Nine Dragons Restaurant in EPCOT – Chinese Cuisine Like You’ve Never Seen it Before
One of our favorite places for Chinese cuisine at EPCOT is Nine Dragons Restaurant. This pan-Chinese cuisine is hands-down the best stop for amazing Chinese food and a dining experience that goes beyond your average neighborhood take-out place.
What It’s All About
Nine Dragons Restaurant prides itself on crafting “modern Chinese cuisines innovatively prepared.” This pan-Chinese menu is far from what you’d normally experience at your typical local Chinese restaurant. This is a higher-end look at Chinese food, where you can savor contemporary Chinese cuisine amid gorgeous décor.
This is immediately evident when you walk in and are greeted by a stunning glass etching of 2 dragons chasing a glowing pearl. Next, you’ll see the grand, lantern-decked pagoda and ornate wood carvings throughout the dining room.
The classic, beige light fixtures are punctuated with bright traditional Chinese lanterns. The sophisticated beige and dark wood tones set off the bright, cheerfully colored accents for an effect that’s high-end and refined but still boisterous and fun. And make sure you get a good look at the exquisite glass artwork that dots the dining room! At Nine Dragons, the décor is a feast for the eyes.
An Irresistable Menu
Delight in Cantonese, Mongolian, Szechuan, Hunan, and Kiangche-style specialties under the soft glow of Chinese lamps. You’ll find elevated versions of your favorite Chinese dishes served alongside a few unexpected surprises you’ll be glad you had the opportunity to try.
Amazing Appetizers
If you’re looking for the most iconic Chinese dishes possible, you’ll want to come hungry for appetizers. Some of the most instantly recognizable items on the entire menu are their starters. We’re talking veggie spring rolls, crispy duck bao buns, potstickers stuffed with chicken, and fried rice with veggies and eggs. Feeling spicy? Try the chicken dumplings (yum) with a spicy chili oil dipping sauce.
You also don’t want to miss the house’s hot and sour soup with shrimp and chicken. One TripAdvisor reviewer said it was the best they’d ever had, so you definitely don’t want to miss out on trying it! We also love hot and sour soup as an appetizer because it revs your appetite, but won’t fill you up, so you can still fully enjoy the rest of your meal. It’s a win-win!
Chinese Favorites
The entrée menu is where the Nine Dragons really hits its stride. The crispy duck fried rice is a hearty, indulgent take on the classic fried rice you know and love. The Canton pepper beef might be a less well-known dish, but it’s full of peppery goodness that will leave you satisfied and smiling.
We also love the Kowloon spare ribs, braised with cabbage in a rich hoisin glaze. The salt and pepper shrimp with spinach noodles are delectable (but not too heavy), and the vegetable and tofu stir fry is a hearty, satisfying option for veggie lovers. When you’re craving something you know and love, look to the honey sesame chicken for that quintessential Chinese food order.
Have It All
One of our favorite things about the Nine Dragons is that they’re great at not making you choose. Case in point: the Kung Pao Duo comes with chicken and shrimp, rather than making you pick between the two delicious options.
And the Spicy Mala Happy Family is a perfect choice if you want a full tour of everything the Nine Dragons has to offer – it features beef, chicken, shrimp, and vegetables! It’s hearty and filling, full of variety, and you can still get your veggies in.
Try It Here First!
One of the big can’t-miss dishes is the spicy honey crispy chicken. It’s featured in the Delicious Disney: Walt Disney World cookbook. Try it at the restaurant, then try making it at home! We always say some of the best souvenirs are the ones you can taste when you get back home. By creating a memory with this dish while you’re at Disney, you can recreate it at home again and again whenever you’re in the mood for a plate full of Disney magic. It’ll feel like you’ve been transported right back to EPCOT!
Plates for the Kiddos
The Nine Dragons understands some kids are more adventurous eaters than others, which is why they have a great kids’ menu.
The honey chicken nuggets are inspired by their honey sesame chicken, but use more familiar flavors, textures, and shapes to appeal to the kiddos. Their sweet-and-sour shrimp with lo mein noodles are flavorful, but still approachable to little ones with finicky palates.
Traveling with a hungry child? The Kids’ Deluxe Meal features shrimp and chicken over vegetable fried rice with carrots and broccoli. We know it’s hard to get kids to eat their veggies, especially when you’re on vacation. But who can say no to veggies when they’re tossed in fried rice?
Desserts
The dessert menu at Nine Dragons really goes all-out when it comes to offering up unique flavor combinations you’ve probably never tried before. Good luck trying just one – we honestly recommend ordering the whole menu and sharing bites with the table, provided your group is big enough to fully enjoy each dish. But you can’t find these flavors at your regular Chinese restaurant at home, so it’s worth a bit of a splurge to try each one.
You may never have thought of caramel ginger ice cream, but you won’t want to miss out on this flavor experience. Nor will you want to skip out on the strawberry and red bean ice cream.
But for us, the real dessert showstopper at Nine Dragons is the Boba Blue Magic. House-made butterfly pea flower ice cream and blue lychee jelly are topped with blueberry popping boba, a creamy milk cap, crunchy toffee, and a fortune cookie (because no Chinese menu is complete without a fortune cookie!).
Come For the Food, Stay For the Drinks
The cocktail menu at Nine Dragons is brief, but that’s because they’re deliberate about what they offer.
We love the Ginger Zinger – ginger liqueur, light rum, and lemon-lime soda served with a lemon twist. Or the South Sea Breeze – coconut rum, a splash of grenadine, pineapple juice, and orange juice for a refreshing, creamy island blend. Want to try something you can’t get anywhere else? Go for the Jade Beauty – vodka, honeydew melon liqueur, pineapple juice, and a splash of lemon-lime soda for effervescence. It’s refreshing, yet distinctive.
Beer drinkers will be pleased to find Chinese beer on draft, and the impressive wine list will be an exciting sight for wine lovers. That’s not something you’d normally expect at a Chinese restaurant, but as we’ve established, this definitely isn’t your average Chinese restaurant. It’s easy to find the perfect wine to compliment your meal so you can give the cuisine the respect it deserves, letting every bite shine.
White Wines
With selections from New Zealand to California to Italy, you have a whole world of flavors at your fingertips. You can choose sweet notes of apricot, peach, and Mandarin orange, or go for soft oak or sweet pepper nuances.
Sparkling Wines
Choose from luscious, vibrant notes of peach, strawberry, and white chocolate or a crisp, refreshing blend of pear, spice, and vanilla.
Red Wines
Whether you want silky elegance or a crisp, gentle, and refined glass, Nine Dragons’ red wine selection will set you up right.
Sweet Wines
The dessert wine list is full of variety. Choose from rich and tartly aromatic, fruity, or delicately sweet with a fragrant bouquet.
(Non-Alcoholic) Slushies
Looking for something special without alcohol? Nine Dragons’ specialty slushies are the way to go. Choose from strawberry, mango, or the Shangri-La, a strawberry and mango blend that tastes both tropical and lusciously sweet at the same time. Remember what we said about Nine Dragons not making you choose? We love them for letting us try everything they have to offer.
Or opt for a refreshing glass of iced green tea to compliment your meal. It’ll give you a boost of energy and perfectly round out the flavors of every dish.
Know Before You Go
If possible, we strongly recommend making reservations before your trip to Nine Dragons. This popular restaurant fills up fast!
And while you’re at it, request a table by one of the windows so you can enjoy a sweeping view of EPCOT‘s World Showcase Lagoon promenade.
What’s your favorite Chinese food dish? Let us know in the comments!
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Photo: Unsplash
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