Restaurant Review: Disney's Aulani Resort in Hawaii

Aulani, a Disney Resort in  Ko'Olina, Hawai'i

For those who have the opportunity to experience Disney’s Aulani Resort & Spa in Hawaii, the dining options can be somewhat of a mystery until you arrive and experience them for yourself.  As I was pleased to discover, the food at Aulani is very delicious! For the incredible 10 days I was there I managed to try new foods and find new favorites.  There are two restaurants on-site that take advanced reservations, Ama Ama and Makahiki.   I suggest booking 6 months prior to travel to get your preferred dining times, especially for Ama Ama. Try to get a dining time during sunset for a gorgeous view.

Ama Ama Restaurant

SO many delicious desserts!

The sunsets in Hawaii are exquisite and watching it from a table at Ama Ama while you enjoy your meal is amazing.  The restaurant is open air, and there’s a beautiful view of the beach and the ocean.  A word of caution, the food is delicious, but may be a bit expensive, but worth it! There is a dress code, but it’s nice to have an excuse to get dressed up for dinner while on vacation.  Everything we ate was delicious - from appetizers to dessert! The most memorable was the crème brulee!  

Makahiki Restaurant
Named for the traditional Hawaiian celebration of the harvest, this is where Aulani’s character breakfast with Mickey, Minnie and Goofy is located. The characters wander around the resort, but here you can have your picture taken with Hawaiian Mickey.  Breakfast is buffet style, and the Stitch waffles were a favorite of ours. Breakfast buffets consist of traditional pancakes, french toast, waffles, island fruits, pastries and more.  Dinner is a non-character buffet consisting of a carving station, salad station, Asian inspired food, pasta and desserts. The lighting will change from morning to night to celebrate the setting of the sun.

Off The Hook Bar and Lounge

Coconut Shrimp Salad

This was our favorite eating spot! It’s a laid back bar-style restaurant, with a full bar for drinks and a small men. There are plenty of tables to sit and eat, and we had many lunches and dinners here.  The coconut shrimp was a favorite, as were the fish tacos. Food was served in dim sum bamboo style containers.   The fun tropical drinks were available in alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions, and the service was always friendly and quick.   The Wailana Pool Bar served the same menu on the other side of the resort next to the adults only pool.     

Malasadas!

Ulu Café

Your typical breakfast fare is served here, but with a Hawaiian twist. We ate most of our breakfasts here. I had the usual (eggs, bacon, and sausage) but always added the malasadas, which are fried Portuguese donuts with cinnamon sugar. Deliciously served warm - and there were never any leftover!!

Makahiki

Dinner is a chance to try many different Hawaiian foods, and indulge in crab legs. It’s also a buffet, so if you want to try Hawaiian pizza and don’t like it, no worries, you can move on to another food.  Lots of Asian-inspired foods are served as well.  Wear comfy pants to dinner because you’ll roll out of there! Dinner can be eaten on the patio as well.

We did venture outside the resort for a meal or two, but did find the relaxed atmosphere of the resort, and the tasty options there were enough to keep us from wanting to leave! At Aulani you will experience the luxury and accommodations you expect from a Disney Resort, but it the most beautiful and serene place on Earth!

-Agent Marla

 The Kingdom Konsultant Agents will help you plan a perfect vacation to Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa. 
Contact us at vacations@kingdomkonsultant.com or Email marla@kingdomkonsultant.com if you have any Aulani questions.