The One Culinary Experience Missing From Disney’s World Showcase

Yesterday, as I read Jackie’s article about the new restaurant coming to the EPCOT’s World Showcase Japan Pavilion, my mouth started to water. I love Sushi, and seeing these Japanese dishes coming to a table service location is very exciting for me. I was so enthused when I saw the images accompanying that article that they sparked an old Disney wish I’ve had for a long time.

There isn’t much in the way of culinary influences you can’t enjoy at the Disney Parks, especially in EPCOT’s World Showcase, where the focus shifts from traditional Western cuisine and pays closer attention to the heritage of each country along each pavilion. However, I am still desperately missing one type of food, Yum Cha.

In the USA, many of you call it Dim Sum, though, for those unfamiliar, this is a delicious practice of hot tea and small plates of tasty food like dumplings, buns, and vegetables. Traditionally, the food is offered on carts that are pushed around the restaurant, which means that it can be a great way to see what you are ordering for first timers, and, similar to a Sushi Train situation, you can easily tailor the experience to as much or as little food as everyone feels like.

You might even remember me pushing for this a few years ago when I was armchair Imagineering a new spin on the Nine Dragons dining location. It seems like the only glaringly obvious missed opportunity that hasn’t been embraced. If you have a look at the Crystal Lotus in the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel, you can see some of the cute dishes that Disney have stamped their twist onto:

  • Mickey’s Seafood Glutinous Pancake
  • Three Little Pigs Barbecue Pork Bun
  • Duffy & ShellieMay Steamed Sweet Bun
  • Little Green Men Pork and Vegetable Bun
  • Baymax Bun
  • Mickey’s Double-Layer Turnip and Taro Pudding
  • Duffy Coconut Pudding

I’ve made myself hungry just thinking about it, but I won’t give up until I see some hot, steamy dumplings offered for table service somewhere in EPCOT. What Dim Sum dish would you like to see turned into a Disney Dining experience?

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