Review: Kona Island Sushi Bar - May 17th

With my next Walt Disney World vacation just over 3 months away, I am in a very Polynesian mood today. You see, in October 2011 I am visiting WDW for a very special reason: one of my very best friends is having a Disney Fairytale Wedding!! And I am her Maid of Honour.

As has become our fall tradition, we will be staying at Disney's Polynesian Resort in Club Level. We have fallen head over heels with this resort and even when we aren't staying there we find ourselves visiting the Polynesian multiple times each trip. Plus, the Polynesian is very convenient in terms of proximity to the Wedding Pavilion! Yay!

One of the best reasons to visit the Polynesian Resort has to be the Kona Island Sushi Bar!

A few years ago, Disney started testing a "flex" concept. They would find ways to use one space in a variety of ways. The took the Kona Island Coffee Bar, an early morning quick service location located on the 2nd floor of the Great Ceremonial House, and added a sushi counter. The coffee bar operated between 7am and 12pm and then the sushi bar operated from 5pm to 10pm.

The test was a huge success and the Kona Island Sushi Bar has now become a permanent ficture. It is also our traditional arrival day dinner. We enjoy sitting at the slate sushi bar, but there is additional seating located along the windows with lovely views of the gardens below and the monorails zipping by.

I absolutely love the attention to detail! These floral arrangements are real flowers and must be replaced every other day as they always look fresh and perfect. You can see the window seating on the left side of this picture.

Now, it wouldn't be a meal at the Kona Island Sushi Bar for my family without requesting the amazingly good Hawaiian bread with Macadamia Nut Butter that is served at the neighboring Kona Cafe.

This bread is outrageously good. It is soft, with the perfect blend of crunchy outside and elasticy soft inside. But the true star is the butter! Sweet cream butter with large chunks of roasted macadamia nuts and I believe a touch of honey for sweetness. We can inhale a loaf in about 5 minutes flat.

While you can order any item off the Kona Cafe menu at the Kona Island Sushi Bar, we tend to stick with the main event - SUSHI!

Typically we share 3 or 4 rolls. That night we ordered:

Shrimp Tempura Roll - tender and sweet tempura shrimp, rolled in mame nori with mango and served with a lilikoi sauce (orange & guava I believe). YUM! This is a very sweet and crunchy roll, but the slight hints of citrus keep it from being over-sweet.

California Luau Roll - a Hawaiian take on the California Roll, subbing pineapple for the traditional cucumber. The pineapple gives the dish a nice bright tartness while still accomplishing the crunchy texture that cucumber would provide.

We also ordered two of this little beauty:

Volcano Roll - this is Kona Island Sushi Bar's variation on a spicy tuna roll. The roll itself is wonderfully plump thick strips of deep red tuna, with a pickled vegetable combination to add acidity and brightness. It is then topped with a spicy shrimp salad and tempura crunch, spicy mayo and edible flowers. Isn't it stunning? Well, it is just as good as it looks!

Last, but certainly not least, dessert. Not just any dessert, but the mother of all desserts!

Ohana's Pineapple Bread Pudding with Banana's Foster Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream!

This is heaven on a plate! And as the name states, this dessert technically comes from Ohana, the family-style restaurant at the Polynesian. But *shhhhh* don't tell anyone ;) you can order this blissful bread pudding at Kona Cafe AND at the Kona Island Sushi Bar!

A sinful combination of sweet pineapple bread, crunchy exterior and meltingly soft custard-laced interior, paired with a rum caramel sauce and slivered bananas - this warm bread pudding is contrasted by the cold ice cream. I dare you not to gobble up the entire bowl in seconds.

If you are looking for a refreshing meal (with a decadent ending) in a lush and calming tropical setting then the Kona Island Sushi Bar is for you. It is definitely for us! Just 3 months until we return.

Review: California Grill - May 21st

I'm going slightly out of order with this review, because I have been so remiss in my posting that I feel I owe all of you an amazing review!

The California Grill has been our favorite restaurant at the Walt Disney World Resort since 2007. We had contemplated dining at the California Grill often, but we were intimidated by the menu. You see, we became more adventurous eaters as a family in the mid-2000's. Food Network had become a mainstay in our house and this currently full-fledged foodie was just earning her foodie wings.

Friends of mine, Jaclyn & Chris, had dined at the California Grill in 2006 and couldn't stop raving about it! So on our next trip, August 2007, we had our first encounter with this amazing restaurant.

What was it like you ask?

Well, it was so phenomenal that we returned 3 times over our 2 week trip. In fact, on our third visit the manager came over to speak with us as she recognized us from our two dinners earlier in the trip!

Since then, we have dined at the California Grill at least once a trip.

Now, for a bit of background about the restaurant:

The California Grill is situated on the 15th floor of the Contemporary Resort. It has breathtaking views of Seven Seas Lagoon, Bay Lake, the Magic Kingdom Park, the Polynesian Resort and the Grand Floridian Resort. It is very hard to decide which is more beautiful...the sunset views or the evening views...you will just have to go for yourself and decide!

The cuisine is modern American with West Coast and seasonal influences. The menu changes at least once a month, often weekly. There are, however, a few signature items that I strongly recommend.

1. The Three-Cheese Flatbread - The restaurant has a wood-burning oven and one item that has been on the menu since opening day is the Three-Cheese Flatbread. A sinful combination of Pecorino, Asiago, and Provolone with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Arugula Pesto.

2. ANY of the Sushi by Yoshie - Yoshie is one of only a few female sushi chefs in the world. Her creations are famous and really are edible works of art. Just like the rest of the menu, her maki rolls change seasonally, but there are a few that never leave the menu. I highly suggest the Spicy Kazan Roll, a combination of tuna, crab, and shrimp, topped with fireball sauce, bay scallops, tempura crunch and slivers of crisp nori. It is to die for!

3. The Grilled Pork Tenderloin with goat cheese polenta, roasted mushrooms, Zinfandel glaze, and sage - Even if you don't like pork, you will like this dish. The tender juicy tenderloin is rubbed with a spice and mustard mixture, grilled to perfection and paired with silky, tangy goat cheese polenta, earthy mushrooms and rich Zinfandel glaze. Trust me, every bite is bliss.

Now, onto our most recent dining experience. If you will humour me, I am going to go into a bit of detail about our check-in experience. You see, the California Grill has surged in popularity in the past few years and you seldom get a table immediately upon check-in. The wait is typically 15 minutes, but our situation was a bit out of the ordinary.

We arrived at the Contemporary at 7:30 and checked in on the second floor. That's right, check-in for this restaurant is located on the second floor of the resort. Once you have received your pager you are escorted to the 15th floor to wait for your table.

We requested our favorite server, Ron, and were told that we might have a bit of a wait but that they could definitely put us in his section.

When we got to the 15th floor, we grabbed a few seats at the bar area facing Seven Seas Lagoon. The view from the California Grill is probably my favorite view on Disney property. The sun was just starting to set, so we settled in with some drinks (scotch for Dad, shiraz for Mom and coke for me) and enjoyed the sunset.

We waited about 40 minutes, making it 8:10, before going to the podium to check on the status of our table. I spoke to a very nice manager, Glen, and he assured me that the table would be ready shortly. I let him know that we didn't mind the wait at all, but wanted to be sure we were still in the queue as we have gotten lost in the shuffle before when requesting a specific server.

Another 20 minutes passes, making it 8:30, and Dad goes to check on the reservation. At this point Glen apologizes and explains that one of the tables was attempting to milk out the seating thinking that Wishes was scheduled for 9. The table was kindly informed that Wishes was scheduled for 10pm and the restaurant needed to turn the table. They were, however, welcome to stay in the lounge to watch Wishes from the outdoor viewing area.

Moments later we were seated at a table right beside the window, in Ron's section. It was well worth the wait.

Our place setting

Ron stopped by and welcomed us. He apologized for the wait and told us that he had not been informed that we were waiting for him, but he was very happy to see us. Ron has served us at least a dozen times at the California Grill. We enjoy his serving style and catching up to see how he has been.

No sooner had Ron apologized than Glen arrived with one of the Chefs, Jamie I believe. They had prepared an amuse bouche for us as a means of making up for the wait.

We were each presented with a demi-tasse cup filled with:

Grilled Local Zellwood Corn Soup with Maine Lobster, Portobello Mushrooms, Espellette, and White Truffle Oil.

This has to be one of the best soups I have ever tasted. The first mouthful hit you over the head with wonderful sweet corn flavor, then the earthiness of the portobello and white truffle oil and the slight spice of the espellette set in. It was sweet, smokey and spicy and I wanted more! The best surprise were the occasional niblets of grilled corn that added texture and a pop of intense fresh corn flavour.

Next up for us was our reason for coming to the California Grill: SUSHI!

Ron explained that the California Grill recently changed their chopsticks. The only problem: The chopsticks pictures are Chinese chopsticks. He said that Yoshi had a fit!

We hated them as they are not meant for sushi. Japanese Chopsticks narrow to a fine point. Chinese chopsticks are wider and flatter at the ends.

Thankfully, they still have the other standard chopsticks if you request them.

The sushi here is a masterpiece. Every roll is a complex and stunning work of art. I have never had better, or more creative sushi in my life.

We always order 3 to 4 rolls and tonight was no exception. We had (from top to bottom in the picture:

California Roll...Jumbo Lump Crab with Avocado and Cucumber

Shrimp Tempura Roll....Tempura Shrimp, Mango, Watermelon and Mame Nori with Orange Ginger Dipping Sauce (this item is not on the menu, but well worth ordering!! We had TWO.)

Spicy Kazan Roll...Crab, Shrimp, Bay Scallops, Tuna and Fireball Sauce

Every bite was heavenly. I could eat this once a week and never be bored of it.

Next up, Ron brought us some of the fantastic Sourdough Bread made in house daily.

We considered ordering some appetizers after our sushi, as there were numerous new items on the menu, but we were too full.

We opted for two "dessert" courses.

First up, the evening's cheese selection.

From right to left (the order they were to be eaten in) we have:

SeaHive – is hand-rubbed with Beehive wildflower honey and sea salt. The honey is harvested from a local farm where the bees visit wildflowers and fruit orchards. The salt is from an ancient sea bed near Redmond, Utah and contains unique flecks of colour. This artisnal cheese indeed bursts with flavor: sweet, floral notes of the honey, salt and the sharpness of the cheese; a real adventure in flavor.

Nancy’s Hudson Valley Camembert – is a pasteurized cow and sheep’s milk cheese from Old Chatham Creamery in New York. This creamy, soft-ripened cheese is smooth and buttery with the texture of a triple-crème. It is sweet with a buttermilk depth and a little tang.

Drunken Goat Cheese – “Queso de Cabra al Vino” is a pasteurized goat’s milk cheese from the village of Jumilla in Murcia, Spain. The cheese is soaked in red wine for two to three days, giving the outside a thin purple rind. The rind typically remains fairly soft and pliable and is edible. The paste is nearly pure white and has a sweet, smooth and delicately grapey flavor and a gentle, pliable texture.

Petite Agour - is a pure unpasteurized sheep's milk cheese 'Pur Brebis' and winner of two gold medals at the Paris Salon de L'Agriculture. The semi-firm paste is sharp, deep and earthy with notes of butter and toasted nuts. The rind of the cheese is rubbed with spices to help protect the interior and to give the exterior a rusty hue.

King Island Dairy Roaring Forties Blue - is a full flavored pasteurized blue with a sweet, slightly nutty character, a rich mouth feel and good aftertaste. The rindless cheese is matured in its wax coating, which cuts off the oxygen supply, promoting its sweet and fruity flavor. The wax also assists in retaining the blue's moisture, creating a smooth and creamy texture.

I tried all but the blue as I am allergic. This was one of the best cheese selections I have had at Disney. My favorites were the Petite Agour and the Drunken Goat Cheese.

After our delicious cheeses we had our 2nd dessert course of the night.

Butterscotch Bread Pudding with Apple Compote, Drunken Butterscotch Sauce and Vanilla-Toffee Ice Cream

Yum! Not as good as Ohana, but very tasty.

Valrhona Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream

My favorite item on the menu, the seasonal pairing was strawberry ice cream, but as I don't care for strawberries I went with a classic pairing of vanilla.

As always, we had a wonderful meal. We will definitely be returning to the California Grill on our next trip!

Food & Wine Festival Special Events - Booking Opens August 16th

The Disney Parks Blog has announced that Special Event booking for this years Food & Wine Festival is slated to open on August 16th at 7 a.m. EST.

Confirmed returning events are as follows:

• First Bites Opening Reception (Sept. 29, 6:30-9 p.m.)

A "kick-off" event of sorts. Sample items from the Festival Marketplaces before they open to the public!

• “3D” Disney’s Dessert Discovery (Oct. 7, 14, 21, 28, Nov. 4, 11)

A sumptious spread of sinful sweets (and spirits!) followed by VIP viewing of Illuminations: Reflections of Earth.

• Taste, Shake and Indulge Like the French Grand Marnier Tasting and Interactive Experience (Oct. 8, 15, 22, 29, Nov. 5)

Sample a variety of Grand Mariner varieties and cocktails, paired with a few "orange-inspired" desserts.

• Epcot Wine Schools (Oct. 9, 16, 23, 30, Nov. 5)

Seminars conducted by various wine authorities.

• Culinary Adventures in Signature Dining (Oct. 6, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 27, 30, Nov. 1, 2, 3, 7, 10)

Experience outstanding dining experiences at a variety of Disney Signature Restaurants.

• Kitchen Memories, formerly Celebrating Family & Friends in the Kitchen (Sept. 30, Oct. 7, 14, 21, 28, Nov. 4, 11)

Celebrity chefs prepare some of their signature dishes and answer questions in this interactive demonstration/seminar.

• Cheese Seminars (Oct. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, Nov. 5, 12)

Learn more about cheeses from around the world.

• Party for the Senses (Oct. 8, 15, 22, Nov. 5 and 12 at new times: 7:30-10 p.m.)

The cocktail party to end all cocktail parties. Dozens of delicious bite-sized items paired with more wines than you can think of. Also includes VIP seating to the Eat to the Beat Concert and Cirque du Soleil performances.

• Food & Wine Pairings (Mondays, Tuesdays)

Enjoy three small courses of ethnic foods paired with wines from the same nation. (Previous venues have included Morocco, Italy, Japan and Canada).

• Sweet Sundays (Oct. 2, 9, 16, 223, 30, Nov. 6, 13)

A buffet brunch and a selection of sweets prepared by some of the best pastry chefs in the world.