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Gardens thick with coconut palms and orchids, volcanic
rock waterfalls, white-sand beaches and Polynesian music set the
stage at Disney’s Polynesian Resort, home of Kona Cafe.
The energetic, casual eatery is awash in warm colors with brilliant
ceramic tilework, hammered ironwork and distinctive lighting. Center
stage is a lively dessert kitchen, where a dazzling array of sweets
is arranged like fine art on the stone countertop, tempting diners
before they’re even seated.
The 172-seat restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and
dinner, starting with the Sunrise Menu that features fresh juices
and fruits, omelets and the decadent Auntie Kaui’s Tonga Toast,
a longtime Polynesian favorite -- banana-stuffed sourdough bread,
rolled in cinnamon sugar, then fried. The aroma of Kona coffee,
one of the richest coffees in the world, wafts through the air.
Kona coffee comes from one of the most fertile regions in Hawaii;
the green coffee beans are flown to Central Florida, then roasted
to produce the house blend. Beans are ground to order throughout
the day.
The restaurant adds a Pan-Pacific spin to its Midday Menu, with
pot stickers, Thai peanut shrimp salad, and giant steaming bowls
of soup with Asian vegetables in miso broth with noodles and meat
or fish. But the restaurant also offers basic lunchtime fare: hearty
salads, blackened fish and the Big Kahuna Burger, for instance.
One lunchtime favorite is the Two-Fisted Chicken Sandwich with basil
mayo, roasted peppers and spinach salad on mountain bread.
At dinner, the stage is set for boldly flavored evening
specialties, with Pacific Rim spices jazzing up American classics
like pork chops and spoon bread.
A team of chefs spent nearly two years on the design
and concept development of the restaurant, and the work centered
around the idea that the food would be market fresh with a healthy
Asian kick. A modest selection of beers, wines and cocktails accompanies
the eclectic menu.
Crab cakes, for instance, are flavored with ginger
and coriander and set atop basil and chili oils, then topped with
baby greens and a dollop of chipotle pepper mayonnaise. The restaurant's
signature soup is a mellow ginger carrot combination, with a swirl
of half-whipped cream and freshly cracked nutmeg. A succulent pork
chop is transformed when brushed with a glaze of soy sauce and pickled
ginger, then placed atop sautéed spinach and spoon bread that’s
flavored with chili paste, green onion and ginger.
The best seller is always the fresh fish, which can
be prepared Hong Kong style, steamed or grilled, served with pan-fried
noodles and baby bok choy. Kona offers up to a dozen varieties including
sushi-grade tuna, swordfish, salmon, wahoo, red snapper and sea
bass.
One of the best sellers is "The Bag," fork-tender pork roast, top
neck clams and fish steamed with Asian vegetables in a flavorful
miso broth in a bag that servers open at the table, releasing the
savory steam.
Desserts range from fresh chunks of Hawaiian pineapple,
served with caramel dipping sauce, to a seductive Kilauea Torte,
named after the active volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island, filled with
warm hazelnut and chocolate that spills out like lava when broken
with a fork. Popular Ko Ko Puffs are filled with chocolate pastry
cream and topped with Chantilly icing and a dollop of whipped cream.
A favorite of all ages is the Kona Cone, an oversized waffle cone
dipped in chocolate and standing upright with a spun-sugar base.
The cone is filled with chocolate and vanilla ice cream, with a
flourish of lacy sugar fans on top.
Typical menu items - (breakfast) fresh
juice, tonga toast, pancakes, eggs benedict, grits, bagels, muffins,
fruit.
(lunch) soup, crab cakes, salad, blackened salmon sandwich,
chicken sandwich, artichoke ravioli.
(dinner) sticky chicken wings, caesar salad, herb roasted chicken,
barbecue shrimp, prime rib.
Meals - Breakfast: 7am-11:30am. Lunch: 12noon-3pm.
Dinner: 5pm-10pm.
Prices - $10 - $20
Priority seating recommended. Call (407) WDW-DINE
(939-3463)
Menus
Breakfast
Kid's breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Kid's lunch/dinner
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