The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival is back with NEW kitchens to try! While I plan on making my way through most, if not all, the new additions (and with the Festival running until November 20 – I have plenty of time!); I’ll start with the option I’m most excited to sample: The Noodle Exchange!
About The Noodle Exchange
The Noodle Exchange offers a variety of Asian-inspired noodle dishes, such as a Vietnamese Pho and Japanese Udon. As a company serving guests with a diverse set of dietary needs, Disney has made sure to include several protein options including beef, pork, shrimp and even plant-based tofu!
As someone who eats a mostly pescatarian/plant-based diet, I tried the Tofu Pho with Enoki Mushrooms and Thai Basil and the Shrimp and Coconut Curry Rice Noodles with Shiitake Mushrooms and Thai Basil. Both were absolutely delicious, but my favorite was definitely the Shrimp and Coconut Curry (I even returned later in the weekend for a second round)!
Shrimp and Coconut Curry Rice Noodles with Shiitake Mushrooms
While both soups were delicious, the curry added a delightful, spicy flavor that made the broth difficult to resist! I love spicy food, but I know not everyone does. If you don’t enjoy a little bit of heat, you might want to skip this dish. The flavor is hard to avoid. However, if you’d still like to try it – use the noodles to temper to spicy broth. Just a few noodles really helped moderate the flavor!
And it’s not just the broth that made this soup so delicious – look at the size of those shrimp! Between the meaty shiitake mushrooms, humungous shellfish, and delightful heat – I was pretty much in heaven.
Tofu Pho with Enoki Mushrooms
While the shrimp curry was my favorite, the Tofu Pho was also pretty tasty! There’s little to no spice in this dish (as long as you avoided the large pepper in the middle) – so no worries about your abilities (or lack thereof) to withstand the heat.
“The Soul of Jazz: An American Adventure Opens at Epcot
The tofu is soft and takes on the flavor of the broth – much like tofu you might find in miso soup. The enoki mushrooms are beautiful, but I didn’t find them as flavorful as the shiitake variety in the curry soup. Overall, however, this is a delicious (and filling) option for those on a plant-based diet.
Final thoughts on The Noodle Exchange
Noodle Exchange dishes range from $5.50-$6.25, making it one of the more affordable menus at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. However, they are also some of the most filling. Each bowl contains a hefty portion of broth, noodles, and toppings. My two bowls easily made for one, incredible, very satisfying meal!
Stay tuned for more of my adventures through the 2021 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival!
