Around the World - Epcot World Showcase #2

Welcome to the other half of World Showcase! Yesterday we touched on some delicious food around one half of the World Showcase, and today we'll be exploring the other half. And trust me there are some really delicious stuff on this side too!

From Italy to Norway get ready for some great treats!

Also, sorry this post is so late! I actually spent the day at Sea World! And tomorrow we'll be there too... so tomorrow's post may be a bit late as well.

So let's get started shall we?

Mmmm Italy. A few years ago this restaurant was Alfredos before it got changed to Tutto Italia which it remains to this day. It got off to a bit of a shaky start, but it's grown into it's own!! It's a bit on the pricy side but it's worth it for a special dinner!

Pictured first here is the Calamari Fritti with a spicy and delicious marinara sauce, and there truly is enough here to share! The coating is delicious and not too heavy at all, which is something that is a bit of a downfall with most calamari I have had when it's been deep fried.

Next is the Spaghetti with Veal Meatballs. One because I'm a boring person and I like spaghetti, and two because I love veal! And it's a bit rare here on property, so seeing it here just made me very excited! And these are probably the beat meatballs ever!

Finally here we have a version of Farfalle, made with spaghetti noodles instead of the usual bowtie pasta. This was special ordered though, so you will get bowtie pasta if you order it usually. This also has Italian prosciutto ham, peas and delicous parmesan cream! Delicious!

The Calamari Fritti is $13.00 while both of the main dishes can be gotten for $24.00!

Oh yum... now we're off to Japan and this is Kaki Gori. Oh dear is this delicious! You can find this little cart just outside of Japan.

Is this a snow cone? Well yeah it kind of is. More like what many of us consider hawaiian shaved ice. But this is not the traditional sugary syrup. You can get some real fruit syrup on top of this in choices of strawberry, honeydew melon, tangerine or rainbow. Hits the spot on a hot day!

You can get one of these delicious treats for $3.28 at the Kaki Gori cart in Japan.

Feeling like dinner and a show? Head upstairs to Japan's own Teppan Edo, a great Teppan style restaurant where they cook your dinner right in front of you on giant grills.

And trust me this is no throw the steak on and let it cook. These chefs train for quite a while to get the knife skills and throwing (yes I said throwing) skills required to do this job. From onion volcanos to tossing shrimp tails in their pocket with just a flick of the spatula, these guys know what they are doing!

Pictured here is the beautiful Sushi Sampler first, featuring Tuna, Yellow Tail, Shrimp Nigiri and 2 California Roll pieces. Rolled fresh when you order and absolutely delicious this one is definitely worth a try, even if you never thought you liked sushi! So fresh you may change your mind.

Next we have the Assorted Tempura appetizer. Tempura style is a special type of batter which is extremely light and crispy when deep fried. In this appetizer you get shrimp, chicken breast and seasoned vegetables all ready to dip with a delicious Japanese dipping sauce! And this appetizer is definitely big enough to share!

Pictured next you have an example of how amazing these chefs really are, and your own little onion volcano to enjoy! This is the New York Strip steak, and yes you will get assorted veggies served up and white rice as well!

You can get the sushi sampler for $9.50, the assorted tempura for $7.85 and the New York strip steak for $26.95. Recommendations are very much recommended and you will be sitting at shared tables for parties less than 8.

Craving some Mexican food? The hubby always is! Right outside of the building which is basically all of the country of Mexico we have Cantina de San Angel. It's a great little counter service situated right on the water. Actually a great place to sit and watch fireworks while eating some delicious food that you may regret at 3 in the morning if you're anything like me.

What can I say, Mexican never agrees with me.

Pictured here is the "Plato Combinacion" or the combo plate. You get a chicken taco, beef burrito and a quesadilla served with black refried beans and mexican salsa. It's a great way to try a little bit of everything! And hey, you can always get a frozen margarita to go with it!

You can get this fancy little combination plate for only $9.25 outside of the Mexico pavilion.

This little restaurant in Mexico is truly one of the most beautiful. Set deep inside Mexico under what looks like a starry sky next to a beautiful river you'll have some great Mexican food and service while being serenaded by a Mariachi band. Man what a great way to end a day!

Pictured here is a classic starter in my opinion. A great frozen margarita and some good chips and salsa! This particular margarita is a strawberry with some mango on top. Delicious!

Next we have Pollo A Las Rajas. Hubby has to order for me here cause I know very little Spanish but I do know that Pollo is chicken! So what that roughly translates to here is Grilled Chicken breast served over red peppers, onion strips, cream sauce and fresh cheese. This is generally what hubby and I get, but I'm not very creative!

Finally an absolutely delicious dessert! I never had Flan before coming here but now I absoultely adore it! This is Flan de Vainilla, or vanilla custard in syrup, topped with roasted almonds. Ooooooo yeah.

You can get the Frozen Margarita in Lime, Strawberry, Mango or Fiesta Mix for $9.25, the Pollo A Las Rajas for $24.00 and Flan de Vainilla for $5.75

On to Morocco! Now Restaurant Marrakesh isn't exactly what I would call the most kid friendly restaurant on property... mainly due to the entertainment. Not that I don't like it, I actually find it beautiful!

See, Restaurant Marrakesh, being in Morocco entertains you with belly dancers, directly at your table.

Now before you go making your reservations now now now, let's talk about the delicious food first!

First here we have pictured the Shish Kebab, with grilled tenderloin of beef served with hummus and this is one of the most tender shish kebab's I've ever had! Delicious, and not tough in any way, just slides beautifully off it's skewer and melts in your mouth.

Next is the Roast Lamb Meshoui and let me say for someone who isn't the biggest lamb fan, this was delicious! This is a roasted lamb shank in natural juices served with couscous. Even if you're not a big lamb fan give this one a try!!

You can get the Shish Kebab for $27.95 for dinner and the Roast Lamb Meshoui for $26.95, also for dinner.

Right outside of Marrakesh is Tangerine Cafe, if you're looking for something quick but still delicious... oooooor if you're not really in the mood to see belly dancers this is the restaurant for you!

Pictured first is a delicious Falafel Wrap, which I first discovered during the food and wine festival and is absolutely delicious. Crunchy yet soft, and so so flavorful! There's also a choice of Lamb and Chicken but I definitely recommend the falafel. You will also get couscous and lentel salad.

Next we have some great baklava! There are actually so many different varieties of this it's hard to list them. And it's baked fresh daily! I definitely recommend going in and at least trying this.

You can get the Falafel Wrap for $7.95, chicken and lamb selections are $9.95 each. The Baklava varies in price from $2.95 to $4.95 a piece.

Oh Norway. With your delicious pastries, giant viking ship and huge wood troll in the shop, I never want to leave you.

Pictured above is a Kringla Bakeri og Cafe specialty, school bread. This is the favorite of many message boards, and everyone has to try it at least once! A great pastry filled with cream, topped with a delicious caramel and toasted coconut it's big enough to share! And the great part? It's only $1.99!!

Now Akershus is one of the most popular restaurants in Epcot, and there's 6 little reasons why.

Ariel, Sleeping Beauty, Jasmine, Belle, Snow White and Mulan.

Oh yes, this is a Princess Character meal! Now I can't attest to the lunch and dinner, so we're going to talk about the breakfast here.

You first take a picture with the Princess out front, which is good because the price of this buffet actually includes the picture package. Then you go in, and a buffet of cold items and pastries await you! And soon to your table comes a family shared style plate of hot items, including eggs, bacon, sausage and a great cheesy potato!

Yummy!! If you have a little princess lover in your family, definitely book this one!

It's $28.99 per adult and $17.99 per child and does include that picture package. And oh, almost every little girl has a princess dress on so don't be afraid to dress up your little ones too!

That's all until next time, when we touch on Animal Kingdom! This one's gonna be a little late, so look for it around midnight or so tomorrow, as well as the following post the next afternoon. It's Sea World after Dark time around here!

Around the World - Epcot World Showcase #1

Ah Epcot World Showcase! There is so much beauty in this part of the park, you can spend all day just wandering around, looking at the shops and conversing with people from the country that you are currently in. Yes, Disney does bring in Cast Members from those countries, just one of those little touches that makes the whole experience special!

The problem with this post however, is that there is a LOT to eat in World Showcase! So much so that I ended up with 50 pictures, and I didn't even have things from every single place there is! So I'm splitting this bad boy into 2. Hold onto your hats my lovelies... as we explore the first half (Alphabetically...) of World Showcase!

Let's get started, shall we?

I bet that first picture looks familiar, doesn't it? Well if not, that just means you haven't been reading my blog for very long!

Yes, that's right we're currently in Canada, home of the Le Cellier steakhouse and that my friends is the Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup!

This is seriously one of my favorite restaurants in World Showcase (I have 3 to date...) and is one of the most friendly restaurants period I have ever been in. The top picture here is that Canadian Cheddar Cheese soup, made with Moosehead beer. Yummy! The second picture is a classic New York Strip steak though there are several other steak options including a Coffee Rubbed Kansas City Strip!

The bottom picture... well have you ever seen a more adorably silly dessert in your life? This is their take on Chocolate "Moose"! Get it? Covered in Toasted Chocolate Crumbs with Maple Leaf Antlers I couldn't stop giggling when this masterpiece was brought to the table!

A cup (pictured here) of the Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup is $5.49, the New York Strip is $34.99 and the Chocolate Moose tops off the meal at $5.99. Reservations are STRONGLY recommended as this restaurant tends to book up 6 months ahead of time!

Now you will start to notice the countries being split... that's because some of them have both a counter service and a table service restaurant. China being the first of these!

This is Nine Dragons. And oh my goodness how delicious it is! They actually just redid the inside of this restaurant a few years ago and it's just gorgeous inside! And the food is beautifully presented and delicious at the same time.

Pictured here are the Honey Sesame Chicken and Pepper Beef. Both delicious dishes... especially that pepper beef! It just makes you feel so warm and good inside!!

The Honey Sesame Chicken is currently $18.98 for dinner and the Pepper Beef is currently $15.98. Actually pretty affordable for dinner at Epcot and oh so delicious too!!

Next we have the Lotus Blossom Cafe, or China's counter service. This is also a delicious meal, especially if you're just wandering around looking for something quick to eat or you forgot to make those reservations!

Pictured here are the Orange Chicken and the Fried Rice with Egg Roll. I don't want to say what kind of fried rice because it does tend to change on the menu.

This orange chicken was one of the most delicious orange chickens... oh my goodness! And considering how much I love Orange Chicken (Panda Express respect) that's saying a lot!

The Orange Chicken is currently $8.49 and the Fried Rice with Egg Roll is currently $8.49 as well!

Ah England. Now this is an excellent place to sit back and watch a cover Beatles Band sing and drink lots of beer while watching Winnie the Pooh hug children in the corner.

Also red telephone booths.

Here we have pictured the traditional Fish and Chips from the Yorkshire County Fish shop. And of course a Pint of Bass Ale Draught.

Um... Mary Poppins!

Anyway, this is some delicious fish and I love that it's pretty much just a grab and go window. You can walk up, get yourself some good food and go listen to the band in the back. Or prank call the red telephone booths that everyone seems to pose in. Not that I have those numbers or anything in my phone...

The Fish and Chips is $7.99 at the shop, and the beer is $7.50.

Also here in England, situated right on the water is a little pub called Rose and Crown. A definite favorite around fireworks time people do pack this restaurant nightly. And there's even a great piano player inside called the hat lady!

Great pub food including what's pictured here, a wonderful Scotch egg, served with mustard sauce. More of those delicious fish and chips (I looked for the shepherd pie as well, but there weren't good pictures of it) and some great dessert... triffle! And not just any triffle, oh no. Bailey's Irish Coffee Triffle. Oh god my mouth just started to water a little bit.

You can get the Scotch Egg (there is more to it, this one was half eaten!) for $8.99, the Fish and Chips platter for $15.99 and the Triffle for $5.99. I actually recommend this one for lunch. A bit less crowded and still yummy food!

Now it's off to France and the Boulangerie Patisserie!

Okay for those of you who don't know what that is... it's a French Bakery. And the hubby and I can't go around the world without stopping here at least once! Some of the most delicious foods are here... creme brulee, quiche, napoleons, even delicious fruit tarts!

Heck there's even some Macaroons! Yummy!

Prices here range from $1.95 to $5.50 a treat and each one of them are so delicious... and heck I can't resist ordering in French!

Now that we've had a treat before dinner, why don't we wash it down with another treat you can only get in France in the World Showcase?

A Grand Marnier Orange Slushie!

That's right, you heard me. They also have Grey Goose Lemonade slushie! And yes folks, you do have to be 21 to purchase. And you can taste every delicious drop of that alcohol! You can get either of these slushes for $8.92 ($9.00 after tax).

I bet you can tell now where my favorite restaurant in the World Showcase is!

Chefs De France is a beautiful restaurant, surrounded by glass walls and filled with some of the most charming waiters I have ever met. They can talk you into anything! (Even dry champaign when you drink sweet...)

Plus the food here is just delicious, thanks in part to the French Chefs in the back. Starting off here we have Soupe L'oignon gratinee... or French Onion Soup. This soup is just to die for, especially topped in the traditional Gruyere cheese.

Next we have both the hubby and my dinner dishes. First we have Filet de boeuf grilled, sauce au poivre noir Gratin Dauphinois et hericot verts... or grilled beef tenderloid with a black pepper sauce, potato gratin of Savoy and green beans. Hubby gobbled this one up! He was so happy by the end I thought he was purring.

Then we have Canard au miel, haricot vert et pommes de terre douce... or roasted duck breast and leg confit, french green beans and sweet potatoes with a spicy honey sauce. I'm not even going to lie, this was the best duck I have ever had. Crispy skin, beautifully cooked and that honey sauce was oh my god good.

Finally we have two beautiful desserts. First is traditional Creme Brulee with a Madeleine and second we have Profiteroles au chocolat... or puff pastry with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.

There's no doubt that this is my favorite restaurant! (And I love my 5 years of French don't go to waste here!) You can get the French Onion Soup for $6.50, the Beef Tenderloin for $34.95, the Roasted Duck Confit for $31.95, the Creme Brulee for $7.25 and the Profiteroles for $7.25. Reservations are definitely recommended!

I would be incredibly remiss not to include the next restaurant on the list! Especially considering over 90% of my heritage is German!

Welcome my friends to Biergarten!

This restaurant is unique, that's for sure. You sit at long tables with strangers (who almost always happen to be fun!) eat off a large buffet of sausages and good food. I love the Spaetzel almost more than life itself. You listen to authentic German entertainment and unique instruments before raising your glass in a traditional German beer toast!

And yes, there is a lot of beer here. In fact the first picture here is the Beer Flight available just so you can try all the different types of beer! I do not unfortunately have a price for this but I remember off the top of my head it not being too bad. Especially for 4 full glasses of beer!!

The next two pictures are just some examples of the delicious food that awaits you... including pretzel bread, more sausages and -wurst things you can shake a stick at. It's a year round celebration of Oktoberfest!

For adults it's only $19.99 per person for lunch and $32.99 per person for dinner. The kids are only $10.99 for lunch and $13.99 for dinner and yes non alcoholic beverages are included.

But gosh darn it... it's Oktoberfest! Drink up why don't you?!

Keep an eye out tomorrow as we finish going round the world showcase with Epcot part 2... but really part 3.

Around the World - Epcot Future World

Epcot is a park that really grew on me as I went more and more. But it's definitely not a one day park if you plan on doing everything! Split into 2 sections, Future World and World Showcase, there are more food options here than in any other park.

So I've split Epcot into 2 sections. Today we'll do Future World, tomorrow we'll work on World Showcase!

Let's get started then, shall we?

We'll start with Breakfast! Fountainview Cafe really has a lot of good options if you're looking for something for a quick breakfast... from simple cookies to beautiful pastries and even hand scooped ice cream and sundaes! You know... if you're into that sort of thing for breakfast.

And you're on vacation. So you should totally be into that sort of thing for breakfast!

Pastries range in price from $1.99 to $4.99 depending on the pastry, ice cream ranges from $2.69 to $4.09 depending on the scoops and type of cone. You can find this in Future World past Spaceship Earth on the right side!

The Electric Umbrella is still available...

Ah how the hubby and I have giggled about that! The Electric Umbrella is a counter service in Future World, on the opposite side of Fountain View Cafe. It serves standard fare, burgers and chicken nuggets. The menu changes pretty regularly though, for example the chicken sandwich in the picture here is no longer available (a turkey club has taken it's place).

I still included this picture simply because you never know when things are going to come back!

There's another really surprising part of this counter service though... the drinks are refillable! That's right, Epcot is the only park in all of property who actually allows you to refill your drinks.

And on a hot day, that's heaven!

The chicken breast nuggets are $6.59, the Chicken Sandwich is no longer available but is generally $8.59 like it's predecessor the Turkey Club!

Here's a beautiful little counter service, hidden in the Land Pavilion, you won't be able to miss it on your way to one of Future Land's premier rides Soarin. This is Sunshine Seasons... and it definitely does not serve your standard fare!!

Deli sandwiches, chinese dishes, even rotisserie chicken! This is where you want to go if you're sick of the burgers and pizza that other counter services tend to throw at us. Not that there is anything wrong with that...

My family always said my theme song was "Cheeseburger in Paradise" after all.

But here when you're done you can even head over to the dessert counter and choose from over 10 different bakery desserts!

Pictured here we have a Smoked Ham and Salami sandwich on Asiago Ciabatta with a side for $9.19 and Turkey and Monterey Jack Cheese on Foccacia with chipotle mayonnaise and a side for $8.59. And trust me, these sandwiches are as big as your head! For dessert in the first picture you have Asian Chocolate Cheesecake for $3.99 and a Fruit Tulip for $3.69. Delicious!

In the second picture we've visited the Chinese counter and picked up a combination plate with both Sweet and Sour Chicken and Szechuan Beef. There's also white rice and lo main noodles as you do get 2 sides and it's all $9.99. There's also some Butterfinger Cheesecake here for $3.99.

And trust me when I say that Szechuan Beef? Woo is that spicy!

I learned the hard way...

Yeaaaaaaah.

Moving on!

Also in the Land Pavilion, up on the top floor is a neat little restaurant called Garden Grill. This is an all you can eat character buffet, similar in some ways to Crystal Palace but it's served family style just like Liberty Tree Tavern.

The food here is wholesome, much of it coming from the Land Pavilion's greenhouses on the floor below! Grilled Salt and Pepper Flank Steak, Roasted Turkey Breast with orange-cranberry relish, Seasonal Fish of the day... seasonal veggies and a seasonal dessert! The one pictured here is an oldie but a goodie... their wonderful bread pudding!

Made the Chipmunks go mad I tell you... MAD.

Garden Grill has another unique part to the restaurant in that the entire thing rotates! Not like a tilt-a-whirl or anything, but very slowly, so that you get to see parts of the Living with the Land ride as well as different sections of the pavilion. Neat huh?

For this awesome feast dinner is $39.99 for adults, children come in at $14.99 and drinks are included, yay!

The final place in Future World is one of the most beautiful and unique! Coral Reef is a restaurant located as a part of the Seas Pavilion, home now to The Seas with Nemo and Friends. The pavilion is home to one of the the largest aquariums in the nation. In fact, this aquarium is so large you could take Spaceship Earth (That giant golf ball, you know the one) and put it in this aquarium... and it still will be able to roll around!

And the best part of this is that the entire wall of Coral Reef is giant windows into this large aquarium. While you dine you can watch the over 8,000 residents swim and have fun!

And you can enjoy some of the best Cesar Salad, NY Strip Steak, Grilled Mahi Mahi and Chocolate Lava Cake (Called the Wave) around!

The Caesar Salad with shredded parmesan cheese and croutons comes in at $6.99. The Grilled Mahi Mahi is topped with a spicy pineapple chutney over cashew-jasmine rice finished with a coconut rum beurre blanc for $25.99. The Grilled New York Strip Steak is served with roasted potatoes, watercress, and tomotoes tossed in caramelized shallot vinaigrette for $30.99. And everyone's favorite Chocolate Wave is served with brandied raspberries, and look out this one has alcohol most specifically Grand Marnier for $7.99.