Mo Goes | The Blog

The 2024 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival is in full swing and I’ve already claimed my top food offerings. Considering these top picks are the only ones I’ve tried, this speaks to how good they are.

As a foodie, Food & Wine is my favorite Epcot festival and every year something new and exciting is added to the line up. Considering this was only my second one I didnt have much of a reference point to compare to but that’s okay. With each visit my point of reference grows.

Having a wide palate is a big advantage at food festivals. This year I challenged myself to try at least one thing I’ve never tried before. With that in mind my first passport pick lead me to the Japan Pavillion.

First, I ordered the Eel Temaki Sushi. It was unusual to see the sushi served open instead of in a neat, traditional roll – more on that shortly. I initially tried to eat it with a fork which didn’t work well. Instead I rolled it up as best I could and ate it that way which worked just fine.

I had never tried eel before so I was nervous not knowing what to expect. It had a moist, flaky fish texture which reminded me of canned herring.

The eel wasn’t fishy and paired well with the crunchy chopped cucumbers and radish. The seaweed and eel sauce brought all the flavors together and I really enjoyed it.

After some research later that day I learned that Temaki (or hand roll) is a cone-shaped, individual serving of sushi that can be made with a variety of fillings. So I actually did the right thing by rolling it, I just didn’t know to make a cone shape with it.

This is what makes trying new foods from different cultures so great because you learn something new and interesting.

Next I tried the Teriaki Chicken Bun. I was excited to try it because I already love Bao buns and this variety didn’t disappoint!

The bun was soft and fresh and the filling was perfectly seasoned with a slight sweetness that I wasn’t expecting. It wasn’t spicy and for the portion size it’s the perfect in-between meals snack.

For theme park food, both offerings were better than expected. For the money and portion size there should have been two sushi rolls per serving. Despite that, both are definitely worth a try if you like Japanese food.

After finishing up in Japan I made my way across World Showcase to the India booth. I ordered both offerings available, starting with the Potato and Pea Samosa.

The samosas were a great portion size. The meatless filling was tasty with a nice spicy kick. These samosas were larger and more filling than the snack-sized ones I’m used to at my favorite local Indian restaurants.

Just when I thought I couldn’t be more impressed, I tried the Chicken Tikka Massala and was blown away. The presentation itself deserved a mention, including the nice paper plate it was served in – no doubt premium quality.

It is what it is when it comes to most theme park food but this entree was on another level. I would go so far as to say it could rival that of some Indian restaurants.

Up next was Spain, where I ordered the Paella Negra. It smelled just as good as it looked and tasted better than expected.

As a seafood lover I enjoyed the scallops and octopus mixed into the rice. The rice was well seasoned and dark from squid ink. The shrimp were a good size and cooked to perfection. The garlic aioli sauce was delicious and the portion size was surprisingly filling.

At the China Pavilion I ordered the Shanghai Scallion Noodles and the Pan-fried Chicken Dumplings. Both entrees were served hot and fresh. They looked delicious, smelled amazing and tasted even better.

The dumplings had a sprinkle of chopped scallions and sesame seeds and were drizzled with a delicious sweet & sour sauce. My only complaint about the dumplings was the portion size. For the price there should have been three or four. Two was a joke.

The Shanghai Scallion Noodles were delicious but a tiny bit oily. They were fragrant and flavorful and the best part was the deceptive portion size.

I wasn’t expecting to feel full from the noodles, especially after just finishing the small portion of dumplings. It seemed like the noodles just kept going and going the more I ate them. The bowl was deep and held more than expected so it was well worth the price – highly recommended.

Overall I’m impressed with everything I’ve tried so far at Food & Wine this year and I hope each item makes it back to the menu next year. The event runs until November 23rd so there’s plenty of time to enjoy these offerings along with everything else the festival has to offer.

I still have specific food, drink and dessert offerings checked off in my passport to try so stay tuned for another blog review coming soon. If you’ve been to this year’s Food & Wine or any other in the past, let me know what your favorites were in the comments!