Three food kiosks line the path to Paradise Gardens, similar to the Food & Wine Festival, and the chefs at the Disneyland Resort have created some truly special food offerings this year. The kiosks celebrate food by country, with Korea, China, and Vietnam represented. A smaller food cart in Paradise Park also has a few more options, and the menu at Paradise Garden Grill has been completely overhauled.
My favorite food offering was Xiao Long Bao at the China Marketplace, pork soup dumplings with black vinegar and ginger. Each serving includes three dumplings and dipping sauce. I also tried Sanbeiji (Three-cup Chicken), which was really yummy, although the sauce is a bit spicy and the last few bites of rice where most of the spice settled was too much for my palette. There’s also a really special drink at this kiosk called Baixiangguo Lucha, passion fruit green tea with lychee popping pearls. I’m not big on green tea, but this was so refreshing and the popping pearls were delicious. This drink comes with a light-up lotus blossom, and Guests can also obtain it with several other drinks at the celebration.
I also got to sample one of the desserts from the Vietnam Marketplace. Bang Khoai Lang Tim is a large macaron cookie with purple sweet potato and gold leaf garnish. Hands down, this was the best macaron I’ve ever had. The signature drink at this kiosk is Ca Phe Sua Da, Vietnamese iced coffee, and the Banh Chu’ng (sticky rice cake with pork) looked delicious. Seafood lovers were really happy with the Chao Tom (sugar cane shrimp skewers with sweet and sour sauce), but as a favor to Ariel, the only thing I eat from the sea is seaweed.
From the Korean Marketplace, I sampled a dessert called Yang Gaeng, which is a sweet raspberry and red bean jelly. I really enjoyed the flavors, although the texture takes some getting used to as it has a jello-like top layer and a gritty bean paste bottom. Other offerings at this kiosk include Yachae Mandy (steamed vegetable dumplings with sesame garlic sauce) and Kimchi Bokkeumbap (vegetable fried rice).
The marketplace kiosks are great if you want to sample small plates, but Guests looking for a full meal should check out the Paradise Garden Grill’s Lunar New Year menu. I tried the Galbi (short ribs with rice and kimchi) and the mango pudding for dessert, both excellent options. The signature dish is the Ca Ro Phi Chien Gino (whole crispy tilapia with chili-lime vinaigrette served family style with soup, vegetables, and rice), which serves two. This is a whole fish, head, tail, and bones included. The Banh Mi Thit Nuong looks like a hot dog at first glance. It’s a baguette with marinated pork belly and vegetables, an Asian fusion that looks very appetizing. During Lunar New Year, Paradise Garden Grill also has table delivery service where the food and silverware comes to you.
With visiting performers, character experiences, crafts, shopping, and dining all themed to Lunar New Year, there are so many reasons to visit Disney California Adventure before the celebration ends on February 18th. If you’re planning to experience everything the celebration has to offer, plan at least half of your day in the park. And with the celebration growing each year, I’m excited to see what the creative teams at Disneyland do for Lunar New Year 2019.
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