EPCOT is home to some of the most incredible dining options at the Walt Disney World Resort thanks to World Showcase and its eleven pavilions that each bring a country from around the world to life. Guests can feel as though they have traveled the world without ever leaving EPCOT, especially as they enjoy many different types of international cuisine.
The China Pavilion is a great location to explore as it features architecture, dining, artwork, the film Reflections of China, and more that bring the beauty and culture of China to life. The China Pavilion features several dining options that serve up delicious authentic Chinese cuisine in both quick service and table service settings. Let’s check out all of the dining options in EPCOT’s China Pavilion and just what makes each one so incredible!
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Nine Dragons Restaurant
The one table service restaurant located in EPCOT’s China Pavilion serves up authentic Chinese cuisine each day for lunch and dinner. Nine Dragons Restaurant features an array of regional cuisines from China including Mongolian, Hunan, Cantonese, Szechuan, and Kiangche, and Guests who enjoy a meal there are sure to absolutely love any menu item that they choose.
The interior of Nine Dragons Restaurant features beautiful details beginning with a massive and intricate jade etching of two dragons swirling around a large pearl right inside the main door. Once seated, Guests can enjoy a bright and airy dining room with green seating and accents, dark wood paneling with ornate cutout designs, cheerful and colorful Chinese lanterns hanging above, and views that look out at the main walkway in World Showcase as well as World Showcase Lagoon.
To begin any meal at Nine Dragons Restaurant, Guests can enjoy an array of beverages including soft drinks, tea, coffee, beer, wine, and specialty slushies in flavors like mango, strawberry, and a blend of the two. Specialty cocktails are also available and Guests can sip on the Ginger Zinger which combines ginger liqueur, light rum, lemon-lime soda, and a lemon twist, the Jade Beauty with vodka, honeydew melon liqueur, pineapple juice, and lemon-lime soda, or the South Sea Breeze which features coconut rum, grenadine, and pineapple and orange juices.
After ordering up some drinks, Guests can choose from several appetizers on the menu at Nine Dragons Restaurant including classics like Vegetable Spring Rolls, Chicken Pot Stickers, Crispy Duck Bao Buns, or a side of Vegetable Egg Fried Rice. Also available are delicious Sichuan Chicken Dumplings that are served with a spicy chile oil sauce for dipping or the warm House Hot & Sour Soup that features both chicken and shrimp for a filling appetizer.
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Entrees at Nine Dragons Restaurant truly highlight different regional cuisines from China with popular options such as Canton Pepper Beef, Spicy Honey Crispy Chicken, Honey Sesame Chicken, Crispy Duck Fried Rice, Vegetable and Tofu Stir Fry, and the Kung Pao Duo featuring both chicken and shrimp. Guests can also enjoy Salt and Pepper Shrimp with spinach noodles, the hearty Spicy Mala Happy Family with beef, chicken, shrimp, and vegetables, or the absolutely delicious Kowloon Spare Ribs which are braised and served with a hoisin glaze and cabbage.
Nine Dragons Restaurant continues its use of Chinese ingredients for several desserts which are so unique that Guests will not want to miss out! The Caramel-Ginger Ice Cream features such an interesting flavor profile that Guests might not think works well in ice cream, but is totally good to the last drop! Guests can also try the Strawberry-Red Bean Ice Cream or the Boba Blue Magic which begins with a butterfly pea flower ice cream that is topped with blue lychee jelly, creamy milk cap, blueberry popping boba, crunchy toffee, and a fortune cookie.
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Lotus Blossom Café
Guests who are looking to enjoy authentic Chinese cuisine, but in a quick service setting can head to the nearby Lotus Blossom Café which is open for lunch and dinner each day in EPCOT. Lotus Blossom Café features an open air ordering counter as well as two separate open air dining areas, each of which offer beautiful views looking out into the China Pavilion.
The interior of Lotus Blossom Café continues the green theme from inside Nine Dragons Restaurant and features bright green tiles walls, comfortable dark wood table seating, ornate screens with Chinese characters, large red pillars, and ornate gold accents that provide decoration on the railings and support beams overhead. Between the breeze, beautiful views of the China Pavilion, and beautiful interior, Lotus Blossom Café is a wonderful spot in World Showcase to enjoy cuisine as well as soak in the atmosphere.
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Lotus Blossom Café features a fairly limited menu, but every item is a great choice and several are even great options to share! The appetizers available include Pork Egg Rolls and Chicken Pot Stickers, and the entrees are perfectly portioned combos that are all served with steamed rice, an egg roll, and a side of broccoli. Guests can choose between the Orange Chicken Combo, Mongolian Beef Combo, and Chicken Fried Rice Combo, the last of which is also serve with spicy pickled napa.
Guests who are looking for a refreshing treat can also stop by Lotus Blossom Café for the Caramel-Ginger Ice Cream from Nine Dragons Restaurant as well as Lychee Ice Cream. Beverages including soft drinks, tea, coffee, Chinese beer, and Plum Wine are also available for Guests who are looking to enjoy a drink from each country in EPCOT!
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Joy of Tea
The final dining option in EPCOT’s China Pavilion is a Joy of Tea, a small booth in the very front of the pavilion along the shores of World Showcase Lagoon. Joy of Tea features an open air interior and ordering counter, and the roof is beautifully ornate with an intricate sign, stunning tiles, and animal carvings on each corner and arch.
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Joy of Tea obviously focuses mainly on specialty teas including Jasmine and Oolong, Bubble Milk Tea, and Honey Hibiscus Iced Tea as well as Chinese beer and specialty cocktails including Tipsy Ducks in Love, Kung Fu Punch, Mango Gingerita, and Canto Loopy. Guests who are looking for a snack option at Joy of Tea can order a duo of Pork Egg Rolls which are perfectly crispy on the outside and filled with a generous portion of moist pork on the inside.