The How to Train Your Dragon Scene That Inspired These Viral Epic Universe Dishes
Epic Universe's Isle of Berk is home to a Mac and Cheese Cone that'll make you feel like a Viking.
Epic Universe is officially open with many incredible attractions to see, ride and, of course, taste. Particularly, parkgoers have been impressed so far with the hearty culinary options available within the How to Train Your Dragon - Isle of Berk wing of the new park, for good reason.
NBC Insider visited the Isle of Berk ahead of Epic Universe’s grand opening where we spoke with Christopher Colon, executive sous chef of research and development, who had a hand in creating the many exciting dishes you can eat there. As with all things related to Epic Universe, the food is all about immersing parkgoers in the world of How to Train Your Dragon. For Colon, this meant diving back into the animated movies, which just so happened to be his three daughters’ favorite.
“I’ve been watching these movies since before we were even working on this project and we got to watch them again,” he explained of the beginning of his creative process for the park. “Being able to pull little moments that are impactful to myself or my children and trying to make them come to life is very exciting.”
One of his favorite dishes is Hiccup’s Grilled Salmon, directly inspired by the famous moment from How to Train Your Dragon where the protagonist, Hiccup, offers a raw fish to his new friend, Toothless. It’s the catalyst for the two bonding and eventually creating a world of harmony between Vikings and Dragons, which is the time in which Isle of Berk takes place.
“It kind of tells that story between Hiccup and Toothless. They first kind of bonded when Hiccup gave him that salmon and they were OK and he kind of let him pet him for the first time. That bridges the gap. That’s where, for myself, it really started our menu creation,” Colon explained.
While the movies inspire each dish in some way, they were also inspired by the concept of being a rough-and-tumble dragon-fighting Viking.
“We took Viking very literally as like big, big feasts,“ he explained. "We want people to celebrate a big and boisterous meal. You have Gobber the Belch’s turkey wings here, so you can grab them by your hand, pick them up and keep walking like a true Viking would.”
The turkey wings aren’t the only grab-and-go food. Those who have watched or read anything about the Isle of Berk likely know that you can purchase a massive Mac and Cheese bread cone that’s not only designed to fill a hungry Viking’s belly but it’s something you can take with you as you explore more of the park.
“We wanted something that’s big and hearty that fits a Viking as well, and also something that’s very important to us here is food you can take on the go,” Colon said. “You can continue to see attractions, you can get on a line and get on that ride. The Mac and Cheese Cone is perfect bread with everything bagel seasoning on it filled with creamy mac and cheese. It’s a perfect combination and it’s movable. It’s the perfect little snack.”
So whether you’re chomping on a turkey wing while waiting to ride Hiccup’s Wing Gliders or finishing off your bread cone while watching the conclusion of The Untrainable Dragon live show there’s a hearty meal that’s perfect for your Viking lifestyle while you explore Epic Universe’s How to Train Your Dragon - Isle of Berk.
