Any time I visit the Moroccan pavilion at Epcot, I feel like I'm transported to another world. It has a lovely authentic vibe. I love trying new things here, and I love Moroccan food. I especially love hummus and olives of any type.Unfortunately, on my last trip, I didn't have many options, but I really wanted to see if they had changed in the past year.
When I first entered, I let the cashier know that I needed to see a chef or manager. Interestingly enough, they brought a chef. It was a very interesting experience, as he did not interact with me at all. The cashier told him that I couldn't gluten or dairy (which he translated in Arabic). The chef then told him basically what I could have. This was very different from the last visit, where they gave me a binder with ingredients. Thankfully, I have a good working knowledge of Moroccan & Middle Eastern food, because I knew that hummus is naturally safe. The chef said I should order the Shawarma Platter with chicken, hummus, olives, lentil salad, and GF/DF bread. Seemed easy enough for me.
The wait did take quite a while, mostly because they had to get the bread around. Interestingly enough, the bread was not GNI or Udi's. The only other place I've encountered this specific bread was at Be Our Guest Restaurant, but I was not able to determine what the brand is.
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| Shawarma Platter modified |
Overall, I found this to be very good. In fact, I wish they would have had this option the last visit (I had the meatballs the last time, which are no longer on the menu). The chicken was a little spicy and very tender. The hummus was excellent, as usual. Unfortunately, the bread was kind of styrofoamy. It had a really weird texture that almost reminded me of the Ener-G rolls. It might have been better if it was warmer, but overall I wasn't a big fan. The olives were awesome--I could have eaten a ton of these. The lentil salad was OK. Probably the thing I liked the least on the plate, but it was still very good.
I really enjoyed this meal here. Thankfully, I didn't get sick, but if you are concerned about ingredients, I would definitely speak up to ask for a binder.
I'd give this a 7 out of 10 for good food, but lackluster allergy interaction/experience.
My son and I were there on Wednesday and we had the same thing! The chef happened to be out front and he told us what we could have and as he was telling us that they had gf rolls to go with it, the castmember working the oven took 2 out of the bag, put them on a plate and put them in the oven. You are right, they were the Ener-G rolls, which do taste like styrofoam, but I was just impressed that they even had them out there and that they were an option for us! I think perhaps another gf guest had just been there right before us because the bag was right out there by the oven and it was still open--was that you maybe? lol ;) Anyway, we both enjoyed our meal, especially since we wanted something other than gf burgers and fries while we were at EPCOT. I even thought of taking a picture and sharing our experience with you! lol :) We were disappointed that there weren't many choices for gf dessert for us in world showcase, especially while the rest of our party were enjoying their delicious gluten-ful and dairy-ful pastries from France! lol So, needless to say, we are REALLY looking forward to your dessert party later this year :)
ReplyDeleteGood to know they are consistent at least with the offerings! I was there on the weekend, so there must have been someone else looking for allergy offerings :) I agree, they are a great option for something different in the World Showcase. As much as I love the allergy friendly chicken tenders, there are only so many I can eat! I agree they don't usually have very good dessert choices. Hope you can make the party this year! :) And anytime you want to share pics, feel free to send them along. I love reviews from other folks and have had some awesome recommendations from people!
DeleteIf you get the ever-G rolls- ask if they can heat or microwave them. They are much better hot than cold.
ReplyDeleteThey actually did microwave them, but they got cool really fast, so I think they didn't heat them long enough. My experience with Ener-G rolls has been that you have to eat them immediately or they turn into lead lol. Thanks for the tip! I have to make sure when I do get them to ask for them to be heated :)
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