Epcot Food & Wine Festival 2021

Leah and I visited Disney World this year for the first time since we were both kids. We were accompanied by my friend from work, as well as his (now) fiancée, who he proposed to on our first day while we were in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. My friend is a big amusement park aficionado, so he was able to serve as a guide during the trip. This worked particularly well during the huge Food & Wine Festival at Epcot. The whole experience was an absolute blast and the food was, on average, surprisingly good - and affordable - across the board!

When we arrived at the entrance to the festival, we picked up these handy "passports," which contained a list of all the different food and drink offerings. For those unfamiliar with the park, Epcot features various recreations of lands from all over the globe. During the festival, each land had a sidewalk kiosk selling a handful of small plates and drinks that (in theory) represented the corresponding culture, though many were very Americanized and played to a "safer" audience (which I thought was fine given the context of this being an amusement park). 

Canada

"Le Cellier" Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon with Truffle-Butter Sauce

Canadian Cheddar and Bacon Soup with Pretzel Roll

My friend's favorite Epcot restaurant is Le Cellier in the Canada area, though reservations were booked two months out so we couldn't eat a formal meal. Fortunately, some of the restaurant's normal menu was represented at Canada's festival kiosk. 

This was in our top three favorites for the whole day. The filet was a perfectly tender medium-rare (surprising for amusement park cuisine) and the sauce (really a béarnaise) and mushrooms were delicious. The soup was wonderful as well, though the pretzel roll could have been more flavorful. 

Appleseed Orchard

Cider Flight:

Blake's Hard Cider Co. Saint Chéri Bourbon Barrel Aged Cherry

Original Sin Hard Cider McIntosh

Collective Arts Brewing Circling the Sun Hard Cider

Beer Flight:

Ivanhoe Park Brewing Company Apple-y Ever After Green Apple Sour Ale

3 Daughters Brewing Apple Pecan Brown Ale

Big Storm Brewing Co. Apple Blonde Ale

Next up was the Appleseed Orchard, where a variety of apple-themed products were offered, including beer and cider. I was disappointed but not surprised by the cloying sweetness of the three ciders, which were much closer to soda. The beers were better, but still middle-of-the-road at best. I enjoyed the Big Storm Apple Blonde the most, which had a definite apple flavor but was still crisp and not too sweet. 

Ireland

Warm Chocolate Pudding Cake with Irish Cream Liqueur Custard
Guinness Bailey's Shake

At Ireland, we enjoyed some early dessert. The cake was warm and moist, while the shake had a pleasant bitterness from the beer, which cut through the sweetness.

Refreshment Port

Traditional Poutine: French Fries, Beef Gravy, Boursin Cracked Black Pepper Crumbles, Cheese Curds

Maple Boursin Cheesecake with Whipped Boursin Maple Bourbon Cheese and Candied Pecans

I was initially surprised that the Canada kiosk wasn't selling poutine, but the nearby Refreshment Port (hosted by Boursin) had several options. We opted for the "traditional" which, despite the name, included the untraditional addition of soft Boursin goat cheese blobs. It was a welcome spin, though, as the dish was absolutely delicious, with crispy fries, hot, rich gravy, and pleasantly bouncy cheese curds.

The cheesecake was a big disappointment - it reeked of cloying, artificial maple flavor. After a couple bites, we discarded the rest. 

Japan

Teriyaki Chicken Bun: Steamed Bun filled with Chicken, Vegetables, and Teriyaki Sauce

Tempura Shrimp Sando: Crunchy Shrimp served with Yuzu Crab, Green Onions, and Eel Sauce

Frozen Kirin Ichiban

By midday, the sun was scorching and we were starting to hit our food consumption limit. We made one last stop in Japan (which, incidentally, was one of the more visually impressive lands in Epcot) for some food and a frozen beer. 

The food was ok - the bun was good but kind of one-note. The sando was more interesting, but the tempura wasn't very crunchy and there was a bit too much bread for the amount of filling. The frozen beer was an interesting novelty. It's normal beer topped with a thick foam that looks like soft serve ice cream but is really just aerated cold beer (no sweetness at all). It was an absolute mess to consume, but I can't argue that it wasn't refreshing. 

After this, we took a food break for a few hours to do other park activities, then picked up later in the afternoon once we had digested a bit. 

The Alps

Warm Raclette Swiss Cheese with Alpine Ham, Baby Potatoes, Cornichons, and Baguette

Leah and I absolutely love raclette, so we were really looking forward to this one. It didn't disappoint - the cheese was rich and gooey as expected, with buttery, soft potatoes and salty, juicy ham. Yum. 

A quick glimpse of one of several traveling Remys from Ratatouille, this one sitting on top of the Refreshment Outpost. 

Kenya

Kenyan Coffee Barbecue Beef Tenderloin with Sweet Potato & Corn Mealie Pap and Kachumbari Slaw

Some of the upcoming lines were incredibly long, so we decided to split up and order separately to cover more ground. On our way to China and Mexico, we passed by Kenya, which had virtually no line, and decided to order. We were so happy we did, as this tenderloin was one of our favorite dishes of the day - another top three. 

It was a perfectly cooked piece of beef with rich mealie pap (basically corn grits) and refreshing slaw. The seasoning was great and made this dish stand apart from many of the other more conventional offerings. 

Mexico

Chilaquiles con Chorizo: Crispy Corn Tortillas tossed in Salsa Verde and Monterey Jack Cheese topped with Crema Mexicana, Queso Cotija, Pickled Onions, and Ground Chorizo

La Clásica Reyes Margarita: Centinela Blanco Tequila, Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur, Abasolo Corn Whiskey, Lime Juice, and Agave Nectar with a Chile Piquín Salt Rim

Another dish that Leah and I normally love, but here, unfortunately, the chilaquiles were very soft and congealed into a dense cake. The flavors were great, but not the texture. I braced myself for an overly sweet margarita and, though it was very sugary, the other flavors were quite good. 

China

ZiRan Beef Bao Bun: Grilled Beef with Cumin

Mango Bubble Milk Tea: Assam Black Tea, Whole Milk, and Mango Syrup

The items we got at China were ok. The bao was straightforward and the bubble tea (originating from Taiwan, not China, despite what Beijing may say) was less sugary than expected. 

The Swanky Saucy Swine

Crispy Pig Ear Salad with Fire Roasted Tomatillo Sauce, Pickled Red Onions, Queso Fresco, Roasted Corn Salsa, and Avocado Cream

We almost didn't stop at this pork-themed America outpost but wow wow wow, that pig ear "salad" was the last of our top three for the day - maybe my number one. I loved the contrast of the crunchy, porky pig ears against the bright vegetables. This is one of my favorite styles of food, where a rich, fatty item is paired with something very herby, clean, and acidic. 

Hawai'i

Kalua Pork Slider with Sweet-and-Sour Dole Pineapple Chutney and Spicy Mayo

Passion Fruit Cheesecake with Toasted Macadamia Nuts

These plates sounded really good on paper, but both were a little disappointing. The slider tasted nice but was very wet and needed something crunchy and acidic to contrast the richness. The cheesecake was fine (and way better than the maple version earlier in the day), but the passion fruit, which is normally such a strong flavor, was missing. 

Brazil

Crispy Pork Belly with Black Beans, Tomato, and Onions

Frozen Caipirinha

We were looking forward to Brazil all day, as it was listed early in the passport. It was another slight disappointment, though, as the pork belly was tough and the black bean side was too thick; almost a paste. The caipirinha was - you guessed it - very sweet and, to top it off, the machine was broken so it was served merely cold instead of frozen. Not the end of the world, but I would have imagined the sugary drink would work better in frozen form, where the flavors are usually dulled. 

Flavors From Fire

The S'mores Whoopie Pie-lon: Smoked Chocolate Cake, Graham Cracker, Marshmallow, Chocolate Ganache, and Candied Bacon

We made sure to save room for one last dessert, having seen this ridiculous s'more in the passport at one of the final kiosks (hosted by the NFL of all things). It was fantastic - soft, chocolatey, and lighter than expected. My only gripe was that some of the candied bacon was incredibly tough - a piece stuck in my teeth was a chore to wrestle out. 

The end! It was a delicious finale to an amazing trip. The experience of eating many small plates at a variety of stands was extremely novel and fun, minus the scorching heat and high humidity. Despite all of the calories we took in, we didn't feel overly full and were still able to head out in good spirits to enjoy our last remaining night in Orlando, which we spent soothing our aching feet and backs in the hotel pool and hot tub.  

Friday Night Cocktail

Just a little fun with dessert cocktails on the Friday before my birthday. I cobbled this together from vodka, Kahlua, Bailey's, creme de cacao, cream, and Aztec chocolate bitters. Garnished with chocolate syrup and a spicy hot chocolate powder rim. YUM. 

Beauty

Have I mentioned how much I love duck?

Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare w/ Al

After several COVID-19-related setbacks and reschedulings, Al and I were finally able to venture out and enjoy our annual tradition of a fine dining meal together. Though our 12-year streak - which started back in 2007 at Perilla - is now broken, we nevertheless enjoyed a wonderful experience at the acclaimed Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare. 

I'm a bit fuzzy on many of the dishes, as it was occasionally difficult to understand the masked servers (many of whom also had accents). I've done my best to recall the menu, though I wish I had jotted down some quick notes in addition to snapping photos. It's worth mentioning that Chef Ramirez's one-time (arguably) draconian anti-photos policy is now a thing of the past, though I still recommend being quick and not fussing over your shots, so as to enjoy the experience as it happens. 

Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare
431 W 37th St (inside Brooklyn Fare market), New York, NY

The restaurant moved to Manhattan in 2017 but is still located in a Brooklyn Fare grocery store. It certainly makes for a strange scene to see people dressed in formal eveningwear wandering the store aimlessly looking for the entrance (which is located in the back right). I do wish they had a sign or two pointing the way, but it made for a humorous experience nonetheless. 

The interior features one of the most beautiful bars I've ever had the pleasure of sitting at. Though the space is larger than the original (including room for a few tables in addition to the bar seating), it still felt quite intimate. Each counter seat sports an uninterrupted view of the entire narrow kitchen, where diners can watch the chefs prep the food.

A warm, scented hand towel was the first offering of the night. Shortly after we sat, Chef Ramirez walked past and greeted us, welcoming us to the restaurant. He made a few such passes by the different customers as they were seated, which I appreciated. 

When asked what we would like to drink, we asked if they served cocktails and were surprised that they do not (though they do have a limited selection of spirits and sake for straight pours). It makes sense given their tiny space. Instead, we chose to select a couple bottles of wine a la carte, which Al handled since he's a knowledgeable wine hobbyist, though the sommelier helped us narrow things down. 

Caviar

The first several dishes were single-bite finger foods, each consisting of some sort of vehicle on top of which sat a fish item and several other accoutrements. This generous spoonful of golden caviar contrasted wonderfully with the crisp tart shell and marinated fish. It was buttery and salty, with just a light hint of acid and a touch of dill coming through at the end (though I may be misremembering - I know one of these early courses had some dill). An instant hit!

Bluefin Tuna

Avocado, Wasabi

Another outrageously delicious bite, this was essentially a riff on spicy tuna. We were pleasantly surprised by the level of heat here (it wasn't actually a lot, but many fine-dining restaurants shy away from spice completely) and I now realize that it likely came from fresh wasabi, as the heat dissipated within only a few seconds of eating. Again, the softness of the fish and the delicate crunch of the tart shell (and crispy threads on top) made for a nicely balanced textural experience. 

Aji (Horse Mackerel)

A third home run. This time, instead of a tart shell, the fish was delivered atop a crisp, puffed sheet of nori, which released toasty, sesame-like flavor as we chewed. I love mackerel and find its oiliness perfect when paired with contrasting elements. I wish I could remember what the other aspects of this dish were because it was one of the best of the night. 

Santa Barbara Uni (Sea Urchin)

Black Truffle, Brioche

At the beginning of the meal, each diner was offered fresh black summer truffles for a supplemental price of just over $100. The truffles were to be shaved over the uni and wagyu courses. In both cases we declined, feeling that truffles would overpower, rather than complement, those two delicacies (we also just didn't feel like shelling out the extra hundred bucks, especially as Al's tongue can't really taste truffle). 

I was very happy we didn't opt for extra truffle here - I found the single slice already slightly overpowering compared to the sweetness and delicacy of the uni. Moreover, we both agreed that the brioche was just a little too thick. Buttery and golden as it was, the brioche was another element that competed with the uni. While this was a delicious two-bite dish, it was the first we felt was less than perfect. 

Fluke

Dashi, Shallot

After the richness and luxuriousness of the first few dishes, this fluke served as a sort of palate cleanser. It was bright, acidic, and very refreshing, if slightly difficult to eat given the shallowness of the bowl and shape of the spoons we were provided. 

Custard

Roasted Corn, King Crab, Foie Gras, Consommé

In keeping with the Japanese theme, the next course was a riff on chawanmushi. Each little cup contained a steamed egg custard, over which was poured a very rich poultry consommé (chicken? or was it duck?). Al loved this dish, though my taste buds lost the normally rich, luxurious flavor of the crab and foie gras against the intense soup and same-y textures. 

Madai (Sea Bream)

Razor Clams, Dill Sauce

All evening, we watched as one of the chefs tended a bed of Japanese charcoal, using a hand fan to keep the coals glowing. Over the heat, skewered filets of madai were lightly cooked on and off until their desired temperature had been reached. The fish was left juicy and succulent by this painstaking process, with a razor-thin layer of just-crisp skin on the bottom. The sauce was wonderfully creamy (probably a beurre blanc), but tempered with dots of refreshingly bright dill oil and bits of buttery razor clam. Amazing. 

After finishing a very nice bottle of white wine, Al worked with the sommelier to choose this Auguste Clape Cornas to go with the rest of our meal. Though I enjoyed it and thought it paired well with our remaining courses, my tongue's threshold for perceiving the value of wine ends at precisely the $50 mark, so this was a bit lost on me. 

Koshihikari Rice

Saba (Mackerel), Squid Ink

I was excited to receive another mackerel plate, though unfortunately this was the one miss of the night. There was nothing wrong with the dish per se - it was tasty enough - but it simply didn't feel very special or novel compared to any of the others. 

Duck

Vegetables, Mushroom

I recently enjoyed A5 wagyu beef for the first time over at American Cut, one of celebrity chef Marc Forgione's many restaurants. It was an astonishing culinary experience, one which I will not forget any time soon. I mention it because this duck reminded me of that very beef (more than the actual wagyu beef course we were served next!). 

For the better part of an hour, we watched as the same chef tending the charcoal grill meticulously rubbed what appeared to be bone-in poultry carcasses (which we later deduced were these duck breasts) on a nearby flat top. It was as if he was scrubbing the grill with the duck, repeatedly performing "wax on / wax off" in a large circular pattern with two breasts at a time before setting them aside after five minutes and starting again with the next two. As it turns out, there was truly a method behind that madness, as it resulted in the best-cooked duck I've ever had the fortune to experience. 

Everything about the bird was perfect, from the impossibly juicy, fatty meat to the impossibly thin, crispy skin. It needed absolutely nothing else, and in fact I found everything else on the plate to be a minor distraction. Though I love duck, I never imagined I would compare it to ultra quality steak. 

Wagyu Beef

Cippolini Onion, Mustard Sauce

The actual wagyu steak was delicious as well, but as a piece of meat, it did not stand up to the variety I had about a month back. Don't get me wrong, this was a fantastic bit of steak - it was still very beefy and juicy, but it did not possess the near-gelatinous fatty quality I enjoyed last time (which is fine - not all steak need be like that). This was a great main course nonetheless, and I found the mustard sauce to be the real hero of the plate. 

I noticed that the tips of our fork prongs had a burnt metal gradient on them. This tickled me a bit, as it reminded me of some recent model painting I did, which used a painstaking paint process to achieve this same look. 

Fromage Blanc Sorbet

Riesling Gelèe, Cherries

With the savory courses completed, it was on to dessert. First we were offered this lovely little palate cleanser. It was utterly refreshing and reinvigorating, bursting with bright flavors without a trace of heaviness. 

Frozen Corn Soufflé

Corn Custard, Corn Powder, Corn Kernels

I had seen these oddly shaped puffs being carried across the restaurant earlier in the night and speculated as to what they were. They looked vaguely like cotton candy but were in fact a form of frozen soufflé. Leah and I ate something similar a few years back at é by José Andrés in Las Vegas - the appearance was that of an airy bread, but the texture was like ice cream. Same concept here, and I imagine it was made with liquid nitrogen or some other fun trickery. The corn flavor was all over this delightful plate and made for a great sweet/savory experience. 

Jean-Marc Roulot l'Abricot

Our sommelier convinced us (and, apparently, most of the other diners) that this apricot liqueur would pair perfectly with our next dessert, so we obliged and were very happy with the result. 

Vanilla Apricot Cake

The aforementioned dessert was in fact an apricot "cake," though there was no solid crumb to speak of. Instead it was a sort of smooth apricot gel coated in an airy cream-like substance (that may or may not have simply been whipped cream). Though the exterior had the unlikely appearance of mold, the flavor here was spectacular. I found this dessert to be both delicious and innovative, and yes it went wonderfully with the apricot liqueur.

The only minor gripe was that this plate was intended for two people to share - not an issue for close friends like Al and me, though we could imagine the slight discomfort that might be shared by, say, a business worker and client if asked to eat from the same plate (really I just wanted my own entire plate of apricot cake, though). 

Petit Fours

Another example of wishing I had taken some notes. Al remembered the first bite as being "coffee" - it was a little bit like a spherical macaron, with a delicately crunchy exterior, chewy interior, and cream center. I know the spherical yellow balls were white chocolate with a liquid pineapple center, which I loved but Al didn't. Lastly, the little tartlet was surprisingly complex and delicious, leaving us with a very satisfying caramel taste in our mouths as we settled the bill and headed out. 

Some striking scenery greeted us as we exited the grocery store. 

The final menu. You'll notice that there is a typo - they omitted mention of the uni and instead mention kinmedai (albeit in a different spot). While I understand that fine dining restaurants often produce minimalist menus highlighting just the main ingredient, I feel this is a miss and would have liked a bit more detail as to what was in each dish. 

Ultimately, the Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare was an absolutely extraordinary, if slightly imperfect, dining experience. I don't know if I feel it's worth the price, which currently sits at $395 plus tax and gratuity (as well as any drinks) per person, though we paid less since we were locked into pricing from 2019 when we originally made the reservation. The meal was tight, well-executed, and clearly the product of Chef Ramirez's singularly focused mind. While it didn't have the wow factor of something like Eleven Madison Park, I appreciated the restraint and subtlety, which lent to a "true" dining experience rather than something approaching theater.