Satu’li Canteen
We did coffee in the room and noshed on leftover snacks for a quick breakfast and then headed to Animal Kingdom for our first view of Pandora. We had a Navi River fastpass but couldn’t get FoP and no one wanted to spend 3 hours in line but we did enjoy the feel of the new land and slipped into the Satu’li Canteen for a very early lunch at 10:45 or so.
A quick note on the shirts -I love the WDW Radio weekly podcast and the Disney walking tours and trivia books by Lou Mongella and had just listened to him do a live review of both the Nomad Lounge (visited later in this review) and Satu’li Canteen so we were showing some Lou love. He lets me sneak a bit of Disney into my week when I am at home and does lots of interesting interviews with historians and former CMs and Imagineers etc as well as current info. So we were representing.
So I must say this was absolutely one of my favorite meals of the trip. I think of it a bit like Chipotle- pick a base, protein and sauce. But it’s more flavorful and not southwestern and seems healthier than Chipotle. It’s a really interesting counter service and really seems to reflect the trend of how people want to eat. It’s such a refreshing change.
And getting real plates is nice too. The mobile ordering through the My Disney Experience App is fantastic. So easy! It’s kind of a quick casual/counter service hybrid. Think the Be Our Guest nicer quick service concept but more edgy and modern.
I also was oddly fascinated by the description of the Cheeseburger Steamed Pods (I’d heard it described as tasting line “a blended McDonalds cheeseburger smashed in a bao bun”) so I grabbed ya a kids meal for us to sample. Btw, that description was pretty spot on and it was disgusting and comforting at the same time.
I chose the
Chopped Wood-Grilled Chicken Bowl
Wood-Grilled Chicken Thighs marinated with Garlic and Olive Oil topped with Crunchy Vegetable Slaw and Boba Balls served with your choice of Base and Sauce.
I opted for the red and sweet potato hash base and the charred green onion vinaigrette.
It was moist and flavorful and delicious - the thighs are grilled to perfection and tasty and tender and the hash had just a bit of bite. The vinaigrette was bright and had a smoky undertone. And the boba balls are citrusy and a fun pop of bright flavor! It was one of the few meals this week that I finished and loved every single bite. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Jesse choose the
Chopped Wood-Grilled Chicken Bowl
Wood-Grilled Chicken Thighs marinated with Garlic and Olive Oil topped with Crunchy Vegetable Slaw and Boba Balls with the mixed whole grains and rice and black bean vinaigrette.
Jess, when asked, declared this “one of the best damn things I ate at Disney. In the top two with the Hanger Steak at California Grill brunch.” The chicken was well seasoned and the vinaigrette was tangy and rich at the same time. He is not a fan of boba balls so I found I had double the boba on my plate! Lucky me.
Dylan selected
Chili-Spiced Crispy Fried Tofu Bowl
Crispy Fried Tofu seasoned with Chili-Spice topped with Crunchy Vegetable Slaw and Boba Balls served with red and sweet potato hash and charred green onion vinaigrette.
Dylan said it was fantastic and it hit the mark as he was craving something healthier and the tofu picked up the spicy chili flavor and the acidic vinaigrette balanced the heat nicely and then the citrus pop of the boba balls was a perfect shot of fresh and bright flavor. The potato hash is not mushy and holds its flavor and there is a smoky spice that balances with the natural sweetness of the sweet potato.
And we all shared the
Cheeseburger Steamed Pod
Steamed Cheeseburger Pod stuffed with Ground Beef, Ketchup, Mustard, Pickle, and Cheddar Cheese served with Vegetable Chips and Grapes, and small Dasani® Bottled Water
Here is the outside. It comes with root veggie chips that taste like they came straight from a bag and masquerade as healthy. They are just ok.
The filling had distinct beef, mustard, ketchup and classic American cheese and pickle flavor. It literally tastes like a McDonalds burger that had been through s food processor and then stuffed and steamed in a bao bun. It will taste very familiar and will probably appeal to those who need a simple palate pleaser. It was weird and familiar at the same time. It wasn’t my favorite thing but I had an odd connection to it too.
I think the ratio to bun might be a little off too. See in the cross section photo how much starch there is to the amount of filling?
It’s probably a good option if the bowls are a little too “out there.” And I’ve fed picky kids (and adults)so I can appreciate that. But in all seriousness if the bowls are too out there you might be better off at Flame Tree BBQ. It’s better for quality familiar options and you know exactly what you are getting.
For dessert we shared the very artistic
Blueberry Cream Cheese Mousse
Blueberry Cream Cheese Mousse with Passion Fruit Curd
If you look at this from above it is supposed to represent a Banshee eye. Do you see it? I liked the tartness I’d the passion fruit curd to balance the rich blueberry mousse. You need to get the purée and mouse and curd all in one bite for a perfect dessert bite. The little white meringue doesn’t add much to it and the square of decorative chocolate is just meh white chocolate. The mirror glaze is just beautiful though.
And because of my birthday button, we were greeted by a precious Belgian CM wish brilliant smile who seemed genuinely thrilled to give us this adorable cupcake. If fact, it took us a moment to get settled at our table and you could tell he saw the button and was stalking us and carrying that cupcake while waiting for us to sit down so he could deliver some Magic! It was very sweet and I was very grateful too.
It was cute as can be and in Satu’li fashion, that is a grape on top of the blue frosting. Healthy meets fun again.
We really really enjoyed this meal and the decor and atmosphere. Hope you will too!