Foodie’s adventure at Disneyland

[ltldeb]

From Inq7.net:

Foodie’s adventure at Disneyland

First posted 00:53am (Mla time) Mar 19, 2006
By Vangie Baga-Reyes

SIX MONTHS AFTER ITS grand opening, Hong Kong Disneyland has become one of the most popular family destinations in the region. Though many times it gets compared to its counterparts in California, Florida, Tokyo and Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland can hold out on its own.

HK Disneyland may be the smallest and most compact among the 10 Disneylands in the world, but the limitation does not impede the fun and the imagination. Like its predecessors, this theme park is packed with magical shows, rides, parades and spectacles designed to bring out the child in us.

And one of its more magical attractions is the eating expedition.
“Dining is another integral part of the Disney experience as is shopping,� said Rudolf Muller, executive chef of HK Disneyland Resort.

The resort may be rooted in the all-American dream of Walt Disney, but the cuisine in the theme park and two resort hotels reflects Asia’s diverse cultures and tastes.

“Food is also part of the guest experience,�

said Muller. “I’m absolutely sure that you will leave the place if you don’t like the food you eat and see around you.�

Right, bad food will also forever remain in one’s memories.

Culinary delight

The Park offers a diverse range of food in its eight restaurants, three of which are table-service and the rest, self-service.

The food-and-beverage team has carefully designed the park’s menus to feature popular dishes from different parts of Asia—from the Northwest, the Jiangnan region and Guangdong province in Mainland China, to Southeast Asia and Japan.

Different kitchens feature different styles of cooking, such as Steam Kitchens, which serve dim sum and steamed dishes; Wok Kitchens, serving stir fries; and other eateries such as Curry, Noodle, and BBQ Kitchens.

“Hong Kong is a very sophisticated food town, more like New York City,� said Klaus Mager, director of food and beverage for HK Disneyland. “It’s a population that is very knowledgeable, very much into food.�

In the park, food is relatively healthy and fresh. Noodles are cooked as you watch. The three cafés—Clopin’s Festival of Foods in Fantasyland, Tahitian Terrace in Adventureland, and Comet Café in Tomorrowland—offer menus from different regions of China.

Noodle bowls range from Sichuan Dan Dan Noodles to Nanjing Beef Noodle Soup. Wok dishes include Nyonay Chicken Curry, kung pao chicken, slow-braised pork ribs and Yang Zhou fried rice.

Also offered are barbecue specialties such as spicy fried chicken legs, roasted five-spice duck and roasted pork sausage.

On our cold afternoon weekday visit at the park, we gobbled down a big bowl of hot Curry Laksa Noodle Soup that cost HK$45 (P497). Others partook of the tender chicken teriyaki, also at HK$45.

What’s nice about the service is that each order comes with utensils that are packed nicely in small little plastic bags, and the queues move quickly especially during lunch and dinner.

For a quick bite, snack carts throughout the park are inspired by the colorful street vendors in China. Carts serve fresh mango, orange, grapefruit, guava and mango juices at HK$20 (P132). Soya milk is sold at HK$15 (P99), bottled water HK$10 (P66).

Filling snacks include small baskets of wrapped fruits, as well as turkey and chicken legs, hot dog on a stick, and sausages. Popcorn, in caramel and coconut milk flavors, is everywhere, at HK$15.

If you want a real Chinese gustatory treat and have plenty of time at hand to enjoy every bite, then step in at Plaza Inn, operated by the Maxim’s Group. It serves Cantonese dishes. We recommend the roasted chicken, garlic broccoli, scallops and mango pudding.

Now, if you suddenly crave for a blend of Western and Chinese cooking, visit Main Street Corner Café for its New England-style fish and chips and chicken curry. For a sweet bite, the Market House Bakery offers muffins, croissants and pies, including a Mickey Mouse-shaped rice krispy treat.

For burgers and fries, go straight to Starliner Diner, which is the park’s largest and only American restaurant. Try the Char Siew Burger, a pork patty spiced with char siew and water chestnuts served in steamed bun at HK$35 (P231).

“After all the research and survey made prior to the opening, we agreed that we had to ‘localize’ or adjust the taste of the food to our target market,� noted Muller.

To suit the Asian market that leans toward sweetness, Muller added sugar to the spaghetti; the patties are pre-seasoned; and the chicken wings, legs and drumsticks are coated with batter and cooked like tempura.

Crème de la crème of dining

Having two plush resort hotels in Disneyland, an elegant, fine-dining experience should also be part of the magical package.

The upscale Crystal Lotus at HK Disneyland Hotel serves Asian cuisine in such a contemporary Chinese arts-and-crafts setting with lotus designs used in various forms throughout the interior.

Here, dinner is when the chef shines, with live fish tanks for the catch of the day and specialties like the signature Jiang Nan appetizers of crispy suckling pig served with sweet sauce, roasted goose served with pickled plum jam, and smoked Mandarin fish fillets; braised Tasmanian rock lobster in pumpkin soup, steamed fresh crab claw infused with ginger rice wine, and braised young Shanghai brassica in clear superior soup.

The Enchanted Garden Restaurant is for a more refreshing, relaxed and informal gathering, set in Victorian-style garden conservatory complete with tall potted palms and a high-arching glass ceiling.

The buffet has a mix of Asian and Western favorites, with a selection of dim sum, noodles, chicken, ham, omelet, waffles.

Don’t worry about lining up to take photos with the famous characters at the Disney Park and the Enchanted Garden restaurant; they come right up to your table! The fab five—Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy and Donald Duck—take their time to sign autographs and take their pictures with you.

Over at Chef Mickey, the signature dining venue of Disney’s Hollywood Hotel, there’s an array of international favorites such as pizza, Chinese barbecue, Indian curry and sausages.

Promo for Pinoys

This summer, to entice families from the Philippines, HK Disneyland is offering free breakfast for Filipino resort guests if they stay at one of its two fabulously themed hotels.

Until May 31, hotel guests can receive one free breakfast for up to four people. Guests of HK Disneyland Hotel can enjoy breakfast at the Enchanted Garden, while those at Disney’s Hollywood Hotel can partake of the breakfast buffet at Chef Mickey’s restaurant.
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*~deb~*

[onecutemoose]

Sounds yummy!

I have friends who just went to HK DL and they said the food was good!

: )

[Firefly]

[theEpiphany]

Yes...only 4 lands...dont forget Disneyland expanded over the years...Despite the current size, it's still the smallest of any initially launched disney themepark. It does not yet have a frontierland..There is still enough land to do some expanding (something like 37%)

Plans for adding a Haunted Mansion and it's a small world are currently underway.

-D

I was more taken back by the "10 Disneylands" comment. Which obviously there are only 4 of... 5 if you count Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom.

As far as parks go...There are 11 not including water parks or entertainment districts.

Disneyland
DCA
Magic Kingdom
EPCOT
MGM
Animal Kingdom
EuroDisney / Disneyland Paris
Disney Studios Paris
Hong Kong Disneyland
Tokyo Disneyland
Tokyo DisneySea
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[Firefly]

[alsirrap]

I had never concidered how different the food might be. It's facinating to see what those who have been there have to say. The restaurants could be an adventure in themselves.