Kona Cafe -- Lunch -- Table Service -- Polynesian
*This dining experience took place in March 2015.
It's been quite some time since I've been to the Polynesian Resort and Kona Cafe. The biggest reason has been the ongoing refurbishment/construction of the resort. The resort itself still has a fair amount of construction to be done, but on this visit, I got to see all the progress they've made. The lobby has been completely redone and has some gorgeous new lights and terrific looking new furniture. The one thing it's missing is the old water fixture but I'm glad to see they have a small one, as an homage to the former lobby.On this particular occasion, I visited Kona Cafe for lunch. After admiring the new lobby (and the soon to be opened Trader Sam's Grog Grotto), I checked in for lunch at Kona. The staff noted my special dietary needs, though I was given a regular menu instead of the special diets menus that I've received in the past. When I server came to the table, she said she would need to get the chef because of having multiple dietary needs involved in my order. I'm not sure if the special diets menus are still at Kona, though I suspect they are and aren't given out to guests who have multiple dietary needs, unless requested. I'll have to check on this the next time I'm there.I was greeted by Chef Johnny, who has been a chef at the Polynesian for sometime now. He was at Kona for a very long time but then moved to Ohana. However, I'm told he bounces back and forth between restaurants now. 
For my lunch, I ordered my favorite lunch item - the Kona Island Chicken Sandwich with sweet potato fries and curry mango mayonnaise. The curry mango mayonnaise is the best and so delicious on the side as a dipping sauce with the sweet potato fries.Overall, the entree was really good. The only real downfall for me was the GNI brand bun. It was really tiny for my sandwich, and it was also not heated very well (which meant it was beyond crumbly). I'd love to see the Local Oven bun or even the Udi's Gluten Free bun as an alternative, as they are both much larger and also less apt to be crumbly. The bacon used for the sandwich is terrific thick-cut bacon, and it all combines together for a great sandwich.I was pleased to see that my favorite curry mango mayonnaise was still at Kona, as was the Island Chicken Sandwich. I will definitely pop by again for lunch because this is consistently one of my favorite sandwiches on property. Have you been to Kona Cafe? What do you like to order when you dine there?
Kona Cafe -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Polynesian
*This dining experience took place in December 2014.
Kona Cafe located in Disney's Polynesian Resort has long been a staple in my family as a great restaurant and a particularly great go-to spot for breakfast. It helps that they had great gluten free and dairy free offerings for years too!It's been a bit since I've been to Kona Cafe or the Polynesian for that matter. It's been under a lot of construction in 2014, so I haven't been since I had lunch in May. As you can see from the photos, when I visited the lobby area was still under construction (since then the lobby renovations have been revealed).When we arrived at Kona, I knew I would be given one of the new gluten free menus, but I was pleasantly surprised when I also received a dairy free menu. I would love to see combined menus, but I was easily able to cross reference the menus and see which options were safe for me. One thing I didn't notice was the beloved Big Kahuna breakfast entree, which is a bit of a breakfast sampler of sorts. That's been my go-to choice for years at Kona. Our server asked if I had questions and went to get the chef who was on duty.
I asked the chef if it was possible to get the Big Kahuna modified, and she said that wasn't a problem at all. In fact, she said a lot of special diets guests request it, so they are still happy to prepare this dish for guests. When I mentioned Mickey waffles, she said they now had Stitch waffles instead of Mickey shaped ones. I was curious to see if they were still as good as the Mickey versions that Kona and Ohana have been serving for years.
I have to say, that in some ways this entree has definitely changed over the years. I remember when this was a ginormous entree that you would have to split between you and one of your fellow diners. Of course, if I'm very hungry, I have no problems polishing this entree off (and I certainly didn't that morning).My favorite parts of the Big Kahuna are the breakfast potatoes and breakfast ham. The Stitch waffles were really good, and I can see kiddos loving the fun shape; however, I missed having my traditional Mickey waffles just a bit! I was excited to see that Kona Cafe still serves Earth Balance (not the soy free version), which is nice to top on your piping hot waffles.You can also get gluten free (and dairy free) pancakes too. Check out Gluten Free in Orlando's review of Kona Cafe for breakfast that includes pancakes!Overall, I enjoyed our meal at Kona Cafe. It was nice to have special diets menus to refer to. I would love to see more of these integrated into restaurants, as it is really helpful for guests to get an idea of what is safe before speaking with members of the culinary team.Have you been to Kona Cafe for breakfast? What's your favorite thing to order?
Kona Cafe Gluten Free Breakfast Menu
Kona Cafe at Disney’s Polynesian Resort (as of 12/2014) – This is strictly a gluten free menu. Check with the restaurant for additional offerings. Note: This is also a trial menu being introduced to select Disney restaurants. For photos of the children's gluten free menu, head to Gluten Free in Orlando.Entrees:Steak and Eggs - char-grilled New York strip served with 2 eggs and home-fried potatoes - $14.49Ham and cheese omelet with home-fried potatoes -- $11.49Egg white omelet with roasted peppers and goat cheese -- $10.99Fruit plate - fresh fruit served in a half pineapple -- $8.99Two eggs, any style, with home-fried potatoes and your choice of sausage, bacon, or ham -- $10.99Pancake with your choice of ham, bacon, or sausage -- $9.49Mickey Shaped Waffles - waffles shaped like our good friend Mickey with choice of ham, sausage, or bacon -- $9.49The Samoan - two poached eggs atop smoked pulled pork hash, finished with hollandaise sauce --$9.99Sides:Bacon -- $3.99Ham -- $3.99Sausage -- $3.99Oatmeal -- $5.49Fresh fruit cup -- $4.99
Kids’ Meals (for guests ages 9 and under)
Mickey Check Meals (served with a choice of small lowfat milk or small Dasani water) – $6.49
Scrambled eggs with broccoli, tomatoes, and breakfast potatoes, served with fruit salad and yogurt
Oatmeal and dried cranberries served with turkey bacon and fruit salad
*Meets Disney nutritional guidelines for complete meals without substitution.
OrAll entrees below served with choice of small lowfat milk, small Dasani water or small Minute Maid apple juice.
Choice of one (1) entree -- $6.49 (all meals include choice of one (1) side item: bacon, sausage, or fruit cup)
Scrambled eggs with broccoli, tomatoes, and breakfast potatoes, served with fruit salad and yogurt
Donald's Choice - one egg, quacked and scrambled, with cinnamon toast
As always, make sure to contact a Disney Cast Member when ordering so that they can ensure the best standards for dealing with cross contamination, etc.
If you have a new quick service special dietary needs sheet and want to share it with readers, you can send it to me via email at gfdf.wdw@gmail.com
Kona Cafe -- Lunch -- Table Service -- Polynesian
*This dining experience took place in May 2014.
It doesn't happen often that I eat at a Disney restaurant this closely together, but this lunch was a last minute meal. My family had made ADRs here, and I joined them unexpectedly for lunch (they were in the parks & I met them there). I never turn down an excuse to enjoy the Polynesian, although I have to say the current construction makes it a bit more challenging to visit. I also had to take photo of the water feature in the middle of the lobby. It's being removed for the new refurbishment of the resort, and I have to say I will miss it!But back to the food! While waiting for my family, I noticed the dinner menu was up for display. It looks like there are a few changes with the recent April 30th menu switchover in the parks & resorts. The lunch menu has virtually no changes, so I pretty much knew it was between a salad, sushi, or my favorite Kona Island Chicken Sandwich.
We were greeted by our server, and I mentioned that I didn't see the sushi menu (we got one last week for lunch), and he said they are no longer serving sushi at Kona. Say what?! He said it was just a test, and that they decided to remove it for now. Well, that was a bummer. I wanted something light and had been hoping for some sushi. Which meant option #2 was on the table...salad.After a few minutes we were greeted by Higgins who is the manager at Kona. I was surprised to see him with the special diets yellow pad. He explained that they were short staffed that day and the chef was unable to come out and assist me. A first for me at a table service. I know this menu really well so I asked if I could have the Grilled Steak Salad with chicken instead of steak. He said that he was pretty sure that was possible, and he said he'd take this meal request to the chef and make sure that everything was safe. I will say that I didn't see a chef once during my meal (and it was a bit lengthy), so it sounds like they were a bit busy. 
This salad comes with mixed greens tossed with grilled chicken, vegetables, and cashew-lime vinaigrette. I have to say, the chicken was grilled perfectly and the salad itself was very fresh. It had sesame oil in the dressing, which was light and flavorful. I am a big fan of vinaigrettes so this worked perfectly for me. I will say, flavor wise, the steak is the better protein option with the vegetables served here, but chicken does work well too. I just don't really steak, so chicken tends to be my go-to protein.My only complaint would be that I think the price and portion ratio was a bit off. This salad is $15.99, and I would order the cobb salad at the Brown Derby any day over this. That salad is huge and this one is just a bit small (it looks bigger in the picture). As a light meal though, it was absolutely perfect for me. I just wouldn't want to order it if I were really hungry!Overall, I found the salad to be a good meal choice. The experience here was a bit mediocre this time. Our server was nice but we have found the last few lunch visits to be extremely slow paced. I hope that having a manager come out and speak to a guest isn't a normal occurrence here now. The manager was great but his knowledge of the food options is a bit more limited.Overall, I'd give this experience a 6.5 out of 10 for this visit to Kona Cafe.
Kona Cafe -- Lunch -- Table Service -- Polynesian
*This dining experience took place in April 2014.
Aloha! It's been a while since I've dined at Kona Cafe for lunch. It's long been one of my favorite spots for a quiet and low-key table service lunch option, with one sandwich being a staple in my lunch rotation - the Kona Island Chicken Sandwich.On this particular occasion, I stopped by for lunch with my mom in between a visit to the salon (Bamboo Salon - close to Disney with great service & rates) and shopping in Orlando. While there are fabulous restaurants in Orlando (and you can see many of them listed on sites like Gluten Free in Orlando, Celiac in Orlando, and Eating Out Without), I tend to make a trip to Disney because I know that I'll have a safe meal.When we arrived, we were greeted by Chef Brett, who has assisted me before. I already knew that I wanted the Kona Island Chicken Sandwich, so that was the easy part. I asked him if I could have a combination of both sweet potato and regular fries. It's a combination I love with a bit of the best of both worlds when it comes to fries. I also always ask for the curry mango mayonnaise that is typically on the sandwich to be served on the side. As you know, I'm the condiment queen, and I will dip my fries in the curry mango mayo. It's amazing (and highly recommended!).The sandwich typically comes with fried onions and cheese, both of which are removed. Sometimes they can make me grilled or sauteed onions but this time Chef said he was unable to do it. Onions don't make or break the sandwich so that was OK with me (if it had been the curry mango mayo, well...that might have changed my mind!).I also asked about the bun. I knew that Disney was beginning to transition into a new bun from a company called Local Oven. Chef Brett said he thought that they had GNI still but as it turned out, they ended up with Local Oven. He also mentioned that my food was going to take a bit longer to prepare, as they were down a dedicated fryer and he would have to fry them in a pot.
My sandwich looked great, though I noticed that I was missing bacon (which it comes with). This was quickly rectified and my bacon made the perfect accompaniment to the sandwich. The French fries were excellent as always, and made even better by the delicious curry mango mayonnaise. I should have asked for more because it's great slathered on your sandwich and with fries.I was surprised to see how big the new Local Oven buns were. They seem to be somewhere in the middle texture wise to Udi's & Ener-G. A bit soft but somewhat spongy in texture. The taste was actually quite pleasant. I think it might have needed to be heated up just a bit, but otherwise, I could definitely seem myself eating these readily the next time I visit. I was never a big fan of the GNI buns which were very small and had a really weird texture. I still prefer Udi's buns but I'm glad these are available. Local Oven buns are gluten, dairy, soy, and corn free. They contain egg whites, so they are not egg free.Overall, I really enjoyed my meal. There was a lengthy wait time due to the frying but that was to be expected. The service was a little off that day but the restaurant was a bit busier than normal.For this visit, I would rate the experience a 7 out of 10.