India Booth Menu & Review: EPCOT Food & Wine Festival

India’s booth is our next stop as we continue around World Showcase during the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival at Walt Disney World. In this Global Marketplace review, we’ll look at the menu prices, share food photos, and offer thoughts on what is worth your money.

India’s Global Marketplace is a relatively recent addition to EPCOT’s Food & Wine Festival, but features some familiar flavors to Walt Disney World fans. That’s because items here are reminiscent of those found at Animal Kingdom Lodge, particularly at Sanaa, which features “African cooking with Indian flavors” and is one of our favorite restaurants in all of Walt Disney World, and one that’s incredibly underrated.

This Global Marketplace is not quite that good–but it does come pretty close. Given that, the India Global Marketplace is a great way to sample flavors that you might deem as intimidating or exotic without gambling on the cost and time commitment of a full meal at Sanaa…

Here’s the full Global Marketplace food menu for India:

  • Curry-Spiced Crispy Cheese with Mango-Curry Ketchup (Emile’s Fromage Montage item)
  • Potato and Pea Samosa with Coriander-Lime Cream (plant-based item)
  • Chicken Tikka Masala with Fennel-Spiced Yogurt and Naan Bread

India drinks:

  • Mango Lassi (nonalcoholic)
  • Taj Mahal Premium Lager, India
  • SULA Brut Tropicale Sparkling Wine, Nashik
  • SULA Chenin Blanc, Nashik
  • Mango Lassi with Sōmrus Chai Cream Liqueur

Curry-Spiced Crispy Cheese with Mango-Curry Ketchup ($5.25) – For those who are intimidated by Indian cuisine and might find it too exotic, this is the perfect dish. The crispy paneer is essentially mozzarella sticks or fried cheese curds, international edition.

The exterior here provides a nice crunch and the paneer cheese underneath has great texture and flavor. We personally didn’t find the mango-curry ketchup to be necessary, but the flavor is likewise excellent. (This would be an excellent addition to the Fry Basket.)

Potato and Pea Samosa with Coriander-Lime Cream ($5.50) – Although it might look more familiar than the other options, this is probably the most adventurous dish at the India booth. The exterior is a flaky pastry, while the interior is a soft filling.

These samosa have a surprising amount of kick, but that spiciness is mostly countered by the generous drizzle of coriander-lime cream. That refreshing topping also enhances the flavor of the filling, which has a savory and substantial quality despite lacking any meat (real or artificial). All in all, this is shockingly good and downright unexpected–far more interesting and delicious than ordinary samosa.

Chicken Tikka Masala with Fennel-Spiced Yogurt and Naan Bread ($6.25) – The chicken tikka masala itself is quite good with a rich and well-seasoned base. The meat is flavorful and tender, with a melt-in-your-mouth quality. There’s a bit of a kick to the dish, which is nicely offset by the yogurt.

My only complaint here is that our naan was a bit dry and hard, tasting like it had been sitting out under a heat lamp just a tad too long. However, it was a slow day when we ordered this, so it’s a your mileage may vary situation. Either way, it’s another hearty dish we’d recommend. It’s the type of complicated and nuanced entree that you either can’t or won’t make at home, and those are among our favorite things to try at the event.

Overall, we were really impressed with India. Year in and year out, India ranks among our favorite booths at the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival. It’s an especially good option when paying out of pocket, thanks to the low price points by EPCOT festival standards. (For that same reason, it’s not the greatest use of Disney Dining Plan snack credits.)

We are enthusiastic fans of Sanaa, and this is like a ‘Taste of Sanaa,’ so it should come as little surprise that we love it. Even if you’re more of a picky eater, you should still give a couple items here a try, as that could be the introduction you need to the wonderful world of Indian cuisine!

Check out our Global Marketplace Booth Menus & Photos for the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival Booth Menus post if you want to see and read more about every menu this year! You’ll also want to read our full 2024 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival Guide before you go to get an idea of what to do, strategy for the festival (yes, you will need a strategy), and much more!

Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!

YOUR THOUGHTS

What do you think of the India Global Marketplace? Have you tried any of the three food items at this booth? What did you think of them? What would you think of EPCOT adding a permanent Sanaa-style restaurant to World Showcase? Questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!

5 Responses to “India Booth Menu & Review: EPCOT Food & Wine Festival”
  1. Chris D November 17, 2021
  2. Lisa L. September 23, 2018
  3. Amanda September 7, 2018
  4. Leigh September 4, 2018
  5. Mary Kendall September 4, 2018

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