REVIEW: Epcot International Food & Wine Festival

Epcot's International Food & Wine Festival is my favorite festival at Epcot! I love how they add more countries around the world and all the delicious food and wine (and beer) you can try! You really can't go wrong at this festival as there is something for everyone here! So far I have gone twice and there are a lot of foods that I love and some that didn't quite hit the spot. Here I will take you to a few of my first stops at this years Epcot's Food & Wine Festival!

Coastal Eats - This is one spot that I will eventually try all of but I can only eat so much in one day. I got the Lump Crab Cake which is served with Napa cabbage slaw and an avocado-lemongrass cream. The crab cake itself was absolutely amazing, however, the cream was a it overpowering as it is slightly tart. If you remove some of the cream, you can definitely start to taste the crab in it, making it a delightful appetizer! The slaw was unnecessary for me as I'm not a big slaw fan. I give this dish a 7/10.

The other item I tried at Coastal Eats was the Pacifico True Striped Bass Tostada. This was a beautiful and well plated piece with its bright colors and hefty piece of fish. Bass is one of my favorite fish and I thought they did a fantastic job bringing out the flavors of it. It is topped with a fire-roasted tomatillo sauce that gave this plate the little kick it needed and just extra pop of color making this my favorite dish to look at so far. The slaw on this was an exception to my "not into slaw" statement because when you eat it all together, it hits all your tastebuds just right! I give this dish a 9/10!

The Chocolate Studio - This is by far my favorite spot in Food & Wine! I like to refer to myself as a chocoholic and this place just calls to me! Yes its just dessert but dessert is my favorite meal of the day! I have gotten the Liquid Nitro Chocolate-Almond Truffle twice. If my memory is correct, they had this dessert last year as well and I loved it then too. This unique dessert is reminiscent of chocolate mousse but it is hit with liquid nitrogen before being served to give it an ice cream feel. It is then set down and hit with a hammer type tool to open it up and then dowsed in a warm whiskey caramel sauce which I asked for extra because caramel is life to me! It is finished off with crushed almond to give it some extra pizazz! This truffle is SO GOOD! One of the best desserts i have ever tried. The chocolate tastes slightly like dark chocolate but isn't overpowering like some dark chocolate is. It is my go to plate at this festival! I give this one a 10/10

Shimmering Sips - Let me start this off by saying I am a huge cheesecake fan! My husband absolutely hates it so I hardly ever have it around and when I do, I really enjoy it. I wish I could say that I loved the Cheesecake Trio at this booth but it lacked flavor for me. I love a good creamy cheesecake and none of these hit the spot for me. The trio comes with raspberry, chocolate and New York style cheesecakes with a raspberry drizzle under across the plate. This dessert was so underwhelming for me and left me so disappointed as I rarely eat cheesecake these days. I wanted to love this plate but as much as I tried, it was so bland. The raspberry sauce was the only thing that might have saved this plate from getting a 0/10 rating from me as it was slightly tart and was the only thing to give flavor. The chocolate cheesecake was the only one with some flavor but still lacked that chocolatey goodness that I love. This dish unfortunately gets a 1/10. 

Mexico - I am from California and we were spoiled with delicious Mexican food there. Now that I am in Florida, I haven't found that spice and flavor that I crave from back home. The Mexico pavilion comes pretty close to those flavors. Each of the items served here were so delicious, they left me wanting more.

First up is the Tostada de Carne. This braised beef was so deliciously juicy and tender, I would have eaten a dozen of them! It is served with mole oaxaqueno and chicharron dust giving it that extra flavor. Mole has never been my favorite as I don't really like a chocolate flavor on my meats but the tiny bit they put on this really brings the plate together! I give this a 9/10!

The second item I tried from here was the Taco de Puerco. This was amazing! My favorite way to eat pork is like this (other than bacon!). I'm not sure on their exact method of cooking but I'm sure it got to sit in a broth of some sort for several hours marinating in its deliciously goodness! This shredded pork belly is served on a corn tortilla with a salsa verde which added a little extra kick to this taco. I loved it! This gives me that taste I crave from back home! I give this a 10/10!

Last, but certainly not least at the Mexico pavilion is the absolutely amazing Capirotada de Chocolate! As I said before, I am a chocoholic and this delectable dessert gives me that chocolate fulfillment I crave! If you have no idea what this is based on looks or the title, it is a chocolate bread pudding! Bread pudding is one of my favorite treats, although, I am not a fan of raisins in it, I like raisins but not in my bread pudding. I think of it as bread pudding with obstacles. This does not have raisins and I was so happy! It is topped with a chocolate abuelita crème anglaise and if you have never tried an abuelita chocolate drink or food, get yourself to the store and buy some! You wont regret it! This bread pudding is a definite stand out with its custard like texture and swirls of chocolate and slight hint of cinnamon. I highly recommend it and give this a 10/10!

Refreshment Outpost - The two food items at this location are new this year and I sure will miss them when they leave! First up is the Nigerian meat pie. The menu doesn't state what this really is or what's in it but it looked good! I love a good meat pie with its flaky pastry crust and usually delicious flavors that have been marinated for hours. This pie did not fall short as it hit all of my favorite points in a meat pie! It had a curry flavored beef, onions and lots of spices. I definitely wanted another one when i was finished but I had a lot more to eat on this journey so I had to say no. I give this a 9/10, it would be a 10/10 if it had more filling in the middle. 

After the meat pie, it was time for dessert, yes another dessert! They are my favorite! This is the No Worries Panna Cotta, if you don't know what it's in reference to you need to go back to the 90's and catch up on your Disney movies! This panna cotta was very unique as I have never had so many flavors in one. This one had a layer of raspberry, papaya and mango and it was a fabulous fruity sensation! Another good trait is that cookie crumble base and the beautiful Lion King white chocolate coin on top! This beautiful treat is reminiscent of a sunset in the distance and brings me to a beach with its tropical flavors! Now, this isn't for everyone as are all of the dishes. I believe papaya has an acquired taste that not a lot of people have. For instance, my husband almost puked when he tried it, poor guy does not have an expanded pallet and would be fine if he had a steak or burger for every meal. I give this one a 8/10.

China - Chinese food has always been one of my favorites! I love the culture, the exotic flavors, the noodles, rice and fruity notes that are added to a lot of dishes that I would have never thought to put together. I only tried two our of the four food items so far and one was good, the other was not my favorite. First one is the Wuxi Spareribs are these left me a little disappointment. When I eat any ribs I would like to be able to actually eat them but these were so chewy that I had a few bites and couldn't stomach it anymore. It is rare that I ever throw food away but unfortunately, I had to throw these away. They lacked the flavors that I crave in Chinese food, the ginger, the soy, the spices, none of it was there. It is a shame because they look so good and are very appealing to the eyes. I give this a 2/10.

The chicken dumpling on the other hand were far better! I am a huge dumpling fan and feel you can never go wrong with them. They can be pan fried, deep fried, boiled and baked, maybe ever roasted over an open fire, anyone try it? I'm sure they would be good regardless! There are so many ways to cook and serve them so there is something for everyone. The China pavilion served theirs over a bed of Chinese slaw which was actually really enjoyable for someone who isn't a slaw fan. I believe these were pan fried and could have used a few extra seconds, maybe ever minutes on the stove as they were a little soggy on the outside but I still liked them. They reminded me a little more of a dim sum with the way they were prepared. The chicken inside was cooked perfectly and even a little moist which I enjoyed. If you've gone to this festival in the past you have probably already tried this and probably love it. I give this a 8/10.

Japan - Here's a fun fact for all of you, I actually have a little Japanese in me. I lived most of my life thinking I was a quarter Japanese but after doing a DNA test found out that the grandma that I thought was full Japanese was actually half Japanese, half Korean. I thought it was really neat finding that out about my family history. I grew up learning about the Japanese culture and truly appreciating the flavors in their food. My grandma used to make the most amazing rice balls and chicken and dumplings, I miss it so much! She actually passed away a few months ago and will be greatly missed. The Japan pavilion brings me some of that culture that I love and miss about my grandma and I hope to visit Japan one day because it is so beautiful. 

I only tried one dish from this spot so far and I really enjoyed it. The Teriyaki Chicken Bun is a steamed bun filled with chicken, vegetables and a deliciously sweet teriyaki sauce. Buns are my husbands favorite and I would love to learn how to make them one day, but for now, I will just have to keep visiting Epcot. I love the flavors of teriyaki are one of my number one favorites as it tastes good on meat, seafood, and veggies making it a very diverse sauce. It accompanies the chicken in this bun perfectly! My only complaint is there needs to be more filling, other than that, I give this a 8/10. 

There you have it, my first review of Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. I will be back and I will write more reviews as I go. Please comment below and let me know what you think of some of these food items. Also, let me know if there's anything you think I should try or would like a review of. I always love some feedback as well.

For more information about the Food & Wine festival, Click Here.