You'll Either LOVE or HATE Japan's New EPCOT Food & Wine Festival Item

You guys. There is just SO much food at the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival — we can hardly keep up.

Japan Booth 2022

But we do it — you know, for science — and are still eating our way around the festival trying allllllll the foods — from the India Booth to the Italy Booth to the Canada Booth and MORE! Now, we’re heading over to the Japan Food Booth to try out some brand new offerings this year. Should you carve precious time out of your day to visit this spot? We’re going to find out!

Food

One of this year’s new items is the Takoyaki for $8.50. It’s made with Octopus, green onion, and cabbage bites topped with tonkatsu sauce, bonito flakes, and nori. This dish is probably not for kiddos or picky eaters — but we enjoyed it! The octopus was our least favorite part, but overall we liked this a lot more than we thought we would.

Another dish from Japan 🇯🇵

Takoyaki: Octopus, green onion, and cabbage bites topped with tonkatsu sauce, bonito flakes, and nori pic.twitter.com/KD8pk17wH6

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) July 14, 2022

The texture was crunchy on the outside but chewy on the inside, and most of the flavor really came from the breading and sauce on the outside — which was like a spicy mayo situation. Picky eaters might think this one is too out there, but if you like octopus this might be a little boring for you!

Takoyaki

We’re also trying the Spicy Salmon Donburi, which is Spicy salmon with sushi rice, shiso leaf, red tobiko, and rice pearls for $8.75. This was a cute little portion!

Spicy Salmon Donburi

It was light and chilled, which was perfect for those HOT Florida days. It reminded us of a spicy salmon roll you might get from your local sushi joint. There was some spice to it, so if that’s a problem for you we’d recommend skipping this ones. However, it wasn’t overly spicy — so if that’s something you’re looking for you won’t find it here.

Spicy Salmon Donburi

The Teriyaki Chicken Bun for $7.50 is returning this year. This is a Steamed Bun filled with Chicken, Vegetables, and Teriyaki Sauce. This bun is consistently delicious every year, with sweet teriyaki chicken inside.

More from Japan! 🇯🇵

Teriyaki Chicken Bun 😋 Steamed bun filled with chicken, vegetables, and teriyaki sauce. Check it out! pic.twitter.com/8ufym1lICT

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) July 14, 2022

This year was absolutely no different — in fact, we think it might be a contender for Best of the Best! The teriyaki sauce is sweet and the chicken was savory and delicious, though we do think the bun could have used more chicken overall. The only complaint we have here is that it’s pretty small, so it wouldn’t be a great option if you’re looking for a full meal.

We love a good steamed bun.

The bun is also pretty rich and filling. It’s usually a big hit with kids!

Drinks

The Japan booth is also bringing some new drinks to the festival this year. The Hana Fuji Apple Sake for $8 is excellent! It didn’t have that after burn that some sakes and wines can have. It tasted like sweet apple juice and was extremely light — we really enjoyed it on the hot day.

Fuji Apple Sake

Also new this year is the Orange Blossom Brewing Co. Moon Blossom Pilsner for $5 per 6oz and $9.50 per 12oz. We were pleasantly surprised by this beer. It was light and floral, and the orange blossom really came through and made this beer almost sweet and sugary. Some beers can be heavy on a hot day, but this is one we’d get again.

Orange Blossom Brewing Co. Moon Blossom Pilsner 🍊🍺 from the Japan booth at EPCOT’s 2022 Food and Wine Festival!

Is this a must-try for you? 👍 or 👎 pic.twitter.com/IOmF9yDPGq

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) July 14, 2022

The Yuzu Lemon Drop is returning this year for $8. It’s made with Vodka, yuzu, and lemon. It basically tastes just like lemon and yuzu (you can’t taste the vodka at all). It’s a light refreshing drink that’s perfect for a hot Florida day.

Yuzu Lemon Drop

This drink was called the Kochi Lemon Drop last year, but it’s the same thing!

Follow Along as We Explore the 2022 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival

Overall

At the end of the day, the Japan Booth has some great options if you’re looking for quick, on-the-go snacks like the Teriyaki Bun or the Takoyaki! We think you might find better drink options at other festival booths, and if you’re after a heartier snack or something that could potentially be a meal, the Japan Booth probably isn’t the best choice.

The full spread from Japan

Planning to go to the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival and feel overwhelmed by all the choices? Be sure to read ALL our reviews. You can also get our guide to help you navigate the festival like a pro. Also, be sure to grab our free printable so you can start making those food checklists.

Worried about how much all that food is going to cost you? We’ve put together a realistic budget for the festival to help you plan! We’ve also done the math and figured out the cheapest days to visit the festival!

Here Are All The Menus Announced for the 2022 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival

WE WASTED MONEY
SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO.

Food & Wine Festival can be a bummer. You stand in line waiting for what looks like the perfect treat, and it's a bust. But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE EPCOT Food & Wine Festival experience.

If you're planning a day or a week at the festival, we've got every performance, activity, and tasty nosh detailed out so you can make the most of your time and money. Listen, it's a tough job eating and documenting the nearly 200 bites and sips, but we do it all for YOU!

Save 20% on the 2023 DFB Guide to EPCOT's International Food & Wine Festival with code CHEFS.