KAPOLEI, Hawaii — It seems you can't be a chef at a Disney property without knowing how to create food in the shape of a mouse with ears. That’s definitely the case at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in Hawaii.
“It’s part of the requirements here,” joked Nicolas Amoriello, Executive Chef at Aulani’s ‘AMA’AMA restaurant.
There are of course the famous Mickey and Minnie Mouse waffles. But there are also the ones that are harder to spot like the tiny hidden Mickey Mouse carved out of watermelon found in the Acai bowl at the Ulu Café.
"It's just fun little touches that we put into it just to bring the magic," Amoriello said.
The musubi also gets the Disney treatment. This spam and rice dish is a popular Hawaiian snack. It’s a great grab-and-go option after a day of swimming or snorkeling in Aulani’s lagoon. It’s also one of many traditional Hawaiian dishes you’ll find at the resort.
“It's representing the culture,” Amoriello said. “It's representing the flavors. It's representing the melting pot that the island is and very important for our food here."
At the newly reimagined ‘AMA’AMA restaurant, traditional flavors get an elevated twist. An excellent example of that is the restaurant’s pork belly appetizer.
"Really just a play on traditional smoked meat on the island,” Amoriello said. “But we are using confit pork belly and then we have a smoked sauce that goes into it that's very traditional."
You can also enjoy island favorites at Aulani’s KA WA’A Luau. Here guests can try poke, kalua pork, and poi.
Finally, no trip to Hawaii is complete without shave ice. This cool treat is topped with traditional syrups like mango, guava, and pineapple and then finished with sweetened condensed milk. And yes, at Aulani, It comes shaped like Mickey Mouse!
Sponsored by Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa. KING 5's Evening celebrates the Northwest. Contact us: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Email.