Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood Is Open! See the Food at Toadstool Cafe
Universal Studios/Instagram
Super Nintendo World opens to the public on Friday and in true Universal Studios fashion, the restaurant in the newest addition to the Hollywood theme park is a fully immersive experience.
Toadstool Cafe is located behind a mushroom-shaped façade. There, diners are greeted by campy and cartoonish dining chairs that are made to look like oversized, knobby wood furniture. Dotted along the restaurant's walls and ceilings are green warp tubes and yellow mystery boxes, mainstays of the Mario games. The "windows" to the outside world display serene images of the Mushroom Kingdom's landscape.
To help fans plan their trip to the United States' first branch of Nintendo-related theme parks, Universal Studios Hollywood's official Instagram gave a peak at what "chef Toad has cooked up." Read on for some of the menu items made for the game's fanatics:
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Universal Studios/Instagram
Piranha Plant Caprese: The piranha plant caprese is as much a sculpture as it is a meal. Two segments of a quartered tomato are dotted with circles of mozzarella cheese to form the piranha plant's head, while a single stalk of asparagus strewn along the plate makes for the stem. This eye-catching arrangement is accompanied by simply sliced tomatoes and mozzarella covered in a basil pesto as well as a bed of mesclun greens and marinated mushrooms.
Super Mushroom Soup: Many of the savory dishes on the menu like to feature mushrooms to invoke the air of the video game kingdom, so the super mushroom soup is certainly no exception. The creamy mushroom soup is served in a mushroom-shaped bowl and topped with three parmesan crackers with an image of Mario's mushroom power-up printed on them.
Universal Studios/Instagram
Toadstool Cheesy Garlic Knots: All of the dough for these garlic knots is made fresh in-house every day, according to the Los Angeles Times. The treats are formed into the shape of a mushroom before baking, after which, they're brushed with garlic butter and showered in parsley and parmesan cheese. An order of four comes with a bright red marinara for dipping.
Super Star Chicken Salad: This simple grilled chicken salad comes with a ranch-inspired truffle dressing to get a little hint of the Mushroom Kingdom in every bite. The classic salad made up of grilled chicken, romaine, cabbage, tomatoes and mushrooms also features miniature star-shaped croutons and a Super Star Parmesan cracker to top it all off.
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Yoshi's Favorite Fruit and Veggie Salad: This plate mixes sweet and savory for a salad inspired by the beloved green dinosaur. The salad is tossed in a raspberry vinaigrette and features crunchy radishes and cucumbers, mushrooms and tomatoes to accompany plenty of strawberries and blueberries. The salad also has some green polka-dotted croutons meant to resemble Yoshi eggs and slices of star fruit to finish it off.
Chef Toad's Short Rib Special: This decadent main course features a short rib that's been braised for four hours, says LA Times. Mushrooms make a return appearance on the plate along with a bed of goat cheese polenta. The whole dish is surrounded by a moat of red wine reduction with spots of crème fraîche to resemble the mushroom-like pattern on Toad's head. The dish is topped with a parmesan cracker featuring a stamp of Toad's face.
The Mario Burger: The Mario burger is chef Toad's take on the classic bacon cheeseburger. The beef patty is accompanied by American cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, and, of course, mushrooms. The bun is stamped with Mario's mustache and then skewered with a pick topped with a replica of the plumber's iconic red cap.
Fire Flower Spaghetti and Meatballs: Having spaghetti and meatballs on the menu is a no-brainer considering the game's Italian plumber and his brother. Toad's take has some added mushrooms to transport guests to the Mushroom Kingdom. The plate's topped off with a Parmesan crisp snuggled between the meatballs featuring a Fire Flower printed on the surface, letting customers know there's some chili flakes in there, too.
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Luigi Burger: A grilled chicken breast is topped with a slice of Swiss, a thick ring of green bell pepper and rests on a bed of greens. The whole thing is topped with an herby basil pesto and sandwiched between a brioche bun with Luigi's 'stache emblazoned on it. Like the Mario burger, Luigi's sandwich is held together with a pick featuring the brother's famed green cap.
Super Star Lemon Squash: This special drink is chock full of bursting boba with bright fruity flavors like green apple, orange, lemon and strawberry. The lemony soda then gets topped with star-shaped mango jellies.
Universal Studios/Instagram
Mt. Beanpole Cake: This two-piece cake features a taller stack and a shorter stack to recreate the landscape of the platformer video game. Layers of Italian cookie cake are separated by distinct Neapolitan-like layers of strawberry, chocolate and vanilla cream. The top layers of both stacks are coated in a matcha cream, and then the taller stack is skewered with a miniature recreation of the flagpole players find at the end of every level.
Princess Peach Cake: The Princess Peach cake pays tribute to the royal of the Mushroom Kingdom herself. The funfetti cupcake is filled with a fruity jam and features a tower of pink frosting. The mountainous dessert is covered in glitter and topped with a sugar cookie that's been cut and printed to look like the princess's tiara.
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Universal Studios/Instagram
? Block Tiramisu: All the desserts at the Toadstool Cafe could double as art pieces, and the question mark block tiramisu is one of the more sculptural desserts. The decadent structure is composed of five sugar cookies with a "?" printed on each one. Inside the box, customers will find layers of lady fingers and plenty of whipped cream. The dessert is accompanied by a swipe of raspberry sauce. On top of the tiramisu is one of Mario's power-ups printed on a piece of white chocolate.
