Universal Orlando’s new Minion Land has shockingly good food

The first thing you should know about Minion Land is the presence of bananas Everywhere.

When I went in, I thought the Minion’s obsession with bananas would translate into a lot of unpleasant eating experiences for me. Why? Because bananas are my least favorite food on the planet. But fortunately, while there are countless… banana Available throughout the new themed area at Universal Orlando Resort, most are inedible. Some of them can even be shot from a cannon, as in Villain Universe: Explosion of Minions Riding.

But if you’re in Minion Land, you’ll definitely want to eat. The food is very good, much better than any quick service food in any mall.

Inspired by these gibberish-speaking little villains who set Gru’s evil plans in motion Despicable me movie franchise, Minion Land took a nondescript walk-through area in the Universal Studios park and turned it into an attraction filled with vibrant colors, locations from the movies (like Bank of Evil), character meet-and-greets, A meeting of the wicked Ride, one of the most innovative rides I have ever experienced. So, you’re auditioning to join the Vicious Six; You take a blaster weapon, walk on a moving conveyor belt, and shoot everything in sight to gain points as you are transported through set pieces and past huge screens.

After shooting yourself a bad guy, you walk out of the Evil Gear Gift Shop filled with Villain-Con merchandise and carrying a ton of crazy-haired purple Evil Minions. Then it’s time to eat.

Sophisticated quick service fare in Minion Land

Looking at the restaurants opening at both Universal Hollywood and Universal Orlando this year, it’s clear that the parks have taken a big step forward in raising the bar on their food. One sign of this was in February 2023 when Universal Studios Hollywood opened Super Nintendo World and its companion ride Toadstool Cafewhich serves foods like the Piranha Plant Caprese Salad (which actually resembles the piranha plants in the game) and the Chef Toad Short Rib Special, with a porridge made with creamy goat cheese and red wine.

When I visited this restaurant, I was blown away by the complexity and creative artistry of the dishes (bowser-shaped puff pastry in Bowser’s Fireball Challenge; green-and-white Yoshi’s Egg croutons on Yoshi’s favorite fruit and flower salad). Almost a year later, the restaurant is still serving the same amazing, well-prepared food, even though Toadstool Café is It serves about 4,000 people daily.

All of this is to say that I should have known that Minion Land would have something particularly delicious in its bright yellow wrapper, but what I tasted there exceeded all expectations I could have had. The shows are sophisticated and innovative, but more than that, they’re just plain fun.

Excellent menu at Minion Cafe

The idea behind Minion Cafe (Technically “Illumination’s Minion Cafe”, in reference to the animation studio producing the film Despicable me The films (which are then financed and distributed by Universal) have you eating in the Minion break room, where they go when it’s time to refuel from their – prepare for a terrible pun – Gru-eling business. The walls are decorated with sarcastic motivational posters such as “Teamwork means no one’s fault” and “Collaboration: Share the credit, not the work.” Unsurprisingly, the cabinets and vending machine were full of bananas.

But while I tried dessert it seem Like bananas, I didn’t eat anything at Minion Cafe. This “banana” was actually a passion fruit mousse in a white chocolate shell made to resemble a Minion’s favorite food. He served alongside Minion Swiss Roll ($7.99)Made with vanilla cake, pineapple ganache and cardamom.

That candy is exactly what I’m talking about. This cardamom and chocolate infused ganache art is a far cry from the churros and snacks you typically find at theme parks. But those treats, while delicious, weren’t the only cool thing I tried in Minion Land. In fact, everything I ate was something I would specifically go back to again (and in most cases I already have).

My favorite thing on the menu is Honeymoon Agnes Soup ($14.99), a delicious, slightly spicy green tomato soup garnished with crispy pork belly, “gum bear” tomatoes and basil oil, served with a grilled cheese made with pate and pimento cheese. The sandwich is perfect for dipping into soup, but also… Minion Tots ($5.49), which are oversized babies shaped like minions, with fine detailing down to the glasses and overalls. If these products were available at the grocery store, I would constantly buy them — or at least try, because they would certainly be out of stock most of the time.

At Minion Café, I’m having fun too Karl’s Crispy Cauliflower ($15.99)a vegetarian dish with crunchy cauliflower florets in a sweet and spicy chili sauce, served with blue coconut rice, Thai cucumbers, and edamame; Lucy’s Top Secret Salmon ($19.99)A bowl filled with wood-grilled Atlantic salmon, blue coconut rice, Thai cucumbers, edamame, and “Lipstick Stun” sauce; And Uncle Drew’s Pork Belly Felin’ Sandwich ($15.99)featuring slow-roasted porchetta, chimichurri, mustard aioli, apple butter, bacon jam, and arugula on a Hawaiian pretzel bun, served with green banana chips.

Mill Meatball Mount ($14.99) It’s a hand-tossed pizza, filled with meatballs, basil, fresh mozzarella and marinara, baked in a wood oven. It was so huge that I could only eat half of it, and it was so delicious that I took the rest with me and snacked on it later. Chefs at Universal say these pizzas are especially popular for mobile ordering, because people like to share them as they stroll through the park.

Although the Swiss Roll was delicious, it was my favorite dessert on the menu Auto Beat Rock ($8.99)which features peanut butter mousse and strawberry jelly around a banana cake, dipped in a gorgeous chocolate shell that looks like a rock, and served atop a pile of “dirt” cookie crumbs.

Crave-worthy snacks in Minion Land

Both Minion Land and Super Nintendo World have excellent fast food restaurants, but one thing that sets Minion Land apart is the abundance of delicious snacks throughout the attraction. In addition to Follow-up window for mobile orders At the Minion Café, there are three other snack locations on the grounds.

Freeze Ray Pops He sells Delicious Sundaes ($5.99) In flavors like Strawberry Mango Coconut Lemon Mint and Raspberry Lemonade. There are also three “Specialized” Pops ($8.99) On the menu: Minion (blue banana), Gru (Nutella), and Victor (orange cream). I tried Vector, and it was the best orange icing I’ve ever had. The citrus flavor had a freshness that really popped in the creamy interior.

Pop and look It is a popcorn and drinks kiosk that sells regular popcorn and banana and caramel flavored popcorn. I tried the latter, and it tasted like caramel corn dialed up to 11.

But for me, the most delicious option of all Bake my day, a bakery that sells lollipops, cupcakes, whoopie pies, macarons, and s’mores. Many of the items are banana-flavored, such as the Minion Swiss Roll and the chocolate-banana cake, some of which resemble banana pudding more than fresh fruit. My favorite, the one I’m still dreaming about, is Evil Minion Cake Pop ($10), a bright purple dessert made with peanut butter and grape jelly. It immediately struck me with intense nostalgia: the grape “chocolate” skin smelled exactly like Mr. Purple Sketch, and it tasted exactly like I always imagined a candied neon grape scented marker would taste, if it were edible. Beneath the crust is a large portion of thin, not-so-sweet peanut butter cake.

The team member behind the counter assured me that if I liked grapes, I’d love them, and he certainly wasn’t wrong. Apparently I’m not alone. The next time I went back to Bake My Day, the Evil Minion cake slices were sold out.