China Review: 2016 Epcot Food and Wine Festival

China Review: 2016 Epcot Food and Wine Festival

China is one of, if not my favorite all-time kiosk at Food and Wine.  That’s right I said it.  China.

Now I already know what you are thinking: “Ziggy, why should I waste my time in Epcot at Food and Wine eating Chinese food when I have a great take-out join right down the street that’s awesome?”  Because this is better!  The flavors are amazing, the portions good, they are always consistent and this stuff will blown out your neighborhood China Star out of the water.  I haven’t found a Food and Wine booth that consistently pleases me as much as China does.  Will this year be the same or will there be a let-down?  Let’s find out….

Booth:

Menu:

Food:

• Chicken Pot Stickers – $4.00, DDP Snack Eligible
• Sichuan Spicy Chicken – $5.75, DDP Snack Eligible  *Ziggy Recommended
  
• Black Pepper Shrimp with Garlic Noodles – $5.50, DDP Snack Eligible  *Ziggy Recommended
  
• Beijing Roasted Duck in a Steamed Bun with Hoisin Sauce – $6.50, DDP Snack Eligible  *Ziggy Recommended

 

Beverages:

• Tsingtao Lager – $3.50
• Strawberry Plum Wine Cooler with Takara Plum Wine – $7.00
• Ritzy Lychee with Courvoisier Cognac VS and Smirnoff Vodka – $10.50
• Kung Fu Punch with Smirnoff Vodka and Bols Triple Sec – $8.75  *Ziggy Recommended
• Happy Peach with Dekuyper Peach Liqueur and Myers’s Dark Rum – $8.75
• Mango Bubble Tea with Assam Black Tea and Milk – $6.75

Menu review:

China always has an amazing selection on it’s menu and this year is no exception.  Let’s dive in:

First up, Sichuan Spicy Chicken:

I stinking love these things!!  Now first off I want to tell you that a lot of stuff on this menu is spicy, in the case of this chicken, very spicy.  Let me clarify that: if you are a person who doesn’t like spicy stuff then you won’t like these, but if you do, you will be in heaven!

The full flavor from the spices is incredible and completely blew my mind!  You can see how well this chicken is seasoned and you can see the red pepper flakes encrusted into the breading.  So goooood!!  They give you 5 pieces for $5.75 which isn’t terrible, I would like one more thrown in.  But I really did fall in love with these things and there’s no question I am praying for them to return next year.  They are so good they made my List of the Top 15 Things you have to Eat this year at Food and Wine, the first of two items to make the list.

Next up are the Chicken Pot stickers.  These were very good, had a great flavor, not dry, and I liked the sauce they drizzle on them.  My only complaint is I think $4 is too much for two dumplings which were average size.  However that being said they were very good and if you like Chinese dumplings then I recommend them.

After that was the Black Pepper Shrimp with Garlic Noodles.

This happens to be a favorite of my Mom and she always gets it.  I also LOVE this dish!  Again, if you don’t like spice then stay away, but the noodles and shrimp are so flavorful, coated with black pepper and garlic, every big is pleasure city!  The plate of noodles they give you is a great deal for the money I think as the plate is really overflowing so much with food, it was hard to not spill it.  They give you about 4 shrimp on top with is a good amount too.

It’s so simple but yet something I get every single year because the flavor is so good!

Lastly the Beijing Roasted Duck in a Steamed Bun with Hoisin Sauce…

I know this is getting really repetitive, but DANG is this thing good!!  The second offering on the China menu to make my List of the 15 Things you have to try at Food and Wine this year. Don’t get scared off by the word: “duck” in the name.  It is really good.  If you haven’t had a chance to try duck before this is a great opportunity because it wasn’t real gamey or too strong.  The duck was nice a moist and they put a nice size piece inside that bun.

THAT BUN….mmmmmmmm.  So so soft.  Like a little Chinese cloud of heaven!  I love the texture of it and how it just wraps around the rest of the food!

What is hoisin sauce you ask?  Good question!  It’s kind of like a Chinese BBQ sauce, it’s salty and sweet and has a little kick to it, but not spicy.  It was delicious and complimented the Duck fantastically!  A must try!!

The drinks are plentiful too in China, I like the Kung Fu Punch with Smirnoff Vodka and Bols Triple Sec, but the Strawberry Plum Wine Cooler with Takara Plum Wine is very good too, nice and refreshing, and also while I’m not a fan of Bubble Tea there’s the Mango Bubble Tea with Assam Black Tea and Milk which I heard was fantastic.

 

Booth Summary and Grade:

From Top to Bottom China is very hard to beat!  The extensive menu has the best savory options for sure with a whopping 4 of them, and they are all: good – holy crap awesome!  Of all of them the Chicken Pot Stickers were the least desirable, but still above average, while all three of: Sichuan Spicy Chicken, Black Pepper Shrimp with Garlic Noodles, and Beijing Roasted Duck are all must tries!

The only negative was the lack of dessert options and the only thing from keeping it from getting a perfect 10.  Maybe next year substituting the Pot Stickers for a nice dessert would make it perfect.  Does it come in at #1 in my Top Food and Wine Kiosks for 2016?  You’ll have to wait and see, but it will be hard to beat that’s for sure!

If you have to get just one thing:  Beijing Roasted Duck in a Steamed Bun with Hoisin Sauce

Grade: 9.5

Take a look at all of my 2016 Epcot Food and Wine articles.  I have the Top 15 Things You Must Try this year at Food and Wine, and also a complete Index of the Food and Wine Menus and other Helpful Info. I want you to be able to have the best info on the Festival so you don’t waste your time and you have the best time possible!

If you enjoyed this article, as always I appreciate it if you’d share it with others via social media.  I work hard at making this website into a useful resource for you and your family to plan your visit to Walt Disney World, and I hope it can help you! Thanks 🙂

Your Thoughts:

I want to know what you think my review of China at the 2016 Epcot Food and Wine Festival.  What are your favorites?  What keeps you coming back again and again?  What would you like to see next year?  Let us know in the comments section below! 🙂