Pop Eats Food Booth Review: Epcot Arts Festival
The Pop Eats Food Studio is next up in our Epcot International Festival of the Arts coverage. This Walt Disney World dining review features real world photos of every food and dessert on the menu, plus thoughts on each dish.
Among Walt Disney World fans, Pop Eats is one of the most popular booths. (You can tell that’s a great pun because I had to italicize part of the word so you’d know it was a pun.) It serves up a couple desserts that have become marketing and social media mainstays, along with a couple of lesser-known food items.
While not everything on the Pop Eats menu is a home run with me, I think this is the type of booth that the Epcot Festival of the Arts should be doing. This is a strong differentiator from other Epcot festivals, and the Food Studio most in keeping with the spirit of the event…
Here’s what’s on the menu at the Pop Eats Food Studio:
- Sous Vide Poulet Rouge Chicken Roulade with Apples and Sage served with Warm Brie Fondue, Blueberry and Beet Gel and garnished with Apple and Beet Chips (GF)
- Shrimp Ceviche with Lime Mint Foam (GF)
- Almond Frangipane Cake layered with Raspberry Jam and Callebaut Belgian Chocolate (V)
- Pop’t Art: Modern-design Sugar Cookie with Strawberry Filling (V)
Now let’s take a look at our photos and reviews of each food item…
First up is the Sous Vide Poulet Rouge Chicken Roulade, one of the festival’s more inventive and ambitious dishes–and one that receives slight tweaks each year (compare the dish in the top photo, which is from last year, to the one above, which is this year).
This is truly artfully presented, and the variety of flavors present is really something. While we found these were interesting and delicious on their own, the blueberry, beet, and apple accompaniments didn’t do the best job of complementing or enhancing the flavor of the chicken, which was also delicious on its own.
We’d nonetheless recommend this, just be aware that the whole might be less than the sum of its parts.
The Shrimp Ceviche is a deceptively ambitious dish.
The lime foam adds a layer of sophistication, I guess, but the stars of the show lie underneath, where you’ll find a surprising portion of marinated shrimp and some peppers that bring a bit of heat. It’s better than what you’d expect from an Epcot festival dish.
Moving to desserts, we have the Pop’t Art, which is a clever pun or a devious way of sidestepping trademarks: you be the judge.
People love these, but we think that’s primarily for the gimmick and/or photogenic quality. We haven’t met one of these that wasn’t way too heavy handed with the sugar and artificial flavors.
Last but not least from the food menu, the Almond Frangipane Cake. Stylized to resemble a Piet Mondrian painting, this cake is delicious and photogenic.
We’ve ordered several of these in the last few years, and have found each piece we’ve had to be moist and with a nice balance of berry jam and chocolate flavors. Others have had less success (we’ve heard of semi-frozen pieces), but that has never been an issue for us.
Finally, a quick look at the #RainbowSherbertGlitterDreamAle from the drink menu. Yes, you read that name correctly.
You know how they say that a person with a gold toilet, framed fake magazine covers of themselves, and tycoon-style “reality” television show is a poor person’s idea of a rich person? Well, I feel like this drink is a boomer’s idea of what millennials like. Not only is the name a hashtag, but it’s a fruity beer with glitter added to it. It’s like Goldschläger for…eh, I won’t finish that joke.
Here are your other options in terms of drinks at the Pop Eats Food Studio:
- Blue Sky Black Cherry Boba Freeze (non-alcoholic)
- #RainbowSherbertGlitterDreamAle by Playalinda Brewing Co., Titusville, FL
- Popping Bubbles Cocktail
Overall, the Pop Eats Food Studio is generally one of the “cooler” and more fun booths at this year’s Epcot International Festival of the Arts. While we can’t get behind the Pop’t Art, we really enjoy everything else here. It’s a favorite stop among Walt Disney World fans for good reason, and is the type of thing Festival of the Arts if the culinary angle of this event isn’t simply to have it be “Food & Wine Part IV.”
Check out our Food Guide to the Epcot International Festival of the Arts if you want to see and read more about every Food Studio this year, what to eat & avoid, and other tips for making the most of the culinary side of the event. As this event isn’t just about the cuisine, you’ll also want to read our full Epcot International Festival of the Arts Tips & Tricks post for info about the non-culinary side of the festivities. That covers the Disney on Broadway concert series, visual arts, performing arts, participatory arts, 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 Pop Eats Food Studio? Have you tried any of the food items at this booth? What did you think of them? Do you agree that Pop Eats is one of the more clever and interesting Food Studios at the Epcot International Festival of the Arts? 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!
