I was able to stop by the Festival for lunch yesterday. I was flying solo, so I was only able to try a few things. All items I had yesterday are noted with an asterisk. If there is more than one score listed for an item, that means I’ve had it more than once during this Festival.
Teriyaki-glazed Spam Hash - 9.5 (Hawai’i) - Portion was huge, it was piping hot, and it tasted great! Tons of “meat” and potatoes!
*Fritto Misto - 9.0 (Italy) - Biggest surprise of the Festival... something tasty from Italy! Not only tasty, but a huge serving!
Banana Almond Soft-serve Sundae - 9.0, 9.0, 9.0 (Almond Orchard) - Refreshing and delicious!
Ropa Vieja Empanada - 8.5, 8.5 (Islands of the Caribbean) - Best empanada they’ve ever done at this festival.
Short Rib Tostada - 9.0, 8.0 (Mexico) - First one was amazing, second needed more sauce.
Seared Scallops- 8.5 (Wine and Dine Studio) - Much better than the scallops at the Coastal Eats booth.
Xi’an Pancake with Beef - 8.5 (China) - This didn’t look like much but tasted really good.
Mango Bubble Tea - 8.5 (China) - Buy this at Joy of Tea next door, it’s a larger portion.
Maple Bourbon Boursin Cheesecake - 8.5 (Cheese Studio) - Sweet but not too sweet and really smooth. Could have been colder, but it was excellent.
Maple Bacon Funnel Cake - 8.0 (Funnel Cake) - The maple ice cream was really good.
*Schinkennudeln - 8.0 (Germany) - Best Mac and cheese on Disney property. Would have scored even higher, but mine had no ham whatsoever.
Baked Shrimp Scampi Dip - 8.0 (Coastal Eats) - I wish the bread was toasted.
*Hummus Fries - 7.5 (Morocco) - Two of the fries were completely mushy due to the toppings. Third was topping-free, and as a result it was crispy and delicious.
Charred Chimichurri Skirt Steak on a Smoked Corn Cake - 7.5 (Flavors From Fire) - Steak was great, corn cake was pasty and kind of gross.
Braised Beef Stroganoff - 7.5, 7.5 (Cheese Studio) - Good flavors, small portion.
Steakhouse Blended Burger - 7.5 (Earth Eats) - Good flavor, a bit dry.
*Frozen Mimosa - 7.5 (Shimmering Sips) - Tasty and refreshing, but it tasted like a non-alcoholic strawberry daiquiri.
*Belgian Waffle w/ Berry Compote - 7.5 (Belgium) - Tasted Good as always, but the hot berries weren’t what I needed in a very hot day.
Pão de Queijo - 7.5 (Brazil) - Just your standard, tasty Brazilian cheese bread.
Quesito - 7.5 (Islands of the Caribbean) -
Black Pepper Shrimp with Garlic Noodles - 7.0 (China) - Tasted Good, but wish it had more than 2 Shrimp.
Liquid Nitro Chocolate-Almond Truffle - 7.0 (Chocolate Studio) - Good, but basically tastes like chocolate ice cream.
Moqueca - 7.0 (Brazil) - A bit on the sweet side, but still pretty good.
Bougatsa - 7.0 (Greece) - Quite possibly the hottest thing I’ve ever put in my mouth. Was surprisingly bland.
*Crispy Pork Belly - 7.0 (Brazil) - Lots of beans, but a small piece of pork belly. Tasted good, but it was a bit tough.
Spicy Roll - 7.0 (Japan) - This was almost warm, which was off putting.
Carbonade de Boeuf - 7.0 (France) - If this had a bit more (any?) sauce it would have been a lot better.
*Korma Chicken - 7.0 (India) - Tasted good, but the amount of chicken was sad. The naan was tasty.
Crème Brûlée à Confiture de Framboises - 7.0 (France) - Would have been better without the raspberry jam.
*Mango Lassi with Sōmrus Indian Cream Liqueur - 7.0 (India) - I’m not a big mango lassi fan, but the liqueur helped a bit. I wish I could it order the liqueur on its own.
Coconut Rice Pudding - 7.0 (Mexico) - Tasted Good, but the rice needed to be cooked longer.
Pancake Milkshake - 7.0 (Taste Track)
Seared Scallops - 6.5 (Coastal Eats) - These were ridiculously small, almost the size of bay scallops.
Croissant Donut with Chocolate Hazelnut Cream - 6.5 (Taste Track) - Tasted good, but texture was very chewy.
Seared Shrimp and Scallop Cake - 6.5 (Thailand)
Shrimp Quesadilla- 6.5 (Mexico)
Guiness Baileys Shake - 6.0 (Ireland)
Phosphorescent Phreeze - 5.0 (Light Lab) - Way too syrupy and sweet for me... and I absolutely love ICEEs!
*New Brunswick Slider - 5.0 (Hops & Barley) - Bland and ridiculously dry.
Beef Brisket Poutine - 4.0 (Refreshment Port) - The “meat” was almost all fat, and the Cheese was a gelatinous mess.
Teriyaki Chicken Bun - 2.0 (Japan) - Yuck, the ginger flavor was way too strong. One bite and done!