Not too long ago, a kiosk called Joy of Tea popped up in Epcot across from the beautiful China pavilion. I knew the little red pagoda sold several different kinds of tea, but I had no idea of the extent of the fun and interesting menu!
While wandering around Epcot earlier this month my stomach started growling while I was walking toward China — perfect timing! I had no idea of the food offerings at Joy of Tea — or the alcoholic drinks! There were so many options that I had a hard time choosing.
When I was told the the Green Tea Plum Slush wasn’t ready yet, I quickly opted for the non-alcoholic Strawberry Oolong Tea Slush instead. Then I had to make the choice between the edibles… lovely Egg Rolls, Chinese BBQ Pork Buns, and Curry Chicken Pockets! I asked the cast member in the kiosk which one was his favorite and bought that — a Curry Chicken Pocket.
Believe it or not, the pastry was delicious! The curry added a slightly spicy kick to the warm, savory chicken — it was the perfect choice for a rainy, cool day.
And the Strawberry Oolong slush was the perfect accompaniment. A sweet, strong, tart strawberry flavor was accented with the slightly bitter ice tea — a lot more depth of flavor that you’ll find in other theme park slushies, that’s for sure!
This place is the perfect “tide-me-over” spot to stop for a late afternoon snack. You’ll see that many of the items on the menu are Disney Dining Plan Snack Credit snacks, too! Just grab a quick bite and head over to watch the acrobats…or go visit the soldiers inside the China pavilion! Enjoy!
I live and die for the Peach Tea Slushie There!! it is my most favorite drink ever! WAY better then the Slushies in France! I always go around the world via Mexico just so I can get one for my strolling needs 🙂
I have a friend who’s absolutely nuts over tea, and drinks it as much as she can. This would probably be her place (next to the Tea Sessions over in the Grand Floridian) to go. The one thing that dissapoints me is that there is not a SINGLE black tea on the list of teas.
I wonder exactly what the Peach and Strawberry “Oolangs” are!
A bit tongue-in-cheek with their menu items such as the Peach Snaps! With Schnapp’s.
I have never tried the offerings here, but the Lucky Combo looks like a great option to get a variety of items all for a quick service credit.
I noticed that too! No black or white tea. The slushies sound good though.
Josh – there’s another tea place in AK that sounds good too!
Woah… I knew about the tea and all their fabulous drinks but…a curry chicken pocket?! Where has this been my whole life? OK, add this to one of the first things I’m eating next time I step food in Epcot!
I can attest for the BBQ Pork Buns. They are delicious.
Just another example of the wonderful “little” things that WDW gives to us. Most people are hurrying to a dinner reservation at one of the great restaurants or a favorite counter eatery and pass by stands like the Joy of Tea. If this stand was in my town I’d be there everyday, and yet I have only stopped here one time. This abundance of great and interesting places is why we keep coming back time after time. It’s early here in NC, but one of those pork buns would go well with my coffee right now.
I have totally missed that they have snacks there. Will have to stop and try one – I love BBQ pork buns!
I was pleasantly surprised to find red bean ice cream on the menu at a recent visit. Definitely a fun option for a light dessert or snack.
Thanks for giving me another little place to look for! We are using the DDP on our next trip and it has been a joy discovering that the snack options are more varied than I’d been led to believe. Not that anyone was leading me astray on purpose…just that I’d only ever read about the typical snack fare.
This is a must-stop for me any time I go to Epcot. My favorite is the Iced Mango Green Tea with the BBQ pork buns. I can’t wait to have some next week!!
I had NO idea BBQ pork buns were hiding out there!!! Normally the Epcot stand fare I get most excited about are the crepes and slushies in France, but now I’m definitely looking forward to visiting Joy of Tea as well.
Josh- Oolong teas are Black teas that are usually fermented instead of Pan roasted or just Dried to give it a full bodied flavor. Oolong tea helps speed up your metabolism and is an aid in weight loss. When you go to Asian type eateries and they bring you a pot or cup of tea, it is oolong tea because it helps digest the carbs and flush them out since the Asian diet is consisted pretty much of carbs at every meal. They also help lower your cholesterol and are excellent for skin and complexion. 🙂 So they did have some black tea on the menu….. lol
I had NO IDEA that they sold bao (BBQ pork buns) at Joy of Tea! This has now been added to the list of must-stop places for our next trip!
I love love love tea (Americans do not drink enough tea… I always come back to Canada after a vacation and get laughed at when I order a “hot tea” out of habit haha. I’ve had tea from here about a dozen times and have NEVER noticed they have food! Next trip I’m totally getting the Lucky Combo!
Carolyn – I think I may know which tea place in Animal Kingdom you are talking about!
Aurora – Thanks for the information, I guess I was technically wrong on the Black Tea part. 😉
Josh and Carolyn — I’ll be reviewing the Animal Kingdom Tea kiosk soon! I got Dragon Well there!
I LOVE THE CURRY CHICKEN POCKET!!!! i had 2 servings they were so good! i tried making them with my mom and they were good but not NEARLY the awesomeness of the epcot ones!!!!!!!!!! in case you didnt comprehend, if you go to epcot’s joy of tea, get the chicken pockets and enjoy the awesomeness. like right now. get off your computer and go purchase some disney tickets. now. why are you still reading this? the curry chicken pockets are calling you!
We just got back from a long mid-January Disney vacation. Tried the food at Joy of Tea for the first time. Those Curry Pockets are some of the best snacks in all of Disney and I’m pretty sure I’ve tried most of them over the years. Can’t wait to get more when we go back in Oct!
The Joy of Tea stand is a great place to visit. It has the look and feel in the World Showcase of China. If you enjoy tea I highly recommend going there. If you enjoy any kinds of tea (slushies, cold tea, hot tea) this is the place to go. I have been to a lot of places but this is by far some of the best tea I have ever had. Also, there are a lot of places you can view the fireworks in this area while sipping a tea!