All eyes are on Animal Kingdom with the opening of Pandora — World of AVATAR!
And of course, we’ve been busy trying as many new dishes and snacks as possible at Satu’li Canteen and Pongu Pongu.
But what about the rest of the park? Have we forgotten about all the yum that resides in Africa’s Harambe, Discovery Island, Dinoland, U.S.A. (hey, don’t knock it — it’s home to Restaurantosaurus and the new Smokey Bones Bourbon and Bacon Shake), and Asia’s Anandapur?
Heck, no! In fact, we just found some new desserts at Yak and Yeti Local Food Cafes that are crazy!!
Yak and Yeti Local Food Cafes is the counter service little sister to the Yak and Yeti table service restaurant in Animal Kingdom’s Anandapur. You might see it listed as Yak and Yeti Counter Service sometimes (which may be a little clearer, if not quite so thematic).
Most recently, we’ve checked out the Kobe Beef Burger and the Kobe Beef Hotdog, plus you can snag a generous portion of Chicken Fried Rice in a fun take-out container for a snack credit. And the Honey Chicken continues to have a dedicated fan base.
Basically, if you like simple Asian fusion food, you’ll find something here.
But on our most recent visit, we went for something a little sweeter. We spotted two new dessert offerings on the menu (replacing the previous Pineapple Coconut Cake and Triple Chocolate Mousse), so we ordered one of each. Introducing the Mini Chocolate Silk Cake and the Mini Mango Pie.
First up was the Mini Chocolate Silk Cake, which, truth be told, was more like a pie than a cake. But you can’t really go wrong with silky chocolate mousse and chocolate chips.
And while this is served up in a small bowl, there are some big and delicious flavors here. In particular, we were massive fans of that crust! It’s basically crushed cookie crumb crust, but it’s divine — and there’s tons of it!
Not only is the crust pressed thickly all around the bowl, it’s on the bottom too, providing lots of texture and flavor to accompany the soft chocolate mousse. We also like the inclusion of chocolate chips, since they provided a slightly chewier texture. Overall, this is a solid choice for a chocolate fan or a picky-ish eater.
But if you want to win the dessert day — and you do — go with the Mini Mango Pie. This one lands in a category for only the most stupidly good desserts. Because it’s really stupid good. And the star — like the Mini Chocolate Silk Cake — is the crust!
That thick graham cracker crust could not be better. It’s got just the right amount of saltiness from the butter that’s holding the crumbs together and sweetness from the incorporated sugar. It’s just dynamite! Crust heaven!
And there’s so much of it! And we’re so happy there’s so much of it!
But of course, pie is not made of crust alone (although we’d eat that… just sayin’). And here the sweet/tart mango filling is light and tropical — perfect for a hot Animal Kingdom day.
It’s the consistency of mousse without being too airy, which is a wonderful contrast to the crust. And it just tasted amazing. Wonderfully mango-licious.
(Those who have had the awesome mango pie in the restaurant at Yak & Yeti know it’s good. But THIS. IS. BETTER.)
At $4.99 or a Disney Dining Plan snack credit, we say… gogetthisnowandbuyoneforustooplease. And in case you were wondering, the Mini Chocolate Silk Cake and the Mini Mango Pie have replaced the Pineapple Coconut Cake and the Triple Chocolate Mousse cake that used to be here, and we say: good riddance! You were fine, but we’ve moved on to better desserts.
What is your dessert fave at Animal Kingdom? Let us know in the comments!