Belgium Dishes Out Mixed Feelings at Epcot Food and Wine

Should you head to the Belgium booth as you dine around the world? We have mixed feelings about this Epcot Food and Wine booth. Let us know your thoughts after reading!

Epcot International Food & Wine Festival

The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival is revving up at Walt Disney World. Members of your Kenny the Pirate writing crew have headed to the festival to check out some of the flavors for you. We are eating around the world so that you will know what’s a hit and what’s a miss before you fork over your hard-earned Disney dollars.

This year’s festival offers plenty of Global Marketplaces featuring flavors from around the world. You can check out all the Global Marketplaces available right here!

Belgium at Epcot Food and Wine Festival

In the past, Belgium has been one of the stronger Global Marketplaces. And, this year it was a bit of a mixed bag.

You can find it situated between France and Morocco (or Morocco and France depending on whether you are a “Start in Canada” or a “Start in Mexico” person.

This Global Marketplace has several options this year:

• Beer-Braised Beef served with Smoked Gouda Mashed Potatoes
• Belgian Waffle with Warm Chocolate Ganache
• Belgian Waffle with Berry Compote and Whipped Cream

Beef and waffles? I (Katie) am sold!  We ordered everything on the menu. The cast members shared with me that they call this order a “full house” when they prepare it for Guests.

Waffles

This year both waffle offerings were delightful. And, if you travel with kids and want to introduce them to eating around the world, this is a great starter booth for them thanks to the appeal of the waffles. For another dish that your picky eaters will enjoy, click here.

We had a child who doesn’t like much of anything along with us in our group. He asked to taste the chocolate ganache waffle, and he ended up finishing it. The ganache is rich and plentiful and pairs perfectly with the malted golden goodness that makes up the waffle.

If the fruit is more your speed than chocolate, the waffle also tastes amazing with the berry compote. It is not overly sweet like competes can be. It has just the right balance of sweet and tart.

Honestly, I do not know which I prefer. They are both fantastic. In fact, instead of Belgium waffles, I would venture to call them BelgiYUM waffles. (Please, don’t close the browser). And at $5 each, they are a fair enough value if you want them both.

Beer Braised Beef

This year, for the first time ever, I would say your experience will probably be best if you stick to the waffles and skip the beef. I have never been disappointed by the Belgium beef dish. But this year, it just wasn’t great.

The flavor is not bad. It just is not the greatness that is typically served. It was a bit bland and really more like a canned beef stew than what I have come to expect based on past experience. Maybe it was an off day for Belgium.

The beer braised beef dish costs $5.75. If you want beef, you might consider instead opting for a beef dish like the mushroom filet in Canada instead. It is typically superior.

Have you had Belgium’s Food & Wine offerings this year or in years past? Are they on your wishlist? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook page. Or, keep the conversation going and share them with us in our crew, too!