~We seldom report of having eaten too little~ w/ PICS! ~ UPDATE: New Thread Started!

[OurDogCisco]

My Mom goes to hand the pager back to the hostess and it ignored another 5 minutes. We give up and go to the Kona Sushi Bar (which had plenty of seating) and kept the buzzer out of curiosity, to see how long it would have taken for us to be seated.

I'm loving your reviews! Thanks for sharing... So, did your buzzer go off?

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Wow! What a great meal at CG (after the whole seating issue was sorted out). I'm not a fan of sushi but that platter is a work of art! I tried the French martini too - I'm a sucker for anything with champagne! And that dessert platter... oh my!

6 hours on the phone for your March ADRs?? Yikes! But it looks like a great line-up and what a great place to celebrate your birthday!

Can't wait for more!

 

[shannn]

I had the Valrhona Chocolate Cake when we were there 2 weeks ago. It was Glorious!! The salted caramel ice cream was amazing. I had never had salted caramel and it was such a wonderful combination.

Your whole meal looked yummy!

 

[TinkerBelle_325]

Delicious!!

and now I'm considering the Castle Cake!! I know it used to be a cheesecake, and now buttercream - I was curious how it tasted!!

Thanks for sharing

The woman at the GF bakery told me you can get the mini castle cake as vanilla cake with buttercream, chocolate cake with buttercream or cheesecake with buttercream.

That cake looks so good and magical! What a nice gesture

It was great to finally see one in person Mom loved it!

Eww! Evil raisins, why must you ruin perfectly good food !?!

LOL yes, raisins are evil

I'm loving your reviews! Thanks for sharing... So, did your buzzer go off?

Yes it went off about 25 minutes into our meal at the sushi bar

Wow! What a great meal at CG (after the whole seating issue was sorted out). I'm not a fan of sushi but that platter is a work of art! I tried the French martini too - I'm a sucker for anything with champagne! And that dessert platter... oh my!

6 hours on the phone for your March ADRs?? Yikes! But it looks like a great line-up and what a great place to celebrate your birthday!

Can't wait for more!

Half of what I love about sushi is the presentation, always beautiful

I had the Valrhona Chocolate Cake when we were there 2 weeks ago. It was Glorious!! The salted caramel ice cream was amazing. I had never had salted caramel and it was such a wonderful combination.

Your whole meal looked yummy!

It was delicious And salted caramel is such a fantastic combination!

 

[tinacaplan]

We're here!! ​

We arrived at the Polynesian at noon (having been "up" since 2am [on only 2 hours sleep ])

We were given a card at the gatehouse and instructed to give it to the valet. From the moment we arrived every CM was personable and friendly. The valet had bell services call to see if our room was ready - it was

Someone from bell services drove us to Hawaii and we were greeted by Wes. He handed us our itinerary and our welcome package, told us to go and check out the room, unpack and get settled and then wander back down to get our keys.

We were upgraded to Lagoon View We are on the third floor and have a PERFECT view of Cinderella Castle

As soon as we had unpacked and got our keys we went to Kona Cafe for lunch. Unfortunately this was a less than pleasant experience

We were seated quickly, and ordered quickly! We had barely eaten and were ready for our first dose of Disney food.

I ordered the Polynesian Plate Lunch, Grilled Teriyaki Steak with Pineapple Salsa, Sticky Rice & Macaroni Salad.

DMom ordered the Kona Salad with Chicken

DDad ordered the Angus Chuck Kahuna Burger

DMom and DDad had Longboard Lager to drink and I had a margarita, salted on the rocks

Our drinks arrived within minutes and our food shortly after. Our waitress checked on us 5 mins after the food arrived and realized by DDad had not received any condiments. She asked what he would prefer and he asked for Dijon mustard, she replied "No problem" and went off to get it, or so we thought.

Behind us, a table of 12 was awaiting dessert. Our waitress walked their desserts to them, 2 at a time. That is 6 trips back and forth to the pastry kitchen! Meanwhile, DMom and I are eating our lunches and DDad is left waiting to eat. We attempted to get her attention multiple times but she was noticably ignoring our table. After 15 minutes, 12 desserts delivered and 3 other servers simply standing there...and my dad's burger being cold, she finally comes out and says "Oh I couldn't find it!"

DDad sent the burger back, DMom & I were nearly finished. The food that we had was great, but the service sucked

Thankfully our next food experience was FAR better....The Food & Wine Festival Preview!!! (next post)

It will never cease to amaze me how much a waiter can ruin a meal. This happened to me recently, where my husband wainted FOREVER for stupid ketchup for a burger. That is inexcusable.

Glad the trip improved!

 

[Me&3]

The food from CG looks amazing.

 

[Tinkerbellie16]

Drooling...over that dessert! I'm glad to see that they tried to make it right and it sounds like the evening was good for you guys!

 

[TinkerBelle_325]

Flying Fish

September 29th​

This night we were off to...

I just love that sign!

This one is pretty cool too

We had never been to this restaurant before, but it had been getting such great reviews that we couldn't pass it up. The first thing I noticed was the light and whimsical decor, absolutely lovely!

We were seated right at the back of the restaurant at a window table with a nice view (it wasn't the California Grill or anything but a window table is always nice).

Looking directly up from our table

Wheat Sourdough Bread with Butter

The bread itself was warm, crusty on the outside and soft on the inside. The only thing that was missing for me was salted butter, I prefer salted, especially those with grains of sea salt. Otherwise it was great.

Somehow, I missed the picture of my Dad's main. He ordered 2 of the Flying Fish Cafe Crisp Jonah Lump Crab Cake - savory vegetable slaw, roasted red pepper coulis, ancho chili remoulade.

When these first came out one was crispy and golden and the other was a very dark brown. The contrast was shocking! Our waiter, Curly, stopped by to check on us and noticed the issue before we even mentioned it. He left the good crab cake and quickly returned the burnt one, with a replacement coming in less than 5 minutes. Very impressive recovery!

On the side, Dad ordered truffle and herb fries with aioli (i believe, I don't have the menu on hand). These were a bit too greasy for my taste

Actually...if you look in the top left corner you can see the burnt crab cake

I am not a big fish eater. I adore sushi, which I consider dramatically different from cooked fish. I've recently gotten into salmon and I've always loved fish and chips but beyond that I'm not that adventerous when it comes to fish.

However, I had seen multiple pictures of the signature Flying Fish Cafe Potato-Wrapped Red Snapper - Creamy Leek Fondue, veal glace, and Red Wine and Cassis Butter Sauce.

All I can say is WOW! This is rich and oh so delicious! The snapper itself was meaty, not flaky or delicate like other white fleshed fish I've tried. It held up very well to the crispy potatoes and the intense red wine sauce. The creamy leeks paired very well as they lightened the richness and the tangyness of the sauce. I nearly licked my plate clean.

My Mom loves salmon and lentils, so this dish was practically made for her - Oak-grilled North Atlantic Bay of Fundy Salmon - with lentils and caper butter emulsion (again, a paraphrase as I don't have the menu with me)

I didn't try Mom's dish, but she nearly licked her plate clean so I'm guessing she liked it!

We were so full at this point, but were looking forward to sharing one dessert - the Gingersnap-crusted Deep-dish Apple Tart with Cinnamon Ice Cream and Salted Caramel. Yum!

Oh this was glorious, like fall on a plate.

Then our server brought out another treat!

He said that the White Chocolate Creme Brulee is his favorite dessert and I can see why! This had easily the best custard of any creme brulee I've had on Disney property. I like a very thick custard paired with a thick and well bruleed sugar crust.

Overall we had a fantastic experience at Flying Fish and have put it into our rotation. We don't consider it an every trip restaurant, but at least once a year

 

[Tinkerbellie16]

Dinner looks lovely but you won me over at White Chocolate Creme Brulee

 

[janloz]

Yummy reviews of Flying Fish, it is now a definite try for our trip next September. Love the reviews.

 

[Shenanigoat]

I wonder how a burnt crabcake even made it out of the kitchen? I love all the pictures of the Flying Fish. It's so bright in there and you really captured that. Sometimes at night the shots don't come out as well as when there is still daylight. Can't wait for more.

 

[Belle_373]

I this dessert!

 

[TinkerBelle_325]

Sunshine Seasons

September 30th​

Today was our Epcot morning, so after riding Soarin and grabbing Fastpasses we decided to have a light breakfast.

We split a huge chocolate chip muffin and a caramel apple crumble cake. Both were delicious and hit the spot until we got to our Chefs de France lunch reservation

Food & Wine Festival Booths​

Pierogies and Kielbasa - As usual, this was a festival standby. Its a solid item, not stellar, but very good.

Braised Pork and Cabbage - I was *not* a fan of this, but I am very much a "eat with your eyes" person and this didn't strike me as appealing.

Kringla Bakery​

Oh my goodness! Why have I not tried these sooner? The school bread was totally my kind of pastry. Sweet but not sickeningly so. The rice cream was yummy too! Tangy from the strawberries and nice and creamy from the pudding. Plus, I *love* Voss water!

Continued in next post

 

[TinkerBelle_325]

More Food & Wine Booth Pictures​

Les Chefs de France

September 30th​

We noticed that they changed the bread from our last visit here in early August. Personally, I think this bread is much better. It is very close to the bread we had on our trip to Paris in 2005, at least more representative of french bread than the rolls they used previously.

French Onion Soup - I have this on every visit to Chefs de France and I adore it. It is consistent, comforting and very good. Mom & Dad started with this as well.

Look who came to visit us! I love Chef Remy, he is a wonderful addition to an already great restaurant. He stopped at every single table in our section for about 30 seconds to "check that we were enjoying our meals"

Croque Monsieur - I lived off of these sandwiches in Paris. I had one literally almost every day of our 10 day vacation. There are many variations and this one was nice. The bread was a bit too thick for my liking and I prefer the cheese a bit more caramelized, but the portion was huge and very satisfying.

Mom & Dad also shared the Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart. We've had this in the past and it is a bit hit and miss. This time it was a hit. Not like a traditional pizza, the crust is crispy, the sauce is more a paste complimented with fresh tomatoes.

Profiteroles - These are heaven on a plate to me. I could eat them every day and I always want to lick the plate because the chocolate sauce is soooo good!

 

[shannn]

YUM!!!!

I can't wait to go to Les Chefs in December!! One of the best meals I've ever had in my life was in this little hole in the wall restaurant on the Left Bank in Paris. I had, of course, onion soup and creme brulee, and it was to die for!

 

[Belle_373]

This looks sooo good! I think I might have to tear myself away from the mac & cheese the next time I go for lunch.

 

[Tinkerbellie16]

Thank you for the pictures of the actual booths! Ok, Remy can't be beat - how cute!!!

 

[TinkerBelle_325]

First off, I am so sorry that I haven't updated in FOREVER!

Work has had me at my wits end and I am just entering what will surely be the week from....well....it isn't going to be pretty, let's just say that

But I do have a few exciting updates.

This past week I was emailed not one, but two PIN code offers. They are entirely different numbers and therefore I get to use both! The first is being used for my March trip, saving us about $500, which to me is very impressive considering some of our trip falls under the "easter" rate period.

The second...well... *cough*imighthavejustbookedamaytripthismorning*cough*

What? How can I pass up 40% off moderate resorts?

So...*drumroll*

You guys get ANOTHER trip worth of dining reviews! ​

Hehe! I am tenatively booked for September 25th - October 3rd, and I'm hoping Jaclyn, Anna & Tania (my three best friends ) can come with me!

Anna went to WDW with me this past May. It was her first trip to the world and I think I may have her hooked We didn't get to visit DHS or TL, so those would both be new experiences for her!

Tania has been to WDW with me three times, 2000, 2003 and 2006. It has been 3 years since she has been to WDW and I know she really wants to return.

Jaclyn, well she has been to WDW at least 12 times (Right? lol) and I don't think I can find anything "new" for her to do But I know she'd rarely pass up the opportunity to go to WDW

They've all expressed interest, now it is just a matter of saving and coordinating.

I can't make ADRs just yet (darn!) but that doesn't mean I haven't started to plan. However, these are very tenative and subject to change as everyone has been to WDW and will want input

SEPT TRIP ADR PLAN

Saturday Sept 25th
BREAKFAST - Starbucks/Tim Horton's on the road to Buffalo
LUNCH - Cracker Barrel
DINNER - Kona Cafe

Sunday Sept 26th
BREAKFAST - Kona Island Coffee Bar
LUNCH - Liberty Tree Tavern
DINNER - Chefs de France

Monday Sept 27th
BREAKFAST - Kusafari Coffee in Africa
LUNCH - Flame Tree BBQ
DINNER - Rose & Crown Dining Room

Tuesday Sept 28th
BREAKFAST - Starring Rolls
LUNCH - Wolfgang Puck Express
DINNER - Ohana before MNSSHP

Wednesday Sept 29th
BREAKFAST - Sunshine Seasons
LUNCH - Le Cellier
DINNER - Jiko

Thursday Sept 30th
BREAKFAST - Cafe Rix
LUNCH - Garden View Tea
DINNER - California Grill

Friday Oct 1st
BREAKFAST - Character?
LUNCH - Earl of Sandwich
DINNER - Flying Fish

Saturday Oct 2nd
BREAKFAST - Kona Cafe
LUNCH - Columbia Harbor House
DINNER - Tokyo Dining

Sunday Oct 3rd
BREAKFAST - Pepper Market
LUNCH - @ MCO

 

[VikingInMouseEars]

Sunshine Seasons

September 30th​

Today was our Epcot morning, so after riding Soarin and grabbing Fastpasses we decided to have a light breakfast.

We split a huge chocolate chip muffin and a caramel apple crumble cake. Both were delicious and hit the spot until we got to our Chefs de France lunch reservation

Food & Wine Festival Booths​

Pierogies and Kielbasa - As usual, this was a festival standby. Its a solid item, not stellar, but very good.

Braised Pork and Cabbage - I was *not* a fan of this, but I am very much a "eat with your eyes" person and this didn't strike me as appealing.

Kringla Bakery​

Oh my goodness! Why have I not tried these sooner? The school bread was totally my kind of pastry. Sweet but not sickeningly so. The rice cream was yummy too! Tangy from the strawberries and nice and creamy from the pudding. Plus, I *love* Voss water!

Continued in next post

WOW, a sour cream hidden mickey! LOL

 

[lizzyb]

Love your reviews!