We’re visiting the Lunar New Year Festival at Disney California Adventure right now, where you can find all kinds of exciting activities and delicious snacks.
This festival is a celebration of the Lunar New Year holiday with a focus on the Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese cultures. Of course we’re super excited about all the eats and drinks that you can find here! We’re heading to one of the festival booths now to check out this year’s offerings.
We’re visiting the Red Dragon Spice Traders booth, which you can find at this year’s Lunar New Year Festival.
This spot has a couple of savory snacks, a Sweet Potato Macaron(!), and a few beverage options as well!
Menu
This year, there are some returning favorites at this booth, including that Spicy Three-Cup Chicken and the Mickey Purple Sweet Potato Macaron (though it was previously called the Mickey Purple Yam Macaron).
But how will the eats measure up this time? We’re going to find out!
Food
First, let’s tackle the eats! First up, we’ve got the Spicy Three-Cup Chicken, which is spicy chicken served on a bed of jasmine rice. Did you know that Three Cup Chicken is traditionally made with one cup each of sesame oil, soy sauce, and rice wine? Hence the name Three Cup Chicken!
This is an item we’ve seen at Lunar New Year festivals in the past, and we’ve LOVED it! When we had it back in 2018, we loved the little bit of kick it had to it. It was actually our FAVORITE dish from the Lunar New Year celebration that year. In 2019 it got spicer (and quite possibly better!).
You can try this snack for $8.
For all the plant-based eaters out there, you can get the Impossible™ Lion’s Head Meatballs, which are mini plant-based pork meatballs served with cabbage and a Shaoxing wine reduction. This dish will cost you $7.50.
Do we see a Mickey? 👀 Impossible Lion’s Head Meatballs at Red Dragon 🐉 Spice Traders at DCA! pic.twitter.com/tzNjEGJlpY
— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) January 21, 2022
The cabbage is at the bottom of the dish. It tastes great, but is drenched in the wine reduction. It’s strong in flavor down there as opposed to the meatballs, which are perfectly seasoned and a bit more balanced. Overall, if you like savory dishes, this might be a great one for you. If you’re not into that punch of flavor (especially in the sections that are more drenched at the bottom) then this might be a skip.
We’re ending on a sweet note with the Mickey Purple Sweet Potato Macaron. This cookie is a red macaron filled with purple sweet potato buttercream and a super sweet crème fraîche center.
It’s pretty sweet, but not overly sweet! You would never know you’re eating sweet potato if you didn’t read the menu. The texture of the buttercream is PERFECT and balanced out the the flakiness of the macaron.
Look at those colors with a ✨touch of gold! 👀 This is the Mickey Purple Sweet Potato Macaron from Red Dragon Spice Traders at DCA pic.twitter.com/OPgEyNL2ND
— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) January 21, 2022
It’s available for $6.50.
Beverages
Next, we’ll look at the drinks. You can grab a Dancing Firecracker at this booth, which has pineapple juice, guava purée, spicy honey syrup, hibiscus syrup, and lime juice. This non-alcoholic drink costs $6.50.
This super fruity drink was really tasty! There’s a bit of a kick at the end from the spicy honey syrup which makes this drink live up to its namesake! The guava was the predominant flavor of this drink with the pineapple juice coming through as just a hint.
We couldn’t really taste the lime at all though, so that’s something to note. The kick at the end is something that can come as a bit of a surprise too considering how many other flavors are mixed in, so just be prepared for that! If you like lighter drinks and a bit of spice, consider checking this out. If you don’t like spicy drinks, then you can opt for something else.
💃🏼Dancing Firecracker💃🏼 from Red Dragon Spice Traders! It looks so refreshing! 😎
Made with pineapple juice, guava puree, spicy honey and hibiscus syrups, and lime juice! pic.twitter.com/F9ocScXOAf— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) January 21, 2022
Overall
Overall, we thought this booth had some solid choices — especially those meatballs and the spicy drink! If you’re looking for some savory and spicy flavors, this could be a great spot to check out.
Keep following DFB for more updates on the Lunar New Year Festival in Disney California Adventure!
Click Here to See ALL the Menus for Food Booths at the Lunar New Year Festival
Want to Learn More About Disneyland?
Check Out the Links Below!
DFB Disneyland Restaurants Guide
Disney Genie and How to Use it in Disneyland
What You Need to Know About the Theme Park Reservation System for Disneyland and Disney California Adventure
Closures and Construction at Disneyland
Learn All About Disneyland Park
See What Marvelous Stuff You’ll Find at Avengers Campus in Disney California Adventure
Learn About Pixar Pier in Disney California Adventure
Get All the Details About the Disneyland Mobile App
Everything You Need to Know About Mobile Order in Disneyland
Learn More About Disneyland’s Magic Key Program
Full Details About the Holiday Season in Disneyland
Full Details About Halloween Time at Disneyland
Get Some STRANGE Tips for Disneyland
Click HERE to Check Out Lots of Other DFB Posts About Disneyland
Join the DFB Newsletter To Get All the Latest Disney News Delivered Right to Your Inbox! Click here to Subscribe
Which snack would you try from this Lunar New Year Festival booth? Let us know in the comments.
Lee Sauer says
Hi Sara,
Regarding the Impossible Lion’s Head Meatballs, the cabbage at the bottom is NOT intended to be eaten. It’s there so that the bottoms of the meatballs won’t sit in a pool of sauce/juices/fat that have drained off the meatballs, and for a tiny bit of aesthetic appeal.
I’m really enjoying your reviews, and they’re making me seriously think about driving the 8 hours down to Disneyland for it in spite of the fact that I spent two weeks at Disney World over Thanksgiving. What can I say: I’m a sucker for a holiday festival!
Thanks to everybody at DFB for doing what you do every day!
Lee Sauer
Sacramento, CA