My son Johnny rarely eats at the festival food at EPCOT… he’s a picky eater. I was surprised when we were going through the latest International Food & Wine Festival Passport that Johnny was interested in completing Emile’s Fromage Montage. Join us as we work our way through EPCOT in cheesy delight. And let’s see what Johnny thought about it.
Emile’s Fromage Montage
To participate in Emile’s Fromage Montage you simply taste your way through the festival booths, enjoy five different cheese dishes, and receive a free completer special dessert. New this year is that there are ten different menu options to choose from. As long as you buy any five, even if you get one option multiple times, you can still get the completer surprise. With that many dishes to try, it took us more than one visit, but we eventually tried every option.
Johnny’s Journey through Emile’s Fromage Montage
Johnny’s Journey through Emile’s Fromage Montage took us multiple days to complete. This is partly because some of the festival booths Johnny wanted to try did not open at the start of the festival. And partly because we tried all ten menu items and couldn’t possibly eat that much cheese in one day. So I am presenting our menu items in the order listed in the Festival Passport, putting to bed the question of whether you start in Canada or Mexico: the Festival Passport starts you in Hawaii, followed by Canada.
The Passion Fruit Cheesecake from Hawaii was a delicious addition to the festival last year. Johnny is not a big fan of cheesecake but did try it plain, without any of the passion fruit or macadamia nut garnish.
The next item on the list leads us into Canada for the Cheddar and Bacon Soup and Pretzel Roll. Johny said he would eat this for dinner from now on at EPCOT, that’s about the best review you could ask for from him.
One of my favorites every year is the Pao De Queijo from Brazil. You can’t go wrong with cheese-filled bread and Johnny felt the same. I could enjoy this every time we visit.
Next up, is the Griddled Cheese with Pistachios and Honey from Greece. Johnny really wanted to try this, but once we got it, he wasn’t so sure. Turns out he was thinking it was a grilled cheese sandwich. Johnny was a sport and tried it but did not like it. Because the cheese has a strong flavor, I was not surprised. I thought it was better than last year, but not something I would have again.
The Schinkennudeln (say that 3 times fast) was our next venture into Emile’s Fromage Montage. This dish is in Germany and is made of pasta gratin with ham, onions, and cheese. This is a good serving size and there was plenty to go around but Johnny ate this one right up, leaving very little for me.
You know when you are close to the Alps because you can smell the Raclette. For most, this isn’t considered a pleasant smell and Johnny was no different. Johnny decided he would not even try, so I went with the Warm Raclette Swiss Cheese with Riesling-Poached Pears, Red Wine-Braised Figs, Candied Pecans, Honey, and Cranberry Toast. Not being a big Swiss cheese fan, this dish wasn’t much to my liking. I did, however, enjoy everything else served with the cheese.
The Crispy Panneer with Mango-Curry Ketchup from India is a simple breaded fried cheese with mango-curry ketchup. Johnny was also not willing to try this dish, but we found it to be tasty and the ketchup mix was quite nice. Not sure we would go back for seconds, but it was good.
We had to wait for The Swanky Saucy Swine to open, but it was worth the wait. The Crispy Barbecued Pork Rinds with Pimento Cheese. Now I am not a fan of pork rinds or Pimento Cheese, so this one was a little tough for me. As Pork Rinds and Pimento Cheese go, it was fine. Johnny took one look and passed on trying, can’t say I blame him.
Flavors from Fire, the Smoked Corned Beef dish. This dish is served with crispy potatoes, pickled onions, and cheese fondue. This was not one of dishes Johnny had on his list of things he wanted to try, but he likes corned beef so he decided to give it a taste. While he enjoyed the corned beef and potatoes the fondue was not his favorite as it had a strong taste. I really enjoyed this and was surprised by the amount of meat in this dish.
Johnny was most excited about the Mac & Eats booth where any of the items count towards your montage. Johnny tried the plain Mac & Cheese, minus the herbed panko. Johnny thought it was a little peppery, he’s a plain mac & cheese kind of guy. I went for the Cowboy Mac & Cheese with smoked pork belly, brisket, pickled peppers, onion straws, and barbecue aioli. It was a little over the top, so many flavors, but still good.
Now that we’ve tried everything, we actually earned two special treats, on separate days. You can complete Emile’s Fromage Montage and earn the completer special dessert as many times as you want.
You can claim your completer dessert at Shimmering Sips. A soft serve vanilla and strawberry swirl with a cheesecake topper served in a cute plastic cup. This dessert was light, refreshing, and a great way to finish the evening.
Final Thoughts on Emile’s Fromage Montage at EPCOT
Emile’s Fromage Montage was a hit for Johnny. I was surprised by the number of menu items this picky boy ate. I’m glad that Emile’s Fromage Montage offers the opportunity for him to try new and different foods, with one of his favorite items, cheese! Johnny’s top three menu items are the Canadian Cheddar and Bacon Soup, Schinkennudeln, and Mac & Cheese. My top three are the Pao De Queijo, Smoked Corn Beef, and Schinkennudeln.
For more about EPCOT’s International Food & Wine Festival 2022, be sure to check out our guide:
A Feast for Everyone: EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival 2022 Guide
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Let’s Hear From You
Cheese fans, let’s hear from you! Have you completed one of Epcot’s festival tastings? Most importantly, do you start in Cannada or Mexico when touring the World Showcase?
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