit, and everything had a (what else?) Polynesian theme to it which was comfortable without going overboard and being kitschy. The kids thought the Polynesian fans were neat, and they loved the chocolate carving of Lilo and Stitch by the dessert area. There was soft music being played by a guitarist outside the restaurant, and it drifted into the restaurant, setting a comfortable, unhurried tone for our meal.
I came in with high expectations, and they were not only met but surpassed. This was one of our consensus top 3 meals of the week, and IMHO was the best overall meal we had. As you can see from the menu, they don't do a wide variety of dishes. But everything they do, they do exceptionally well IMHO. If you ever get a chance to dine here, don't miss it.
Next: Scandinavia and the Mediterranean
disneyfan551
Focusing on the FIGHT and not the FRIGHT! 🟠🙏
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2002
- Messages
- 4,210
Absolutely FABULOUS reviews!! Thanks for taking the time to share with us!!
You just confirmed that I'm undecided as to what to get at Kona (our 1st time...) next month! Everything sounds good.. mahi mahi...shrimp/scallops...steak... Ugh, too many decisions!!
You just confirmed that I'm undecided as to what to get at Kona (our 1st time...) next month! Everything sounds good.. mahi mahi...shrimp/scallops...steak... Ugh, too many decisions!!
llqool
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2006
- Messages
- 1,292
thanks for your detailed report on Kona...you took pictures of all of the entrees I am considering getting when we go next month!
just a couple of questions -- what is that under the crab cakes? Some sort of tartar sauce? and about the Mahi Mahi...this was the entree I was thinking of getting, but the thought of the mushroom risotto really turned me off (not a big mushroom fan!). Was the risotto really that "mushroomy" or is there just a hint of it?
Thanks!
just a couple of questions -- what is that under the crab cakes? Some sort of tartar sauce? and about the Mahi Mahi...this was the entree I was thinking of getting, but the thought of the mushroom risotto really turned me off (not a big mushroom fan!). Was the risotto really that "mushroomy" or is there just a hint of it?
Thanks!
Praying Colonel
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2004
- Messages
- 8,982
The sauce under the crab cakes was a spicy sauce that tasted like it had a little bit of wasabi in it. It went well with the crab cake and pineapple relish on top.
The risotto didn't taste "mushroomy" to me, and I think you could eat around the mushroom pieces. But I like mushrooms OK so wouldn't have really noticed a problem. HTH.
The risotto didn't taste "mushroomy" to me, and I think you could eat around the mushroom pieces. But I like mushrooms OK so wouldn't have really noticed a problem. HTH.
DLo
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2006
- Messages
- 2,860
Thanks for the great pics. We went to the Kona Cafe last year for the 1st time and loved it. This year we will be at Disney for my 40th b'day. I booked a dinner ADR at Kona for my big day. Last year, we did as you did and went out onto the beach to watch the fireworks after dinner. I hope I timed the ADR right again this year !!
We are going to Le Cellier the next night so I appreciate that info. , too!!
We are going to Le Cellier the next night so I appreciate that info. , too!!
Bev J
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2000
- Messages
- 2,472
Thanks for your review!
Seeing the pictures and your descriptions from Kona has made me want to change my ADR's to eat here instead!
Something about seeing the pictures makes all the difference..Guess we will have to return the favor and make sure and take pics of our food!!
Bev
Seeing the pictures and your descriptions from Kona has made me want to change my ADR's to eat here instead!
Something about seeing the pictures makes all the difference..Guess we will have to return the favor and make sure and take pics of our food!!
Bev
3DisneyBuggs
DIS Veteran
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- Sep 29, 2005
- Messages
- 2,512
Kona looks so good, I think we may eat there our first night too. Thanks!!
TikiGoddess
DIS Veteran
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- Aug 26, 2005
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- 1,000
Can you tell me where the candied nut stand was in Future World? My dh is obsessed w/those.
Buzzandthemermaid
Mouseketeer
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- Jun 5, 2006
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Thanks for the reviews. I was gonna ask if the candied nut thing was a snack, too, but someone beat me to it.
I was born in the 'ville. Go Bats!
I was born in the 'ville. Go Bats!
Praying Colonel
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2004
- Messages
- 8,982
TikiGoddess said:
It's on the FW side of the lagoon, close to the gift shop and boat landing as you walk toward Canada.
TikiGoddess
DIS Veteran
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- Aug 26, 2005
- Messages
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Thanks Colonel...we'll have to scope those out, by the way, I'm waiting for you to review fried chicken. You know, being a Colonel and all...Sanders? KFC? Just kidding! I'm really enjoying your reviews!
schatterjee
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2002
- Messages
- 266
Such great reviews & photos! Thanks for posting!!
DisneyLovingRN
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- May 16, 2006
- Messages
- 122
Thanks so much for all your reviews and pictures so far. It's nice to see/read something so thorough! Plus, it's giving me a heads-up on some of the places we'll be dining on our trip in a few weeks! Can't wait for the rest! 
It's nice to see/read something so thorough! Plus, it's giving me a heads-up on some of the places we'll be dining on our trip in a few weeks! Can't wait for the rest! 
MINNIEBOWSER
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2003
- Messages
- 466
I am loving your reviews. Thank you for taking the time write them.
I was soooo happy you gave Kona Cafe such a great review. It is my favorite place. We make it a point to eat at Kona on our first evening and our last evening when at WDW. Our first time there, I ordered the Beef Terriyaki and it is the only entree that I have ever ordered there since because I loved it soooo much.
I look forward to your next review!!!
I was soooo happy you gave Kona Cafe such a great review. It is my favorite place. We make it a point to eat at Kona on our first evening and our last evening when at WDW. Our first time there, I ordered the Beef Terriyaki and it is the only entree that I have ever ordered there since because I loved it soooo much.
I look forward to your next review!!!
lexmelinda
<font color=blue>Has a Seussical googling DD<br><f
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Great reviews....I especially like the pictures. Thanks!
lawyergirl
Mouseketeer
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- Messages
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Thank you so much for the pics and reviews!!! I nearly cried when I saw the candied pecans - I only discovered them on my last day in WDW (in fact, only when I was on the plane home) and they are now my favourite snack of all time! Thanks for the pics and memories!!
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