Disney4me Posted May 27, 2021 Report Share Posted May 27, 2021 Looking for a quick, no-hassle meal in EPCOT? Well, you’ve come to the right review. Spread We’re headed over to the China Pavilion in EPCOT to check in on the eats at Lotus Blossom Cafe with a FULL REVIEW! This spot isn’t a frequent stop for us since the eats are on the more basic side, but we thought it was about time we gave it another chance. So, we passed by the China booth at the current EPCOT festival (our usual China dining preference) and headed on over to Lotus Blossom Cafe. Lotus Blossom is a tucked-away quick-service restaurant located in the China Pavilion. We won’t lie — Lotus Blossom isn’t often our first pick. Here’s the thing — the menu is full of what most consider Chinese food staples — but it’s really not all that unique from what you’d find at your local Chinese take-out place. Lotus Blossom Cafe So, we’re usually more drawn to some of the more unique options around World Showcase. Still, maybe we’re in for a delightful experience? Let’s see! Atmosphere Head to the left of the China Pavilion and you’ll find this spot. You’ll note that there is NO Mobile Order option here. You’ll order with a Cast Member! Lotus Blossom Cafe It’s not typically very crowded so if you’re looking for a quick meal without the line, you might want to head in this direction. Lotus Blossom Cafe Cast Members take your order at the registers, and then you pick everything up from the window. Menus are posted outside the entrance and above the counters. Lotus Blossom Cafe You might notice that social distancing markers and other health measures are in place here, like elsewhere in Disney World. Lotus Blossom Cafe One thing we like about Lotus Blossom is that much of the seating faces inwards towards the China Pavilion which can really help with the immersion. Lotus Blossom Cafe The seating is all open-air but it is covered. You might be toasty on a warm day, but you could find reprieve from the rain too! Lotus Blossom Cafe The seating is all standard tables and chairs in a well-themed outdoor dining space. Seating here is actually pretty plentiful — we rarely have trouble finding a place to sit. If needed, the spot does have access to extra seating at Nine Dragons Restaurant if they run out of tables. You can find dining areas available on either side of the ordering area. Lotus Blossom Cafe If needed, you’ll be able to pick up utensils and paper napkins at the dispensers… Lotus Blossom Cafe …or condiments in the main area. Lotus Blossom Cafe We opted to use the available chopsticks! Lotus Blossom Cafe So, let’s check out the food! Eats Let’s take a look at the Lotus Blossom Cafe menu. Again, this is one quick-service spot that does NOT have Mobile Order. Lotus Blossom Cafe menu The menu features a few appetizer, entree, and kids’ meal options. You’ll probably recognize many of the items as familiar dishes available at lots of Chinese takeout spots. TBH the menu here is relatively the same as it has been for a long time. Many of the options, included some of the entrees, all the apps, and some of the desserts, have been available for a while. We’ve tried many of them in the past! Lotus Blossom Cafe menu It’s not a big menu, but there are still some dessert options as well — namely some unique ice cream flavors (we WILL be giving those a try, so sit tight!). Beverage-wise, you’ve got the standards plus some unique teas and alcoholic options. Lotus Blossom Cafe menu Speaking of unique beverage options, we decided to opt for the Chinese Oolong Hot Tea for $3.29. Yes, it was hot out, but we love a good cup of hot tea. Spread Even though it was quite toasty out (that’s Florida for ya), we really enjoyed this tea! Without any sweetener, it had a mild floral taste and a slight sweetness. It’s served with the teabag still in the water so we let ours sit to cool and steep a little longer. Chinese Oolong Hot Tea This sip would be GREAT for a cool day as it stayed warm for a while, but hot tea fans would probably also enjoy it any time of the year. It was light but still very flavorful! Chinese Oolong Hot Tea For our appetizer, we decided we didn’t need to choose; we got both options! First up, let’s talk about the Pork & Vegetable Egg Rolls for $3.99. Pork & Vegetable Egg Rolls These were pretty straight forward but that doesn’t mean they weren’t tasty! The egg rolls were crispy without being greasy and the portion was a decent size for the price. They weren’t served with sauce but you can grab sauce packets nearby. Altogether, the egg rolls were fine but nothing special. If you’ve really got a hankerin’ for egg rolls they’ll do the job! Pork & Vegetable Egg Rolls We’ll note you can basically get the same egg rolls — for the same price — at Joy of Tea in the China Pavilion out on the main World Showcase drag. We’re a fan of the snacky foods there and the drinks, so if you’d rather get a light bite, that’s a way to go. As for the Pot Stickers, you’re looking at chicken potstickers for $5.50. Potstickers got their name because they tend to literally stick to the pan they’re cooked in until they’re finished cooking. Pot Stickers They had a slight sear on the bottom of them and were juicy on the inside. The potstickers WERE served with a soy sauce-based dipping sauce. Like the egg rolls, this app was cooked well and was tasty but wasn’t anything special. The egg rolls, in contrast, were cheaper and more substantial if you’re on the fence. Pot Stickers Overall when it comes to Lotus Blossom appetizers, you’ll probably be happy if you like American Chinese takeout egg rolls and potstickers. If you’re looking for more gourmet or traditional Chinese foods these would not be recommended. If an EPCOT festival is going on during your visit, the China booth tends to have more flavorful and unique dishes you could try. Pot Stickers Now on to the entree! We opted for the Chicken Fried Rice for $13.50. As a note, all three entree options at this location are priced the same. Chicken Fried Rice Snagging this dish means you’ll find yourself with a serving of Fried Rice with Diced Grilled Chicken served with Egg Roll and Spicy Pickled Napa. Chicken Fried Rice Okay, real talk, it was a decent amount of fried rice but NOT $13.50 worth. Our favorite part was the spicy cabbage (we could have been happy with that as the dish!), but there was not very much of it. This is essentially Disney’s equivalent of kimchi and it’s pretty good! Now, it did have a kick to it so if you don’t love spicy food or cabbage, you might not feel the same way as we did. Chicken Fried Rice The fried rice did have a good amount of diced chicken and mixed vegetables including carrots, corn, and peas. We definitely grabbed some of the sauce packets to add to this dish — and the egg roll that comes with it. Chicken Fried Rice Really, this dish is just basic chicken fried rice. It wasn’t anything special and the price is easily equivalent to two or more dishes from a festival booth that would likely be more exciting and flavorful. A picky eater might find a favorite here, but those looking for something more interesting might want to look elsewhere. Chicken Fried Rice Finally, let’s talk dessert. We got BOTH the dessert options — the Caramel-Ginger Ice Cream and the Lychee Ice Cream. Each one was available for $3.75. Ice Cream A quick note before we get into the taste! The Cast Members were nice enough to hold the ice cream until after we finished our meal so it didn’t melt. We just went back up and showed our receipt. Ask if this is an option during your visit! Ice Cream These are NOT fresh-scooped servings. They come in pre-packaged cups. Unfortunately for us, that meant that both of our ice creams had some light freezer burn on top. What a bummer! Ice Cream The lychee ice cream had a mostly floral taste and a slight sweetness. We preferred the caramel-ginger. The caramel was faint, mostly because the ginger flavor was SUPER strong. If you don’t like ginger, you’ll want to pass on this one. Ice Cream If you really want to try unique flavors, these could be an option. Otherwise, we’d recommend going to L’Artisan des Glaces in the France Pavilion, the Gelateria in Italy, or even just grabbing a Mickey bar. Ice Cream So, should you eat at Lotus Blossom Cafe? Nosh or Not You SHOULD eat at Lotus Blossom Cafe if… You’re a party full of picky eaters. Who doesn’t love a classic Chicken Fried Rice? The offerings on this menu are sure to be similar to your Chinese takeout at home, so they can make for a familiar meal. You’re craving American-style Chinese takeout. Sometimes, you just really want some plain old egg rolls. When you can’t run to your local Chinese spot (because you’re in EPCOT), you can go to Lotus Blossom Cafe. You want to eat outside. EPCOT has a lot of good spots for outdoor dining, but in many cases, you’ll be stuck standing at a table or sitting on a bench. Lotus Blossom Cafe has plenty of outdoor seating that doesn’t make you sit in the sun while you eat. You should SKIP Lotus Blossom Cafe if… You really don’t want to overpay. $13.50 for fried rice isn’t what we’d call cheap — even by Disney World standards! There are plenty of spots in EPCOT where you can pay the same amount for more –and better — food. You’re not specifically craving Chinese food. EPCOT has an amazing variety of eats so we’d have a hard time recommending getting something you could get at home (like Chinese takeout). You’re hoping for unique flavors or sauces. Lotus Blossom Cafe really does just have the basics. If this spot had some fun sauce options, we might be more inclined to visit more often. Overall So, Lotus Blossom Cafe isn’t our favorite. It’s not bad by any means, it’s just there’s so much BETTER in EPCOT. With so many amazing options steps away, it’s pretty hard to justify eating here when you likely can get just as good if not better Chinese food at home. We will say that the service was awesome and we had a pleasant experience, but it’s just not where we’d recommend spending your food money in EPCOT. Whether there’s a festival going on or not, World Showcase is a TROVE of awesome dining options! Consider skipping Lotus Blossom Cafe and snagging some Chinese takeout when you get home instead. That said, if you’ve got picky eaters or need to get food FAST while you’re in World Showcase, it’s a solid option. Still, we don’t think most of the prices are super fair for the portions (aside from those egg rolls — that’s not too bad!). A few steps into the Germany Pavilion or the Mexico Pavilion could mean a better meal. Even popping over to Joy of Tea or the China festival booth could be a better choice. It looks like our review of Lotus Blossom Cafe hasn’t changed all that much. It’s not bad, but it’s just not “where I’m choosing to spend my money and calories in EPCOT” good. Even still, we’ve definitely been there before when sometimes, you just want familiar. This checks that box. As always, stay tuned to DFB for more restaurant reviews from Disney World! Want to see MORE eats from Lotus Blossom? Click here! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! 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Use code WDW2021 at check-out for 25% off the cover price today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ready-to-shop-button.png Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. What do you think of Lotus Blossom? Tell us in the comments! The post Review: Is Lotus Blossom Cafe the Most Basic Food in EPCOT? first appeared on the disney food blog.View the full article Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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