Aulani Makahiki Restaurant...food was disappointing.

[KikoKea]

To celebrate DH's bd, we ate at Aulani's Makahiki restaurant last night with our daughter in law, son, and DIL's sister. We've lived here for over 12 years, the girls all their lives. We found the buffet hit or miss. A few things were very good, such as the baked Mahi, the mashed potatoes, and prime rib. Other things were not, such as the chicken (katsu, I think it was supposed to be- was fried to nothing but a tough, hard to chew mess), poke (raw fish dish- too salty! girls could not finish theirs) and yard-long beans (way too tough) The crab legs were pretty tasteless, but the boiled shrimp were good. Desserts were either very, very sweet or hardly sweet at all.

DH and I agreed we would never eat there again- disappointing since we love Disney and live only 20 min away. The resort is lovely, though. Has anyone else eaten at the Makahiki? Was this just a bad night?

Has anyone eaten at the 'Ama'ama- their signature restuarant?

 

[JenniferS]

To celebrate DH's bd, we ate at Aulani's Makahiki restaurant last night with our daughter in law, son, and DIL's sister. We've lived here for over 12 years, the girls all their lives. We found the buffet hit or miss. A few things were very good, such as the baked Mahi, the mashed potatoes, and prime rib. Other things were not, such as the chicken (katsu, I think it was supposed to be- was fried to nothing but a tough, hard to chew mess), poke (raw fish dish- too salty! girls could not finish theirs) and yard-long beans (way too tough) The crab legs were pretty tasteless, but the boiled shrimp were good. Desserts were either very, very sweet or hardly sweet at all.

DH and I agreed we would never eat there again- disappointing since we love Disney and live only 20 min away. The resort is lovely, though. Has anyone else eaten at the Makahiki? Was this just a bad night?

Has anyone eaten at the 'Ama'ama- their signature restuarant?

I'm sorry you had a poor dining experience. I'm sure it didn't come cheap either.

I will page our resident Aulani expert. @StarWarsGirl95 - care to chime in here?

 

[KikoKea]

No, not cheap, but then this is Hawaii and we are used- or rather not shocked by- higher prices for food. We'd love to go back and breathe that Disney air, but it will have to be at the 'Ama'ama. Gotta spend enough to get that $35 parking fee validated, too!

 

[StarWarsGirl]

I will page our resident Aulani expert. @StarWarsGirl95 - care to chime in here?

You rang?

We enjoyed Makahiki very much. We stayed at Aulani in late June to early July and did go to Makahiki once. I had the minestrone soup, the crab legs, the prime rib, some mussels, and some of the desserts. It was comparable to Cape May in WDW. Including the desserts. They are small, so they are supposed to be super sweet. The ones that weren't sweet were the sugar free ones, and they are not supposed to be. As far as they went, they were pretty typical Disney buffet desserts.

However, for that money, I still say 'Ama 'Ama as opposed to Makahiki. The view is lovely at 'Ama 'Ama, and the food is fantastic. We went there twice. I had the filet mignon twice and also the onion soup twice. Both times, it was good. I still have yet to find a mashed potato that I like any place else besides 'Ama 'Ama. My mom had the catch of the day twice (I only like shellfish for the most part) and it was fresh and she enjoyed it both times. We had two different desserts (shared with the table) and enjoyed both.

As far as Makahiki goes, you could have been there on a bad night, but in general, 'Ama 'Ama is better.

Another good place in Ko'Olina is Monkey Pod across the street. The food was really, really good, service was good, it wasn't horribly expensive, and I have food allergies, and they did a decent job handling them. I had pasta, but I've heard that the steaks and the burgers are really good there (from more than one person). Parking is tough across the street though, so get there earlier and walk around the shops first.

 

[worldfanatic]

The food was nothing special on our visit. But the atmosphere was great.
Love that big, bright, beautiful mural.

 

[KikoKea]

You rang?

We enjoyed Makahiki very much. We stayed at Aulani in late June to early July and did go to Makahiki once. I had the minestrone soup, the crab legs, the prime rib, some mussels, and some of the desserts. It was comparable to Cape May in WDW. Including the desserts. They are small, so they are supposed to be super sweet. The ones that weren't sweet were the sugar free ones, and they are not supposed to be. As far as they went, they were pretty typical Disney buffet desserts.

However, for that money, I still say 'Ama 'Ama as opposed to Makahiki. The view is lovely at 'Ama 'Ama, and the food is fantastic. We went there twice. I had the filet mignon twice and also the onion soup twice. Both times, it was good. I still have yet to find a mashed potato that I like any place else besides 'Ama 'Ama. My mom had the catch of the day twice (I only like shellfish for the most part) and it was fresh and she enjoyed it both times. We had two different desserts (shared with the table) and enjoyed both.

As far as Makahiki goes, you could have been there on a bad night, but in general, 'Ama 'Ama is better.

Another good place in Ko'Olina is Monkey Pod across the street. The food was really, really good, service was good, it wasn't horribly expensive, and I have food allergies, and they did a decent job handling them. I had pasta, but I've heard that the steaks and the burgers are really good there (from more than one person). Parking is tough across the street though, so get there earlier and walk around the shops first.

Thanks for answering!
I think we'll try 'Ama'ama next time. My husband loves French onion soup, so I'll suggest he try it. We stopped by there while out walking around and it looks beautiful. I imagine is is very pretty at dusk, as the sun is going down. And, much quieter! With the noise and the trio singing right outside the Makahiki, it was hard to carry on a conversation.

Funny thing is, we live 20 minutes away and this was our first time trying the resort. Ko Olina has to allow the public access to its lagoons, but only a certain number are allowed in at a time and is often hard to get in, so we've just avoided the area. Thanks for the tip about the Monkey Pod. Will check it out.

 

[KikoKea]

The food was nothing special on our visit. But the atmosphere was great.
Love that big, bright, beautiful mural.

The mural is beautiful. We enjoy seeing how Disney decorates its resorts and how they incorporate symbols and such in the decor, along with unique lighting. Too bad the food was not so great.

 

[polynesiangirl]

We also found the dinner at Makahiki to be lacking. Glad it wasn't just us. It wasn't bad, but I'd take AMA AMA any day over it.

 

[KikoKea]

We also found the dinner at Makahiki to be lacking. Glad it wasn't just us. It wasn't bad, but I'd take AMA AMA any day over it.

A shame, really, because we love Disney and would jump at any excuse to go out there. But, we'll give 'Ama'ama a try in a few months. Any favorite dishes at 'Ama'ama?

 

[polynesiangirl]

A shame, really, because we love Disney and would jump at any excuse to go out there. But, we'll give 'Ama'ama a try in a few months. Any favorite dishes at 'Ama'ama?

First off, let me express my extreme jealousy that you live nearby. Hawaii is one of my favorite places on Earth and even though it takes us most of a day to fly there from where we live, it is always worth it to me. I would head out the door right now for the airport if I could.

The menu changes periodically as I understand it, but my favorites were the rack of lamb and one of the soups, which I can see isn't on the menu at the moment. My husband had the pepper shrimp appetizer that I see on there, I think, which he liked. The souffléd potatoes side dish is different, light, and tasty. The lobster mac and cheese was my biggest disappointment -- it sounded good, and it was fine, but it's just not the right setting for such a heavy dish, especially as an appetizer. I ate half of it and I was almost too full for my main course. It just seemed more like the kind of thing I'd be inclined to eat back home when it's 10 below zero outside. Cold weather comfort food.

The desserts were all great. We ate there three times in a week, so I am pretty sure we tried them all (hahaha) and they were all yummy.

 

[KikoKea]

First off, let me express my extreme jealousy that you live nearby. Hawaii is one of my favorite places on Earth and even though it takes us most of a day to fly there from where we live, it is always worth it to me. I would head out the door right now for the airport if I could.

The menu changes periodically as I understand it, but my favorites were the rack of lamb and one of the soups, which I can see isn't on the menu at the moment. My husband had the pepper shrimp appetizer that I see on there, I think, which he liked. The souffléd potatoes side dish is different, light, and tasty. The lobster mac and cheese was my biggest disappointment -- it sounded good, and it was fine, but it's just not the right setting for such a heavy dish, especially as an appetizer. I ate half of it and I was almost too full for my main course. It just seemed more like the kind of thing I'd be inclined to eat back home when it's 10 below zero outside. Cold weather comfort food.

The desserts were all great. We ate there three times in a week, so I am pretty sure we tried them all (hahaha) and they were all yummy.

Thanks! The pepper shrimp and the lamb sound tempting. We prefer lighter foods, too, especially when it is hot. Heavy meals just makes me want to collapse on the couch and do nothing.

I know what you're saying about the travel time. Our moms are on the East Coast and I make the trip several times a year along with a WDW trip. But, we are planning to move next summer....to Orlando! And, WDW is a major reason. Not the only reason, but it's what we are most excited about.

 

[KikoKea]

Just wanted to update- we've eaten at Makahiki 3 times (including last night) since I posted last, and found the food much better, all around. Not sure if we hit it on a bad night for our first visit, but all visits since were great. The shrimp and prime rib are my favorites, and their mashed potatoes and salads are wonderful. Don't get me started on the desserts! It was my husband's birthday, so they brought out a little dessert with candle and sang HB to him. We walked around the resort and breathed deeply of the Disney air in the stores before heading back to our house, hoping the fix would hold me until we hit WDW in 65 days.