kabuki
<font color=green>It's free if you pass out in the
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2005
- Messages
- 1,538
Tchoup Chop:
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Hello everyone!
We have been back for a few days but due to evacuation from the wild fires my trip reports have been delayed. Mother Nature I guess doesn't seem to think before she strikes, people want food porn pictures and trip reports! We are fine right now and this is the perfect activity to take my mind of changing winds and smoke!
Here we go!
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This year was a year in the planning. I can remember sitting with freinds and my husband Jason at Pechanga casino talking about going to the Food and Wine Fest. weeks after we returned from a 9 day 10 people trip in 2006. There was talk of Vacation Club purchases and new restaurants and basically I think I thought we were on food depravation from the lack of butter in my system since we returned. Little did I know that Jason and I would be the ones buying the DVC and be making our longest trip ever that would include a trip to Universal for the Halloween Horror Nights and a lunch at Emeril's Tchoup Chop!
Jason and I took a red eye flight to Orlando that arrived October 11th. We made it to our Best Western across from Universal Orlando. They were nice enough to let us check in at 7am so we could try and have a nap before lunch at 11:30. This did us a world of good since we knew we would be up late getting the crap scared out of us at Horror Nights.
I have not included any photos of this hotel. It's Orlando, It's a Best Western and they might have had a mold issue or two but heck it was cheap and close!
Jason and I headed out to the Royal Pacific Hotel at Universal about an hour early so we could check out the hotel. It is a beautiful hotel and looks like what you would hope a Hawaiian vacation would look like. It's the least expensive at the park and a Lowes hotel. If we went back for anytime I would love to be here.
We arrived at 11:30am and had our choice of seats. The restaurant was amazing to look at. All done in blue and orange with a pond running down the middle. We chose a booth near the open kitchen. We have three people waiting on us at all times and again Emeril's restaurants don't let you down in any way. Service was top notch, food was great and a beautiful environment!
We ordered drinks 1st! YES BIG SHOCK!
Jason had a 1944 Mai Tai Roa Ae
This was a one drink drink, so good and so strong. Best Mai Tai he said he had ever had!
I had a Cantaloupe Martini
It was SO good! I wish I had the recipe. It tasted like you were eating fresh cut cantaloupe!
With your drinks they bring out shrimp chips with a ginger-peanut dipping sauce. I have had shrimp chips before and they are ok. These were like shrimp pork rinds and I had to tell them no more or I wouldn't have eaten anything else. They were great!
Now it was down to choosing from the menu. It was too hard! Everything looked good!
For Appetizers we had the Homemade dumplings with Pork and Ginger!
These were so good and I again could have made a meal off them. The dipping sauce was sweet but the filling was rich and you needed it.
Then we had the vine ripe tomato salad with cashew coated goat cheese!
I love goat cheese! This salad was fantastic and it had a nice tart dressing!
We were know trying to choose between 5 things so we asked the waiter what we should get.
He of course picked the two items that we were not considering.
So we said if you can pair wine with both we will go with your suggestions.
I had the Macadamia Nut Salmon with Tupari Sauvignon Blanc and Jason had the Kailua Pork Loco Moco
with Merlot.
OK!
The food was so good we forgot to take pictures. Believe me it's the only time on this trip we did! (Jason took over 600 )
I am not a salmon person, the smell when you go to Costco makes me ill when they sample it but this turned me around. It was amazing, not fishy and cooked perfectly. I would eat this again anytime and the wine was fabulous! GET it if you see it. I have my eyes out looking as we speak.
The big star of the day was the Pork. It was shredded in with an omelet and friend rice. It sounded strange but truly one of the best things I have ever had. I almost didn't give it back to Jason. It was rich and wonderful!
Jason had the house Merlot that is made for Emerils and was great.
If you can believe it after all this we had dessert, well anyone who knows my husband knows that this is always true!
We had Bitter Sweet Chocolate Glazed Peanut Butter Cream - Layered with Kahlua Chocolate Cake. Served with Banana Foster Sauce, Pecan Pralines and Sweet Cream
This was the chefs mom's recipe and fantastic. I only had a couple bits but sugar boy said it was the best chocolate dessert he had ever had!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hello everyone!
We have been back for a few days but due to evacuation from the wild fires my trip reports have been delayed. Mother Nature I guess doesn't seem to think before she strikes, people want food porn pictures and trip reports! We are fine right now and this is the perfect activity to take my mind of changing winds and smoke!
Here we go!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This year was a year in the planning. I can remember sitting with freinds and my husband Jason at Pechanga casino talking about going to the Food and Wine Fest. weeks after we returned from a 9 day 10 people trip in 2006. There was talk of Vacation Club purchases and new restaurants and basically I think I thought we were on food depravation from the lack of butter in my system since we returned. Little did I know that Jason and I would be the ones buying the DVC and be making our longest trip ever that would include a trip to Universal for the Halloween Horror Nights and a lunch at Emeril's Tchoup Chop!
Jason and I took a red eye flight to Orlando that arrived October 11th. We made it to our Best Western across from Universal Orlando. They were nice enough to let us check in at 7am so we could try and have a nap before lunch at 11:30. This did us a world of good since we knew we would be up late getting the crap scared out of us at Horror Nights.
I have not included any photos of this hotel. It's Orlando, It's a Best Western and they might have had a mold issue or two but heck it was cheap and close!
Jason and I headed out to the Royal Pacific Hotel at Universal about an hour early so we could check out the hotel. It is a beautiful hotel and looks like what you would hope a Hawaiian vacation would look like. It's the least expensive at the park and a Lowes hotel. If we went back for anytime I would love to be here.
We arrived at 11:30am and had our choice of seats. The restaurant was amazing to look at. All done in blue and orange with a pond running down the middle. We chose a booth near the open kitchen. We have three people waiting on us at all times and again Emeril's restaurants don't let you down in any way. Service was top notch, food was great and a beautiful environment!

We ordered drinks 1st! YES BIG SHOCK!

Jason had a 1944 Mai Tai Roa Ae
This was a one drink drink, so good and so strong. Best Mai Tai he said he had ever had!
I had a Cantaloupe Martini
It was SO good! I wish I had the recipe. It tasted like you were eating fresh cut cantaloupe!

With your drinks they bring out shrimp chips with a ginger-peanut dipping sauce. I have had shrimp chips before and they are ok. These were like shrimp pork rinds and I had to tell them no more or I wouldn't have eaten anything else. They were great!

Now it was down to choosing from the menu. It was too hard! Everything looked good!
For Appetizers we had the Homemade dumplings with Pork and Ginger!
These were so good and I again could have made a meal off them. The dipping sauce was sweet but the filling was rich and you needed it.

Then we had the vine ripe tomato salad with cashew coated goat cheese!
I love goat cheese! This salad was fantastic and it had a nice tart dressing!

We were know trying to choose between 5 things so we asked the waiter what we should get.
He of course picked the two items that we were not considering.
So we said if you can pair wine with both we will go with your suggestions.
I had the Macadamia Nut Salmon with Tupari Sauvignon Blanc and Jason had the Kailua Pork Loco Moco
with Merlot.

OK!
The food was so good we forgot to take pictures. Believe me it's the only time on this trip we did! (Jason took over 600 )
I am not a salmon person, the smell when you go to Costco makes me ill when they sample it but this turned me around. It was amazing, not fishy and cooked perfectly. I would eat this again anytime and the wine was fabulous! GET it if you see it. I have my eyes out looking as we speak.
The big star of the day was the Pork. It was shredded in with an omelet and friend rice. It sounded strange but truly one of the best things I have ever had. I almost didn't give it back to Jason. It was rich and wonderful!
Jason had the house Merlot that is made for Emerils and was great.
If you can believe it after all this we had dessert, well anyone who knows my husband knows that this is always true!
We had Bitter Sweet Chocolate Glazed Peanut Butter Cream - Layered with Kahlua Chocolate Cake. Served with Banana Foster Sauce, Pecan Pralines and Sweet Cream
This was the chefs mom's recipe and fantastic. I only had a couple bits but sugar boy said it was the best chocolate dessert he had ever had!