At the 2021 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, the Japan marketplace has decided to return with two new food options and an entirely new drink menu!

Menu for the Japan Marketplace at the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival

The price of the Tempura Shrimp Sando was changed later in the day from $6.25 to $6.75.

Food:

• Teriyaki Chicken Bun: Steamed Bun filled with Chicken, Vegetables, and Teriyaki Sauce – $6.50
• 🆕 Tempura Shrimp Sando: Crunchy Shrimp served with Yuzu Crab, Green Onions, and Eel Sauce served on a Bun – $6.75
• 🆕 Spicy Hako Sushi: Spicy Tuna and Salmon served Box-style with Red Tempura Crunch and Volcano Sauce – $6.50

Beverages:

• 🆕 Kochi Lemon Drop: Vodka, Yuzu, and Lemon Juice garnished with a Lemon Jelly – $8.00
• 🆕 Ozeki Platinum Sake: Junmai Daiginjo – $7.50
• 🆕 Ivanhoe Park Brewing Company Urayasu Rice Lager, Orlando, FL (5.6% ABV) – $5.00 (6 oz) / $9.50 (12 oz)

Photos of Menu Items from the Japan Marketplace at the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival

Teriyaki Chicken Bun: Steamed Bun filled with Chicken, Vegetables, and Teriyaki Sauce – $6.50

Inside this delicately-prepared bao bun is a good amount of shredded chicken tossed in a sweet teriyaki sauce. The menu description says there’re vegetables in there, but there’s far more chicken than vegetables—and that’s a good thing!

There’s a lot of value here in the relatively large portion for the price, especially in EPCOT Festival terms. It’s a tasty and safe bet for this year’s festival.

*NEW* Tempura Shrimp Sando: Crunchy Shrimp served with Yuzu Crab, Green Onions, and Eel Sauce served on a Bun – $6.75

This was a weird one. It’s made with faux crab meat and shrimp formed into a roll, then tempura fried. Overall, it’s not terrible, but also not remarkable.

There’s no real sauce or anything on it, so it feels incomplete.

To be honest, you can find better options here.

*NEW* Spicy Hako Sushi: Spicy Tuna and Salmon served Box-style with Red Tempura Crunch and Volcano Sauce – $6.50

This was a good spicy tuna sushi. It’s got a unique presentation, in that it’s served box-style instead of as a roll, but flavor-wise, this is your typical spicy tuna flavor.

There’s a higher rice-to-fish ratio than you might get in a roll, but it’s still quite good.

*NEW* Kochi Lemon Drop: Vodka, Yuzu, and Lemon Juice garnished with a Lemon Jelly – $8.00

This had a very sour and overly potent lemon flavor that tasted almost artificial. It’s pre-mixed and poured from a machine, and it tasted like it too.

The lemon jelly candy garnish is a nice touch, and this kind of matches that sweet, sour, and slightly fake taste.

All in all, we wouldn’t get this again.

*NEW* Ozeki Platinum Sake: Junmai Daiginjo – $7.50

Drizly describes this sake as “refreshingly dry sake with a fruity aroma.”

*NEW* Ivanhoe Park Brewing Company Urayasu Rice Lager, Orlando, FL (5.6% ABV) – $5.00 (6 oz) / $9.50 (12 oz)

From Untappd: “Rice adds clarity, crispness, and a slight sweetness, while still only making up less than one-third of the grain bill. This well-balanced beer combines the earthy herbal flavors of the land with the nobility and brightness of the sea, as Urayasu has.”

Location of the Japan Marketplace Booth at the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival

The Japan Marketplace booth is logically located adjacent to the Japan Pavilion on the World Showcase Promenade. You can find it at number 14 on the map below.

Will you be swimming over to the new seafood items? Let us know in the comments!

Alicia