Yahoo News I Tried The British Food At Disney's Epcot, And I Think They've Got Slightly Confused
Think of theme park food, and greasy fast food classics are likely to spring to mind: hot dogs, burgers, fries and popcorn.
However, for the uninitiated, Disney World is actually home to some of the coolest, and most fun foods around. In particular the veritable food Mecca that is EPCOT’s World Showcase.
If you’ve never heard of this foodie heaven, it’s an area of the park that’s made up of 11 enormous pavilions, each representing a different country. These pavilions feature the architecture, landscaping, and - crucially - cuisine of each country, including Mexico, Japan, Morocco and Italy.
So, when I recently found myself on my dream honeymoon to Disney World, stopping by the United Kingdom pavilion was high on my list.
First impressions were high, as they absolutely nailed the look of the Rose & Crown Dining Room, which looked pretty spot-on for a British pub. Aside from the fact it sat opposite a hedge maze and miniature replica of Hampton Court Palace, its red brick facade, dark green wood front and crowded tables did remind me of my local boozer on a Sunday afternoon.
The staff are exclusively British, and our lovely Geordie waitress informs us that head chef Stephen hails from London - which means we’re expecting pretty accurate British food. I feel almost at home, then remember we’re seated outside in blazing sunshine mid-November…
The Drinks
The drinks menu offers up a selection of ales, lagers and stouts, as well as an impressively large list of Scotch whiskeys (and a couple of Irish ones, too). Poor old Wales gets a look in with a suspicious ‘Welsh Dragon’ cocktail, made up of peach schnapps, melon liqueur, crème de menthe, orange juice, and pineapple juice.
I steer clear of this and instead busy myself with the incredible ‘Pub Blends’ section of the drinks menu. This consists of British classics you’ll remember from your misspent youth, such as cider and black, snake bite, and some interesting combos we’d never heard of before (bumblebee or black velvet, anyone?).
While top marks for proper British pint glasses (which are roughly 100ml more than American pints), my shandy has been made with Sprite, and is thus far too sickly sweet. Damn.
The Food
The starters already have me raising my eyebrows. While scotch egg and soup of the day were accurate, I notice a cheese platter not in the dessert section, and a coronation salad which is described as a crisp salad with apple-madras dressing on top of a crunchy grain cracker. No idea where the chicken or sultanas are, or where the cracker has come from.
For mains, classics including shepherd’s pie, chicken tikka masala, Guinness-braised short ribs, Scottish salmon and bangers and mash are all on offer. As is a Welsh pub burger, with side orders of bubble and squeak and mushy peas.
I obviously went for the fish and chips, and I must admit, it was spot on. A big crispy chunk of beautifully battered and fried cod, along with a good portion of what I would call ‘pub chips’. The whole dish comes served on a fake newspaper, which cheerfully proclaims ‘A jolly fine day for enjoying fish and chips’ - which is frankly preferable to some real British news headlines of late.
But my husband’s chicken tikka masala left a lot to be desired. Ok, it tasted like the classic British curry, but it arrived with a side order of frozen peas and carrot pieces, and a dollop of er… tzatziki?
Therefore, I had high hopes that the dessert section would redeem itself. After all, us Brits are known for our excellent puddings. While I dithered over the popular sticky toffee pudding, we eventually chose an English trifle and a ‘Chocolate Nougat Bar’ which supposedly mimicked a British Mars Bar.
But while the little chocolate Union Jack on the top was adorable, it didn’t make up for how disappointing this fake Mars bar was. Instead of actual milk chocolate, the nougat was covered in some kind of crumbly, dusty biscuit, and there was both caramel and blackcurrant coulis on the plate. Who has ever served a Mars bar with blackcurrant coulis?
I would have been happier with a legit Mars bar just plonked on the plate, even at $7. Nil points.
The trifle came completely with Mickey Mouse sprinkles on and the random inclusion of America’s ubiquitous Graham crackers instead of sponge. But it was good, and deserves a thumbs up.
Conclusion
It was a surprisingly decent take on British food, although perhaps this shouldn’t be quite so surprising considering where the kitchen team come from.
While it describes itself as British - it’s largely English, and it would have been nice to see more Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish inclusions (kedgeree and rarebit would be my top picks). Also, the absence of a Sunday roast feels like an oversight - why deny our American cousins the pleasure of a gravy-soaked Yorkshire pudding?
All in all, it made us a little homesick for the little things that make our food at home truly great, despite its dodgy overseas reputation - and goes to show that you really can’t beat a classic Mars bar.
