Or
The Tale of a Very UN-Disney Dinner
I had been very excited to try Marrakesh, located in the back of the Moroccan pavilion in Epcot. I was looking forward to spicy foods, Hummus, and Falafel. I booked this very early on, and it was one of the few reservations that didnt get modified in some way through the planning process!
We wanted to dress nicely and try to find a PhotoPass person somewhere that evening we were in luck!
We were seated immediately when we arrived. My first impression was that it was nicely themed
very open inside, dim lighting, and the band was already playing. We were seated with a great view of them (and later of the belly dancer). The downside to the restaurant was the noise volume. It was really loud for it to look so pretty! Also, we were seated right in between two other tables, and pretty much were involved in each others business the entire time.
Our waiter came and immediately asked if we were ready to order. We had only sat down moments before and hadnt even opened the menu yet. I said we would like to start with some drinks, but would need to look at the menu first. A few moments later, he came back, took our drink order, and again asked if we knew what we wanted to order. I had to remind him that I was Vegan (he had already noted this when he took our table ticket), and he said he would have to go talk to the chef to see if they would be able to accommodate me that evening or not. Really
he said that.
He came back about five minutes later, saying they could do the sampler appetizer for me with Falafel and Hummus. I asked about the fryer oil
having heard they cooked everything together. He came back after discussing this with the chef apparently not only was it cooked in the same oil, but it contained eggs. I was happy to know the chef was paying that much attention the first time!
The waiter had brought bread out with him upon his return, but he told me I could not have it. I loved the irony that he brought out packets of butter, as well! (Isnt the presentation very Moroccan? Who knew Borden was a foreign brand?!) Anyway, he told me that I would be able to only have the hummus as an appetizer, but the Pita was no good for me as it contained Dairy. At this point, I just looked at him and asked what he expected me to do with the hummus. It was really getting ridiculous, because I know that at Tangerine Café, they have options for people with allergies and special diets. Again, he went to speak with the chef.
And again, he came back, finally with our drinks this time. I had ordered the
Tangier Breeze, which was very good, and Jeremy had the
Casa Beer, also delightful.
Our waiter informed me that the chef said they had a pita that was egg/dairy free, but that I was not allowed to have it, since it came from a factory that processed both of those ingredients. That doesnt really bother me, and definitely doesnt make me physically sick, so I told him I would just take that. And he said
NO. The chef would not allow me to have it, because the packaging specifically said This is Not Vegan. I promise
he told me this!
At this point, Jeremy asked me if I wanted to leave. He was as upset as I was and hated that I couldnt have much to eat. I almost left when he suggested it, but realized we would have over an hour wait anywhere else, and I was starving. I decided to stay and tough it out.
The waiter had determined that I could have the Moroccan Salad as an appetizer. Jeremy, ever patient on the other end of the table, ordered the Beef Rolls.
The
Moroccan Salad was actually delicious. (None of the pictures turned out well...I'm sorry!). He had allowed me to get the two person appetizer, even though this wasnt on the Deluxe Dining Plan for just one person (Jeremy and I could have shared, however). According to the menu, the salad contained Green pepper, tomato, marinated olives, carrots, potatoes and cucumber salad. It was very flavorful, spicy and I loved the smaller samples of different items.
Jeremys
Beef Rolls were another story. He said they were ok, but they contained cinnamon, sugar and honey along with the beef. More than anything, I think it was just a very weird combination.
We ordered our entrees next, and I decided to keep the huge salad appetizer for backup
just in case.
Jeremy ordered the
Beef Kebabs, served with Veggies and Hummus. He said there was nothing Moroccan about this dish; nothing out of the ordinary or different than any other mediocre Kebabs hes had in the past. (He let me have his hummus!)
I had the
Seven Vegetable Couscous. The waiter went to great lengths to tell me numerous times that the chef had to make a separate dish for me, because they only had one huge batch they serve to everyone else. (Glad the foods fresh for everyone else
hmmm) First, let me say there were only four vegetables on this plate. Not only that, but I couldnt even tell you what those four were. The entire dish tasted the same and had the same texture. It tasted like
.NOTHING. Unless Im sick with a stopped up nose, Ive never eaten anything that literally had zero flavor. I could have been eating textured air and it would have had the same effect. Each vegetable also was the texture of the couscous; very mushy.
For Dessert, Jeremy got the
Bastilla, which was a pastry topped with cream and almonds. He mentioned that it mostly tasted like room temperature whip cream not a fan.
I was only able to get the
Fruit Plate, which I welcomed at this point. However, it only contained filler fruits
mostly Honeydew, Cantaloupe, and Apples. I'm sorry for the horrible pictures...the lighting was terrible for photos!
Our Out of Pocket total would have been
107.14, which was one of the most expensive meals of our trip. I really felt like we wasted a meal credit this night, and would have gladly just eaten at a quick service if it meant getting something delicious with better service! We will not be back I even thought about writing Disney about how terrible this meal was.
Im sorry to have been so negative about this dining experience! I tried to see the good points, but there just werent many. The belly dancer however, was fantastic!
I got them from the DIS. Last year someone had posted a thread of all these cute avatars for people to use.
