Islands Of Adventure launch new menu items at Confisco Grille inspired from around the world
This weekend we visited Confisco Grille, in the Port Of Entry to try out some of the the new offerings on the updated menu.
Located at the entrance of the park in the Port Of Entry, this classic restaurant has been serving adventurers for nearly 20 years. The updated offerings were created by new Executive Chef of Universal Island Of Adventure, Jason Glus. Glus’ team also revisited the story behind the venue. Chef Gus said
The story behind Confisco connects to Port of Entry, which is exciting because it gives us a mixture of global cuisines to work with.
Backstory
As with everything in Island Of Adventure, story elements of the park are woven throughout the restaurant. Serving as a rest spot for all explorers coming through the Port Of Entry, those Explorers who have visited in the past have left some mysterious artifacts and treasures from the different Islands.
Easter Eggs exist throughout, some of the easily spotted confiscated goods include:
Many visitors overlook the restaurant as they rush past into the different Islands of the park but within lies non typical theme park food inspired from all over the world. Chef Glus states:
Even looking back to the 17th and 18th centuries and seeing how dishes were cooked then — in wood ovens and cazuela pots, which we use to cook here in the restaurant.
Menu
The new updated menu infuses a mixture of global cuisines from Asia, Turkey, Greece, Poland and more. Guests had been asking for more than just pretzels and fried food found in many places in the park.
The new offerings include Pork Belly Banh-Mi Sandwich, Chilled Tuna Noodle Bowl, Grilled Lamp Meatballs, Sweet and Sour Sticky Ribs and Chicken Curry Chakra along with much more.
We visited the park around 4.30PM on a Saturday afternoon and had no issue just walking up and finding a seat. Reservations are able to be made online but we found the restaurant to be quite empty even on a busy weekend in the rest of the park.
Our server promptly greeted us to take our drink order and asked if we had any dietary requirements. The restaurant offers a wide drink selection with a full service bar also inside the Backwater Bar.
We opted for two ice cold waters along with a Orange Blossom Pilsner and a Goose Island IPA.
The updated menu featured a wide mix of offerings with plenty to choose from. The prices are also very reasonable for a theme park.
Entrees
We decided not to have a starter but the options were tempting. For our main meal we each ordered one of the updated offerings. The Chilled Tuna Noodle Bowl along with the Chicken Curry Chakra.
The Chilled Tuna Noodle Bowl came with a Wasabi-Ponzu dressing and was definitely a lighter option from the Menu. The soba noodles were perfectly cooked and delicious as well as the tuna juicy. The only downside was that on the menu the dish was advertised to include avocado but during our visit we couldn’t find any. After asking we were told the batch they had received had been bad and was just left off the meal. It would of been nice to have been told this and offered an alternative rather than just have to ask. Regardless it was refreshing option and is something different from the standard food in other areas of the park.
Deliciousness
Our second choice the Chicken Curry Chakra was delicious.
This dish with Caribbean Chicken was one of the most delicious theme park meals I have ever had. Mixed with the rice it created the perfect blend of flavors and a hearty meal. We were told the dish was more sweet than spicy and I found no spice at all.
At Just 17 dollars this is an outstanding value even compared to some of the quick service locations within the park.
Dessert
After our meal we were promptly presented with the desert menu.
Only three offerings are on the desert menu. After our meal we were too full to try any of them but the Bananas Foster Bread Pudding would of been my choice.
Final Thoughts
With 10 years of experience at Universal Chef Glus and his team at Confisco Grille succeed in bringing a fresh perspective to Universal’s Dining options. The restaurant is part of the Universal Dining Plan and they are happy to help with any dietary needs. With some brand new dishes and new takes on classics, the Confisco Grille can cater to most guests visiting the park.
While being my first visit to Confrisco Grille, who like many, I had also overlooked it while rushing past, the new menu succeeded in drawing me in. With some delicious food offerings, a full bar and quiet escape from the hustle and bustle of the busy Islands Of Adventure.
This is one place which is sure to become a frequent stop on my future explorations around one of the best theme parks in the world.
Find at more info on Confisco Grille on the Universal Orlando Website.
