Stuffing my face @ Disney (holiday style): TUSKER HOUSE LUNCH! [3/26/13]

[DLFan123]

Those cheesy potatoes look heavenly! Are they anything like the ones at Hollywood and Vine? We are actually thinking of making an ADR for Akershus in June just so we can have those potatoes!

 

[emmebear]

Loving your review(s) - congrats for Emme being a year without a seizure - that must be one of the hardest things the experience. Also, thank you to your brother for serving - very much hoping he is safe


We generally do the lunch at Akershus - but I think out next trip we will do breakfast there

than you for the well wishes! it's been a blessing that she's been seizure free since her ordeal. i pray everyday.

my brother is doing as well as can be. the weather is warming up so there is more fighting going on he states. i wish for him to return quickly & safely. his scheduled return month is september. he's already served iraq & now he's in afghanistan. this time he's a sargent but he's only 24 years old. *le sigh*

breakfast is my favorite meal at akershus! i can't wait to go back next week!

 

[emmebear]

Those cheesy potatoes look heavenly! Are they anything like the ones at Hollywood and Vine? We are actually thinking of making an ADR for Akershus in June just so we can have those potatoes!

i've only had the cheesy potatoes at crystal palace & it is noting like the cheesy potato casserole at akershus. i swear they much sprinkle some sort of crack on top cause it's addictive & amazing. maybe it's msg but who knows...it is absolutely delicious!! totally lives up to the hype and doesn't disappoint!

 

[bluechic03]

Im joining in! You two are adorable! How old is Emme? My older son just turned three and they look about the same age Has she been on any rides like splash mountain or BTMRR? We will be in WDW at the end of April and I'm wondering if he will like it....hes a total daredevil to be fair!

And about those cheesy potatoes...I must google them and find the recipe!!!! My mouth is watering....

 

[starousse]

I love reading your reports and seeing your great pictures. Btw, you're daughter is beautiful.

 

[emmebear]

Im joining in! You two are adorable! How old is Emme? My older son just turned three and they look about the same age Has she been on any rides like splash mountain or BTMRR? We will be in WDW at the end of April and I'm wondering if he will like it....hes a total daredevil to be fair!

And about those cheesy potatoes...I must google them and find the recipe!!!! My mouth is watering....

My daughter just turned 3 in January. Thank you for the compliments!

He will love it there! We ride the goofy barnstormer in fantasyland and she loves it. Also she loves pirates of the Caribbean ride too. She's a bit of a daredevil as well. We haven't had the time to ride btmr but will try our next trip. She's also a fan of DHS...she loved the Star Wars ride.

The cheesy potatoes are divine! Well worth the ressie. Enjoy your trip!

 

[emmebear]

I love reading your reports and seeing your great pictures. Btw, you're daughter is beautiful.

Thank you! I need to catch up on my reviews.

 

[emmebear]

updated 3/3/13


BREAKFAST @ AKERSHUS & EPCOT SNACKS!


ok, so i knew i would mix up my dates at some point! too many meals in such a short period of time...in addition to too many pictures has left me a bit confused (just slightly).

the akershus post prior to this happened in january of 2013 during my dismeet weekend. the akershus post below occurred during my holiday extravaganza in december. SEE...i told you i love the cheesy potatoes @ akershus. we go EVERY trip!

emme & belle.

my plate: i get the same cold offerings each time & each time these items are so delicious. i love love the blackberries!

emme loves her some strawberries!



and now the real star of the show....

CHEESY POTATOES!!

this version was slightly different as there are chunks of potatoes mixed in with the shredded potatoes. texturally, it was a little different but taste wise, it was still EPIC. i love these potatoes....they are amazingly scrumptious.



another reason why akershus breakfast is awesome....

THICK BACON!

ok, the bacon isn't really "thick cut" per say but by disney standards, this bacon is pretty thick. they do not serve the sad & tragically limp bacon at most other buffets.



emme had some visitors stop by to visit:

sleeping beauty


and to my surprise @ breakfast:

cinderella!

she is one of the prettiest cinderella's i have seen at disney, btw.

snow white & snow white (emme).

and emme's favorite

time for the princess processional:

this was another enjoyable breakfast at akershus. it was a really nice surprise to see cinderella instead of jasmine & emme had a total blast. i tried not to totally pig out at breakfast so that i could make room for some snacks at epcot. but two big thumbs up for akershus breakfast! it is my favorite spot for breakfast at disney. pricey yes but we do enjoy it, very much.



SNACKS!


emme & i began our day at epcot & i was hoping to walk off breakfast to make room for a few snacks & drinks.

we ran into some friends on our way to Boulangerie Patisserie.

jasmine & aladdin

belle

this is one of my favorite character photos with emme. she's actually looking AT the camera.



time for some snacks:

Grey Goose Citron Slushie

this drink never disappoints. it's very refreshing!


we finally made it to boulangerie & the line was out the door & almost around the building. i've never had a croissant or an eclair from this place but i've only read good things so i had high hopes. after waiting such a long time, i was thinking that this better be the best ham & cheese croissant & eclair of my life.

Croissant Jambon Fromage - ham, cheese and bechamel in a croissant $4.75

i had the option of heating this or just taking it "to go" in a box, unheated. i opted for the unheated choice and she put it in a nice box for me. i wasn't hungry yet & wanted to save this for later. after eating the croissant, i really wished i could have tasted this heated and with the cheese melted. by the time i had gotten to the croissant, the cheese was hard & the ham was kind of slimey. the croissant was still flakey but i didn't taste the difference between the croissant at akershus & the croissant at boulangerie. needless to say, the croissant does not travel well & i was disappointed.

Chocolate eclair

hoping for another life altering experience, i can say that like the ham & cheese croissant, this eclair does not travel well. i did eat it about 1.5 hours after purchasing so maybe therein lies the problem. the outside had hardened and just was not any good. another sad moment for me.



onto a happier snack:

Perry cookie

this massive cookie was bought at a random booth that sold coffee & water. the perry was edible & emme looked pretty funny devouring perry's face off. it was a pretty huge treat for only $2.95. at least one of us had a tasty treat so the day wasn't a total loss.



we were heading to the seas & then left epcot.

ominous clouds.

the boat ride from world showcase to future world.

our friend stitch & the half- eaten sign.



and at pop century, we had this lovely towel awaiting us:

 

[pumba]

Your reviews and photos are awesome..
I love going to Akershus...and we have been there a few times...I too love going for the fresh fruit ..and the strawberries were so big...I couldnt believe it..I on the other hand dont like the potatoes there...but the others in the group loved them...
I could go for this breakfast every morning ...I would be happy as a clam..

Blessings to your daughter and to your brother...We have so many friends and relatives that are going or coming home from overseas...prayers will always be there for your brother and all our soldiers...give him a hug from the Pig..

 

[rachel09985]

Ok I know I already told you this via text but this is the best post you have ever posted picture wise of Emme...

Random comments...

That face with the posed Belle (first pic) is hilarious!!!
The strawberry eating picture of her is also hilarious. I laughed out loud!!
Love her outfit and that picture with Snow and Emme standing together is so cute.
Totally agree about the Belle pic in her blue dress. Honestly that picture is Disney website worthy. You need to like put that in to some contest.
The ominous looking cloud picture is really cool and the photo with her holding stuffed nemo is soo precious!!!

I can't wait to see you guys! almost one month!!

 

[emmebear]

Ok I know I already told you this via text but this is the best post you have ever posted picture wise of Emme...

Random comments...

That face with the posed Belle (first pic) is hilarious!!!
The strawberry eating picture of her is also hilarious. I laughed out loud!!
Love her outfit and that picture with Snow and Emme standing together is so cute.
Totally agree about the Belle pic in her blue dress. Honestly that picture is Disney website worthy. You need to like put that in to some contest.
The ominous looking cloud picture is really cool and the photo with her holding stuffed nemo is soo precious!!!

I can't wait to see you guys! almost one month!!

we are so excited to see you too! thank you for the picture comments. maybe someone from disney will see that picture of emme with belle. i love that picture.

 

[Magic Megadegs]

Loving your reviews and your daughter is gorgeous. Thank you to your brother and your family for his service to your country and other Allied nations.

We are going to the Akershus for lunch and can't wait!!!

 

[emmebear]

Loving your reviews and your daughter is gorgeous. Thank you to your brother and your family for his service to your country and other Allied nations.

We are going to the Akershus for lunch and can't wait!!!

Thank you for the kind words. Enjoy akershus! We have a breakfast ADR for tomorrow morning.

 

[disnut1149]

Hi
Your DD is so adorable!!! Looks like she's having a great time. And thank you to your brother for his service. My DH was in the Navy during Vietnam, (yes, we're over 60) and it was a very scary time. Thanks for your reviews!! I really enjoy reading them. I used to love Pop, but have to agree about the mattresses. Hard as rock!!! We couldn't sleep on them and had to change resorts. Thanks for sharing.
Joan

 

[gardengirl628]

Your pictures and your DD are gorgeous!!!!!

 

[emmebear]

Hi
Your DD is so adorable!!! Looks like she's having a great time. And thank you to your brother for his service. My DH was in the Navy during Vietnam, (yes, we're over 60) and it was a very scary time. Thanks for your reviews!! I really enjoy reading them. I used to love Pop, but have to agree about the mattresses. Hard as rock!!! We couldn't sleep on them and had to change resorts. Thanks for sharing.
Joan

thank you for the kind words & for the service of your husband. my brother is ready to come home. fighting season has begun in afghanistan as the weather is starting to warm up. it is a scary time and we pray every day for everyone's safe return.

pop century is awful! i realized the value of staying off site & getting such great deals using hotwire & vrbo that i don't see myself staying at another disney resort (minus the trip in april) in the near or distant future. i just returned from a 3 night stay at a 2 BR presidential suite at bonnet creek & it was FANTASTIC! we were on disney property, had over 2,000 sq ft of space, a full kitchen & a fantastic view...plus great bus service. my stay at bonnet creek was cheaper than a disney value resort during the same time frame!

Your pictures and your DD are gorgeous!!!!!

thank you so much! i will be updating all my trip reports soon.

 

[emmebear]

updated 3/10/13


BOMA

i was really excited to try BOMA for dinner. this was our first trip to boma & i couldn't wait to eat as i was starving. after reading tons of reviews online, i knew that the buffet would please my taste buds. also before dinner, i promised myself that i would just eat & enjoy this dinner instead of eating & taking pictures with my dslr. so instead, i used my iphone.

originally, i had planned on going to DHS to see the osborne lights but after leaving epcot, the parking to get into DHS was ridiculous. i didn't have the patience to wait so i continued to drive to AKL & hoped that we would be seated 1 hour earlier than our original adr.

much to my happiness, we were seated about 10 minutes after arriving. we were seated in the corner at a 2 top. it was a very lively atmosphere at boma but it was definitely cozy. i loved the dim lighting as well. our server had 2 large tables but despite that he was very attentive & quick with our drink refills.

now, let the feasting begin!


side note: before i begin posting pictures & looking like a complete fatty, the plates at boma are smaller than the plates at other buffets. despite making multiple trips to the buffet & stuffing my face, i just wanted to clarify that the plates are smaller!


plate 1:

Sirloin, peanut rice, pap (the white item) & the popular pork ribs

the sirloin was cooked perfectly. it was very juicy & tender. the peanut rice was heavenly. i loved it. it reminded me of a pad thai reincarnated as a rice dish. the pap, which is very similar to grits, was very smooth and savory. i enjoyed it very much. the ribs are apparently very popular at boma but i'm not a huge bbq fan. i thought the rib was ok. however, the tables around me were devastating the ribs so maybe i'm just in the minority.



i also treated myself to a wine flight.

Western Cape Wine Flight


my server said the wine was 2oz pours but it was more like 3 oz (not that i'm complaining). you can see the reflection of my plates of food in the wine. i love red wine and the wine really complimented my meal.


emme's plate of food:

Strawberries, macaroni & cheese, plain penne pasta, mashed potatoes



i decided to try some of the soups:

Carrot Ginger soup

this was my favorite soup at boma. it was thick & savory & slightly sweet from the carrots. the soup coated my spoon with lots of deliciousness. i could not get enough of this soup. i had two bowls of it & wish i had room for more. it was a total delight!

Coconut Chicken Curry Soup

this soup tasted like chicken curry but i could not taste much coconut in it. it's a thick soup like the carrot ginger soup & very hearty. the chicken chunks were very tender. you could make a meal out of this soup.

Lentils and Sausage Soup

i love lentils & i love sausage. the sausage overpowered the lentil flavor in this soup. that was very unfortunate. i did not finish my portion of this soup.

Seafood Gumbo

ok, ok. the label said seafood gumbo so i should have expected it to taste seafoody, right? it was seafood overkill in flavor. it had a very fishy taste to it. however, the fish was filled with scallops, hunks of fish & large pieces of mussels. with all this variety of seafood, i found it a bit weird for the broth to taste just like fish. this was not a winner in my book.



after my adventure with the soup, i went for a lighter trip to the buffet.

Peanut couscous, coleslaw, hearts of palm & tomato salad, pap

this was my plate of salads that the boma offered. everything was cold. the peanut couscous was very peanuty in flavor. the coleslaw had some tang to it & very good. my favorite of the group was the hearts of palm & tomato salad. i love the texture of the hearts of palm with the tomato. the salad was dressed lightly but the dressing had a great balance of sweet & salty. it made my taste buds very happy.



during the meal, a CM starts to play the drums while others follow behind singing & dancing. they encourage patrons to join in & during this, emme decided she wanted to join in the fun. she loved it! afterwards, they give the kids mickey stickers.

i decided i could squeeze in one more plate of food.

Tomato paneer w/ jasmine rice, whole roasted salmon, sirloin, & babotie

i'm a huge fan of indian food & i love me some paneer. paneer is home made cheese. it's not what we typically think of cheese. it's very light & savory. the tomato sauce it was stewed in was bright & tart & it matched perfectly with the paneer. YUMMY! unforunately, the salmon tasted very fish & i thought it was over cooked. the sirloin was tasty, so much so, this was my second serving. the last thing on my plate was babotie. the texture of it might freak some people out & it has middle eastern flavor profile. it's one of my favorite things to eat there. very very tasty.

SAMBAL & mustard sauce

in front of the meat carving section, there is some sauces for your meat. i chose the sambal in hoping for some spice. oddly enough, it wasn't spicy. the mustard sauce had a nice kick but no where near the spice level i normally eat. but it added a nice oomph to the sirloin. plus, it's always fun to dip your meat in sauces.


i had to throw in the towel after that last plate of food. i don't have much of a sweet tooth so i didn't try any dessert. the dessert section was a very nice selection...i just had no room for anything. i could have easily rolled my way out of boma. i was so stuffed.

my dinner with the wine flight + tip was $50.87. this included my TIW discount plus 18% gratuity. i left some extra cash as our server was exceptional. i also used the FREE valet parking at AKL that is included with TIW membership.

for the amount of food i ate and with the quality of the food, boma is a place at disney that i do not regret eating at. some buffets are over priced & the food isn't that great but i felt with boma was worth the money. the variety of the food was fantastic & i really appreciated all the diverse flavors. sanaa & boma are both places that i love to eat while at disney. i love all the unique flavors as those are the flavors i chose to eat when i do dine out at home. mmmm mmmmmm!

i recommend boma highly! it's loud but the setting is very nice & the staff are very nice. the food quality is great as well. there's a selection for children & offerings for the not so adventurous eater. boma has something for everyone.

TWO THUMBS WAY UP!!

 

[Harters2WDW]

Stumbled upon your TR and addicted to them all! You have similar food tastes as my Vietnamese DH -- he also doesn't have much of a sweet tooth. My youngest DD is almost the same age -- turned 3 on Dec. 16. Kudos to you as a single mom manging the parks on your own with DD3. whew! We love Akershush as well....we usually do a late breakfast as they turnover for lunch. Really enjoying your TR and incredible pics! Are you on Instagram too?

 

[emmebear]

Stumbled upon your TR and addicted to them all! You have similar food tastes as my Vietnamese DH -- he also doesn't have much of a sweet tooth. My youngest DD is almost the same age -- turned 3 on Dec. 16. Kudos to you as a single mom manging the parks on your own with DD3. whew! We love Akershush as well....we usually do a late breakfast as they turnover for lunch. Really enjoying your TR and incredible pics! Are you on Instagram too?

Thank you!

It's tough being Asian and dining at Disney as I'm always wanting something spicy and with heat. I think that's why I like boma & Sanaa so much as the flavor profiles are kind of similar to mine (not exactly) but more so than other Disney places.

Have you guys tried pho 88 in Orlando? It's my favorite place for pho in town. Their bahn mi's aren't great (terrible bread) but the pho and bun are great!

My mom was too scared to eat the lunch cold buffet during turnover at akershus! I had to go up and fix her a plate! Ha!

 

[Harters2WDW]

We haven't ventured outside of WDW in Orlando yet. My DH loves banh mi ... To the point that he wanted to start his own banh mi food truck. Ha! I love bun...we might have to venture out of the bubble!