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Old 4 Apr 18, 11:32 PM  
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#211
Goldia
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I've never been that fussed about trying out the Rose and Crown since we could go to a British pub any time really...but the food does look good in the photos. I nominate are just so many restaurants to try at wdw that I've not really considered it properly.

Now, Hoop dee doo, on the other hand, has been on my wishlist for ages. I'm desperate to try it out so seeing your review is making this a firm favourite for next time.
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Old 5 Apr 18, 10:37 AM  
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So the wait for free dining continues More time for me to change our choice of resort next year ten times over.

DAY 13
Tuesday 3rd October 2017

CORAL REEF

Back to Epcot for lunch again, this time in Future World at Coral Reef, where we had booked the Eat to the Beat dining package. We were seated at a table just across from the tanks which was great, as the whole point of dining here is to see the fish.



You can view the current menu here.



Our server, who seemed very overworked, brought us some bread. This was one of the more lacklustre bread services we had, although it was a pleasant surprise as we hadn’t been offered many at lunch. I don’t like floury rolls, they are messy, like ribs haha.



Yet another Lobster BisqueCream, Brandy, Chervil for Nik. I tasted this and thought it was very peppery, but he loved it, you can’t see in the picture but there was chunks of lobster hidden in the bowl.



I had Crab CakeLump Crab Cakes, Fennel-Citrus Salad, Remoulade Sauce. This was probably the worst dish of the trip for me, the crab cakes were served cold and I just thought they were awful, the texture didn’t work chilled. I couldn’t even force myself to eat them out of politeness.



I couldn’t go to Coral Reef and not order seafood, so I followed my crab cakes with Shrimp and Grits Sauteed Shrimp, Cheddar Cheese, Grits, Local Corn Succotash, Andouille Sausage, Creole Spice Emulsion. I had always been drawn to the mahi mahi dish but I changed my mind at the last minute, it was the cheese that drew me in. This made up for the disappointment of my starter, the shrimp were plump and juicy, but so many of them! The grits were gorgeous, although not as good as Narcoossee’s Barbecue Shrimp and Grits dish I had last year - that one is out of this world.



Nik had Grilled 8-oz Center-cut New York Strip SteakSour Cream-Cheddar-Chive Mashed Potatoes with Bacon and Bercy Butter. This was the first time he had ordered a steak that wasn’t a fillet, and he was nervous, he ordered it medium, but unfortunately it was overdone. This wasn’t the most appetising looking of dishes, the mash looks like Smash!



For dessert we both had Baileys and Jack Daniel’s MousseChocolate Ganache, Caramel Crisp. This was the highlight of the meal, kind of like a giant zebra dome. I am so glad I broke my rule of us not being allowed to order the same thing because this was SO yummy.

The Eat to the Beat Dining Package guarantees you seating at one of that evening’s performances by whichever guest artist is appearing. Today was American Authors. This costs two table service credits per person or $69 per adult. The package includes three courses on both the Dining Plan and the Deluxe Dining Plan. The majority of Epcot restaurants offer this package during Food and Wine but the price varies.

If we hadn’t had the DxDP we wouldn’t have bothered with this as the cost is quite steep, especially when you compare our Signature dinner at Tiffins with this. Unless you are seeing a very popular act, such as Hanson, seating is easy to come by so the reserved seating isn't something for paying extra for. The shows take place in the open-air America Gardens Theatre, so even if you don’t make it inside you can still watch from outside, or have a seat nearby and listen.

The total cost, including tax for lunch was $146.97, which is eye-watering, particularly considering we didn’t particularly enjoy our meal. It’s fair to say we won’t be back to Coral Reef, but I am glad we finally ticked it off the list after wanting to visit for so long.

***

We used a few snack credits at Food and Wine this afternoon, in my opinion, there is no better way to spend your credits, it is amazing that the food items are considered snacks.



From the Chocolate Studio, Liquid Nitro Chocolate-Almond TruffleServed with Warm Whiskey-Caramel. This is very similar to the frozen Nutella from the Star Wars Dessert Party, it is difficult to describe, other than it is delicious!



Loaded Greek ‘Nachos’ Pita Chips, Meatless Sausage Crumbles, and Vegan Tzatziki, from, funnily enough, Greece. Nik chose these, we were having a spat about something (I think we were late for a show), so I didn’t want to taste these. He wasn’t keen but I think they sound great, and if they are still around this year I’ll certainly be trying them.



SchinkennuelnPasta Gratin with Ham and Cheese and Roast Bratwurst in a Pretzel Roll, both from Germany. The brat never disappoints, and is a total bargain of a snack credit. The pasta however is delicious, Nik pointed out it was similar to the one served at Biergarten (eat there, it’s fabulous!).



Chocolate Caramel Strawberries were in stock today at Karamell Kuche! They were very small so they gave me two for the price of one.



Nik picked up some caramel popcorn, this tastes and smells delicious, way better than Butterkist! Another great use of a snack.

***

SPICE ROAD TABLE

Dinner was a carefully choreographer 8pm ADR at Spice Road Table, we requested a patio table in the hope of viewing Illuminations outside. This was the first time I have ever made a request at check-in and I felt like a bit of a diva, but the restaurant really wasn’t busy and they were happy to accommodate us.



The restaurant is a relatively new addition to Epcot, on opening they served tapas style small plates and didn’t accept the dining plan. The menu didn’t really take off and eventually they switched it up to accommodate the dining plan by adding a few entrées. I apologise in advance for the quality of my pictures, my phone didn’t do very well in the dark. MENU HERE



The DxDP entitled us to one of the Small Plates as an appetizer, I went for Hummus and Imported Oliveswith Cornichons and Zaatar Pita Bread. There was two different hummus, one tomato based and the other ‘normal’. I could have eaten this all day, it was lovely, our server had to bring us extra pita!



Nik had Moroccan Lamb SausageNorth African Spicy Lamb Sausage served with Tomato, Red Onion, and Cilantro Salad. I told him this would be similar to kofte kebab, and it was, so he was very happy. It was spicy though, often in Disney things that are supposed to be hot aren’t but this was!



I had Mix Grilled SkewersMarinated Beef and Chicken with French Green Beans, Toasted Almonds, and Rosemary Potatoes. That is the description from the current menu, my dish was missing the beans and almonds and came with a chimichurri sauce. Sadly, both meats were overdone and very chewy, but the potatoes, which were more like wedges, were delicious dipped in the sauce.



Nik, under duress , had the Three Lamb SlidersBriche, Cucumber Dill, Mixed Olives, and Mint Tzatziki Sauce served with Hummus Fries. This dish was much spicier than expected, too hot for me but Nik loved his sliders! I didn’t write anything down about the hummus fries, but I am certain they too were spicy. The table next to us actually placed a second order for these as they liked them so much.

We weren’t offered desserts, this was fine, we really didn’t need them. Our server was a really nice guy, we chatted to him about his home country, but towards the end of the meal he vanished. Maybe he went for his break and forgot to ask someone to take over!? When we finally manage to ask for our check, it was brought out already closed, but I had wanted to charge the gratuity to the room. If I had cash with me this wouldn’t have been an issue but I didn’t, so we had to ask for him to run it again.

This was a lovely way to view Illuminations, with an unobstructed view, comfortable seat and a drink in hand. Nik had another new favourite restaurant, as the food had been right up his street. We definitely think Spice Road Table is unfairly overlooked, and worth a visit, even if it is just for some Small Plates at lunch time. There was so many Small Plates that appealed to me I think we'll do this one as an OOP lunch one day, maybe mixed in with some Food and Wine.

This meal came to $90.04.


TOTAL SPEND SO FAR $2,935.21
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Old 5 Apr 18, 10:41 AM  
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#213
collybird
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Originally Posted by Goldia View Post
I've never been that fussed about trying out the Rose and Crown since we could go to a British pub any time really...but the food does look good in the photos. I nominate are just so many restaurants to try at wdw that I've not really considered it properly.

Now, Hoop dee doo, on the other hand, has been on my wishlist for ages. I'm desperate to try it out so seeing your review is making this a firm favourite for next time.
So true. There was many, many places in Epcot we chose before we finally got to Rose & Crown. I'm glad we tried it though, and I'm pretty sure we'll be back again sometime. Nik was talking about the Scotch Egg again last night when we were watching Masterchef.

You have to do HDD! I know April hated the food, but we've had two good visits now. We paid OOP the first time and I'd do that again. We really need to see Spirit of Aloha but I wanted that fried chicken so much we did HDD again. Thank you for reading!
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Old 5 Apr 18, 10:56 AM  
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#214
OB1LukeLucas
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I hope you don't have to wait too long for free dining to start-I'm not looking honest!😬
Caught up on the past few days meals and snacks-yay! I need to put the strawberries on my list, I hope they have some in when we pass. I really should stop reading this as not only is the Star Wars dessert party a massive contender to be added on but now I'm thinking HDD for my little fried chicken lover-I told her we can bypass KFC as the expert says so! I'm pleased you broken your own same pudding rule as they do look lush...rules are made to be broken😊
Hope Disney put you out of your misery soon, only to torture you over where to stay-where are you hoping for if the numbers are nice?
Fastpass day for us tomorrow, the excitement is starting to build, woo hoo!

Edited at 10:58 AM.
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Old 5 Apr 18, 10:59 AM  
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SquishTheWhale
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Haha I was totally thinking about your scotch egg last night watching Masterchef too!

On that note it's a travesty that Nisha went out and Greg is still in 😠

I'm going to be really sad when your report ends! Although I'm excited especially to hear about Chef Art Smiths Homecomin, that one has just made it on my Must Eat list!

Edited at 11:02 AM.
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Old 5 Apr 18, 11:24 AM  
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Another great update, Spice Road Table looks awesome, I've never fancied Coral Reef and not surprised it was iffy that seems to be the consensus.
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Old 5 Apr 18, 11:54 AM  
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#217
collybird
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Originally Posted by OB1LukeLucas View Post
I hope you don't have to wait too long for free dining to start-I'm not looking honest!😬
Caught up on the past few days meals and snacks-yay! I need to put the strawberries on my list, I hope they have some in when we pass. I really should stop reading this as not only is the Star Wars dessert party a massive contender to be added on but now I'm thinking HDD for my little fried chicken lover-I told her we can bypass KFC as the expert says so! I'm pleased you broken your own same pudding rule as they do look lush...rules are made to be broken😊
Hope Disney put you out of your misery soon, only to torture you over where to stay-where are you hoping for if the numbers are nice?
Fastpass day for us tomorrow, the excitement is starting to build, woo hoo!
I really can't recommend HDD enough, it's great value on the Dining Plan too.

I had set my heart on the Beach Club for next year, but now the time to book has gotten so close I am getting cold feet about spending that much money when we are perfectly happy staying in a Value So currently going back and forth between French Quarter and Beach Club.

Good luck with your FP and thank you, as always, for reading!

Originally Posted by SquishTheWhale View Post
Haha I was totally thinking about your scotch egg last night watching Masterchef too!

On that note it's a travesty that Nisha went out and Greg is still in 😠

I'm going to be really sad when your report ends! Although I'm excited especially to hear about Chef Art Smiths Homecomin, that one has just made it on my Must Eat list!
I was surprised when they let Nisha go, I think it was because she'd struggled in the previous episode. I actually thought they were going to send home Nisha and George last night. I thought her salmon kebab looked great!

Thank you for reading!

Originally Posted by theCMG View Post
Another great update, Spice Road Table looks awesome, I've never fancied Coral Reef and not surprised it was iffy that seems to be the consensus.
Coral Reef certainly lived up to expectations I was disappointed in Nik's steak as I've had the strip a few times in Disney restaurants and it's always been lovely. Thank you for reading!
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Old 5 Apr 18, 02:06 PM  
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#218
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Originally Posted by collybird View Post
Sorry I was a little vague when I explained the ADR trick, I was just using 24 hours later as an example, you can change it to any date you like (depending on availability of course). Apologies, I didn't mean to confuse you!
Oh wow, that's really helpful to know - thank you.

Looking forward to reading the rest of your report (hint, hint ).
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Old 5 Apr 18, 02:21 PM  
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Caught up, coral reef was another one of my many ditched ones , mainly because I’d read a table of 5 got put away from the tanks so that was no good. The snacks at Epcot look fabulous ,I’d just eat them all day. Boyz to men was rammed so I can see why the dining package would be useful.
Spice road , another one on and off the list lol. Mainly because we got priority viewing at Epcot for the shambles that was the rol package.
I Don’t want this report to end , feeling sad lol
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Old 5 Apr 18, 06:16 PM  
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that's great report - with so much detail and great pictures! I am thinking now perhaps booking Boma on first night after arrival is not great idea.
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