Eating around the world
DW and I love to make a meal out of the different snack offerings of the countries in world showcase. We had hit the Canada and Great Britain pavilions on the way out to a nap in the early afternoon, and so we had the rest of WS to do that evening. TIP: try the fruit and nut Cadbury bar that you can get in Britain. It's delicious, a very creamy milk chocolate with nuts and dried fruit embedded in it...I'm not a huge fan of chocolate and fruit, but this is GOOD!
Overall: A
Our first stop was France where we picked up a Ham and Cheese croissant for DW. She had seen pictures on the DIS and had to try it. It was very good. They heat it up for you in what looks like one of those ovens they have now at Subway (a super-quick convection oven, I assume?). The ham had a really good flavor and paired well with the buttery croissant and cheese. I believe it was some sort of swiss cheese, but the sign didn't say. This was a good'n. I also picked up some madelines for the kids (they had fallen asleep again). Didn't try them myself, but they seemed to like them.
Overall: A-
While she was eating that, I got a Gray Goose Lemon Squishee. Thanks for the tip on that one, Brenda. VERY VERY good...picture an adult version of a really good frozen lemonade. They also had a bunch of wines in that stand, including one of my favorites, Beaujolais, but I decided one drink was good for now.
Overall: A
On our way out of France, we saw the creperie. I like to make crepes at home, and one of our favorite things to do is just put a little butter and turbinado sugar on them. We decided to try this one, and it was pretty good. They used regular granulated sugar (which I assume is actually more "French"), and it had been pre-made, then reheated, but it was still pretty good.
Overall: B-
In Japan, we like to spend some time in the "hello kitty' department store. Being an engineer, I like the cool little robotic toys they have there, the kids like the other odd toys, and DW likes just about all of it. Also, I really like to check out the strange snack foods there (we actually saw a bag of what looked like dried mini CRABS - NOT cuddlefish...CRABS - still in the shell!). I picked up a bag of crunchy coated nuts that turned out to be pretty darn good.
Overall: B
By now the kids were getting hungry, and we had made it to Germany. We gave them the choice of.....what else? Sausage or pretzel! They chose pretzel. It was good...kinda dry, though. I think they have 3 different places they sell pretzels. WE got it from the stand that sells beer. I wonder how long they're sitting there before people by them, and I wonder if they're better if you go inside to the CS place. DD and DS seemed to like it, and it wasn't bad, but nothing special.
Overall: C+
As we made it to China, I was starting to get kinda hungry for "real" food. I had been snacking, but I needed something of substance. I decided against the Chinese CS place, thinking it wouldn't be worth making everyone stand in line for what I could get at any Chinese food court restaurant. DW was thirsty, so she got a lemon lychee iced green tea. She and the kids loved it. I thought it was ok...a little too sweet for me, and it tasted a little too much like green tea, which I'm not a fan of, but it WAS refreshing
Overall: B
Next was the stop we had all been waiting for. I'm a huge fan of coconut, and who doesn't love a good cream filled doughnut. Enter Schoolbread! I actually have a picture of this one!
I had been wanting to try this one since reading about it on the boards. I would say it lived up to the hype. And, at about $2.50, it's a steal! It's a giant yeast doughnut with interesting spices (cardamom? cinnamon? nutmeg?) filled with a creamy custard, topped with icing and coconut. It's just delicious. Highly recommended. We also picked up a berry cream horn, which was good, but unremarkable.
Overall: A
I still hadn't had any what I call "real food" so on our way back to the International gateway, I picked up another ham and cheese croissant for now and some chocolate croissants and a peach tart for breakfast. The pastries were very good. My wife is a chocolate croissant connesieur ever since our pre-kids trip to France. She seemed to like it. DS and DD didn't seem too interested in it the next day, though. The peach tart was delicious...a flakey puff pastry on the bottom with pastry cream and sliced peaches. Highly recommended if you see it in the case when you're there.
Overall: A-
That's it for Day 2. Stay tuned for Day 3 with Libery Tree Tavern lunch, Aloha Isle, and Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe!
DW and I love to make a meal out of the different snack offerings of the countries in world showcase. We had hit the Canada and Great Britain pavilions on the way out to a nap in the early afternoon, and so we had the rest of WS to do that evening. TIP: try the fruit and nut Cadbury bar that you can get in Britain. It's delicious, a very creamy milk chocolate with nuts and dried fruit embedded in it...I'm not a huge fan of chocolate and fruit, but this is GOOD!
Overall: A
Our first stop was France where we picked up a Ham and Cheese croissant for DW. She had seen pictures on the DIS and had to try it. It was very good. They heat it up for you in what looks like one of those ovens they have now at Subway (a super-quick convection oven, I assume?). The ham had a really good flavor and paired well with the buttery croissant and cheese. I believe it was some sort of swiss cheese, but the sign didn't say. This was a good'n. I also picked up some madelines for the kids (they had fallen asleep again). Didn't try them myself, but they seemed to like them.
Overall: A-
While she was eating that, I got a Gray Goose Lemon Squishee. Thanks for the tip on that one, Brenda. VERY VERY good...picture an adult version of a really good frozen lemonade. They also had a bunch of wines in that stand, including one of my favorites, Beaujolais, but I decided one drink was good for now.
Overall: A
On our way out of France, we saw the creperie. I like to make crepes at home, and one of our favorite things to do is just put a little butter and turbinado sugar on them. We decided to try this one, and it was pretty good. They used regular granulated sugar (which I assume is actually more "French"), and it had been pre-made, then reheated, but it was still pretty good.
Overall: B-
In Japan, we like to spend some time in the "hello kitty' department store. Being an engineer, I like the cool little robotic toys they have there, the kids like the other odd toys, and DW likes just about all of it. Also, I really like to check out the strange snack foods there (we actually saw a bag of what looked like dried mini CRABS - NOT cuddlefish...CRABS - still in the shell!). I picked up a bag of crunchy coated nuts that turned out to be pretty darn good.
Overall: B
By now the kids were getting hungry, and we had made it to Germany. We gave them the choice of.....what else? Sausage or pretzel! They chose pretzel. It was good...kinda dry, though. I think they have 3 different places they sell pretzels. WE got it from the stand that sells beer. I wonder how long they're sitting there before people by them, and I wonder if they're better if you go inside to the CS place. DD and DS seemed to like it, and it wasn't bad, but nothing special.
Overall: C+
As we made it to China, I was starting to get kinda hungry for "real" food. I had been snacking, but I needed something of substance. I decided against the Chinese CS place, thinking it wouldn't be worth making everyone stand in line for what I could get at any Chinese food court restaurant. DW was thirsty, so she got a lemon lychee iced green tea. She and the kids loved it. I thought it was ok...a little too sweet for me, and it tasted a little too much like green tea, which I'm not a fan of, but it WAS refreshing
Overall: B
Next was the stop we had all been waiting for. I'm a huge fan of coconut, and who doesn't love a good cream filled doughnut. Enter Schoolbread! I actually have a picture of this one!
I had been wanting to try this one since reading about it on the boards. I would say it lived up to the hype. And, at about $2.50, it's a steal! It's a giant yeast doughnut with interesting spices (cardamom? cinnamon? nutmeg?) filled with a creamy custard, topped with icing and coconut. It's just delicious. Highly recommended. We also picked up a berry cream horn, which was good, but unremarkable.
Overall: A
I still hadn't had any what I call "real food" so on our way back to the International gateway, I picked up another ham and cheese croissant for now and some chocolate croissants and a peach tart for breakfast. The pastries were very good. My wife is a chocolate croissant connesieur ever since our pre-kids trip to France. She seemed to like it. DS and DD didn't seem too interested in it the next day, though. The peach tart was delicious...a flakey puff pastry on the bottom with pastry cream and sliced peaches. Highly recommended if you see it in the case when you're there.
Overall: A-
That's it for Day 2. Stay tuned for Day 3 with Libery Tree Tavern lunch, Aloha Isle, and Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe!