DELICIOUS EATS! Disney California Adventure Lunar New Year 2023

Although the holidays just wrapped up a few days ago, there’s already another festival to look forward to at Disney California Adventure. The Lunar New Year Celebration kicks off on January 20 and runs through February 15 (concurrent with the Disney100 celebration at Disneyland!) and highlights a variety of Asian cultures. This is the Year of the Rabbit (on the Chinese calendar) and the Year of the Cat (on the Vietnamese calendar), and there’s an abundance of entertainment and food to enjoy.

Here’s a quick look at what food will be offered during the festival…

This article will be updated regularly throughout the festival with our thoughts about the food. Be sure to check back frequently!

Lunar New Year Celebration Food at Disney California Adventure

As with all of DCA’s festivals, there are marketplaces (food booths) each offering a selection of food and beverages. This year, two new marketplaces are joining the lineup— something we’ve been hoping would happen for a while due to the popularity of the event. In total, there are six marketplaces, each with a variety of food and drink options. Here’s what to look forward to:

Bamboo Blessings – NEW

Although this particular booth is new, many of the items are favorites from previous years.

• Mickey Mouse-shaped Hot Dog Bun: Brioche-style Mickey Mouse-shaped buns stuffed with hot dog and finished with sesame seeds and scallions
• Mickey Mouse-shaped Purple Sweet Potato Macaron: Red macaron filled with purple sweet potato buttercream and a crème fraîche center
• Young Master Brewery Pale Ale with mandarin and bergamot zest 
• Kloud Brewery Original Gravity Lager 
• Master Gao Brewery Baby Jasmine Tea Lager
• Three Weavers Brewery Moon Rabbit: Golden stout with vanilla and Vietnamese cinnamon (New)
• Stereo Brewing Co. Gingerine: Ginger wheat ale with tangerine, honey, and lemon juice (New)
• Brewery X Green Tea Rice Lager (New)
• Anderson Valley Brewing Co. Black Rice Ale (New)
• Tsingtao Brewery Premium Lager (New)
• Tsingtao topped with a frozen mango beer foam (New)
• Lucky Flight: Tsingtao Brewery, Young Master Brewery, Stereo Brewing Co., and Three Weavers Brewery (New)
• Prosperity Flight: 4Sons Brewing Co., Master Gao Brewery, Brewery X, and Anderson Valley Brewing Co. (New)
• Lotus Flower Glow Cube

Lucky 8 Lantern

• Quesabirria Eggroll with Guajillo pepper consommé filled with Oaxaca cheese, beef birria, and a side of guajillo pepper consommé (New)
  • Disney is really leaning in on Asian-fusion cuisine this year for their new offerings. Unfortunately, this one was not very successful. It’s neither a great interpretation of quesabirria nor an eggroll. It’s packed full of meat but surprisingly little flavor. The consommé is more akin to gravy and intensely salty. For $9, I would recommend skipping this.

• Mandarin Mousse Cake: Layers of mandarin mousse with vanilla cake and clementine compote finished with white chocolate crunch balls and a tangerine glaze (New) 
• Coconut-Lavender Matcha Foam Iced Coffee: Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Co. French Bistro Blend, coconut milk, coconut cream, and white chocolate sauce garnished with lavender matcha, coconut foam, sea salt, and purple sanding sugar (Non-alcoholic) (New) 
• Lotus Flower Glow Cube 

Red Dragon Spice Traders

• Gochujang Elote: Steamed corn on the cob rolled in gochujang aїoli and cotija cheese drizzled with spicy gochujang sauce (New)
• Red Spice Fried Chicken Bites: Fried chicken chicharrones in spicy red chile sauce (New) 
  • The description is very deceiving. This is more like Korean fried popcorn chicken than chicharrones. That said, they’re pretty good. If you like spice, this certainly delivers. I wish that this was served with rice, but it’s a great protein-loaded option.

• Guava Ginger Whiskey Cocktail: Whiskey, ginger liqueur, guava nectar, coconut cream, and lime juice garnished with a lime wheel (New) 
• Dancing Firecracker: Pineapple and lime juices, guava nectar, spicy honey, and house-made hibiscus syrup garnished with a lime wheel (New) 
  • Keeping on theme for the food booth, you’ll find another spicy offering here. This drink is equal parts refreshing and sweltering. On the first sip, you get the tartness of the tropical fruits, and on the back end, you’ll get a nice warming sensation from the hot honey. Very good!

• Lotus Flower Glow Cube

Wrapped with Love – NEW

The other new marketplace has all-new dishes. Does anything stand out to you here?

• Pork and Shrimp Wontons with a black garlic sauce (New) 
• Bok Choy & Mushroom Dumpling with a black garlic sauce (New) (Plant-based item)
• Pineapple Baijiu Cocktail: Dark Rum, baijiu, Allspice Dram, pineapple and orange juices, and falernum syrup garnished with a dried red pineapple chip (New) 
• Grapefruit-Melon Wine Cocktail: Sauvignon blanc, grapefruit liqueur, watermelon purée, rock melon syrup, and lime juice garnished with skewered grapes (New) 
• Lotus Flower Glow Cube

Prosperity Bao & Bun 

• Pepperoni Pizza Bao Bun served with marinara (New)
  • This is another Asian-fusion offering… and one that doesn’t particularly work very well. There’s way too little filling in the bao to really pick up on any pepperoni pizza flavor. Additionally, there are some weird textural ingredients that appeared to be carrots and cabbage. I would not recommend trying this.

• Char Siu BBQ Pork Bao with pickled red onion and jalapeño
• Peach Yuja-Ade: Yuja-lemongrass purée, dragon fruit and peach syrups, lemon juice, and butterfly pea flower tea garnished with a lemon wheel (Non-alcoholic) 
• Soju Peach Yuja Ade: Soju, yuja-lemongrass purée, dragon fruit and peach syrups, lemon juice, and butterfly pea flower tea garnished with a lemon wheel (Non-alcoholic) 
• Lychee Celebration: Gin, prosecco, lychee syrup, yuja-lemongrass purée, and grapefruit juice garnished with an edible purple orchid
• Lotus Flower Glow Cube

Longevity Noodle Co.

• Garlic Noodles: Long noodles tossed in zesty garlic butter with parmesan 
• Spicy Pork DanDan Noodles: Pan-fried noodles with ground pork and spicy tri-chile sauce 
• Raspberry Oat Milk Tea: Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Co. Ceylon Tea, raspberry and demerara syrups, and oat milk garnished with skewered raspberries (New) 
• Lotus Flower Glow Cube

Lunar New Year Celebration Sip & Savor Pass

The best way to save money while trying food throughout the festival is to purchase a Sip & Savor Pass. This pass can be purchased at numerous locations in DCA, including at the marketplaces themselves. The Sip & Savor Pass has six tabs that can be redeemed for select food and nonalcoholic beverages at participating Lunar New Year Marketplaces and dining locations. In 2022, the pass cost $43 ($40 after a Magic Key discount); we expect prices to be higher this year.

Lunar New Year Participating Locations in DCA

There are other eateries throughout DCA that are celebrating Lunar New Year. Here are the participating locations in the park:

Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta

• Milk Tea Taro Cheesecake: Milk tea cheesecake with a taro mousse (New) 

Lamplight Lounge

• Surf & Turf Fried Rice: Five Spice-rubbed New York steak, sautéed shrimp, fried rice, ginger pea purée, and chile oil topped with a carrot salad (New) 
• Sesame Seed Donuts: Maple-glazed donuts topped with sesame seed brittle and served with a kaya jam dipping sauce (New) 
• Three Weavers Brewery Seafarer Kolsch-style (New)
• Lamplight Lounge Lunar New Year Cocktail: Han Soju, Aperitivo Aperol, carrot and orange juices, and cream of coconut garnished with a raspberry and mint (New) 

Lamplight Lounge – Boardwalk Dining

• Pork Dumplings with Chinese broccoli, roasted mushrooms, Fresno chiles, and fried shallots (New)
• Lamplight Lounge Lunar New Year Cocktail: Han Soju, Aperitivo Aperol, carrot and orange juices, and cream of coconut garnished with a raspberry and mint (New) 

Lucky Fortune Cookery

• Mango Sticky Rice: Taro and coconut sticky rice with mango gel, toasted coconut, and fresh mango (New) 
• Lotus Flower Glow Cube

Magic Key Terrace

• Pork Spare Ribs with peanut-chile sauce, Asian slaw, toasted peanuts, and crispy noodles (New) 

Pacific Wharf Cappuccino Cart (Mobile order available) 

• Green Tea Horchata (New) 
• Dalgona Coffee Bundt Cake: Coffee Bundt cake filled with sweet milk and topped with dalgona foam (New) 

Pacific Wharf Café

• White Chocolate Apple Bread Pudding: Granny Smith Apples and white chocolate with crème anglaise and whipped topping (New)

Paradise Garden Grill (Mobile order available)

• Kimchi Bokkeumbap: Kimchi, potato, carrot, and onion fried rice with egg and Korean chili paste topped with crispy sweet and sour tofu and black sesame seeds (New) (Plant-based Item) 
• Shrimp Lo Mein: Lo mein noodles tossed with shrimp, mushrooms, onions, carrots, and bok choy (New) 
• Dak Bulgogi: Korean BBQ chicken served with rice and kimchi
• Bánh Mì: Grilled pork belly with pickled carrots, cucumbers, daikon, and jalapeños with a spicy mayo 
• Sweet and Sour Whole Fish served with steamed rice and stir-fried vegetables (served family-style for two) (New) 
• Tiger Milk Boba Tea with brown sugar (Non-alcoholic) (New) 
• Hite Beer
• Blackberry Soju Cocktail: Soju, blackberry purée, and lemon juice with a hint of ginger (New) 
• Lotus Flower Glow Cube

Sonoma Terrace (Mobile order available)

• Pad Thai Spring Roll: Shrimp with scrambled eggs, noodles, crushed peanuts, and Thai basil served with tangy slaw and pad Thai sauce (New) 

Goofy’s Churro Cart 

• Almond Cookie Churro coated in cookie crumble and topped with almond icing (New) 

Outdoor Food Carts (Available Jan. 19 through Feb. 12) 

• Chicken Bao with Curry Dip: Steamed bao with chicken, butternut squash, and kaffir lime served with a spicy red curry sauce (New)
• Teriyaki Turkey Leg (New) 
• Baked Coconut Almond Nian Gao: Baked sticky rice cake topped with coconut and almonds (New) 
• Blackberry Cotton Candy (New)
• Mandarin Orange Cotton Candy (New)
• ACE High! Hard Cider Imperial Apple Cider
• Master Gao Brewery Puffed Rice Chinese Pale Ale

Disneyland Hotels Celebrating Lunar New Year

The Lunar New Year Celebration continues in the hotels at the Disneyland Resort. There are several new options to enjoy both at the Disneyland Hotel and the Grand Californian Hotel.

Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa

There are three places you can get a Lunar New Year-inspired item at the hotel. You’ll find treats, cocktails, and specialty foods.

Hearthstone Lounge

• Rabbit Firecracker: Spiced rum, orange brandy, lemon oil, honey, and black tea garnished with star anise and pink peppercorns (New)

GCH Holiday Cart 

• Lunar New Year Cookie (New) 
• Assorted Pretzel Sticks 

Storyteller’s Café 

• Offering Lunar New Year-inspired offerings such as fried rice and spring rolls

Disneyland Hotel

Lunar New Year at the Disneyland Hotel is a bit disappointing in comparison to the Grand. Here, you’ll only get a Lunar New Year offering at Goofy’s Kitchen. We’re hoping that something interesting comes to The Coffee Shop and Trader Sam’s, but we don’t have any confirmation of that yet.

Goofy’s Kitchen 

• Offering Lunar New Year-inspired offerings such as fried rice and spring rolls 

Downtown Disney Lunar New Year

There are also some locations in Downtown Disney that will have seasonal options for Lunar New Year. Here’s what to look forward to:

Black Tap Craft Burgers & Shakes (Available Jan. 20 through Feb. 15) 

• Year of The Rabbit CrazyShake: Vanilla-frosted rim with red and gold sixlet, Chinese zodiac rabbit vanilla cupcake, red and gold rock candy, whipped cream, red sprinkles, and caramel drizzle

Catal Restaurant (Available Jan. 20 through Feb. 15)

• Pork Belly Bao Bun: Pork belly, soy Gochujang glaze, baby mixed greens, spring onions, spicy mayo, and charred lemon (New)
• Kung Pao Paella: Valenciano paella rice, kung pao chicken, lemon vinaigrette, spring onions, water chestnuts, roasted peppers, roasted peanuts, and chiles (New) 
• Lunar Eclipse: Gin, cherry liqueur, triple sec, lime juice, pineapple juice, grenadine, and bitters and topped with soda and gold glitter (New) 

Mad Dumplings Food Truck (Available Jan. 13 through Feb. 5, starting at 3 p.m. daily) 

Though Disney claims that this is a new offering for Lunar New Year, this food truck has previously visited Downtown Disney. I highly recommend the Longanisa dumplings there.

• Food truck serving unique dumplings and rice dishes (New) 

Naples Ristorante e Bar (Available Jan. 20 through Feb. 15)

• Firecracker Chicken Pizza: Hoisin, mozzarella cheese, marinated chicken, carrot strings, and a firecracker sauce drizzle topped with a sliced green onion garnish (New) 
• Lunar New Year Margarita: Tequila blanco, pomegranate juice, lime juice, agave, and simple syrup with a pinch of salt (New) 

Sprinkles (Available Jan. 16 through 29)

• Lunar New Year Gold Bunny Almond Red Velvet: Red velvet cake with slivered almonds lined with an almond cookie crust and topped with almond cream cheese frosting (Available while supplies last.) 
• Lunar New Year Red Box: Three Lunar New Year Gold Bunny Almond Red Velvet cupcakes, Three Almond Red Velvet cupcakes, Three Dark Chocolate cupcakes, Three Strawberry cupcakes, and Eight Limited-edition red envelopes (Available while supplies last.)

Tortilla Jo’s (Available Jan. 20 through Feb. 15)

• Asian Tuna Nachos: Tuna marinated 24 hours in a Vietnamese-style sauce with diced tomatoes, green onions, cilantro, sesame seeds, avocado cream, Asian spiced aïoli, and Vietnamese-style glazed sauce (New)
• New Year Sunrise: Rum, grenadine, lime juice, orange juice and pineapple juice (New) 

Uva Bar & Cafe (Available Jan. 20 through Feb. 15)

• Lunar Eclipse: Gin, cherry liqueur, triple sec, lime juice, pineapple juice, grenadine, and bitters topped with soda and gold glitter (New) 

For more info about DCA’s Lunar New Year and Food and Wine Festivals for 2023, take a look at the article below:

Dates Set for Disneyland Resort’s Lunar New Year and Food Festivals!

Let’s Hear From You

We will update this article with our thoughts and opinions as we try the new food. Lunar New Year Celebration at DCA kicks off on January 20. Did anything listed above sound interesting to you? Are you glad to see this celebration expanded? Share your thoughts in the comments below.