Despite criticism that food at the 2005 Aichi World Exposition is overpriced and the lifting of a ban on packed meals, many visitors at the expo opt to wait in long lines at pavilion restaurants to challenge their taste buds with dishes from around the world.

From Azerbaijani kebabs to Nepalese dumplings, from Belgian beer to Costa Rican coffee, the Aichi Expo is proving to be not only an exhibition of robots and advanced technology but also a tempting world food fair.

In addition to the country pavilions, there are also various restaurants and food courts featuring Japanese, Chinese, Korean and other cuisines at the expo, which will conclude Sunday (Sept. 25) in the central Japan prefecture.

"We didn't bring any food with us even though the ban on lunchboxes has been lifted. We're here at the expo, so of course we want to try different kinds of food from many countries that we don't usually find in Japan," said Hatsuko Ofukata, a 56-year-old visitor from the Nagoya area.

At the Romania Pavilion, a long line of visitors scanned the menu of traditional Romanian dishes as they waited for tables at restaurant Darie.

"We were initially expecting about 90 customers a day, but the response is so great that we're now serving an average of 300," said Ana Dinescu, the pavilion's spokeswoman.

She recommends the "mititei" meat sticks made with minced beef, mutton and Romanian spices, as well as the "saramal" cabbage rolls with pork filling, which is often eaten at weddings and during festive holidays in Romania.

Nearby at the Poland Pavilion, waitresses dressed in traditional costumes deliver plates of traditional "pierogi", dumplings filled with stewed pork and forest mushrooms. The " grzybowa" soup, which uses plenty of forest mushrooms imported from Poland, is also a popular choice.

"We have a lot of forests in Poland, so as a hobby people go to pick mushrooms when we have spare time. That's why mushrooms are used in many Polish dishes," said Joanna Zgajewska, the manager of restaurant Polonez.

Visitor Yoko Miyazaki, 58, who tried a piece of Polish " szarlotka" apple cake, said, "The filling tastes quite different from apple pies I've had here in Japan. The crust is beautifully baked and it's delicious."

For the adventurous, the Crocodile Roll at the Australia Pavilion may be worth a try.

With two strips of fried crocodile meat sandwiched in a bun with vegetables and mayonnaise, the dish is among the best-selling items along with Aussie beef burgers, according to the pavilion's Deputy Commissioner General Paul Molloy.

Outside the Pakistan Pavilion, Kanako Yabu, 15, a visitor from Nagoya, enjoyed her first bite of Pakistani food, devouring a nan sandwich filled with spicy chicken.

"We've eaten nan with curry before, but it's the first time we' ve tried Pakistani food," her father Hidemi, 40, said. "The spices are quite unique and interesting. I've never tasted them before and I'm enjoying this new discovery."

"The expo is a rare opportunity to see the world so I plan to visit the more unique pavilions such as those of Middle Eastern countries, instead of Europe or the United States that we often get to see on television," Hidemi said. "And we'd like to try African food too."

While visitors traveling with their families or in large groups may find it quite costly to feast on main dishes at the expo, which cost on average 1,000 yen or more each, many pavilions also serve light dishes, snacks and desserts at reasonable prices.

For example, the Africa Pavilion sells jollof rice, a common West African dish, for 600 yen, while Egypt serves "tamiya" fried chickpea balls for 400 yen.

Visitors can also find Singapore's famous samosa and curry puffs at 300 yen a piece.

A sip of coconut juice from a fresh young coconut at the Pacific Islands Pavilion or an icy "kalamansi" fruit drink at the Philippines Pavilion would undoubtedly help soothe the scorching heat on a summer's day as visitors tour the 158-hectare expo main site.

Source: Xinhua