Day 1: Lunch/Dinner - Trader Sam's Grog Grotto
One of the dining experiences I was most looking forward to on this trip was Trader Sam's. I haven't been to Disney in 3 years, meaning this gem was still under construction on my last visit. I was absolutely FAMISHED from my travel day, and couldn't wait for us to get to Trader Sam's. We arrived just after 4 PM, and the place was already completely packed. We were lucky to snag 1 seat and some standing room at the bar. Everywhere else was already full. We were able to snag a spot at the island table before our food came.
Let me start by saying, if you're unfamiliar with this location and you're looking for a quiet or romantic place to grab a drink...this is not it. However, we loved the atmosphere here and had a blast. I wish we could have stayed longer!
The bar menu is primarily composed of rum, rum or rum. I was really looking forward to bringing home a souvenir Tiki Glass, but was disappointed to find out you couldn't order a specific drink (I wanted the punch) and request a different glass (I didn't want the Tiki Mug it came in). No worries, I decided to save the Tiki Glass for another trip, and both Emily and I ordered the Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Rum - Pyrat XO Reserve Rum, Cream of Coconut, and pineapple and orange juices dusted with cinnamon and nutmeg $12.00
It was prepared by our excellent bartender, Ohnalee (which I'm 84% sure I'm spelling incorrectly).
We perused the menu, and decided to get a few dishes to share.
We started off with
Pan-Fried Dumplings - with soy-sesame dipping sauce $8.49
These were fine. It's pretty hard to mess up a dumpling, and it's also pretty hard to make them 'wow' worthy. No complaints here, and we really liked the shredded carrots they were served over to add a little crunch to the dish.
Next up...
Kahlua Pork Tacos - with cabbage and pickled vegetables $9.99
These were O.M.Good! I just realized looking at the picture now they were served with lime wedges, but they certainly didn't need them. I'm sure that would have made them even better though. The pork was delicious and the slaw and sweet/spicy mayo were amazing. These were awesome and neither of us would hesitate to order them again!
However, the real star of the show was...
Headhunter Sushi Roll $14.99
The menu did not give any details, so we had to ask. It's a spicy tuna roll made with beet rice (which is basically rice cooked with beet juice) and tuna and salmon on the outside. It was served with a hibiscus soy and traditional wasabi/ginger.
Not only was this roll BEAUTIFUL,
But it was incredibly delicious. The fish was the freshest I've had, second only to that at California Grill. Ohnalee informed us the soy was on the sweeter side and to try it before going crazy with it. This is one of the few sushi rolls in my life I've eaten that didn't need any soy or wasabi to be considers incredible, but the sauce really enhanced and balanced it out. I could have eaten several of these! I was really unsure about the beet rice, but it was DELICIOUS. Even if you don't like beets themselves, you'll still like this!
Overall, we really enjoyed this and it was a great way to kick off the trip. I already can't wait to go back!