If you’re walking towards Mexico, E=AT^2, which I am probably not going to type out again, is located on the left before reaching the pyramid. Pop! Eats is located in around the same spot on the opposite side of World Showcase as you head towards Canada and The Painter’s Palate (which I think I’ve called The Artist’s Palate six times already) is located a few steps to the left inside the Odyssey Building. After this, it’s the Mexico Studio and then you won’t run into another until just past Germany.
This is where you’ll find the actual Figment chocolate painting, in addition to three more food items and three drinks.
The bright colors and careful plating continue…or begin…as the case may be.
The $6 Classic Reuben with Shredded Corned Beef, Thousand Island Dressing, Pickled Red Cabbage, and a Rye Curl was one of few misses for me, but that may be due to my own personal tastes. I thought the corned beef was on the dry side and suffered from an overly pungent vinegar flavor, but that may be more about me ordering a reuben and then complaining that I received a reuben. It’s also so deconstructed that you sort of have to put it all back together yourself to get the right flavor profile – so be prepared to dip the beef in the dressing and then break off a bite of the crisp rye curl to make for a proper sandwich. It looks good though.
The $6.50 BLT with Crispy Pork Belly, Tomato Jam, and Soft Poached Egg is another “Best of Festival” candidate that arrives with two sizable slices of seared pork belly that are crisp on the outside before the juicy pork melts away in your mouth, leaving a pleasant, lingering flavor of grilled bacon. The tomato jam added a bit of sweetness to the flavor profile in addition to a bit of acid that contrasted nicely with the decadence of the pork. The just-poached egg requires just a small poke before releasing its rich, creamy contents. A must buy.
Also “deconstructed,” the $7.50 Cobb Salad with Smoked Duck Breast, Avocado Mousse, Nueske’s Applewood Smoked Bacon and Blue Cheese seems like the perfect version of the Cobb Salad for someone that doesn’t actually like salad as we have all of the ingredients and just a couple pieces of lettuce. I thought the texture on the soft eggs with the mildly spicy, chunky salsa was a little strange, but it had a nice peppery kick to it that contrasted nicely with the creamy, salty blue cheese underneath. The whipped avocado provided a nice, mild sweetness against the crunchier bacon and the duck breast resembled what we received on the Charcuterie plate over at The Masterpiece Kitchen with the fat doing a nice job of absorbing the smoky flavor. Overall, I didn’t think the dish did enough to demand a purchase and is perhaps $2 overpriced, but that doesn’t have to stop you from picking it up.
Figment returns to host the Inaugural Epcot Arts Festival and his White Chocolate Painting with Chocolate Easel is available here for $7.
The front is actually a thin, presumably edible, sticker. These paintings/easels are incredibly small and fragile, but the chocolate is good quality and it makes for a fun picture.
On the right is the $10.50 Deconstructed Breakfast: Twinings Spiced Apple Chai Tea Shake with Maple Bourbon Cream, a Waffle Crisp and Candied Bacon. You can see the bourbon pooling there underneath the “shake.” I actually preferred the flavor and texture of the $3.75 non-alcoholic version (GASP), which had the appropriate thicker consistency and those tiny little ice crystals that make a drink like this sparkle on the tongue. I think the liquor in the alcoholic version melted the Shake so much that it was more like drinking milk. Overall, the non-alcoholic version is more refreshing and the much more expensive alcoholic version isn’t going to pack much of a punch.
On the left is the $3.75 Pop-Artsicle: Red, White and Blue Frozen Slushy, which the kids might find fun. It’s otherwise just three layers of the usual slush in a cup.
Overall, E=AT^2 is a worthy stop for at least one food and drink item. The pork is not to be missed and adding a second dish makes sense too, even if it doesn’t end up being an absolute favorite. And you may well enjoy something more than I did. That pork belly though.
Awesome, great info. All the reviews! Makes planning our Epcot days so much easier, now we know we made the right decision to not plan ADRs.
Lots of interesting choices with plenty to appease the group of us. Anyone know what E=AT^2 means?
I think it’s just a lame pun on E=mc^2
I believe it’s an artistic way to say EATS. 🙂
I think they are going for a play on Einstein’s “E= MC squared” formula, but it’s not working very well!
Josh, thanks for all the write ups. We’ll be missing this festival this year but these reviews have convinced us to try and make it for next year, if they do it again. The food offerings seem more thoughtful and better presented than F&W, even if they aren’t as plentiful.
MM that pork belly dish does look good! I think I am going to make that for dinner this weekend!
yes sir thanks for the reviews