China Marketplace Review (Epcot's Food and Wine Festival)

China’s Marketplace is a go-to stop for many visiting Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival. Traditionally, the booth is known for offering dishes that please the majority.

It’s always a booth I consider a safe choice. But that also seems unfair because the booth offers several stand-out options. Plus, the booth is kid-friendly for the most part, and the prices are reasonable.

In 2023, we see several options return. However, our favorite Mongolian Beef Bao Bun was replaced with a Crispy Duck Bao Bun. It is the dish that I looked the most forward to trying this year.

China Marketplace Menu Items

Below is a list of each menu item with prices at the China Marketplace in 2022.

Pan-fried Chicken Dumplings ($5.25)
Crispy Duck Bao Bun ($8.25)
Dandan Noodles ($8.25)

Beverages:

Passion Fruit Bubble Tea ($7.25 non-alcoholic)
Fiery Dream ($13.75)
Byejoe Punch ($13.00)
Fireworks ($14.00)
Brew Hub Lychee Foo Draft Beer ($5.25 or $9.75)

Pan-fried Dumplings

We’ll start with the pan-fried dumplings that we first tried last year. At $5.25, these two dumplings are a no-brainer.

Upon first glance, I thought the chicken dumplings would taste plain. On the contrary, they were delicious bites. The sauce, scallions, and sesame seeds were all pleasant garnishes. However, the dish could have benefited from a tad more sauce.

Overall, the flavors worked well together. Also, I think they are an excellent option for children.

Crispy Duck Bao Bun

For several years now, we’ve enjoyed the Mongolian Beef Bao Bun. It’s one of the few dishes that I order at every festival. While the bao bun appears basic, I can attest it’s genuinely flavorful. So flavorful that I always completely devour it.

So when I saw the Mongolian steak had been replaced with crispy duck, I was excited to try it.

Unfortunately, the majority of the piece I received was crispy, as in burnt to a crisp. You can tell from the photo below it was overcooked. So my first bite, I was surprised that it had such a good flavor. But the rest of the duck was unedible–as in, I had to spit it out into a napkin because I couldn’t chew it. It was embarrassing.

When the cast member handed me the dish, I thought, are you sure you want to give me that? So I feel like this dish has the potential to be good. But I don’t think it was supposed to be quite so tough.

Dandan Noodles

Our last menu item at the China Marketplace is the Dandan noodles. This dish is described as spicy pork with Sichuan sauce, peanut butter, and green onions.

These noodles (from last year) are spicy! Therefore, I wouldn’t consider this dish kid-friendly.

Ultimately, I enjoyed the noodles and the topping. Most of the sauce had sunk to the bottom of the dish. So if you’re entirely in for the spicy kick, mix everything up. The pork topping was also scrumptious, and the dish is easily shareable, given its size.

As for beverages, be warned. China has a reputation for offering stronger-than-average cocktails. Do not forget their instruction if a cast member tells you to mix your drink with a straw.

When it comes to food items at the China Marketplace, it might be a clean sweep, depending on how crispy a serving of duck you receive.

Here are a few other food booth reviews you might enjoy:

Or you might like the entire list of 2023 menu items with prices at the Food and Wine Festival.

Return to Epcot Festivals.

In the Comments

So, does anything at the China Marketplace look good to you? What do you think?