Many of you know that I’m not a big fan of the foam-on-food trend.
What’s the foam-on-food trend you ask? The foam-on-food trend is one of the molecular gastronomy fads sweeping the nation (well, it’s been sweeping the nation for a couple of years and has now made it to Disney World), and this one means that every food and its brother seems to have a “foam” on top these days.
Foam on Drink Example. Note: This is not the Lemonade with Wild Berry Foam. You have to read on for that.
Some foams are bubbly and soapy looking like the one pictured below (the name of this restaurant will be reserved to protect the innocent, because it’s a very good restaurant that I like a lot and I’m hoping they’ll stop doing the foam thing soon). And while you’re used to foam on your coffee and cappuccino, you’re not necessarily used to it on your steak…
Foam on a Meat Dish
Other foams look like colored shaving cream like this. To me, these are less offensive than the soapy looking foams, but still… I’m not a fan:
Adding Foam to Pomegranate Margarita at Mexico's Margarita Kiosk -- full review of this coming soon, too
But I was surprised to see that while I’d seen foams pop up on signature dining (e.g. ‘spensive!) menus for a while, I hadn’t seen them added to counter service menus until Sunshine Tree Terrace re-opened recently!
Sunshine Tree Terrace menu 5-3-12
Do you see that? All Natural Lemonade topped with Wild Berry Foam! What in the world?!
So I made a special trip to the Magic Kingdom to snag this drink. I went at night, so the pics aren’t the best. As a result, I’m giving you two to choose from. Just look at the one you prefer and ignore the other one.
Lemonade with Wild Berry Foam at Sunshine Tree Terrace
As it turned out, the All Natural Lemonade was very good…and very sour (yay!). And the Wild Berry Foam didn’t make that sucker any sweeter! Nope; the foam itself was pretty sour as well. So the drink was sour-on-sour — kind of like your kids’ new favorite candy these days.
Second version of Lemonade with Wild Berry Foam
Personally, I loved it! While the taste was overwhelming, I liked the different flavors of the berry and the lemon, and since I was using a straw, I didn’t really have to feel the foaminess.
So, while I’m not generally a foam fan when it comes to food, I’m giving a free pass to this drink! Loved it!
Have you tired the foam-on-food trend OR this awesome lemonade drink? Let us know what you think on both or either!
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Yeah, I’d have to say… drink or dessert foam gets a solid “maybe” from me, but savory “meat foam”? That would be a resounding “pass”. The amount of Wild Berry Foam on the lemonade looks just about right as well, but golly… “I’d like to order the foam dish, with an essence of steak under it please”. Oh well… I’m just pleased as punch that now, when I Google search “disney meat foam”, my favorite blog unintentionally holds the number one spot!
Oh, ew. The foam on the drinks is one thing, sometimes carbonation makes beverages frothy, but not on food! Foamy meat just looks gross. I don’t even want to say what that looks like. XP
Foam on food = bad. Foam on beverage = acceptable. I must say that I love the foam on top of the butter beer at that other Orlando park.
Urgh. The foam on the steak – if the waiter brought me that, I would ask who spat on my dinner!! Yuckety-yuck. And I bet they charge a fortune for a bit of frothy air!!
Foam on food is gross. Whoever thought that was appetizing was crazy.
On a drink, I will tolerate it, foamy milk is ok.
I guess I’m in the minority when I say I like foam.. well, I honestly don’t know if I like it on food because I haven’t tried it yet but I’ve been wanting to ever since starting to watch Top Chef years ago and seeing all the foams on the dishes! I don’t know why I haven’t had a chance to eat any food with foam but this drink looks like it will do! I also love a good, sour lemonade so this looks right up my alley! Thanks AJ.. I’ll keep it in mind the next time I’m in Magic Kingdom!
I don’t mind foam even on food, as long as its a nice tight suspension. When it comes to me looking like spit, I’m out, be it on food OR beverage.
Foam on food = definite no! So unappetizing. Like Marcellina, it always makes me think of Marcel on Top Chef, as that was the first time I’d ever seen anyone do that.
I object a little less strenously to foam on drinks. This one doesn’t look too bad, and I like your point about the straw allowing you to avoid the foamy feel altogether!
I agree with Pudge the Fish. However, I won’t be trying this drink out since I don’t care much for overly sour beverages. I like them to be refreshing, not make me sucker and more thirsty 😉 same to be said for sweet drinks, unless it is supposed to be dessert, in which case is perfectly acceptable to me:)
I’ve had that meat foam. I agree with you, it’s an unnecessary distraction in at a great restaurant. I find savory flavored foam to be a jarring flavor/texture disconnect, much like the popcorn flavored Jelly Bellies. A taste, no matter how good it is, is just wrong when paired with a nonstandard texture.
On drinks yes, desserts maybe. Food- only the most sophistacted chefs can pull it off!
I don’t know…I had this “fish on foam” at the Chef’s counter at Napa Rose and it was pretty tasty! LOL!
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I agree with Kristina…never have cared for lemonade because it just makes me thirstier!
I have never seen foam like that on a steak and I would not want to. If a steak is good it doesn’t need a distraction like that (and besides, it looks awful). That said, I like foam on drinks like sodas. I love frozen cokes and they are basically foam. I’ve had very good foamy desserts or desserts topped with foam, also. But, the foam on the meat photo really turns me off; I’d be very unhappy if I was served that in a restaurant.
There was a lot of foam at the Party for the Senses including grand marnier foam on a blood orange margarita and beer bubbles on some type of barbecue dish. If not overdone, it can be delicious! We had the lemonade a few weeks ago, and the wild berry foam was just berry redi-whip! Still tasted pretty good though…