COMPLETE - Aulani Trip Report - June 2023 - Pictures & Food Recommendations

[gregf71]

Day 7: Rough Waters Means No Sailing Canoe and AMA AMA - Part 2.2…(too much meal for one post!)

OK! Let’s continue on our AMA AMA voyage!

My wife’s first course was the Kabocha squash soup, with deep sea shrimp, coconut, shallot, palm sugar, and brussel sprouts:



For her appetizer, she he ordered the octopus, served upon miso and parmesan risotto, with lemon, herbs, and “Hon Shimeji” (which is a type of Asian mushroom).



As her entrée, she requested the local catch of the day (sorry, we cannot recall what the type of fish was), served with an Ostera Caviar vinaigrette, celery root puree, and land and sea asparagus.



She absolutely loved everything! I remember watching her expressions after each bite and I happily recall watching her simply pause each time to appreciate everything that she was tasting.

And with three courses, plus an amuse bouche, and dessert still to come, of course we had to order a second round of drinks! This time, I have some (not complete) recollection of what we ordered. Me…I got a beautiful, yellow, mango martini:



And my wife requested the highly recommended ube cocktail, the large ice cube within the glass being made of an ube syrup of some kind. As it melted within the alcohol, the overall flavor changed she said:





Our daughter? I am kicking myself for not having taken a picture of it, but during our meal, our server claimed to make the BEST Shirley Temple “IN THE WORLD”! Well, our daughter being quite the fan of that particular beverage, simply could not pass that up. How was it? She said it was great, and a little different than what she was used to. When we asked our server what the special ingredient was, she simply smiled, winked, and said “Aloha”.

So, let’s see, what’s left? Oh yes! Dessert!!!! AMA AMA offered three options to select from for dessert…and we each chose one of them!

The Citrus Bar with lilikoi ganache, white chocolate-pistachio crunch, Kalamansi curd (a citrus fruit from the Philippines), and a gingersnap tuile.



The Coconut Flan, served with tres leches cake, dulce de leche meringue, coconut shortbread, and fresh mango.



And finally, for all of you chocolate lovers out there, the Chocolate Mousse, served with milk chocolate macadamia nut crunch, cinnamon whipped cream, and Kona coffee anglaise.



All of it…YUM! And yes, we let each other have a taste. A perfect ending to a spectacular meal! I know that AMA AMA is not culinarily for everyone. It just isn’t and that is ok, but if you want a very special meal and already have a palate that appreciates more elaborate dining, are developing one, or simply want to experience something outside of your comfort zone, then dine here.

Basking in my post-meal glory, I relaxed while my wife and daughter stepped away from the table for a few minutes. Sunset was approaching, but as I sat there, with my sunglasses placed on the table top, I noticed the cool reflection:



And then, as my family returned to the table, the sun began to set in the west and our server was kind enough to take our picture together. Completely satisfied, we returned to our room (yes, of course stopping by the shops one final time), and started to pack up. Tomorrow we leave paradise.

Up next…Day 8: Time to Bid Aulani and Oahu Adieu

 

[J-Dog]

Thanks very much for the great TR!

So, I still can't decide. If someone put a gun to your head and told you to choose only one - would you pick Mina's or Ama Ama?

 

[gregf71]

Thanks very much for the great TR!

So, I still can't decide. If someone put a gun to your head and told you to choose only one - would you pick Mina's or Ama Ama?

Wow! That's a very tough decision. The food at both were amazing, but the service was better at AMA AMA (but our less than stellar service at Mina's may have been an unlucky aberration). That all said, I'd still go with AMA AMA over Mina's, but I'd be sad not experiencing both. Mina's allowed for the reservation much earlier than AMA AMA, which was a huge plus, so there is that. You could grab the Mina's reservation early just in case you strike out for the AMA AMA reservation. It's certainly a great backup option in that case.

 

[J-Dog]

Wow! That's a very tough decision. The food at both were amazing, but the service was better at AMA AMA (but our less than stellar service at Mina's may have been an unlucky aberration). That all said, I'd still go with AMA AMA over Mina's, but I'd be sad not experiencing both. Mina's allowed for the reservation much earlier than AMA AMA, which was a huge plus, so there is that.

Thanks! Yeah we already have a res at Mina's, so not waking up at 3am Pacific time for Ama Ama is a plus. But your report sure made it look good. Maybe we'll have to do both like you did, and somehow budget for both. Thanks again.

 

[MsChristy12]

If you have never been to the Big Island and visited the Punaluu Bakery in person, then you are missing out. Well worth the effort to get out there, but you can get their stuff online and other places throughout the islands I believe. Using their bread to make fresh French toast was a masterwork. Soft, sweet, savory, all of the above!

I was just skimming through your trip report yesterday but today I went back and start reading it from the beginning, so glad I did because you mentioned THIS! We are going to the Big Island soon, so I'll put this on our foodie list, and check them out on our way to the volcano park!

 

[gregf71]

I was just skimming through your trip report yesterday but today I went back and start reading it from the beginning, so glad I did because you mentioned THIS! We are going to the Big Island soon, so I'll put this on our foodie list, and check them out on our way to the volcano park!

YES! Go there! And in Kona, the original Broke da Mouth Grindz...oh, and Scandinavian (also called Scandi's) Shave Ice!

And if the Strawberry Patch restaurant near Kona is still open, try that too on the Big Island! Alas, I just checked online and it is closed. We enjoyed dining there twice for dinner in 2018. Bummer.

 

[gregf71]

I was just skimming through your trip report yesterday but today I went back and start reading it from the beginning, so glad I did because you mentioned THIS! We are going to the Big Island soon, so I'll put this on our foodie list, and check them out on our way to the volcano park!

If you are at all interested, here is a link to my 2018 trip report for Aulani and the Big Island:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/c...lani-oahu-the-big-island-august-2018.3703678/

Enjoy your trip!

 

[MsChristy12]

YES! Go there! And in Kona, the original Broke da Mouth Grindz...oh, and Scandinavian (also called Scandi's) Shave Ice!

And if the Strawberry Patch restaurant near Kona is still open, try that too on the Big Island! Alas, I just checked online and it is closed. We enjoyed dining there twice for dinner in 2018. Bummer.

Yep I already have Broke da mouth on my list! We saw them in one of the Oahu must try vlog.

Oh bummer about Strawberry Patch....

 

[MsChristy12]

If you are at all interested, here is a link to my 2018 trip report for Aulani and the Big Island:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/c...lani-oahu-the-big-island-august-2018.3703678/

Enjoy your trip!

HA great minds think a like!! I don't wanna hijack your Aulani trip report and wanted to message you about a few places on the Big Island. You read my mind! Thanks for the link!

 

[gregf71]

HA great minds think a like!! I don't wanna hijack your Aulani trip report and wanted to message you about a few places on the Big Island. You read my mind! Thanks for the link!

Ask away! Happy to provide any info that I can.

 

[MrsDanielle]

I really enjoyed reading your report, thank you for posting! And you have an absolutely beautiful family! So glad the three of you had such an amazing time in Hawaii.

 

[tidefan]

YES! Go there! And in Kona, the original Broke da Mouth Grindz...oh, and Scandinavian (also called Scandi's) Shave Ice!

And if the Strawberry Patch restaurant near Kona is still open, try that too on the Big Island! Alas, I just checked online and it is closed. We enjoyed dining there twice for dinner in 2018. Bummer.

If you are going to the Big Island, make sure to go to Wilson's by the Bay in Hilo for Shave Ice. It's way better than Matsumoto's...

 

[gregf71]

I really enjoyed reading your report, thank you for posting! And you have an absolutely beautiful family! So glad the three of you had such an amazing time in Hawaii.

Thank you! Glad that you enjoyed it!

 

[gregf71]

Day 8: Time to Bid Aulani and Oahu Adieu

As they say, all good things must come to an end and now was that time. Luggage mostly packed the night before, we realized that we forgot our digital luggage scale at home, so prayed that each of our pieces fell under the 50 lb mark; you know, those souvenirs can add weight (spoiler alert…they all made it under 50…barely…phew!).

Not being terribly hungry, we decided to not get any food this morning at Aulani (which was a mistake), instead my wife and I popped down to Off the Hook to each get an Aulani Special coffee…mocha macadamia nut; which we both got hot (but they do serve it iced too). They were very, very tasty (but not worthy of a picture, sorry).

Eventually, the time came for us to drag ourselves and our stuff downstairs to the awaiting airport shuttle. As with all of our vacations, the feelings were a mix of melancholy that we were leaving and happiness that we were going home. Before exiting the main building, I turned around and snapped one final picture:



The drive to the airport was uneventful. Checking in for our flight and checking our luggage went super smooth, and similar to our departure from San Diego we got through security swiftly. The only problem was now we were hungry and being around 8 am or so, we didn’t find much open for food in our section of the terminal (which was quite the trek to walk to I might add). Ultimately, we found a Starbucks, but if I am honest, the items we got were really subpar and disappointing. I was totally regretting our decision to not get something at least to share from Off the Hook, but what are you going to do?

We left Honolulu around 10:45 am and landed in San Diego, with the time zone difference, around 7:15 pm. Luggage claimed, we awaited the shuttle to the airport parking garage where we left our car. Once out of there, we continued our tradition of hitting our favorite San Diego taco shop (Lolita’s if you are curious) for our first meal at home (best carne asada burrito in town and they have the greatest refried beans in the world in my opinion!).

So, that’s it! I hope that you enjoyed our trip report, found it entertaining, and useful for your future trip planning. I utilize these boards a lot for my Disney trip planning, so I always try to pay it back with these things; not to mention they are fun!

And since I can add up to 10 total pictures with each post (and I only have the one above), here are a few more that I didn’t share earlier. Enjoy and aloha!

Our Godzilla Rolls at the Olelo Room (loved the Mickey wasabi!):



The train tracks leading into the horizon at Ko Olina Center:



The beautiful architecture inside Aulani:



An amazing view from a 10th floor window:



Aulani lit up beautifully every night of our stay:



Duke (enough said):



What a view:



The Main Mouse himself (who let me take a picture of him for the photo scavenger hunt):



What will become a traditional picture for us whenever we visit Aulani...our daughter watching the sunset (I took an almost identical picture in 2018, but she was wearing mouse ears, that we enlarged and now have hanging on our wall):



Until next time, Aulani.

 

[WDWJonasGirl]

Where do you get the mugs at?

 

[gregf71]

Where do you get the mugs at?

The refillable mugs? Ulu Cafe is where we purchased ours. See Day 1 of this trip report for how that worked.

 

[MsChristy12]

If you are going to the Big Island, make sure to go to Wilson's by the Bay in Hilo for Shave Ice. It's way better than Matsumoto's...

I haven't came across that one in my research, I'll add it! Thanks for the tip!

 

[MsChristy12]

How about a family owned joint just across the street from Bubble Shack? A place that offers a discount if you show your receipt from Big Wave Shrimp Truck? A place that may have a small-ish menu, but offers big flavor with all-natural, real fruit juices? Friends, I give you Kaimana Shave Ice!

This place is literally steps from Big Wave Shrimp, and in addition to a great treat also offers an incredibly peaceful space to enjoy it back behind their building; lots of green and a serene pond. While my wife and daughter ordered one to share, we simply cannot recall the toppings and flavors they chose. I chose lilikoi and blueberry with sweet cream drizzled on top and mochi balls.

View attachment 783711

I thought mine was spectacular. My wife very much enjoyed theirs as well, but our daughter honestly said that she preferred the sweeter, non-natural flavors they had at Aulani. We all agreed that the texture of the ice here was phenomenal. It was shaved so finely that its mouthfeel was nothing like the shave ice at Aulani (which again was finer than what we remember from years ago, but nothing like Kaimana).

Great call on Kaimana!! I just watch a vlog from a local not too long ago that it is definitely a hidden gem! He said it's a must try so that's definitely on my list!
His wife also tried two other underrated shrimp trucks (he has a shellfish allergy) - Jenny's and HONOS. I'll have to try all 3!

 

[HappyFairydust]

Day 8: Time to Bid Aulani and Oahu Adieu

As they say, all good things must come to an end and now was that time. Luggage mostly packed the night before, we realized that we forgot our digital luggage scale at home, so prayed that each of our pieces fell under the 50 lb mark; you know, those souvenirs can add weight (spoiler alert…they all made it under 50…barely…phew!).

Not being terribly hungry, we decided to not get any food this morning at Aulani (which was a mistake), instead my wife and I popped down to Off the Hook to each get an Aulani Special coffee…mocha macadamia nut; which we both got hot (but they do serve it iced too). They were very, very tasty (but not worthy of a picture, sorry).

Eventually, the time came for us to drag ourselves and our stuff downstairs to the awaiting airport shuttle. As with all of our vacations, the feelings were a mix of melancholy that we were leaving and happiness that we were going home. Before exiting the main building, I turned around and snapped one final picture:

View attachment 789530

The drive to the airport was uneventful. Checking in for our flight and checking our luggage went super smooth, and similar to our departure from San Diego we got through security swiftly. The only problem was now we were hungry and being around 8 am or so, we didn’t find much open for food in our section of the terminal (which was quite the trek to walk to I might add). Ultimately, we found a Starbucks, but if I am honest, the items we got were really subpar and disappointing. I was totally regretting our decision to not get something at least to share from Off the Hook, but what are you going to do?

We left Honolulu around 10:45 am and landed in San Diego, with the time zone difference, around 7:15 pm. Luggage claimed, we awaited the shuttle to the airport parking garage where we left our car. Once out of there, we continued our tradition of hitting our favorite San Diego taco shop (Lolita’s if you are curious) for our first meal at home (best carne asada burrito in town and they have the greatest refried beans in the world in my opinion!).

So, that’s it! I hope that you enjoyed our trip report, found it entertaining, and useful for your future trip planning. I utilize these boards a lot for my Disney trip planning, so I always try to pay it back with these things; not to mention they are fun!

And since I can add up to 10 total pictures with each post (and I only have the one above), here are a few more that I didn’t share earlier. Enjoy and aloha!

Our Godzilla Rolls at the Olelo Room (loved the Mickey wasabi!):

View attachment 789533

The train tracks leading into the horizon at Ko Olina Center:

View attachment 789535

The beautiful architecture inside Aulani:

View attachment 789536

An amazing view from a 10th floor window:

View attachment 789537

Aulani lit up beautifully every night of our stay:

View attachment 789538

Duke (enough said):

View attachment 789539

What a view:

View attachment 789542

The Main Mouse himself (who let me take a picture of him for the photo scavenger hunt):

View attachment 789543

What will become a traditional picture for us whenever we visit Aulani...our daughter watching the sunset (I took an almost identical picture in 2018, but she was wearing mouse ears, that we enlarged and now have hanging on our wall):

View attachment 789544

Until next time, Aulani.

We are planning our first-ever trip to Hawaii/Aulani, so your report has been very helpful for information and planning! Thank you!
Are there any rooms you’d recommend? I’m debating between a standard room to save a tad bid of money or to get a room with some “views”…

 

[gregf71]

We are planning our first-ever trip to Hawaii/Aulani, so your report has been very helpful for information and planning! Thank you!
Are there any rooms you’d recommend? I’m debating between a standard room to save a tad bid of money or to get a room with some “views”…

Hi! Glad you enjoyed my report. Room recommendations? Well, we've only visited Aulani twice. We booked a standard room in 2018, but were pixie-dusted to a room on the "inside" with a view of the lazy river (and a little bit of the Pacific). This time, we booked a partial ocean view, which was on the "outside" of the resort. We enjoyed both, though I LOVED sitting on our balcony in 2018 and listening to live music from the Olelo Room each night was magical.

I'd recommend checking YouTube to watch videos of Aulani rooms to get a better idea of what they actually offer. I am a sucker for the view personally, but go with what will make you happy.