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Dining Reviews - August 2011 Pt. 1
Part 1
You can find Part 2 here
We were less than enthused by our Dining experiences in May of 2010, so we opted to minimize our ADRs for this year’s holiday. This proved to be a very good idea, both in terms of how we spent our vacation time, and in terms of how we ate. We rarely eat dessert at restaurants in favour of for the boys when we are out and about.
Sanaa – Dinner
Food 5/5 Service 5/5 Atmosphere 5/5 Overall 5/5
Sanaa was a last minute addition that my husband made to our itinerary based on where we were staying (AKL), and the kind of food we like to eat (we like spice). We had a table near the window overlooking the Savannah (and our room across the way!). The boys enjoyed watching the antics of the Cranes (who really like shiny things such as cutlery). I am allergic to tree-nuts, so shortly after being seated, our server brought Chef Jenn over to discuss options with me. I had already decided on the Vegetarian sampler, and she recommended the Paneer and Spinach on it, and let me know it was a safe bet for me. So here’s what we had:
We shared Samosas to start. They were very good, but not as good as what we get locally at home (we live in a very South Asian community), and we ordered some Naan to have with our meals.
Vegetarian Sampler – Paneer and Spinach and Spicy Cauliflower, Onions, Tomatoes, and Mint with Basmati Rice. It was served in three little dishes. Portions were moderate and appropriate (though I could greedily have eaten more for sure!) Everything was fabulous, especially the Paneer and Spinach (it even made my carnivorous husband jealous!)
Curry Sampler – Spicy Chicken Durban and Coconut-Curry Lamb with Basmati Rice (served in the same fashion as the Vegetarian Sampler). Portions were a little less than moderate, but very tasty and seasoned more on the mild side. My husband was very happy with his choice.
Coho Salmon with Shrimp and Scallops served with seasonal Vegetables in a light Curry Broth. My fish loving son talked about this meal all week long. He said the Coho was the best fish he had ever had (and he’s had a LOT of fish).
Kid’s Pizza with Carrots. The pizza was made on Naan like crust (which made my youngest son very happy), and the server brought him only carrots when he said that he didn’t really like celery. He ate it all, so it had to have been good!
Overall, this was our favourite dining experience during our stay.
Kouzzina - Dinner
Food 3/5 Service 5/5 Atmosphere 4/5 Overall 3/5
Kouzzina was my 13 Year old Son’s choice. It is his proclaimed favourite restaurant anywhere. We were seated quickly, and had a fabulous server who made sure we didn’t go thirsty, or need anything. Here’s what we had:
My son had Ouzo Mussels to start. He really enjoys seafood, and appreciates good food, so he was free to order what he wanted. He really enjoyed them and the broth. My husband ordered some Saganaki (you can never go wrong with hot cheese!), and it was good. The complimentary bread is now served with the black sea salt on it, which we enjoyed, but was too much for our youngest.
I had the Kouzzina Trio, which is tasting size portions of Pastitsio, Char-grilled Lamb Burger, and Cinnamon-stewed Chicken with Orzo . I ordered this last year, and dreamt about it for the 15 months until I could have it again. Now I don’t know if I was overheated or what, but this time it was just alright. It was still very good, but not very good in a way that I felt someone had prepared a very awesome meal for me. It seemed rather assembly line to me.
Brian had the Saffron Pasta, which is basically a Lamb Ragu over pasta. Again it was very good, but it did not scream “Celebrated Chef prepared this for your enjoyment”.
Our 13 Year old had the Traditional Whole Fish (which was Snapper, a favourite of his) - Pan-roasted with Braised Greens, Greek Olives, Fennel, and Smoked Chili. Harry always orders this, and he can debone a fish with the best of them, and get all the good meat from places we didn’t even know about … but he did not especially enjoy his dinner. He did not like the consistency of the fish, or the flavour of the greens.
Our youngest stuck with his Pizza and “carrots only” regime, and had no complaints. His meal came with an ice-cream sundae, and our terrific server also brought one out for our big boy too. It was very thoughtful of her.
Our server was terrific and attentive, and even gave us cold drinks to go. We were seated next to a family who were nattering at their child at full volume the whole time (poor kid), which detracted from the atmosphere. While this was a disappointing meal, we will still go back another time.
The Brown Derby – Dinner (as part of the Fantasmic! Package)
Food 4/5 Service 4/5 Atmosphere 5/5 Overall 4.5/5
We have always enjoyed the food and the restaurant in the past, so The Brown Derby was the natural choice for us when booking the Fantasmic! Dinner Package. The package includes appetizers, entrees and desserts, so there was a lot of eating going on!! Here’s what we ate:
To start my husband had Brie, Midnight Moon and Prosciutto Cakewith Tete de Moine Petals, and an olive-roasted vegetable salad, then the Filet of Beef - with Costwold Butter over fingerling potatoes, asparagus, Ugly ripe tomatoes, and a broken cabernet shallot vinaigrette and Banana White Chocolate Toffee Tower - on Cocoa-Almond Cookie and Bananas Foster for dessert (hey if you are only having dessert one time, you may as well really go for it!). The whole meal was fantastic, but he especially enjoyed the Filet (we don’t eat a lot of meat at home, so this was a real treat for him).
I had the Cremini Mushroom Chévre Tortelloni - with Tomato-Fennel Sauce and Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano, which was ok, but I would not order it again (bland and dry), then Coriander Dusted Grouper - cauliflower risotto, fresh English peas, crunchy sunchokes, and a yellow tomato coulis (it was awesome and the risotto was fresh and creamy) with Crème Brule for dessert. A really lovely meal.
To start, our 13 year old had the Blue Lump Crab Cake - with Potato Crust, Green Cabbage Slaw, Cognac-Mustard Sauce, and Rémoulade (ate every crumb and didn’t share!), then the Grouper (he did not enjoy the lumpy-from-the-cauliflower risotto, but agreed that the Grouper was fantastic) and a Chocolate Sundae for dessert.
Our youngest strayed from his pizza diet in favour of the Chicken Noodle soup to start, a hot-dog with home made chips and carrots, and the Hidden Treasures for dessert. There was too much “stuff” in the Chicken soup for his liking, so his brother ate the soup, otherwise, a very successful meal!
Service was very good, but our server was rather distant. He did not make recommendations, or ask how we were enjoying our meal etc. , but I do appreciate that he made my son a big sundae instead of the cakey desserts that he does not eat. This was our most expensive meal at $250 (including the tip), but we did not resent it. The food was fabulous, and the almost 2 hours we spent inside enjoying the restaurant and each other’s company was terrific. Getting the passes for Fantasmic! at the end was the icing on the cake. A great experience.
Jennifer (aka Mickey'sGirl)
INTERCOT Staff: Guests with Special Needs, Dining and Disney Characters
Last trip: March 2016 - Fantasy
Next trip: Aug 2017 - Aulani
I am a Galactic Hero once more!
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Thanks for the reviews. I've been debating about The Brown Derby for awhile. Maybe I'll try it next time.
Cindy aka AgentC
INTERCOT Staff: Accommodations, Dining, Movies, TV, Music & Musicals
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Sounds wonderful, glad to hear the review on Brown Derby as we are eating there in December.
Dec.11-18, 2021 Port Orleans Riverside
Jan. 25-Feb. 1, 2017, Port Orleans Riverside
Oct. 29-Nov.4, 2014-Yacht Club
Dec. 17-23 2011-Wilderness Lodge
Dec. 20-30, 2008-Pop Century
Dec. 25,2005-Jan.1, 2006-Coronado Springs
Jan. 1-7, 2003-All Star Movies
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So which would you recommend, the filet or the grouper? How was the grouper cooked? I am picky about my fish and am hesitant to order in a restaurant I'm not familiar with....also which appetizer would you recommend? Sorry, looking at the menu I still don't know what I might order when we go...
Dec.11-18, 2021 Port Orleans Riverside
Jan. 25-Feb. 1, 2017, Port Orleans Riverside
Oct. 29-Nov.4, 2014-Yacht Club
Dec. 17-23 2011-Wilderness Lodge
Dec. 20-30, 2008-Pop Century
Dec. 25,2005-Jan.1, 2006-Coronado Springs
Jan. 1-7, 2003-All Star Movies
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Very detailed reviews, thanks! I love hearing about your experience, and I love that your 13 year old is a budding gourmand. Sorry Kouzzina wasn't quite up to par. We've had some good meals there in the past. We also love Sanaa. Haven't been back to Brown Derby in awhile, but it has always been good for us, too.
Sherri
Next: Aulani Celebration 10/2018 (50th)
Past Stays: Contemporary, GF, Poly, BC, POP, POR, Dolphin, AKL Kidani, BLT
1990 August Honeymoon- GF
Delighted Disney Return Guest since 1981, DVC (BLT) since 2014
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Excellent and thorough reviews. Whenever I try to write vacation restaurant reviews, I often find that I can't recall what everyone ate without notes or pictures. Good job!
I was especially interested in Sanaa. Glad you liked it.
Viva Darth Macho!
APR '98: Wilderness Lodge, 9 days, Honeymoon
OCT '99: Coronado Springs, 8 days, Halloween
AUG '03: All Star Music, 8 days, Summer Fun
AUG '10: Port Orleans Riverside, 10 days, Summer Celebration!
AUG '12: Pop Century, 14 days, My Dream Trip!
AUG '17: Hoping!
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Thanks for the reviews! I am also a huge fan of Sanaa, and Brown Derby is another favorite.
We have tried Kouzzina for breakfast and dinner, and both were huge disappointments. Mediocre food at best, slow service, and the atmosphere is not nearly as nice as the previous restaurant at this location (Spoodles). I am hoping Cat Kora will get embarrassed and pull out so that Disney can re-imagine the place again!
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Sorry to hear that the Kouzzina whole roasted fish was not up to par. That is one of my favorite dishes in all of WDW.
I had the same impression of the samosas at Sanaa. We're just spoiled by the varied and authentic cuisine available where we live.
Ellen
INTERCOT Staff: Dining, Disney Cruise Line, Guests with Special Needs
Next up:
Christmas with the Mouse
President's Week 2013
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Upcoming:
October 2013
8 nights at Pop Century with Free Dining to celebrate DS turning 4 years old!!!!
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