- Mar 13, 2024
- 8,644
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Disney recently dropped a litany of details about the upcoming Monstropolis at Hollywood Studios, including the confirmation that the land will contain a full-scale version of Harryhausen’s!
Our chopsticks
In the original 2001 Pixar film, Harryhausen’s — named after legendary Hollywood special effects pioneer Ray Harryhausen, whose creature designs inspired the Monsters, Inc. design team — is a sushi restaurant in Monstropolis. Its head chef is a six-armed octopus. Why six instead of eight? Because the character is a reference to the 1955 film It Came from Beneath the Sea, which features a similar six-armed creature created by — guess who? — Ray Harryhausen. Disney fans have long hoped that the company would recreate the restaurant at one of its theme parks.
So, how will Disney translate Harryhausen’s into the real world? Well, we already have a partial answer.
Mike & Sulley’s
Earlier this year, Disney debuted a new restaurant on the Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Adventure, Mike & Sulley’s Flavors of Asia. If the name doesn’t give it away, the restaurant is inspired by Harryhausen’s, both in menu and architecture. The atmosphere really felt like Harryhausen’s had been brought to life as an upscale dining experience.
Mike & Sulley’s Flavors of Asia
There’s even a recreation of the facade of Harryhausen’s, which, according to the Monstropolis concept art, is also going to be recreated in full at Hollywood Studios.
https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/20250611-Magical Guides-_-Atmosphere-_-Grand-Avenue-_-Hollywood-Studios-Photo-Jun-11-2025-12-52-11-5712-x-4284-700x525.jpg
Harryhausen’s (gray building, near top left)
There are Monsters, Inc. details all over the restaurant.
Look at this artwork!
Some are quite obvious, while others are a bit hidden, and you’ll want to look closely to spot them all.
Look at those silhouettes!
As far as the menu goes, Mike & Sulley’s Flavors of Asia offers up four distinct Japanese dining experiences, including From Sushi to Steak and Beyond (similar to hibachi style) and A Taste of Harryhausen’s.
We were so thrilled to step foot into this new spot, and let’s just say, it very much took us by surprise! We tried several items during our dinner, including:
Tarabagani for $30, which is King Crab Tartlet, Muskmelon Pearl, Yuzu Agar, and Caviar. The crust on the outside was light and crispy, and the filling was absolutely incredible! Not only does it look gorgeous, but there’s plenty of the meaty, fresh crab in abundance, the yuzu agar was jelly-like and on the sweeter/floral side, which was interesting, but worked well. The caviar added bites of extra saltiness that we adored, and the pearls added the most amazing crunch to the dish; those edible flowers were stunning.
Tarabagani
Kale for $15, which is Curly Kale, Pea Purée, Pine Nut, Puffed Rice, Yuzu-Chia Seed Vinaigrette. Our waiter described this as only the healthy thing on the menu, but that was okay with us! The kale was perfectly massaged and not bitter at all, and we loved that the pine nuts were mild and nutty and added a great texture. The pea puree was so intriguing with its classic pea/natural, subtle flavor, and made the kale even lighter somehow. The puffed rice was fun, airy, and added even more texture to the dish. We also noticed some pieces of dragonfruit that added some sweetness we loved! Each bite was earthy, light, subtly sweet, and we couldn’t get enough.
Kale
Asparagus for $12, which is made with Beni Sloga Hollandais and Bonio Flakes. Our waiter recommended these, and we didn’t really understand why, but these were VERY surprising. The asparagus was cut into bite-sized pieces and PERFECTLY cooked, making them super soft but not mushy. The hollandaise was thick, but the main flavor was ginger, and the sauce was creamy and so fragrant. The flavor was refreshing and slightly sharp, which made it a very unique way to dress up a traditional side.
The full spread
The PURE BLACK AUSTRALIAN Striploin was our $45 entree. This was so tender, it cut like BUTTER! It was cooked perfectly medium rare with a warm pink center. It had several accompaniments like grilled onions, a tomato, fried garlic, a sesame sauce, and seaweed salt. It was genuinely an amazing cut of meat that didn’t have too much fat and only had one tough spot. It was also the cheapest steak on the menu, which makes us wonder how delicious the others are, if this one is as solid as this!
Pure Black Australian Striploin
For dessert, we grabbed the Basque Ube Cheesecake for $12, which is served with blue butterfly pea flower crème and matcha tuile. This was incredible! The ube base made it super creamy while being sweet and earthy. The top was the blue butterfly cream, which didn’t have a ton of flavor (that was okay by us), but the Cast Member told us that the blue color comes from the butterfly pea flower. We also loved the charred, almost caramel-flavored layer on top, which was notable, and we could have eaten 14 more of these with no problem.
Basque Ube Cheesecake
Between the upscale Japanese menu and the Monsters, Inc. vibes, we really loved our experience at Mike & Sulley’s Flavors of Asia, and certainly hope that the upcoming Harryhausen’s at Hollywood Studios follows in these footsteps. The menu would especially be a welcome addition to the park’s offerings, as there’s nothing else quite like it at Hollywood Studios. That being said, there is one major thing that we want to see added for the upcoming Harryhausen’s: A MASSIVE ANIMATRONIC OCTOPUS CHEF!
©Pixar
Disney has essentially confirmed that more information about Harryhausen’s will be revealed at this summer’s D23 Ultimate Fan Event. Be sure to stay tuned to Magical Guides for all the latest on Disney World’s upcoming projects!
What are you hoping to see at Harryhausen’s? Let us know in the comments below.
Our chopsticks
In the original 2001 Pixar film, Harryhausen’s — named after legendary Hollywood special effects pioneer Ray Harryhausen, whose creature designs inspired the Monsters, Inc. design team — is a sushi restaurant in Monstropolis. Its head chef is a six-armed octopus. Why six instead of eight? Because the character is a reference to the 1955 film It Came from Beneath the Sea, which features a similar six-armed creature created by — guess who? — Ray Harryhausen. Disney fans have long hoped that the company would recreate the restaurant at one of its theme parks.
So, how will Disney translate Harryhausen’s into the real world? Well, we already have a partial answer.
Mike & Sulley’s
Earlier this year, Disney debuted a new restaurant on the Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Adventure, Mike & Sulley’s Flavors of Asia. If the name doesn’t give it away, the restaurant is inspired by Harryhausen’s, both in menu and architecture. The atmosphere really felt like Harryhausen’s had been brought to life as an upscale dining experience.
Mike & Sulley’s Flavors of Asia
There’s even a recreation of the facade of Harryhausen’s, which, according to the Monstropolis concept art, is also going to be recreated in full at Hollywood Studios.
https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/20250611-Magical Guides-_-Atmosphere-_-Grand-Avenue-_-Hollywood-Studios-Photo-Jun-11-2025-12-52-11-5712-x-4284-700x525.jpg
Harryhausen’s (gray building, near top left)
There are Monsters, Inc. details all over the restaurant.
Look at this artwork!
Some are quite obvious, while others are a bit hidden, and you’ll want to look closely to spot them all.
Look at those silhouettes!
As far as the menu goes, Mike & Sulley’s Flavors of Asia offers up four distinct Japanese dining experiences, including From Sushi to Steak and Beyond (similar to hibachi style) and A Taste of Harryhausen’s.
We were so thrilled to step foot into this new spot, and let’s just say, it very much took us by surprise! We tried several items during our dinner, including:
Tarabagani for $30, which is King Crab Tartlet, Muskmelon Pearl, Yuzu Agar, and Caviar. The crust on the outside was light and crispy, and the filling was absolutely incredible! Not only does it look gorgeous, but there’s plenty of the meaty, fresh crab in abundance, the yuzu agar was jelly-like and on the sweeter/floral side, which was interesting, but worked well. The caviar added bites of extra saltiness that we adored, and the pearls added the most amazing crunch to the dish; those edible flowers were stunning.
Tarabagani
Kale for $15, which is Curly Kale, Pea Purée, Pine Nut, Puffed Rice, Yuzu-Chia Seed Vinaigrette. Our waiter described this as only the healthy thing on the menu, but that was okay with us! The kale was perfectly massaged and not bitter at all, and we loved that the pine nuts were mild and nutty and added a great texture. The pea puree was so intriguing with its classic pea/natural, subtle flavor, and made the kale even lighter somehow. The puffed rice was fun, airy, and added even more texture to the dish. We also noticed some pieces of dragonfruit that added some sweetness we loved! Each bite was earthy, light, subtly sweet, and we couldn’t get enough.
Kale
Asparagus for $12, which is made with Beni Sloga Hollandais and Bonio Flakes. Our waiter recommended these, and we didn’t really understand why, but these were VERY surprising. The asparagus was cut into bite-sized pieces and PERFECTLY cooked, making them super soft but not mushy. The hollandaise was thick, but the main flavor was ginger, and the sauce was creamy and so fragrant. The flavor was refreshing and slightly sharp, which made it a very unique way to dress up a traditional side.
The full spread
The PURE BLACK AUSTRALIAN Striploin was our $45 entree. This was so tender, it cut like BUTTER! It was cooked perfectly medium rare with a warm pink center. It had several accompaniments like grilled onions, a tomato, fried garlic, a sesame sauce, and seaweed salt. It was genuinely an amazing cut of meat that didn’t have too much fat and only had one tough spot. It was also the cheapest steak on the menu, which makes us wonder how delicious the others are, if this one is as solid as this!
Pure Black Australian Striploin
For dessert, we grabbed the Basque Ube Cheesecake for $12, which is served with blue butterfly pea flower crème and matcha tuile. This was incredible! The ube base made it super creamy while being sweet and earthy. The top was the blue butterfly cream, which didn’t have a ton of flavor (that was okay by us), but the Cast Member told us that the blue color comes from the butterfly pea flower. We also loved the charred, almost caramel-flavored layer on top, which was notable, and we could have eaten 14 more of these with no problem.
Basque Ube Cheesecake
Between the upscale Japanese menu and the Monsters, Inc. vibes, we really loved our experience at Mike & Sulley’s Flavors of Asia, and certainly hope that the upcoming Harryhausen’s at Hollywood Studios follows in these footsteps. The menu would especially be a welcome addition to the park’s offerings, as there’s nothing else quite like it at Hollywood Studios. That being said, there is one major thing that we want to see added for the upcoming Harryhausen’s: A MASSIVE ANIMATRONIC OCTOPUS CHEF!
©Pixar
Disney has essentially confirmed that more information about Harryhausen’s will be revealed at this summer’s D23 Ultimate Fan Event. Be sure to stay tuned to Magical Guides for all the latest on Disney World’s upcoming projects!
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What are you hoping to see at Harryhausen’s? Let us know in the comments below.
