World Showcase | the disney food blog

Holiday Eats! Epcot Celebrates Holidays Around The World

Epcot’s Holidays Around the World offers guests the opportunity to experience holiday traditions from around the globe through music, stories, and (our favorite) cuisine!

So, grab your passport… (yup — they have passports this year!)

Holidays Around the World Passport

…because we’re about to take a trip around the world! Epcot’s World Showcase, that is!

First things first: be sure to pick up a Guide Map at Epcot’s entrance for this experience.

Guide Map Display

Even if you know your way around Epcot, this map — unique to the festivities – shows you which treats are available and where you can find them (it provides times for special holiday performances as well).

Mexico

Let’s take it one country at a time, starting in Mexico, where La Cantina de San Angel is serving Sweet Tamales!

Sweet Tamale

While the corn-based dough in this dish isn’t at all sugary (with just the slightest hint of cinammon spice), the strawberry glaze on top delivers a nice bit of sweetness. The filling is tangy, with a guava puree (and I believe a hint of pineapple, as well).

Center of Sweet Tamale

Holiday Waffles and Drinks at Promenade Refreshments

Now, before we hit the rest of the countries in World Showcase, Promenade Refreshments is offering a few treats exclusive to the holidays, too!

Promenade Refreshments

Promenade Refreshments Holiday Menu

We’ll be back soon with a full review of both waffles and some of that peanut butter hot cocoa, but here’s a pic of the Savory Waffle to whet your whistle!

Savory Holiday Waffle at Promenade Refreshments

Portable holiday dinner!

Rice Cream in Norway

Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe

in Norway has featured a favorite treat for the holidays… [Read more…]

Disney Food Pics of the Week: Epcot’s France Pavilion!

By AJ 7 Comments

Bonjour, Mes Amis! We’ve got a new review of Chefs de France in Epcot’s France Pavilion coming up for you soon; and to whet your appetite we’re taking a look at some of our favorite finds in the pavilion through the lenses of our savvy readers who post on our Flickr page, the Disney Food Photo Extravaganza!

Grand Marnier Slush

Can you walk through Epcot’s France Pavilion without sampling one (or both!) of those delicious grown up slushes? We can’t either! Is your favorite the Grand Marnier Orange, captured below by DFB reader Mandy Jansen? Or do you prefer the Grey Goose Lemon variety? Both are winners in my book!

Photographer: Mandy Jansen

Grand Marnier Slush

Profiteroles

I absolutely love a good profiterole, don’t you? And this picture perfectly captures this rich, wonderful dessert that’s served at Les Chefs de France. Vive la France — and that chocolate sauce! Yum!

Photographer: Jenelope 1st

Profiteroles from Les Chefs de France

Chocolate Crepe

When you’re strolling the streets of Paris, you simply must stop at one of the city’s many stands and get yourself a fresh, made-to-order crepe. Fortunately, Disney has their very own crepe stand, serving up [Read more…]

Fun Find: Food Erasers in Epcot’s Japan Pavilion

By AJ 11 Comments

There is always some other-things-dressed-up-as-food fun going on at Mitsukoshi Department Store!

This expansive retail space, which takes up much of the Japan Pavilion in Epcot’s World Showcase, is a great place for exploration. We love to pop into the store for fun souvenirs like this monorail plate (okay, it might be a bullet train, but we’re going to keep pretending).

Mitsukoshi Department Store

It’s a great place for snacks like Pocky as well. You can also browse other fun finds to satisfy cravings, like Japanese candy, or, you know, dried crabs.

And don’t forget to pick up a beverage — Ramune or sake, depending on your taste!

There is also an incredible array of “cute” in the store — and that carries straight through to the back part of the store where you’ll find all the food stuff. In addition to snacks, tea sets, and tableware, there’s some adorable food-shaped merch, like erasers.

Food Erasers!

Yep! We were exploring with Erin when we found these awesome souvenirs. The erasers were SO detailed, and many of them were packaged in themed sets. I’ve pretty much never had occasion to use an eraser in the past few years, but still… how can you just pass these by?

We found beverage cartons that look like little servings of milk and juice! (Is that corn juice on the left?)

Beverage Carton Erasers

The bakery items are [Read more…]

Review: Ice Cream Crêpes in Epcot’s France Pavilion

By AJ 10 Comments

We recently shared some of our favorite Disney food kiosks, and this was definitely one of the contenders! There is so much culinary awesomeness these days in Epcot’s France Pavilion.

There are, of course, the table service restaurants — the bistro-esque Chefs de France and the more upscale Monsieur Paul. And no trip through this part of World Showcase is complete without at least one stop by Les Halles, the new boulangerie patisserie in the back of the pavilion.

And now that the long-awaited L’Artisan des Glaces is open in the former bakery space, the offerings are pretty robust. You can find something for every meal of the day here!

But, if you can believe it, there are even more fun food finds awaiting you along the main thoroughfare within the dark green kiosks of France.

Here, you can get grown up slushies, Champagne, and one of my favorite French street foods, Crêpes!

Disney World Crêpes

The très thin, tender, pancake-like creations are available here in some traditional flavors. But there are also some fun and super indulgent twists, like crêpes and ice cream.

That’s the treat we were after today…

The Creperie -- Crepe Stand in Epcot's France Pavilion

If you need a beverage, you’ll also find some espresso drinks here as well as, well, beer. Because everyone knows what a perfect pairing crêpes and beer are. 🙂

Menu -- Click to Enlarge

One of the best part of this little kiosk is that you get a show while you wait! Inside the stand, you can see the crêpe griddle, where the thin batter is ladled and worked to form the basis for your treat. A container of Strawberry Preserves stands at the ready for saucing.

Crêpe Griddle with Batter and Strawberry Preserves

A while back, we made a stop here and just happened to capture the complete crêpe-making process from start to finish.

With very little arranging, I ended up with this cute crêpe flip book of photos! Behold, the making of both [Read more…]

Review: Teppan Edo in Epcot’s Japan Pavilion

By AJ 32 Comments

It’s time to go back to a restaurant we haven’t been to in AGES, my friends!!

Learn About:Teppan Edo Restaurant

Epcot Restaurants
Disney World Restaurants

Teppan Edo, in Epcot’s World Showcase, is often considered a guest favorite. The upscale Japanese show + cuisine is a must-do for many Disney fans.

So why hadn’t we been back in years? Well, due to the pretty consistent menu and often similar Hibachi grill dining experience, it simply made more sense for us to spend our time and money reviewing other restaurants for you. But seeing as how we hadn’t reviewed this place in for-ev-er, it was time to take a look and see if it still held up to the hype.

Hoping that it would still be a fun and delicious experience, we arrived at the check-in booth in front of Mitsukoshi Department Store.

Guest Check In for Teppan Edo and Tokyo Dining

Soon, we were headed up the wide staircase for what we hoped would be another fantastic experience and meal.

Atmosphere

Teppan Edo is a teppanyaki-style restaurant. More commonly called a “Japanese steakhouse,” the experience combines cooking and service into one fun performance, I was looking forward to a hearty meal of traditional Japanese favorites.

Once you’re upstairs in the restaurant, you enter the waiting area that’s shared by Teppan Edo and its neighbor — Tokyo Dining.

Teppan Edo Sign

After you receive your pager (which you’ll get from the cast members at the top of the stairs once you’re inside the restaurant), it’s time to sit a spell until they’re ready for you in the restaurant.

The decor here is sleek and unfussy. It immediately puts me at ease; there’s just something so peaceful about the uncluttered space, and I love these lights! The indirect lighting behind the benches is warm without being too bright or glaring.

Here, you also catch a glimpse into the other Japanese table service restaurant, Tokyo Dining. For more about their options, check out our recent Tokyo Dining review.

Waiting Area for Teppan Edo and Tokyo Dining

Your pager will go off eventually (it didn’t take long for ours), but because Teppan Edo seats guests at communal tables, you’ll have to wait until all of the guests sharing your table (even if you don’t know them) have presented at the podium. More on the communal eating later!

The eating area at Teppan Edo is comprised of many small dining rooms, joined together by this long hallway. I can’t get enough of this austere set up! It’s so unlike any other restaurant that you visit here.

Hallway Leading to the Dining Rooms

A peek inside one of the rooms [Read more…]

Spotted: New Food Items Available in Epcot’s Canada and UK Pavilions

By AJ 13 Comments

One of my favorite activities in Walt Disney World is to wander around the World Showcase and check out what’s new.

While I always love old favorites, like Pocky and my beloved Fruit Gums, it’s definitely fun to stumble across a brand new display and get all excited about what I find. New or new-to-me — it’s all good!

Dueling Earths in the World Showcase

On a recent trip that just happened to coincide with the holidays, I found several fun new snack items that I wanted to show you. I’m thinking Picnic Around the World! Who’s with me?

Canada Pavilion

O, Canada! You can always surprise me.

We will keep dreaming of the day that you come into your own, but in the meantime, I’m going to grab some Covered Bridge Potato Chips and snack away. I’ll have one Ketchup-Flavored and one Sweet Potato, please! Oh, and a Montreal Steak Seasoning, too! (Ok. I’ll share a few.)

Chips from Epcot's Canada Pavilion

These are definitely going on our World Showcase picnic!

It is interesting to note that all of the snacks I found in the Canada Pavilion shops, such as chips and maple sugar candies, are pretty pricey. They’re especially expensive compared to the treats in other lands. Hmmm…

UK Pavilion

Being an obsessive tea drinker, I’m all about The Tea Caddy in the UK Pavilion. But another great thing about this shop: you can find lots of different candies and snacks here as well.

On the wall across from the register, we found another entry into the potato chip category: Yorkshire Crisps. These would def satisfy my crunchy-salty craving right now.

Yorkshire Crisps

And just in case you’re caught [Read more…]

Spotted! “Monorail” Kids’ Plates in Epcot’s Japan

By AJ 11 Comments

Editor’s Note: While Epcot’s Japan pavilion is no longer selling the “monorail” plate, you’ll find them online with a search of “Shinkansen plate”. 😉

I absolutely cannot resist a stroll through Mitsukoshi Department Store in the Japan Pavilion whenever I am in Epcot. I mean, I have to have my Pocky fix, don’t I?! And on my last stroll through the store, something caught my eye that I was SUPER excited to see!

A little background: One reader question that we get over and over again is: Where can we find those cute kids’ plates that they use at Teppan Edo?

Kids' Plates at Teppan Edo -- Spotted!

It seems that guests think the plates look just like the front of the monorail. (Looking more closely, they may be airplanes, but there are no wings, so I’m all for the monorail theory.)

So I was so excited to share these with those of you who have been wondering!

To be honest, the price is [Read more…]

NEW! Peach Cobbler at Epcot’s Liberty Inn

By AJ 7 Comments

There is so much going on with in Epcot right now with incredible food! With the Flower and Garden Festival off to a strong start (don’t forget to read our full review of all of the food here!), I think it’s going to be a great Spring at Disney World!

Learn About:Liberty Inn

Epcot Restaurants
Disney World Restaurants

And now we get to tell you about a brand new dessert offering at Liberty Inn in the America Pavilion — Peach Cobbler! But this isn’t just a random new dessert. This cobbler has a story.

It’s a recipe inspired by Mrs. Fisher’s Cookbook, the first African-American Cookbook, published in 1881. The book is part of the Kinsey Collection, an exhibit celebrating African-American art and history, which recently opened in the America Pavilion in World Showcase.

Sign for Peach Cobbler at the Ordering Area

Love the idea and want to see more recipes? You can actually pick up a copy of the book yourself! But now, onto the Cobbler!

Peach Cobbler

The cobbler is baked into the standard Disney counter service disposable black bowl. A word about cobblers: the term encompasses lots of different styles. Some prefer a crumb topping, while others favor a biscuit. Still others make cobblers that resemble pies with pastry shells top and bottom.

While the book speaks to a pie-like creation, this cobbler falls firmly into the crumble category.

Peach Cobbler

Close up, you can see the crumb topping of butter, flour, sugar, oatmeal, and spices, that bakes together to form a [Read more…]

Guest Review: Lunch at Via Napoli in Epcot’s Italy Pavilion

By AJ 25 Comments

Today, we’re traveling to Epcot’s Italy Pavilion for lunch at Via Napoli in this guest review by Julie B.!

Learn About:Via Napoli

Epcot Restaurants
Disney World Restaurants

Buongiorni a tutti! I want to tell you about one of my favorite places for lunch in all of Disney World: Via Napoli, located in the Italy pavilion of World Showcase.

Via Napoli is a relatively recent addition to the dining options of Epcot (and part of a major restaurant overhaul in Italy’s pavilion over the past few years).

This pizzeria doesn’t disappoint when enlightening diners with the true wonders of Neapolitan pizza.

Via Napoli!

Atmosphere

The first thing you should know about Via Napoli is that it’s huge, and I mean HUGE! When you walk into the main dining room you’ll notice that it’s very wide but also features sky-high ceilings. This does create a lot of echoing, so Via Napoli is not the best place to come for an intimate meal (but it’s great if you’ve got kids who need to blow off some steam).

The large dining room.

A benefit of those high ceilings is that they have large windows and allow the room to be bathed in natural light. It’s one of the main reasons I love to dine here for lunch instead of dinner.

Another one of my favorite parts of the restaurant’s large size is the center table that stretches across the whole room. If you’re seated at this table, you’ll be [Read more…]

News! Epcot Flower and Garden Festival Menu Items Announced

By AJ 25 Comments

UPDATE:

Check out this updated post featuring MORE menu items and PHOTOS of the food that will be available at the 2013 Epcot Flower and Garden Festival!!
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Awesome news! We reported late last year that the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival would be expanding their specialty food offerings this year. And according to the Orlando Sentinel, there have been a few menu items announced for the highly anticipated Garden Marketplace booths at the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival this year (March 6-May 19)!

For the first time, the Flower and Garden Festival will offer multiple food booths featuring regional goodies from the United States and some of the World Showcase countries.

Menu Items Will Include:

Shrimp and Stone Ground Grits with Andouille Sausage, fresh Zellwood Corn, Tomatoes and Cilantro
Angel Food Cake with macerated Florida Berries
Watermelon Salad with Pickled Red Onions
Baby Arugula, Feta Cheese and Balsamic Reduction
Sweet “Frushi” made with Fresh Fruits and Coconut Rice
Nonalcoholic drinks will include chilled rose blush lemonade and strawberry slush

AND….

Dole Whip with Spiced Rum!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, please!!

Marketplaces Will Include:

To showcase these goodies, 12 specialty themed marketplaces will be set up around Epcot. These will include:

Smokehouse Barbecue and Brew at [Read more…]

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