Universal’s Mardi Gras: International Flavors of Carnaval has begun, and there are plenty of dishes and drinks to try this year. The returning arepas are joined by empanadas and sweet shaved ice cholados at the Colombia booth.
Menu for Colombia at Universal’s Mardi Gras: International Flavors of Carnaval 2023
Food:
- 🆕 Colombian Empanadas – $8.49
- Arepas de Queso – $8.49
Beverages:
- 🆕 Refajo – $12 for 12 oz. single serve, $13.50 for 12 oz. souvenir cup, or $16.50 for 20 oz. souvenir cup
- Coco Loco – $12 for 12 oz. single serve, $13.50 for 12 oz. souvenir cup, or $16.50 for 20 oz. souvenir cup
- Limonada de Coco – $7.50
- 🆕 Cholados – $6.49
Photos of Menu Items for Colombia at Universal’s Mardi Gras: International Flavors of Carnaval 2023
*NEW* Colombian Empanadas – $8.49
Crispy corn masa beef and chicken empanadas, served with aji picante
This dish includes a beef empanada and a chicken empanada, and they’re the tiniest empanadas ever. Each one is basically two bites.
They were hard and dried out, so generally disappointing.
The flavor of the chicken empanada was good.
The aji picante sauce is a little sweet and spicy but doesn’t redeem the dish.
Arepas de Queso – $8.49
White corn masa cake with queso blanco
This was a weird presentation for an arepa, which is usually folded with cheese in the middle. Instead, this was just flat on the plate and looked like a school cafeteria pizza.
This didn’t taste like the arepas they have had in the past either. It was white corn instead of yellow corn and had queso blanco on top.
It was a little dry and bland, but the cheese had a nice strong flavor. The aji picante sauce on the side covered the taste of the cheese, which we didn’t appreciate, but it also felt dry without sauce.
We liked the previous arepas better, but these were still good, especially considering the presentation.
*NEW* Refajo – $12 for 12 oz. single serve, $13.50 for 12 oz. souvenir cup, or $16.50 for 20 oz. souvenir cup
refreshing and authentic mix of light beer and Colombiana soda
Coco Loco – $12 for 12 oz. single serve, $13.50 for 12 oz. souvenir cup, or $16.50 for 20 oz. souvenir cup
Limonada de Coco spiked with rum and tequila
This alcoholic drink has rum and tequila and comes with a slice of lime. We could detect the coconut cream flavor as well as a hint of alcohol with each sip which helped to cut that tart lime flavor. It’s very smooth and easy to drink.
Limonada de Coco – $7.50
Limeade sweetened with coconut cream
The non-alcoholic version of this drink is very sweet and tart. The coconut cream flavor doesn’t come through at all for us, though.
It’s drinkable but nothing we would need to get again. We prefer the alcoholic version.
*NEW* Cholados – $6.49
Shaved ice with sweetened condensed milk, mango, strawberry sauce, wafers, and Lulo syrup
This tasted awful, although we would be willing to give it another shot because we did wait to start eating it, which may have made it worse than it should be.
The wafers placed on top were soaked and slimy by the time we pulled them out. They also disintegrated into the melting shaved ice so the whole drink tasted like cereal.
It was a syrupy and sweet mess by the time we started eating/drinking it.
Overall, this disappointed us and we recommend going back to Puerto Rico for shaved ice.
Universal’s Mardi Gras: International Flavors of Carnaval runs from February 4 through April 16. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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Colombian arepas are not typically folded like they are in other countries. This was an accurate representation of how they are typically eaten there.