First Look: New Kona Cafe Remodel and Menu Items
When Kona Cafe closed for a renovation, I held my breath. Disney remodels can either be great or really bad. Then, there’s always the chance they could overhaul the menu – the horror!
While Disney officially has the “grand reopening” on November 1, we lucked out and grabbed a soft opening reservation on Sunday night.
Typically, when you spend a day traipsing around the Magic Kingdom, the last thing you want to do is run over to the resorts for a sit down meal. Not me!
After hearing about the soft opening, I hot-footed it (with my Mom) to check out the new menu and digs.
Ambience
First, the interior and exterior is absolutely beautiful. Blues, greens, and corals with the perfectly balance of dark wood. We approve!
Even the tables have a wavy, rustic look to the edges. The chairs are made with a natural woven material, adding to the beachy flair.
Yes, corals, blues, and greens can get a little dated, but I’m love this palette. I need some sand between my toes and a drink in my hand.
Between the artwork, rock work, and color scheme, this might be my favorite-looking restaurant.
Kudos to the Disney design team. They’ve been hitting the mark recently with this restaurant and the Grand Floridian DVC rooms.
Food
Now on to the food!
Sorry, Crispy Cheddar Burger fans; it has been replaced with the Big Kahuna Burger. The menu contained a ton of sushi rolls and appetizers, but a little light on entrees.
I decided on the Big Kahuna: Sautéed pastrami and corned beef, pepper Jack cheese, mustard aioli, and a cucumber slice on a Brioche bun. Mom went with two plates of the Crispy Potstickers (she loves her potstickers).
Like ‘Ohana, you start the meal off with a bread selection. The dinner rolls had the sweet pineapple flavor, but don’t expect the honey butter of next door. Just plain ol’ butter for your bread.
First impressions, this is a big burger and cooked to order. I did specify medium, but it came out a tad on the medium well side. No matter, the burger was juicy and had a great taste.
You are probably thinking that corned beef and pastrami are going to make the burger super salty, but that was not the case. It had a great smoky flavor without overpowering the other ingredients. The pepper Jack cheese added just the right heat, with the mustard aioli balancing out the burger.
The cucumber kinda cooled things down, but honestly, I could’ve done without it. Truth be told, I’m not a huge fan of cucumber flavor for anything.
Surprise, surprise, the burger came with fries. Unfortunately, they were just the standard fries you can get around the parks – a little disappointing!
Next the Crispy Pork and Vegetable Potstickers with Soy Veloute. When they come to your table, it looks like a big crispy pancake, but that’s not the case. You get five large potstickers surrounded by the soy veloute.
These potstickers might look too overdone, but they were cooked perfectly. The outside had a nice crispy texture, but the filling remained moist and flavorful. You might think that means chewy, but the opposite was true.
The pork and vegetable mixture had the perfect meaty flavorful with hints of soy. Sometimes, pork can overwhelm a dish, but these ingredients played well with each other. These might be the best potstickers on property! Yes, even beating out the nearby ‘Ohana.
Service
Like everything at this meal, the service was impeccable. Anosha was exceptional and a total delight throughout the whole dinner. A great example of the Disney spirit!
Final Thoughts
Yes, it is a soft opening, so things can change. But the new look of Kona Cafe cannot be beat. Plus, the Big Kahuna is nice addition to the menu.
If you are looking for a great place to beat the crowds at the Magic Kingdom, make sure to stop by Kona Cafe. It is certainly worth trying, especially if you can’t get a reservation at ‘Ohana.
Let me know in the comments what you think about the remodel.
