*This dining experience took place in February 2013.
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| Entrance to Kona |
There are some restaurants on property that I go to entirely too much. Kona is probably one of them--mostly because now even the chefs and waistaff recognize me. Well at least they don't know me by name...yet! The chef does know me by allergy though. Hey, what can I say? When you find a good thing, you stick with it!Interestingly enough, I actually am not a big fan of dinner at Kona but I adore breakfast and lunch. Go figure. On this particular visit, I headed to Kona for lunch. When I arrived I was seated by the manager and I mentioned Chef Johnny who has taken care of me almost everytime I've been at Kona in the past 2 years. Turns out Chef Johnny was recently relocated to Ohana. The chefs on property rotate restaurants every 3 years or so, so I knew it was bound to happen. Chef Brandon was the new chef on duty.However, I was pleasantly surprised when Chef Johnny showed up at my table. Evidently the manager had let him know that I mentioned him specifically by name and so he came over. He said he would take care of my order from start to finish, as he was thrilled to see me. (I'm sure he got some brownie points with the manager!). I ordered what I've been getting there lately--the Island Chicken Sandwich. It's a grilled chicken sandwich with bacon and curry mango mayonnaise. I ordered it minus the cheese and this time Chef Johnny offered to grill some onions for it--the first time I got them. I always get the curry mango mayonnaise on the side so I can put on the sandwich AND dip the fries in it. I love the curry mango mayo. It's awesome!Chef Johnny said they stopped getting the Udi's buns (oh sad day) and now only have the GNI brand buns. He said they really don't like them at all. Not only are they half the size but they are also extremely difficult to work with. Blech. I agree with him. However, if you put enough curry mango on a dirty shoe it would taste good, and this bun is the same!
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| Chicken sandwich with curry mango mayo on the side--where's the bun?! It's so small it's hidden. |
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| Grilled onions--these were delicious |
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| Big view of the bounty. Love this sandwich! |
As usual, this sandwich was awesome. I will note that the chicken didn't seem to have that slight gingery taste to it anymore. I wonder if they don't marinade it at all now. It was still a nicely grilled piece of chicken breast. The bacon was also thick cut and tasty--not that wimpy bacon. The onions were a nice touch. I wish I would have ordered them before. I really loved the grill flavor. And of course, that curry mango mayo is beyond awesome. It makes the whole sandwich. I literally downed the entire cup between the sandwich and the fries. It's that good.
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| Meringues |
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Last up was a new treat: Meringues. Evidently it's new for the menu and safe for me to eat (pretty sure it's just mainly egg whites). Yum! Definitely a nice way to end the meal with something safe, sweet, and different than rice dream or a cookie. And it wasn't extra!Overall, I really love Kona for lunch. I like the variety of foods during this time and the island chicken sandwich? It's the best! I'm sad to see Chef Johnny move over to Kona, but I was glad he was able to help me on this visit.Next time it will be interesting to visit with a new chef!Overall, a good solid 9 out of 10!
