ORLANDO, Fla. – If you think you know what theme park food is you don’t. “This is like next level.”
That’s the reaction many guests have after dining at Space 220, the space-themed restaurant at Walt Disney World’s EPCOT where the experience is designed to feel like a trip far beyond the park gates.
“Located 220 miles above Disney’s Epcot,” Space 220 takes guests on what it calls an out-of-this-world journey — gravity included.
But while the atmosphere may be the hook, the kitchen’s mission is for the food to be what people remember.
“Taste is number one, no question,” Executive Chef Marc Kusche said. “But it’s the first impression, you know.”
Space 220 is served prix fixe. You get three courses and the appetizers come out, setting the tone for the whole meal.
One of the first bites that sets that tone is “our bluefin tuna tartare with mango coulis,” the chef said. He described it as “a little crunch” with “a Indian street food twist.”
On camera, the reaction was immediate: “The crunch is fabulous.”
Another fan-favorite is the restaurant’s cauliflower, which Chef Marc described as “Tempura fried with a hot sauce and then blue cheese dust.”
The kitchen’s twist includes turning the blue cheese into “really like … a powder,” he said.
In the tasting, the verdict was simple: “You don’t even miss the chicken. This is like amazing. Like a hot wing.”
There’s also an appetizer that can win people over even if they aren’t sure what to expect.
“I’ve never had a beet in my life,” I said during the tasting. After trying it: “I don’t hate it. I don’t hate the beet… With the cheese. That’s amazing.”
When the main courses arrived, one dish stopped the moment.
“Cut the cameras. Oh my gosh.”
Chef Marc said the chicken leans into global flavor — “our chicken has a little kind of Indian touch” — with spices including “curry turmeric, paprika, ginger, garlic.”
“We brine the chicken for 24 hours just to add the seasoning,” Chef Marc said. “And then and after this we marinate it for 24 hours.”
It’s served with basmati rice finished with coconut milk.
“This elevated so much,” one diner said. “The coconut I would never expect. That is amazing.”
Seafood is also part of the restaurant’s lineup, and Chef Marc emphasized balance.
“The grouper … a very light dish,” he said, calling it “a nice Mediterranean touch.”
It’s paired with a whipped component: “that’s our, tahini espuma,” he said. “So it’s ricotta tahini, lemon orange zest with salt. That’s it. So very light, almost airy.”
And yes — even non-fish eaters may be converted.
When it comes to popularity, Chef Marc didn’t hesitate.
“Today we doing our number one seller is, beef tenderloin with potato loaded potato twist,” he said.
The potato side is built from “fingerling potatoes,” with “some fontina cheese and then some bacon bits. Fresh parsley” and “a few dots of the sour cream,” he said.
Then there’s the dish’s signature vegetable: “a bacon fat confit carrot.”
Chef Marc explained: “So we cook the carrot and bacon fat for a couple of hours, and then we get a nice smoky flavor.”
After tasting it, I summed it up: “That’s like the best way to eat a vegetable is cooked in bacon fat.”
Space 220 may be themed, but Chef Marc wants diners to leave talking about what was on the plate.
“A lot of people say it. Taste is number one, no question. But it’s the first impression,” he said.
After a meal here, that first impression can reset expectations for theme park dining.
If you think you know what theme park food is you don’t.