Author: Canadian Diva
Before I give you my thoughts on this quick service restaurant located in the China Pavilion of Epcot’s World Showcase, let me give you a little bit of background about myself.
My mother is originally from Hong Kong, and immigrated to Canada where she had me, then my sister! My parents separated when I was young. My mother will be the first to tell you, she HATES cooking, and being a single mom, working long hours, my sister and I ate a lot of Chinese Take Out! On the weekends we would eat at the various Chinese restaurants in and around the Toronto area, which I heard, has arguably some of the best Cantonese Food in the world, thanks to the large immigrant population from Hong Kong during the 70’s and 80’s and the top chefs that came over during that time.
So needless to say, eating at Chinese Restaurants and Chinese fast food has been a staple of my diet growing up. I am very picky when it comes to Chinese food and I make it a point not to eat Chinese food outside of Toronto (unless I’m in Asia) because I don’t want to be disappointed with what I’m going to eat – unless it’s an Asian Fusion type restaurant.
I never intended to eat at the Lotus Blossom Café because I knew what I was going to expect from a Disney-fied version of Chinese Food. So why in Mickey’s name did I even attempt to eat here if I was already being unabashedly biased?
My daughter wanted noodles. Asian noodles. Any Asian noodles. She is a very picky eater, but give her a plate or bowl of Asian noodles and she will devour it! We call her the “Noodle Monster.” After being away from home for a week, she needed a noodle fix. My husband also wanted steamed white rice which is a major staple of his Filipino background. So when we were in Epcot, I caved from my bias and we ate at the Lotus Blossom Café.
Was it authentic? Except for the Cast Members working there, with untypical Disney mannerisms (yet typical of a real Chinese restaurant) shouting in Cantonese and Mandarin, the orders and “Hurry UP!”, the food is pretty Westernized. We were on the Dining Plan, so my daughter took my “Adult” Quick Service credit by ordering the Beef Noodle Soup. My husband ordered the Orange Chicken with steamed rice and I ordered off the Children’s menu, the sweet and sour chicken on steamed rice.
The food is okay. If you are into authentic Chinese food, STAY AWAY from here. But if you want just basic Chinese-like food that is not too adventurist, but enough to fill your stomach, then I suppose you should try it (although I would rather try the better Quick Service options around World Showcase). My husband was quite happy with his steamed white rice with any meat. My daughter liked her Beef Noodle soup, but it wasn’t the best or what she is used to. It had flavor, but was more watered down than what we would normally eat. And the Sweet and Sour chicken, which I would not eat in an authentic Chinese restaurant, was again – just okay.
Can I tell you what I was surprised with?
For dessert we ordered the Lychee Ice Cream and the Caramel Ginger Ice Cream. The Lychee Ice Cream is one of the BEST ice cream I have ever tasted! I LOVED IT. I have pretty unique taste in Ice Cream flavors, my favorite flavors are Green Tea, Ube or Taro (a type of yam) as well as mung bean or red bean. This Lychee Ice Cream was perfect. They did not use powder (which I have had tasted in other lychee ice cream, which was just simulated lychee flavor), there were real tiny flecks of lychees in it but not too big or it would make the ice cream watery. The consistency was wonderful and the taste AMAZING. The Caramel Ginger Ice Cream was really good too.
Diva Tip: If you are on the Disney Dining Plan, for any Quick Service offering frozen desserts eligible on the plan, you can order your entree, have your receipt stamped and pick up your ice cream order after you eat your meal.
Would I eat here again?
If my daughter was having another noodle soup craving and my husband desperately needed his steamed white rice fix.. for them, yes. Also, I wouldn’t mind trying the Hong Kong curry dish in the future. But DEFINITELY, when I am in the World Showcase at Epcot [PRINT], I will be getting me some LYCHEE ICE CREAM. Maybe I will order two of them- it’s that GOOD!
The Lotus Blossom Café is only available for Lunch and Dinner. There is a covered seating area as well as some outdoor seating as well.
Have you been to the Lotus Blossom Café? Let me know your thoughts.
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