The food is half the fun of a Walt Disney World vacation.
Sure, we all love popular Disney mainstays like Dole Whips, School Bread, Turkey Legs, and The Grey Stuff, but a trip to the Most Magical Place on Earth is an opportunity to embrace our adventurous side. Instead of sticking to the same ol’ hum-drum Mickey pops and chili dogs, on your next trip, take a walk on the wild side and tantalize your taste buds with these five mouth-watering Disney dishes that you aren’t likely to find at home.
1. The Egyptian Kushari at Jiko: The Cooking Place (Animal Kingdom Lodge)
Image: Disney
If you’re a regular follower of Theme Park Tourist, you may have heard us unabashedly gush about the Egyptian Kushari at Jiko: The Cooking Place before. While pretty much everything on Jiko’s eclectic menu is delicious, the Kushari is an easy-to-miss treasure generally considered an enhancement for the restaurant’s zesty entrees. We first encountered it when visiting with several special-diet friends who ordered it as an entrée from the vegan menu.
It’s not often that a vegan dish outshines its carnivore-friendly counterparts, but the Egyptian Kushari does so in spades with a delicious mix of grains, lentils, richly seasoned vegetables, olives, and spices that combine into a near perfect dish. We couldn’t have enough of it, and unlike so many decadent choices at Walt Disney World, you actually finish the dish feeling pretty good that you ate something healthy but filling during your trip. Whether you order it as an entrée or a side, don’t miss this truly satisfying Disney delight.
2. The Truffle Fries at The BOATHOUSE (Disney Springs)
Image: Disney
Like Jiko, you don’t need a park admission to enjoy upscale waterfront dining at Disney Springs’ The BOATHOUSE. Yes, they really do officially spell the name in all caps, and yes, it does sound just like the shouts of culinary bliss you might release after eating there—it’s that good. For the sake of not sounding hangry, we’ll just spell it like normal.
The Boathouse’s new American menu is filled with a rich range of delicious choices, but one of their sides stood out to us above all others—the Truffle Fries. Like the Kushari, it would be easy to miss this decadent treat if you don’t read the menu closely. This hearty serving of near-perfect French fries seems fairly normal at first glance. After all, how good could fries possibly be, even at Walt Disney World?
Sure, the truffle fries come with a darn tasty lemon aioli (and this is coming from someone who hates mayonnaise with a passion) and a zesty sprinkling of parmesan and herbs, but the real star here is the truffle oil. If you have never had truffle fries, there is no way to describe them except as an explosion of flavor that just might have you spontaneously shouting BOATHOUSE from your seat. Seriously, even if you don’t plan to eat a full meal, stop by on your next visit to indulge in some of these absurdly addictive fries.
3. Shiriki Noodle Salad at Jungle Navigation Co. Skipper Canteen (Magic Kingdom)
Image: Jett Farrell-Vega (@mykingdomforamouse Instagram)
It’s no secret that we have a soft spot for Magic Kingdom’s quirky Adventureland restaurant, Jungle Navigation Co. Skipper Canteen. While a large part of the charm of this truly unique mess hall remains its hilarious wait staff (many of whom are off duty Jungle Cruise skippers), the food is a serious contender for Magic Kingdom table service dining. In proper form for Adventureland, Jungle Navigation offers a wide range of off-kilter choices on its menu, but one of our frequent favorites remains the Shiriki Noodle Salad.
The concept for the salad is simple enough: chilled rice noodles, mushrooms, edamame, cucumber, and green mango tossed in sweet chili sauce. Trivia fans might catch the clever reference to Tokyo DisneySea’s Hotel Hightower (aka The Tower of Terror) in the menu description. I’m not certain if it’s the sauce or the blend of ingredients, but the resulting dish is flavorful and wonderfully refreshing on a hot Florida day. The rice noodles may not be to the liking of all diners, but if you enjoy healthy eats on the adventurous side, definitely give the Shiriki Noodle Salad a try. You might even get to enjoy the restaurant’s majestic views of the backside of water and the Great Wall of China.
It never gets old… (Image: Jett Farrell-Vega)
4. Curry Pods at Satul’i Canteen (Disney’s Animal Kingdom, World of Pandora)
Image: Jett Farrell-Vega
Satul’i Canteen (yeah, Disney’s Imagineers have a thing for “canteens” lately) has quickly become one of our favorite counter service locations in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. This delightfully geeky restaurant takes a fun sci-fi twist on the same concept as your neighborhood noodle/rice bowl stop, giving all the dishes an immersive, alien feel that allows viewers to taste some of the famed cuisine of Pandora. While most of the attention goes to the restaurant’s delicious bowls and wacky-looking desserts, you’ll be missing out if you don’t try the canteen’s savory steamed “pod” bao buns.
Satul’i Canteen offers two varieties. Most guests seem to lean towards the Cheeseburger Steamed Pods, which many visitors say taste astonishingly close to a McDonalds cheeseburger. If you’re looking for something zestier, I recommend the Vegetable Curry Steamed Pods. Spicy and flavorful, the curry pods take the best parts of a vegetable samosa and put them in a soft, tasty package that just screams the-Navi-would-approve. Visitors can either get the pods as a smaller side portion or as a full meal. If you like spices and curry, don’t miss them.
5. Liquid Nitro Almond Truffle from The Chocolate Studio (Epcot Food and Wine Festival)
Image: Jett Farrell-Vega
With an ever-changing menu, it is difficult to predict what dishes will be available each year at Epcot’s Annual Food and Wine Festival. However, Disney has shown a pattern of bringing back certain visitor favorites year after year. With the festival now lasting longer than ever (throughout nearly the entirety of fall), we felt confident to include one of our favorite desserts from the festival the last few years: the Liquid Nitro Almond Truffle with Warm Whiskey Caramel from The Chocolate Studio (and oh what a tasty mouthful it is).
I will admit, the Liquid Nitro Truffle is not one of Disney’s prettiest desserts. Actually, in most honest photos, it looks downright awful. If aesthetics are important to you, you might be a little upset when they hand you yours. Don’t panic. The Nitro Truffle might be the ugliest-yet-most-delicious dessert in all of Walt Disney World.
The consistency is vaguely similar to a cross between ice cream and merengue. The chocolate flavor is rich and the texture pleasantly complex, making each bite something of a surprise. Don’t get too excited about the whiskey part, but the caramel and almonds still add a nice note to the dish. A dip in liquid nitrogen gives the whole thing both an airiness and keeps it nice and cold for a toasty day. The Liquid Nitro Almond Truffle has been a festival hit for more than four years, so it’s a good guess that Disney will keep this guest favorite on the menu for the long term.
What is your favorite unusual dish at Walt Disney World?
