Fun with food and wine
That’s what I learned when my husband and I visited the 15th anniversary of the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival this weekend, because small bites can add up to a full belly quicker than you think!
The annual event, which runs through Nov. 14, celebrates the international cuisine and beverages — both spirits and non-alcoholic drinks — in a setting that transports visitors to far away lands. Festival booths selling samples of food and drinks from 28 destinations dot the landscape of the World Showcase, an area surrounding the lagoon that features pavilions from 10 nations around the world plus the American Adventure.
Since this was our first visit to the festival, hubby and I made the Festival Welcome Center our first stop, to get ourselves acclimated with the layout and load up our mini gift cards that were attached to wristbands. The Welcome Center — located in the former Wonders of Life pavilion — also was the site for wine seminars, chef demonstrations and the spot for festival souvenirs. After a lap around the floor and an extended look at the wines for sale, we decided to skip out on the demonstrations and hit the World Showcase.
My task was simple: I had to taste the South Korean lettuce wraps, which featured roasted pork topped with kimchi, a spicy Korean slaw. I heard all about the dish a couple of months ago from Epcot Food & Beverage Executive Chef Jens Dahlmann, who said he was incredibly excited to bring the Asian barbecue style to the festival audience.
New England lobster roll at the Hops and Barley booth.
It took us a few hours to find our way to the booth because we were distracted by stops like the Gran Fiesta Tour starring The Three Caballeros at the Mexico pavilion and being outfitted with his-and-her kimonos in the Japan pavilion. By the time we got there, it was well past lunchtime but the kiosk still had drawn quite a queue.
I waited patiently in line as hubby found some shade to wait for me. I ordered one lettuce wrap plus a honey ginger iced tea, something my parched throat desperately needed. The cashier swiped my little wristband card easily and I moved up through the line, which wasn’t quite as daunting as it seemed. But when I walked up to the counter, I saw big chunks of onions on the plates — not something I usually go for — so I asked for one without onions, not realizing that meant sans kimchi.
Big mistake! The pungent kimchi’s fermented brine flavors were desperately needed to counter the somewhat greasy blandness of the pork. Though there was a dollop of some thick, creamy sauce squeezed on top, the dish was really missing some boldness. I managed to polish it off, but not after feeling some disappointment. The tea, though, was quite the opposite — refreshing, gingery and sweet.
But I must say, that small misstep of mine was the only disappointment of the day. Well, besides me not bringing along a pair of flip-flops to change into after my wedges started hurting!
The rest of the food we sampled throughout the day was stellar. The garlicky shrimp cakes with cold noodles from Singapore, fresh California sushi rolls from Japan, delicious beef tenderloin with sweet potato puree from South Africa and the fish and chips from the United Kingdom — not part of the festival, but we rarely pass it up while at the park — left us quite happily satisfied, even though most were just small bites.
The “Eat to the Beat” concert by Taylor Dane made for a nice throwback ending to the day — my feet were too sore to wait for the Illuminations show — and I think it sealed the fact that this is one festival we won’t miss in the years to come. For more on the festival lineup and entertainment, click here
In fact, I might try to talk hubby into going back for some of the dishes I missed. There was that New England lobster roll at the Hops and Barley booth , or the seared sea scallops from New Zealand and I didn’t really have any room for dessert, so I’d have to make sure to get that. As a matter of fact, I didn’t get any wine or bubbly because I was saving my money for the food, so I’d have to go back for the green tea plum wine cooler from China and the Tangerine Mimosa Royale from Morocco.
Wow, I’m full again already!
About Disqus
This festival is a must on my calendar. My wife and 2 kids have regularly attended this event for about 6 years in a row now. I must admit that we, Orlandoans, are spoiled to have Disney in our backyard. People travel all over the world to visit, yet we are 15 miles away and can easily go there any time of the year – pretty good if you ask me!
As a young parent and a 4-year-in-a-row annual pass holder, my family and I are very fortunate to enjoy this event multiple times a year. We have not visited it this year yet, but we’re definitely planning to visit in the next few weeks. I’ve heard that they are featuring new stands and I’m looking forward to trying the new cuisine. My favorite selection for 3 years in a row now has to be New England’s Lobster Roll, yum! The selection of beer and wine are good too. However, come prepare with a sizeable wallet, as this can get expensive, especially if you’re buying for multiple mouths…