Kona and Boma- When to Eat?

[stickeymouse]

We want to try both Kona Cafe and Boma on our upcoming trip. We have never dined at either restaurant. Which meal (breakfast, lunch, or dinner) is best at each restaurant, and why? Bonus points for naming your favorite dishes!

 

[squeezle]

Kona for breakfast - give me the pineapple macadamia nut pancakes and a pressed pot of Kona coffee and I am in heaven!
(I haven't had Boma in years, but the dinner was very good I just don't remember anything specific)

 

[Dayzee1026]

My husband and I love love love Boma for breakfast. It's a little expensive but we usually won't eat lunch that day because we are so full from breakfast. We didn't care for Kona for breakfast... my SIL and I didn't really like the Tonga Toast. But Kona was excellent for dinner. Not as crazy as 'Ohana and the service and food were great.

 

[MrsDuck]

Boma is amazing for breakfast and dinner.

I'd say Kona for breakfast. But, if you just want Tonga Toast, save yourself the money and go get it from the Capt Cook's quick serve... much cheaper and the same thing!

 

[kastoney]

I'd say breakfast at both (though we have never done Boma dinner). For Kona they have one of the best breakfasts on property and their dinner for us was ho-hum at best. For Boma I say breakfast because I'm not generally a buffet fan, but I find that breakfasts are more forgiving as the foods tend to hold up better to being held on a buffet

 

[gwbaierl]

Boma for both. Th bobotie at Boma for breakfast is great. The meat selection at Boma for both meals are great. Kona used to be good for breakfast and my wife loves the tonga toast, but after the menu change at Kona there isn't anything else on the menu worth while, And the tonga is far too sweet for me.

 

[bobbiwoz]

We think Kona for breakfast is a must. We share the Tonga toast. I do not think CaptaCook's has the strawberry compote, and that's a must for us.

 

[B-Ride]

We don't like breakfasts for two reasons: one we don't eat a lot and two it takes away from early mornings in the park which are less crowded because many people like to sleep in on vacation (or eat breakfast )

So the choice is easy for us. It helps that we really like dinner at both.

 

[stickeymouse]

Are zebra cakes as good as people say?

 

[Pipkin]

Are zebra cakes as good as people say?

No!

 

[Pipkin]

I my opinion, Boma has really gone down hill over the last year for dinner. I thought the first time I noticed, it was SN off night. The last visit confirmed it. Warm entrees, limited choices on the salad bar, desserts that look good but are essentially sweet and tasteless. We won't be back for a long time.

 

[greentea]

Are zebra cakes as good as people say?

I like them, but you can get them in a 4-pack at the Mara if you want to try them without eating at Boma. Though you do still have to make it over to AKL.

 

[Anniefrances]

Boma breakfast is great! And reasonably priced considering the offerings. Omelettes made to order. Scrambled eggs with goat cheese and chives. The best darn tater tots I've ever tasted. Hand carved meat (I think it was ham). Oak grilled tomatoes and asparagus. French toast bread pudding with warm praline or vanilla sauce - if you like something sweet in the morning, this is heaven on a plate. Plus all the standard stuff like fresh fruit, yogurt, cereal, oatmeal, pancakes, waffles, bacon, sausage, pastries, bagels, toast... Oh, and the coffee and juice taste good, too. We usually book a 10:50 AM ADR and skip lunch.

 

[stickeymouse]

No!

That's disappointing to hear!

 

[disneyvoice]

We love Boma for both breakfast and dinner - it is one of the best WDW restaurants for both. Honestly, we don't feel like Kona is someplace we want to waste our time. We typically share Tonga Toast (we think it is super sweet already so we don't do the syrup) but you can get it at Captain Cooks and I think it is cheaper there. And we think there are more interesting places to eat lunch or dinner. That said, the food at Kona is good.

 

[leebee]

We had dinner at Boma on Tuesday and loved it! Of course, it's one of our favorite restaurants anywhere, but I definitely didn't think the quality had dropped from our last visit (18 months ago). They have the most amazing soups! On Tuesday, we tried the oxtail stew, which was thick, beefy, and delicious, and the curried seafood stew (yes, real scallops and shrimp, lightly curried so that both the seafood and the curry came through). The next day, we tasted the carrot/ginger soup, and it was so good that I'm having the recipe emailed to me so I can make it at home. One of my favorite sides at Boma is the pap with chakalaka. Pap is a thick grain porridge, similar to cream of wheat but thicker, and the chakalaka is a diced tomato topping with other veggies and spices. It's very tasty, almost refreshing in its simplicity. The beef was terrific- nicely spiced and carved medium rare, but they'll put some back on the grill if you want it more throughly cooked. OH, and the peanut rice! Delicious!! My DH had the salmon dish, which seemed to have some sort of fruit and some vegs with it. I don't enjoy salmon so didn't try it, but he went back for seconds, so it must have been good. I also always try the Bobotie, which the African CMs say is one of the more authentic dishes prepared at Boma. While I am not a huge fan of the zebra dome, they are tasty and I like that they are made with amaranth, a native African fruit. My current favorite dessert there is a sort-of mousse, coffee-flavored and served in an edible chocolate shell (I thought at first it was a brown cupcake paper, but nope- it's chocolate). I also like the guava mousse, and usually the bread pudding and/or tiramisu are really very good! Can you tell we really like Boma?

We've been to Kona several times and don't enjoy the recent changes to the lunch/dinner menu. As far as breakfast is concerned, we find their specialty dishes (Tonga Toast, macadamia nut pancakes) to be too sweet for us to enjoy for breakfast.

 

[shellyj]

Boma is my favorite restaurant anywhere in the world. I'm not much of a breakfast food person but I eat at Boma! The breakfast hash is fantastic. And I love the jungle juice and coffee. Something to consider - Tusker House in AK has a very similar breakfast buffet, fewer offerings but it's a character meal for the same price (I think, we didn't compare prices last time).

Boma's dinner is fantastic. They rotate 2 slightly different main course menus but as far as I remember, the sides are all the same. The chilled salads are absolutely delicious. There are enough "normal" American choices that less adventurous eaters will still be happy.

I'm not a zebra dome lover, but I'm much of a dessert person at all. I'd rather go back for seconds of the couscous or grapefruit and avacado salad! But there is this little guava (I think) custard thing that is very good.

 

[Disney Mom 7272]

Kona for breakfast and Boma for dinner

 

[raddisneyfan]

Boma is amazing for breakfast and dinner.

I'd say Kona for breakfast. But, if you just want Tonga Toast, save yourself the money and go get it from the Capt Cook's quick serve... much cheaper and the same thing!

Ditto!

 

[belle7708]

We just tried Kona for the first time for dinner last Friday and were very impressed! I would recommend trying it for dinner if the menu appeals to you. I wasn't expecting a lot and the ambiance, service, and food were excellent.