Day 12: A World Of Food / WDW-40, 2016
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We then made our way around to Epcot World Showcase where the majority of the Festival booths are. It wasn’t too busy, which was a good thing, but it was very, very hot. Because we knew we’d be grazing all day, we didn’t bother with breakfast, and we didn’t bother with dinner in the evening either! On our previous visit, we made use of Disney Dining Plan credits, but this year we were paying in cash. We found it easiest to budget for the day by putting money on a Festival Gift Card, which you can wear on your wrist. Of course, you can also just charge to your Magic Band if staying at a Disney Resort, or pay by cash or card.
We didn’t record our views on each dish this year, so I’m going to have to do this from memory! The reviews of the food are probably going to be either a yay or nay, as we sampled quite a lot during our day at the Epcot Food & Wine Festival!
We started at Farm Fresh, as it’s one of the first booths you come to when you hit World Showcase. You place the order and pay at the tills that are located next to the booth itself – and then walk around to pick up your plate(s) of food and cutlery/napkins.
Farm Fresh »
- Loaded Mac ‘n’ Cheese – Served with Nueske’s Pepper Bacon, Cheddar, Peppers, and Green Onions ($4.50)
- Chicken & Dumplings – Stewed Chicken with Mushrooms and Spinach ($4.75)
- Total: $9.25
We had the Loaded Mac ‘n’ Cheese last year, and it was delicious then, and it was delicious again; but then, I am a macaroni cheese fan! I do not remember the chicken and dumplings at all, so no comment I’m afraid! The other item on the menu was a Pickled Beet Salad – I’m not a fan of beetroot, so we didn’t bother to try this one. I should also say, generally we share the dishes between us!
Mexico »
- Barbacoa Enchilada – Corn Tortilla filled with Beef Barbacoa and covered with Oaxaca Mole ($5.50)
- Taco de Camarón – Battered Shrimp served over a Flour Tortilla with Crispy Purple Cabbage and Chipotle Mayonnaise ($5.75)
- Total: $11.25
I don’t think we ate from the Mexico Booth last year, so this was a first time sampling for us, and it didn’t disappoint. We love Mexican food, so this was likely to have been a winner anyway. Barbacoa just means that it has been barbecued, and Mole is a generic word for sauce. Oaxaca (pronounced wa-HAH-ka) is one of the States in Mexico. The more you know! The shrimp (camarón) taco was awesome – definitely the favourite of the two for me. There was a third dish – Flan de Chocolate Abuelita – a Mexican Chocolate Custard, but we passed on this as it was too early for desserts.
We took a pit stop inside the pyramid in the Mexico Pavilion, which is probably my second favourite country in World Showcase (after Japan). For a start, it’s lovely and cool thanks to it being inside and full of air conditioning, but it feels like your transported to another place with the always twilight ambience, the Mexican architecture, and the marketplace – Plaza de Los Amigos which sells an array of colourful jewellery, pottery, and clothing. I am always tempted to buy some souvenirs from here, but they are really expensive!
The Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros, is located towards the back left of the pyramid. It’s a fun little boat ride, that we have done in the past, but not on this occasion – the line was huge! The Three Caballeros is one of my favourite old school Disney films. Just outside the pyramid, you can meet Donald Duck wearing a traditional Mexican sombrero and serape.
Also inside the pyramid is the San Angel Inn Restaurant and La Cava del Tequila. Having never visited either of these, I can’t tell you much, other than the restaurant serves regional Mexican food; and you can try one (or several!) of the 70 tequilas at La Cava del Tequila, which also serves light bites like tortilla chips and salsa.
We bypassed the next pavilion – Norway (sorry Norway!) – and went into China. It was around here that my brother started texting me to see where we were. I kept explaining which direction he should go around to reach us, but they clearly couldn’t follow directions because they went the long way around the lagoon…
China »
- Beijing Roasted Duck – Served in a Steamed Bun with Hoisin Sauce ($6.50)
- Black Pepper Shrimp – Served with Garlic Noodles ($5.50)
- Sichuan Spicy Chicken ($5.75)
- Chinese Pot Stickers ($4)
- Mango Bubble Tea – with Assam Black Tea and Milk ($6.75)
- Total: $28.25
We decided to eat ALL the food from the China Booth, and buy a drink too! Duck is my number one favourite when we order Chinese food, so I can confirm that the Beijing Roasted Duck was delish. I love the texture of the steamed buns too. It looks like there is a stray noodle on the plate too 😖. Speaking of noodles, they came with the shrimp dish, which was absolutely yummy. One of our favourites from this year. I wasn’t a fan of the spicy chicken, so Steve ate most of that, and the pot stickers were okay, nothing too special. The bubble tea was awesome though! Tasted lovely, and the “bubbles” which are made from tapioca, were slimy, yet satisfying! 🦁
It was around this time that Chris and Meg finally found us, and proclaimed how hot it was. To combat the heat I am always armed with a hand fan, and luckily I had brought a spare one with me (in case one broke, it’s happened to me before – cheap fan!) so Meg was able to borrow that. Chris wanted to “eat food and drink wine” and strode off to the next booth along which was South Korea.
South Korea »
- Korean-Style BBQ Beef – Served with Steamed Rice and Cucumber Kimchi ($5.25)
- Roasted Pork Lettuce Wrap – Served with Kimchi ($4)
- Total: $9.25
I don’t think we’ve ever tried Korean food before, so it was exciting to try something completely new. Kimchi is a staple Korean food, and is made from salted and fermented vegetables, which sounds a bit rank, but actually they tasted good, and went well with the meat. The other dish was Vegan Korean BBQ, which was the same as the beef, but using vegan ingredients.
