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The 2017 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival - PART TWO


Hi again, Disney Foodies!

     I'm back with more reviews of the tasty treats and bites from this year's Epcot International Food and Wine Festival! Since I have now been back to the Festival multiple times since starting this review, I am going to skip right to the good stuff and share the reviews of the cumulative additional food items that we have tried. If you missed PART ONE of this review, you'll want to go back and check out those reviews too, so click HERE. But for now, rev up those taste buds, because here we goooooooo......


Morocco



     We did not get to try anything from Morocco yet, so I'll have to come back here some other time.

Belgium



  • What did we try?   Beer-braised Beef
  • How would I describe it?   Similar to a beef stew, over mashed potatoes 
  • How was the portion/value?   $5.00 seemed a little high, but it's a good portion, and since it is also very filling, you'll probably want to share this one. 
  • What letter grade would we give it?   B-   This had really nice flavor. I'm not a beer drinker, so I was not sure I would like this, but the beer flavor is pretty subtle. The mashed potatoes were delicious and complimented the meat, veggies and sauce nicely.
  • Will we get it again, when we return to the festival?   Probably not. It was good, and I recommend trying it, but I don't need to have it again. 
AND

  • What did we try?   Belgian Waffle with Chocolate
  • How would I describe it?   A little, warm waffle, with whipped cream and chocolate sauce.
  • How was the portion/value?   At $4, I want a bigger waffle than this. 
  • What letter grade would we give it?   B   It tasted fine and the waffle was served warm and crispy, but the chocolate tasted like Hershey's Syrup and the whipped cream was canned, so nothing about this was extraordinary. 
  • Will we get it again, when we return to the festival?   No. No need. 


Brazil




  • What did we try?   Crispy Pork Belly
  • How would I describe it?   Kinda like bacon, but a slab of it. I guess. That's the best I can do. 
  • How was the portion/value?   I am told $5.75 isn't too bad for the portion size.
  • What letter grade would we give it?   B+   The grade is based on the opinion of The Hubs. I know it's supposed to be delicious and all, but I am just SO not into pork belly. The name creeps me out. The Hubs said it was a good pork belly and he liked the beans and the salsa topping as well.  
  • Will we get it again, when we return to the festival?   That's a big NO. 

  • What did we try?   Brazilian Cheese Bread
  • How would I describe it?   Doughy rolls filled with gooey cheese.
  • How was the portion/value?   For $4, you get two, which I thought was fair. 
  • What letter grade would we give it?   B+    I mean, these are bread filled with cheese, so you can't go TOO wrong here. They were served warm and there was plenty of chewy cheese inside, however, they are pretty bland. Still good, but I was expecting more flavor. I want to dip them in marinara!
  • Will we get it again, when we return to the festival?   Again, good, but no, I don't need to get them again. 

France



  • What did we try?   Boeuf Bourguignon
  • How would I describe it?   Amazingly delicious stew beef over mashed potatoes
  • How was the portion/value?   Delicious or not, $6.25 is kinda high. 
  • What letter grade would we give it?   A-    So, yes, this is similar to the beef offered in Belgium, but the flavor is totally different. This beef is braised in wine sauce and the flavor is super rich and delicious. I could eat plates and plates of this. 
  • Will we get it again, when we return to the festival?   Yup. I want some now, instead of my bagel. 

Ireland



  • What did we try?   Cheddar Cheese and Stout Dip
  • How would I describe it?   A cheese fondue dip served with brown bread
  • How was the portion/value?   $4.75 was too much for some bread and dip to me. 
  • What letter grade would we give it?   B    I really disliked this one, but The Hubs loved it, so we averaged it out. I found the warm dip to be bitter and sharp, which is exactly what The Hubs loved about it. I think you have to be more of a beer fan for this one. 
  • Will we get it again, when we return to the festival?   Nope. 



  • What did we try?   Irish Sausage
  • How would I describe it?   A tasty pork sausage was sweet onions, over mashed potatoes
  • How was the portion/value?   $5.50 for a whole sausage with potatoes seemed reasonable to me.
  • What letter grade would we give it?   B+    Delicious sausage, awesome mashed potatoes and the onions put it over the top. The only fault I can find in it is that it's not all that unique or unlike something you could get at the sausage cart at Disney Springs.
  • Will we get it again, when we return to the festival?   Nah. It was good, but I'll try something else next time.




  • What did we try?   Warm Chocolate Pudding
  • How would I describe it?   A mini chocolate lava cake with Irish cream sauce
  • How was the portion/value?   It's on the small side, but $4 wasn't too bad.
  • What letter grade would we give it?   A-    I somehow lost my picture of this. I have gotten it in previous years and this year it seemed better. The "pudding" is more like a lava cake to me, with a warm, runny, chocolaty center. It was really delicious. I wish it was a little bigger. That way I wouldn't have to be so angry when someone takes a bite.
  • Will we get it again, when we return to the festival?   I might!

Scotland



     We didn't try anything in Scotland. It's always my least favorite booth. (Sorry, Scotland!)

Canada


  • What did we try?   Filet Mignon
  • How would I describe it?   A tiny filet, served medium rare.
  • How was the portion/value?   It's probably 2-3 oz. So I guess $8 isn't that bad, but I'd rather save that money and buy two other snacks elsewhere. 
  • What letter grade would we give it?   A-    Really delicious. Can't be faulted for flavor. I just wish it had something else with it, like potatoes or veggies. 
  • Will we get it again, when we return to the festival?   No, but only because of the price. 

New Zealand



     Didn't try anything here either. Too full and nothing on the menu that I was too excited about. Moving on!

Australia



      Didn't try anything in Australia either. Next time...

Islands of the Caribbean




     Excited to go back and try the quesitos, (since I LOVE the ones from my local Meson restaurant), but didn't try anything this time. 

Hawaii


Food:
  • Kalua Pork Slider w Sweet and Sour Dole Pineapple Chutney and Spicy Mayonnaise    $4.75
  • Grilled Tuna Tataki w Seaweed Salad and Pickled Cucumbers and Wasabi Cream     $5.25
  • Teriyaki-glazed Spam Hash w Potatoes, Peppers and Onions and Spicy Mayonnaise     $4.00
  • Passion Fruit Cheesecake w Toasted Macadamia Nuts    $4.00
Beverages:
  • Maui Brewing Company Bikini Blonde Lager    $4.00
  • Florida Orange Groves Sparkling Pineapple Wine    $6.00
  • Mai Tai featuring Sammy’s Beach Bar Rum    $9.00 
  • What did we try?   Kalua Pork Slider
  • How would I describe it?   A pulled pork sandwich on a Hawaiian roll. 
  • How was the portion/value?   It's $4.75, but the portion is decent so I don't think this ones too bad.
  • What letter grade would we give it?       This normally comes with a pineapple chutney, but it also contained mango, so due to an allergy, we ordered one without the chutney. It was nice that you could make slight alterations like that. Of course, they can't totally customize items for you, but if you need something without a sauce, etc, it seems like they are happy to oblige. The pork had a delicious seasoning, which reminded me of 'Ohana, over at the Polynesian. (Coriander?) Whatever it was, it was good! The "spicy mayonnaise" didn't have too much heat to it, and the sweet Hawaiian role was the perfect accompaniment. I bet with the pineapple chutney, it's amazing! I highly recommend it!
  • Will we get it again, when we return to the festival?   Probably

Stay tuned for PART THREE..... coming soon! Until then, Have a MAGICAL week!


- Jenn aka "Tink"


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