{"id":65391,"date":"2018-09-25T08:00:13","date_gmt":"2018-09-25T12:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/?p=65391"},"modified":"2022-04-08T23:14:20","modified_gmt":"2022-04-09T03:14:20","slug":"epcot-international-food-and-wine-festival-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/epcot-international-food-and-wine-festival-part-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Epcot International Food and Wine Festival: A Culinary World Tour – Part 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

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I hope you all got a good few nights sleep, and had a light breakfast this morning.\u00a0 Welcome to day two of the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival. If you followed my opening day plan, you will be waiting at the rope in Norway at 10:45 a.m. East half of the lagoon is ahead of us today, plus the rest of the World Showcase<\/a> Promenade. No more intro necessary, let\u2019s eat!!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

GERMANY<\/strong><\/p>\n

Schinkennudeln\u2026Pasta gratin with ham and onions. This dish has so much potential, but not this time. Woefully under seasoned. PLEASE make this better, Germany!<\/p>\n

SPAIN<\/strong><\/p>\n

Charcuterie in a Cone\u2026Super cute and shareable. Nice hard cheeses, spicy sausage and briny olives. Worth it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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Charcuterie Cone<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Spanish Paella\u2026Just terrible. Long grain rice(wrong kind) and no flavor. Dry sausage and chicken. Please don\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Seafood Salad\u2026Very fresh seafood in a light marinade. Mussels, shrimp and scallops. Adorable and delicious.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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Seafood Salad<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

AFRICA<\/strong><\/p>\n

Barbere Beef Tenderloin\u2026So much potential, but no flavor. Lots of it, but not very good. Pass.<\/p>\n

Spicy Ethiopian Red Lentil Stew\u2026My best in show last year at the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival. Same great flavor, but my lentils were mush this time. I\u2019ll give it another try, you should too.<\/p>\n

INDIA<\/strong><\/p>\n

Warm Indian Bread\u2026Think mini bread service from Sanaa! Fluffy bread. Mango salsa was good, pickled garlic was great! Nice and Shareable.<\/p>\n

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Warm Indian Bread<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Korma Chicken\u2026Juicy thigh meat. Spicy cumin scented sauce. Tomato garnish finished nicely, and more of that bread!! Good dish.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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Korma Chicken<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

CHINA<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chicken Dumplings\u2026Same ol\u2019, same ol\u2019. But that\u2019s a good thing! Yummy.<\/p>\n

Duck Bao\u2026Steamy moist bao. Rich duck coated in hoisin. Small but good. Do it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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Duck Bao<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Black Pepper Shrimp\u2026Very crispy and tender shrimp. The noodles again sell it, chewy in a good way. Seriously spicy. Yes!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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Black Pepper Shrimp<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

MEXICO<\/strong><\/p>\n

Short Rib Tostada\u2026The beef is braised to perfection. Black beans are creamy and cumin scented. Fresh spring onions and a brilliant salsa verde garnish nicely. That tortilla though\u2026I can\u2019t even describe how crunchy it was. This simple dish is probably my best in show.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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Short Rib Tostada<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Shrimp Quesadilla\u2026Then there is this. Probably my worst in show. Painfully bland and completely lacking in texture. Just awful. The guajillo sauce was earthy and spicy. I would eat it on anything, but it could not rescue this dish. Please don\u2019t.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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Shrimp Quesadilla<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Coconut Rice Pudding\u2026Simple but satisfying. Tart mango coulis cuts nicely. Notes of cinnamon. Big winner.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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Coconut Rice Pudding<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

THAILAND<\/strong><\/p>\n

Seared Shrimp and Scallop Cake\u2026Well seasoned and moist cake. I like it. The chilled noodles could be served by themselves as their own dish. Worth trying.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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Shrimp and Scallop Cake<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

HAWAII<\/strong><\/p>\n

Grilled Tuna Tataki\u2026Super fresh Ahi with a light sear. Pickled veg added a much needed sharp bite and the wasabi tied it up in a neat little bow. Give me more. Small but delicious.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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Tuna Tataki<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Terriyaki-glazed Spam Hash\u2026If you like Spam, you will love this one. Seared with potatoes, peppers and onions in a sweet soy-based glaze. Comfort food 101. Love this returner.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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Spam Hash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Passion Fruit Cheesecake\u2026Creamy smooth texture to this cake, but not a lot of flavor. Toasty macadamias are a nice topper. Just ok.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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Passion Fruit Cheesecake<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

AUSTRALIA<\/strong><\/p>\n

Grilled Lamb Chop\u2026Always solid. Tender and fatty, grilled to a medium-rare. Decent mint pesto. Odd crumble of potato chips on top. Worth it if you are a lamb fan.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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Grilled Lamb Chop<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lamington\u2026This is a classic. Chocolate dipped yellow cake coated in toasted coconut. All. Day. Long.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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Lamington<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

NEW ZEALAND<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lamb Meatball\u2026Grainy textured meatball. Tomato chutney was sweeter than I care for. Pastry shell was sogged. Pass.<\/p>\n

Venison Sausage\u2026Well made sausage in a very good marsala mushroom sauce. Squash puree was flavorless. Not bad overall.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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Venison Sausage<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

WINE AND DINE STUDIO<\/strong><\/p>\n

Seared Scallops\u2026Nice sized Scallops. Very exotic mix of mushrooms. Tons of truffle in the celeriac puree. Restaurant quality. Excellent.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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Seared Scallops<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

CHEESE STUDIO<\/strong><\/p>\n

Braised Beef Stroganoff\u2026Stop the presses! More braised beef! But this one, this one. The noodles are like spaetzle and a little toothy, SO good. Mushroom sauce is enriched with an herby cream cheese, and that house pickle friggin sings! Oh ya, the beef rocks too. Top few.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Epcot
Beef Stroganoff<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Wow. That was a LOT of food. I was able to hit almost every Epcot International Food and Wine Festival kitchen at least once, and try everything on my list. Just to sum things up, here are my top 5 and bottom 5:<\/p>\n

BEST BETS:<\/h3>\n

Short Rib Tostada, Mexico<\/p>\n

Black Pepper Shrimp, Japan<\/p>\n

Seared Scallops, Wine and Dine<\/p>\n

Beef Stroganoff, Cheese Studio<\/p>\n

Impossible Burger, Earth Eats<\/p>\n

NOT SO GOOD:<\/h3>\n

Paella, Spain<\/p>\n

Shrimp Quesadilla, Mexico<\/p>\n

Beer-braised Beef, Belgium<\/p>\n

Lobster Roll, Hops and Barley<\/p>\n

Beef Tenderloin Tips, Africa<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Overall, the quality of food that is produced in these tiny kitchens is more than commendable. However, I thought there was a complete lack of creativity shown by the powers that be during the off-season. Very few new dishes, and no new kitchens during this year Epcot International Food and Wine Festival. Still tons of fun, but I am expecting better next year.<\/p>\n

As I\u2019ve said before, I don\u2019t think you necessarily have to do the\u00a0Epcot International Food and Wine Festival in two days. In fact, I don\u2019t even really recommend it. It’s a lot of “work.” I had a few runners with me, so it made my life easier (thanks honey!) Try to pick a handful of kitchens from my list and have them for your early lunch. Then maybe sneak in a few more later in the day as a snack. That late afternoon time slot might be a good time to visit a couple of the promenade kitchens. I hope my \u201cfavorite\u201d and your \u201cmust try\u201d lists overlap a just little so you can streamline your day.<\/p>\n

Remember to pace yourself and stay hydrated (Yes, this means water. ugh) So, fill your pockets with fresh napkins, stick a fork behind your ear, and snack on!! Next up for me is Festival of the Holidays<\/a> and Mickey\u2019s Very Merry Christmas Party<\/a> in early December. Only about a 100 shopping days left, so make sure to re-up your Prime subscription! I\u2019m an extra-large, in case you were wondering, for presents!<\/p>\n

Which of these kitchens are your favorite during the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival?<\/em> Share in a comment below or <\/em>on\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0Twitter<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Did you like this article? Make sure to share it with your friends! Check below for easy ways to share!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Want to visit Walt Disney World? Contact\u00a0The Magic for Less Travel<\/a>\u00a0for more information and a free, no-obligation quote.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Incoming search terms:<\/h4>
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