Located in Epcot's Chinese Pavilion, Nine Dragons is definitely one of those Disney World restaurants that seems to fall off of the radar. Now, I'll admit, I must have passed Nine Dragon's a hundred times, and never thought to dine here. I am betting most of you are thinking the way I did; "I can get Chinese food at home", or have made ADRs (Advanced Dining Reservations for you first time visitors) only to cancel and dine elsewhere. A lot of past reviews are mixed regarding this restaurant, which I think contributed to me not dining here in the past, but I had to give Nine Dragons a fair chance. I can tell you, I'm glad we did! And....... did you know NO MSG is used in any dishes at Nine Dragon's? Neither did I! Being a fan, that was great news to me!
Nine Dragons underwent a recent facelift or refurb in
Disney-speak in 2009. It really is a pretty restaurant. The reception area does
tend to get a bit crowded, but we were seated within fifteen minutes.
The tables are a little bit close together, and with the
high ceilings, it can get a bit loud, but if you think of it, request
a table near the windows, overlooking World Showcase, you won't mind the
closeness of the tables as much.
We started our meal with cocktails and tea:
Heavenly Clouds
"Coconut rum, honeydew melon liqueur, pineapple juice,
cream float"
This was really good, sweet and didn't have a strong alcohol
taste.
Pot of Jasmine Tea
This was my son's first time trying Jasmine tea and really
enjoyed it!
For our appetizers, we started with:
Dumplings in Chili Sauce
"Chicken dumplings in classical Sichuan spicy chili
sauce, with a bouquet of fresh vegetable topping"
This was really good, and plentiful! Huge serving! We didn't
find this as spicy as some Sichuan dishes we've had in the past, but still, we
really enjoyed this.
Pot Stickers
"Pan fried chicken and vegetable dumpling served with
soy dipping sauce"
I love pot stickers, and these certainly did not disappoint!
Despite some reviews I have read, I found the amount of filling to be perfect.
After our more than satisfactory appetizers, it was time for
our entrees.
Honey Sesame Chicken
"Honey sesame chicken, served with white rice and
Chinese Coleslaw"
Yes, I'm a fan! I found this a good sized portion as well.
Chicken was tender, sauce was sweet but delicious. I would have liked a
sprinkle of chili flakes to cut the sweetness of the honey, but enjoyed this as
it was served.
Sirloin Shrimp and Steak
"Seasoned grilled shrimp and steak served with Bok Choy
and drizzled with sweet lightly spiced Chinese red sauce"
My husband loved this. You can get the steak cooked to your
liking. My husband chose medium well and said not only was it tender, but had a
terrific flavor, and was surprised that the shrimp were cooked perfectly.
Steak and Chicken Skewers
"Seasoned sirloin steak and
tender chicken breast served with white rice and Chinese coleslaw"
Another hit! My son loved this,
but said he wished the serving was larger. Once again, ask your server to
prepare your steak to your preference.
We did not get dessert, we
couldn't eat another bite!
Overall, we really enjoyed our
meal at Nine Dragons and will definitely return. Overlooking World
Showcase and World Showcase Lagoon, Nine Dragons offers a nice view
of Illuminations, Reflections of Earth at night.
Location: Epcot Chinese Pavillion
Lunch:
12:00pm - 3:25pm
Dinner: 3:30pm -
8:50pm
Deb Casterline is a weekly, guest blogger exclusive to the Kingdom Konsultant Blog.
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