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USA Today
a day ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Here's what you don't see when you eat at Universal Epic Universe
Here's what you don't see when you eat at Universal Epic Universe Show Caption Hide Caption Epic Universe restaurants show off these 'epic' foods From Mario world to the Isle of Berk, Universal's Epic Universe food options will satisfy even some of the pickiest eaters! ORLANDO, Fla. – When you bite into a Mario Burger in Super Nintendo World or fish and chips in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, you're getting more than the ingredients listed on their Universal Orlando Resort menus. You're getting a taste of the resort's state-of-the-art Production Kitchen, one of the most impressive things guests never see backstage on the campus of the new Epic Universe theme park. 'The PK or Production Kitchen and bakery touches pretty much every single restaurant outlet of Universal in some shape or others,' said Chef Jens Dahlmann, vice president, Culinary Operations at Universal Orlando. 'For Red Oven Pizza (Bakery) in CityWalk, it might be only making their Neapolitan-style pizza dough. For Big Fire, it might only make the chili, but other locations are truly relying on the Production Kitchen to help them just open and run efficiently.' USA TODAY was invited behind the scenes to see how. Cooking from scratch, for scale One of first pieces of equipment highlighted on the PK tour was a huge lift that can hoist and sift a 2,200-pound bag of flour. "In our old PK, which we had on the (Universal Studios Florida) side, we would have 50-pound bags of flour. We had to shoulder pack them and carry them,' Dahlmann said. The new lift not only reduces risk of injury, but increases efficiency. The flour goes into all kinds of house-made breads and pastries, including brioche buns for Mario Burgers at Toadstool Cafe. Dahlmann said they produce more than 5 million brioche buns each year for the wider resort, and that's just one of hundreds of unique items prepared in the PK. Others include scratch-made marinara and Alfredo sauces, freshly chopped fruit for fruit salads, and hand-cut fish for fish and chips. 'It's all freshly cut cod from the Pacific, and we are butchering it, cutting it by hand,' Dahlmann said. 'As well, we buy whole salmon every day, cases and cases of it, and our team is breaking them down, filleting it and then portion-cutting it.' Butchered fish and meats are sent out to resort restaurants, where they're cooked on site, as close to guests as possible. For other items, like the ribs smoking and stew simmering during USA TODAY's visit, Dahlmann said, 'It makes more sense for us to do it in one larger batch, versus asking the location that doesn't have the right equipment to do it every day on a stovetop.' Eateries order only what they need a day in advance, which helps reduce food waste. Most items are prepared to order, but a few extra staples like house-made pickles are kept on hand in a food bank. 'I just love the idea that we do things from scratch,' Dahlmann said. Ensuring food safety Items that are cooked get quickly cooled down in glass chillers or icy whirlpools. 'It's really important for us that we cook food quick, so we bring it through the danger zone,' Dahlmann said. 'So, at 165 (degrees), I kill most bacteria. If I hold it at the temperature, I mean there's nothing there. But then I have to make sure, once I hit this window, that I cool the food down in a very timely manner as well. The government gives us six hours to go from 165 to under 40. We do this in like an hour.' Food safety starts much earlier. "It starts up with our sourcing department and procurement department, so we identify vendors we can trust,' he said. 'We send them out to the vendor just to qualify, is the location acceptable? Will they be able to produce consistent, safe food for us and our guests?' The PK and adjacent Food and Beverage Warehouse were designed so that food comes in one side and goes out another, to avoid cross contamination. There are also different rooms for different needs like a raw meat room for butchering and ready-to-eat room where deli cheeses are sliced. 'Everything gets washed when sanitized between the users,' Dahlmann said. 'Everything gets tagged, labeled, so we have batch numbers. We have recipe numbers. We can always revert back to the production code as well, so there's a lot of food safety built into the process.' What not to do: 4 things to avoid at Universal Epic Universe Storytelling through food Storytelling is also built in. That starts in Universal's Research and Development Kitchen, in the same building as the PK. For marquee events like Mardi Gras and Halloween Horror Nights, Chef Robert Martinez, Jr., director of Culinary, executive chef at Universal Orlando, said they plan about six months ahead, but they spent years working on Epic Universe, partnering with Universal Creative and stakeholders on intellectual property. 'Many menus that never made the cut, never will see the light of day and some of them that will have to venture back to see how it could be in addition to some of these amazing menus that we've already created,' he said. More than 100 new menu items are available at Epic Universe, including popular Mac & Cheese cones in How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk and the Bièraubeurre (Butterbeer) Crepe in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic. 'We've definitely made some adjustments in our production, fine-tuning some of these recipes, making sure that they're 100% able to be enjoyed by our guests, that we're able to replicate what we've created on a daily basis,' Martinez said. 'Obviously the Mac & Cheese cones have gone viral, so we really have to ramp production on that, but really everything is still going exactly how we designed it.' The chefs have been 'tickled' by guests' response, but that isn't the best part. 'Every day we come into work and we're trying to create food that exceeds guests' expectation and takes them somewhere,' he said. 'To see the pride of our culinary team members, our cooks, our stewards, our managers – and they're living it now, they're bringing it to life and they're so excited about it – that's so rewarding for us.' The reporter on this story received access from Universal Orlando Resort. USA TODAY maintains editorial control of content.
USA Today
11-02-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
First taste of Universal Epic Universe: Trying its highly themed food, drinks
From Pan-Asian cuisine at The Blue Dragon to elevated vegan options at Atlantic, Celestial Park offers a diverse culinary experience. Super Nintendo World features familiar favorites like Yoshi's Smoothie and the Mario Burger, adjusted for American tastes. How to Train Your Dragon - Isle of Berk offers hearty meals like the Thawfest Platter and unique beverages like Gobber's Mead. Dark Universe leans into Halloween Horror Nights themes with dishes like the Labotocotta and Reaper's Reserve brown ale. Everything was good. The end. That's all I could think of as one of the first people to try the new foods and drinks coming to Universal Epic Universe. Like my waistband after each dish, my mind stretched to process everything I was taking in. All this time, theme park fans have been looking forward to seeing how Universal Orlando Resort brings five new worlds to life through immersive, first-of-a-kind attractions, entertainment and decor. Meanwhile, for the past five years, the Florida resort's culinary team has been dreaming up ways to tell those same stories through food and drinks – a full sensory experience. They've created more than 100 new menu items for the park. USA TODAY was invited to try more than a dozen of them at Universal Orlando's state-of-the-art production kitchen. Here's how they tasted and what Epic Universe guests can expect. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. Celestial Park Otherworldly Celestial Park will be the first world guests enter at Epic Universe and will have some of the park's best food. Everything I tried from The Blue Dragon Pan-Asian Restaurant, and the glass-enclosed seafood restaurant Atlantic tasted top tier. The Blue Dragon's Smashed Cucumbers with cilantro, peanuts and Sichuan spice was instantly familiar, not only because a version of it was tested at last year's Universal Mardi Gras: International Flavors of Carnaval, but because then and now, it reminded me of something from my late grandmother's kitchen. 'We're trying to be respectful, authentic,' said Chef Jens Dahlmann, vice president and executive chef of the resort's Culinary Operations. The pork-filled Snowflake Potstickers with extra lacey crusts looked more like dosas than the dumplings I grew up with, but they did not disappoint. They were so good I had multiple, even though I knew I should save room for other dishes. I also enjoyed the accompanying dragon sauce, which was actually spicy instead of toned down like traditional theme park offerings. The Chengdu Dream was a beautiful blue, tiki-inspired cocktail featuring Ming River Sichuan Baijiu, DeKuyper blue Curaçao, BG Reynolds falernum syrup, pineapple juice, and white grapefruit juice with a golden sugar rim and an edible orchid. Baijiu is a famously strong Chinese spirit, but the drink was almost dangerously smooth and tasty. Atlantic's Northern Lights cocktail was stronger but equally stunning. It's like an elevated lemon drop martini featuring Beluga Noble Vodka, Pallini limoncello, Ferrand Dry Curaçao, lemon juice and simple syrup. It's dusted with edible gold and served with a butterfly pea blossom ice sphere that changes the drink's purple hues as it melts. The restaurant's Oyster Mushroom Ceviche was a yummy vegan dish with hearty mushrooms instead of fish. It was bright and fresh, and I didn't miss the fish. Chef Robert Martinez Jr., director and executive of Shared Services at the resort, said they wanted to reimagine vegan food. In addition to crafting original vegan menu items for every Epic world, many dishes have been created to be made vegan with easy substitutions. Atlantic's Sea Bass with carrot mochi, sugar snap peas, star fruit and lemongrass broth was delicate and delicious. The Passion Fruit 'Caviar' was fun as it was clever. It's really a chocolate hazelnut dessert topped with passion fruit-flavored pearls, all served in a branded tin guests can take home. Super Nintendo World Foods at Epic's Super Nintento World will feel familiar to guests who've visited its counterparts at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Japan. Chef Christopher Colon, executive sous chef with Research and Development at the resort, said that's because there's only one Mushroom Kingdom and one head chef, Chef Toad. A few adjustments have been made to some of the dishes from Japan for American palettes. For instance, Yoshi's Smoothie at Yoshi's Snack Island will be apple melon flavored instead of melon mint. The bright green drink was too sweet for me personally, but I bet kids will love it. The Mario Burger from Toadstool Cafe is a solid option for both picky and non-picky eaters. I found myself taking extra bites even when I should have stopped to avoid feeling Thanksgiving-level full. It comes with bacon, mushrooms and cheese on a mustache-printed brioche bun with a Mario hat toothpick. Like more than 100 other bakery items served across Universal Orlando, the buns are made from scratch in the resort's production kitchen, which we also toured. How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk The Thawfest Platter from How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk's Mead Hall is another crowd-pleaser. Meant to be shared, it comes with wild berry BBQ glazed chicken drumsticks, grilled salmon, sausage links, and various veggie sides and dips. Dahlmann said the salmon was inspired by the fish Hiccup gives Toothless early in the first film. The sausage was good, but the salmon was excellent and not fishy at all. The chicken was equally moist and flavorful. I also enjoyed the Yaknog, a malted chocolate and cinnamon dessert drink that reminded me of a cold Mexican hot chocolate, and Gobber's Mead. Many guests may not have previously tried mead, which is traditionally made with fermented honey. This boysenberry-blackcurrant version is infused with Grains of Paradise, which is part of the ginger family, and a very drinkable introduction. Dark Universe Halloween Horror Nights fans will not be disappointed with Dark Universe's food offerings, which Colon compared to elevated HHN. A vegan stuffed cabbage I saw but did not try from Das Stakehouse was sprinkled with puffed rice meant to resemble maggots. The Carved Staked Steak I sampled looked almost too fresh and came with a bloody jus that fit right in with the restaurant's vampire storyline. It was a little too bloody for me, but I appreciated the theming. And I loved the Labotocotta, a brain-shaped Greek yogurt vanilla panna cotta served with raspberry sauce. I also liked Dark Universe's signature beer, Reaper's Reserve, which is brewed by Orlando-based Crooked Can Brewing Company. The brown ale is flavored with cinnamon, clove and nutmeg, offering an autumnal kiss that can be enjoyed year-round. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic The newest corner of the Wizarding World will transport guests to 1920s Paris. Dahlmann said the chefs had fun drawing on classic French cuisine for Café L'air De La Sirène, which will resemble a gilded brasserie. I tried the Salad Niçoise, which was fresh and simple. As someone who doesn't drink much, I appreciated the peach and plum-flavored Dirigible Plum Juice Mocktail, which was light and refreshing. I wanted to love the newest iteration of Butterbeer, the Bièraubeurre Crepe, but it was a bit too rich for me. It comes with shortbread cookie butter, Bavarian cream, Butterbeer drizzle, strawberries, and a shortbread cookie. The chefs said it's been a hit internally. I can see why. Even the things I didn't love, I can envision others enjoying. I could also sense the thought and care that went into crafting each item for a variety of palates. I can't wait to try more when Epic Universe opens this May. The reporter on this story received access from Universal Orlando Resort. USA TODAY maintains editorial control of content.
