We continue from Decadent Delights.
Deconstructed Dish is the next Food Studio on the walk into Canada up here on the left. From where this picture was taken, Decadent Delights is behind me and Refreshment Port and The Masterpiece Kitchen are both ahead on the right.
The Deconstructed Reuben is a new take on a dish that we’ve seen on the menu each of the last few years and the Rainboba is brand-new.
Deconstructed Reuben: Sliced Corned Beef, Rye-crusted Sauerkraut, and Jarlsberg Cake with Broken Thousand Island Dressing – $6.75
This is a pretty significant departure from what we’ve seen in past years.
Here’s what that looked like with shredded corned beef and the big rye curl.
I preferred the new preparation with several slices of thick, meaty corned beef rolled up and perched on top of what Disney is calling a “Jarlsberg Cake” that’s also topped with “Rye-crusted Sauerkraut.” If the Jarlsberg Cake is supposed to be deep-fried cheese, then I think you’d hope for more than what’s delivered. The base ended up being pretty gritty and not particularly cheesy. The presence of the sauerkraut was almost entirely missing, which was also disappointing. The Thousand Island Dressing ends up being more of a thin oil that seemed to do little more than make the Jarlsberg Cake soggy. Overall, I thought the Corned Beef was tasty enough that it helped carry the dish, and I preferred the flavor of the corned beef to the shredded version that they’ve used in the past, but I’d be surprised if we see it return with the same Jarlsberg Cake next year. The possibility for greatness was definitely here, but they didn’t quite hit all of the high notes.
Taste: 5/10
Value: 5/10
Deconstructed BLT with Crispy Pork Belly, Tomato Jam and Soft Poached Egg – $7
One of my favorite dishes from the original Festival of the Arts returns for its fourth year with two sizable slices of crisp, seared pork belly that almost-instantaneously melts away in the mouth, leaving a pleasant, lingering flavor of grilled bacon. The tomato jam adds a bit of sweetness to the flavor profile, in addition to a bit of acid that helps cut some of the rich decadence of the pork. The just-poached egg requires just a small poke before releasing its rich, creamy contents. A must buy.
Taste: 9/10
Value: 9/10
Deconstructed Strawberry Cheesecake: Whipped, New York Style Cheesecake with Fresh Florida Strawberries and Sugar Cookies with Micro-basil – $6.25
The cheesecake, which is incredibly fresh with bright, ripe berries doesn’t “feel” as substantial whipped up in this fashion, but the bold flavors are still present, and the sugar cookies provide a nice, sweet base for the bite that you’re going to have to put together yourself. It’s delicious, but it seems hard to justify for the money.
Taste: 8/10
Value: 4/10
Rainboba: Sparkling Water layered with Fruit Boba and topped with a Foam Cloud – $8
This is mostly Dasani Raspberry Lemonade Sparkling Water, the many cans of which you’ll see inside of the booth.
Some sweet Boba line the bottom and then there’s a somewhat unattractive layer of sweet, frothy raspberry foam on top. Potentially, the reason you would want the drink is the fact that it has Figment printed on the other side of the thin plastic cup, along with the event logo printed on this one. It’s still a disposable cup, though, so I’m not sure how much use anybody is going to get out of it after the Festival. You could certainly wash it gently over a couple of future uses, but you’re not really getting a reusable souvenir cup here. Considering the drink is basically half a can of Dasani Sparkling Water for eight dollars, you probably want to skip this one. On the plus side, it is still a snack credit on the Disney Dining Plan.
Deconstructed Breakfast: Twinings Spiced Apple Chai Tea Shake garnished with Maple Syrup, a Waffle Crisp and Candied Bacon – $4.50 or with Creamed Bourbon for $11
I actually preferred the flavor and texture of the non-alcoholic version (GASP), which enjoyed a 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. I’d probably save the extra six bucks.
Overall, this and The Masterpiece Kitchen are two of the strongest booths at the Festival, with all three food items worth trying, in addition to the Deconstructed Breakfast. You might also like the Rainboba – just be aware that the quality of the cup isn’t any better than the many other disposable cups you’ll be served with the various drinks at the Festival.
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