All 12 foods at Disney’s Lunar New Year festival booths ranked from best to worst — See photos

Foodies flocked to Disney California Adventure once again as the Lunar New Year celebration got underway with six food booths serving Disney interpretations of Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese dishes.

Disney’s Lunar New Year kicked off on Friday, Jan. 20 and runs through Feb. 15 along DCA’s parade route between Avengers Campus and Paradise Gardens.

A Sip and Savor card with six tabs good for individual items at food and beverage stands throughout the festival costs $45 with a $3 discount for Magic Key annual passholders.

You don’t have to buy your food at the booth where it’s served. The best bet is to figure out everything you want to eat and order it all at once from the register stand with the shortest line. Then you can pick up your food whenever you want. The Lucky 8 Lantern had the shortest line on opening day next to the rusty water wheel for the Grizzly River Run — way off the beaten path of all the festival traffic.

The festival is great for foodies who love to sample and share while grazing from one booth to the next on an epicurean adventure.

I tried all the foods on the menus of the six festival marketplace booths and here’s what I liked from best to worst at DCA’s 2023 Lunar New Year event.

Mickey Mouse-shaped Purple Sweet Potato Macaron: Red macaron filled with purple sweet potato buttercream and a crème fraîche center available at Bamboo Blessings during Lunar New Year at Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, CA, on Jan. 20, 2023.(Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

1. The returning Mickey Mouse-shaped Purple Sweet Potato Macaron filled with sweet potato buttercream and a creme fraiche center at the Bamboo Blessings booth ($7)

I could eat this macaron all day. Disney does sugar really well and this crowd-pleaser remains one of my all-time favorites. If you’re sharing — and I recommend telling your friends to get their own — be aware that the delightful creme fraiche is only in the face and not the ears.

Mandarin Mousse Cake: Layers of mandarin mousse with vanilla cake and clementine compote finished with white chocolate crunch balls and a tangerine glaze available at Lucky 8 Lantern during Lunar New Year at Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, CA, on Jan. 20, 2023.(Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

2. The new Mandarin Mousse Cake with vanilla cake and clementine compote finished with white chocolate crunch balls and a tangerine glaze at the Lucky 8 Lantern booth ($6.25)

The drop-dead gorgeous mousse cake that looks like a glassy orange got the prize for most beautiful dessert at the food fest. Somehow it was even more delicious than I hoped it would be. It’s definitely difficult to eat and not meant for strolling. You’ll want to find a table for this tipsy-topsy delight.

Red Spice Fried Chicken Bites: Fried chicken chicharrones in spicy red chile sauce available at Red Dragon Spice Traders during Lunar New Year at Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, CA, on Jan. 20, 2023.(Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

3. The new Red Spice Fried Chicken Bites in spicy red chile sauce at the Red Dragon Spice Traders booth ($8.75)

I tasted the spice before the fried chicken even hit my mouth. The heat stuck on my tongue after each bite. The portion size was generous enough to serve as the main course of any festival feast. My recommendation: Get this one first and build around it with other appetizers.

Pork and Shrimp Wontons with a black garlic sauce available at Wrapped With Love during Lunar New Year at Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, CA, on Jan. 20, 2023.(Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

4. The new Pork and Shrimp Wontons with a black garlic sauce at the Wrapped in Love booth ($8.75)

The ugly but delicious wontons won’t win many Instagram likes, but the savory, umami bites were among the best flavors I tasted at the food fest.

Quesabirria Eggroll with Guajillo pepper consommé filled with Oaxaca cheese, beef birria, and a side of guajillo pepper consommé available at Lucky 8 Lantern during Lunar New Year at Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, CA, on Jan. 20, 2023.(Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

5. The new Quesabirria Eggroll with Guajillo pepper consomme filled with Oaxaca cheese, beef birria and a side of guajillo pepper consomme at the Lucky 8 Lantern booth ($9)

The eggroll was by far the biggest surprise of the festival. It’s definitely heavy and greasy, but I loved the carnitas-like filling inside the crispy brown exterior.

Gochujang Elote: Steamed corn on the cob rolled in gochujang aїoli and cotija cheese drizzled with spicy gochujang sauce available at Red Dragon Spice Traders during Lunar New Year at Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, CA, on Jan. 20, 2023.(Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

6. The new Gochujang Elote steamed corn on the cob rolled in aioli and cotija cheese drizzled with spicy gochujang sauce at the Red Dragon Spice Traders booth ($7.50)

I couldn’t stop eating the tasty Gochujang Elote. I wanted more with every bite. There was just the right amount of spicy sauce to contrast with the sweet corn. The handheld corn on the cob on a stick was the perfect portable treat for a food festival.

Spicy Pork DanDan Noodles: Pan-fried noodles with ground pork and spicy tri-chile sauce available at Longevity Noodle Co. during Lunar New Year at Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, CA, on Jan. 20, 2023.(Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

7. The returning Spicy Pork DanDan Noodles with ground pork and spicy tri-chile sauce at the Longevity Noodle Co. booth ($8.50)

The spicy pork noodles had a little kick to them as advertised with a nice blend of savory flavors.

Bok Choy & Mushroom Dumplings with a black garlic sauce and Pork and Shrimp Wontons with a black garlic sauce available at Wrapped With Love during Lunar New Year at Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, CA, on Jan. 20, 2023.(Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

8. The new Bok Choy & Mushroom Dumpling with a black garlic sauce at the Wrapped in Love booth ($8.75)

There wasn’t much going on with the veggie dumpling other than the sauce served on the side. There are better things on the menu.

Char Siu BBQ Pork Bao with pickled red onion and jalapeño available at Prosperity Bao & Bun during Lunar New Year at Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, CA, on Jan. 20, 2023.(Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

9. The returning Char Siu BBQ Pork Bao with pickled red onion and jalapeño at the Prosperity Bao & Bun booth ($9)

The pork bao tasted like an open-faced banh mi sandwich on a soft-as-a-cloud bun. The pork didn’t have as much flavor as in years past.

Garlic Noodles: Long noodles tossed in zesty garlic butter with parmesan available at Longevity Noodle Co. during Lunar New Year at Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, CA, on Jan. 20, 2023.(Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

10. The returning Garlic Noodles tossed in zesty garlic butter with parmesan at the Longevity Noodle Co. booth ($7.50)

The Garlic Noodles tasted like the mizithra cheese spaghetti I used to order at the Old Spaghetti Factory. Tasty and buttery, but otherwise pretty basic. It seemed like kids’ food if the little ones liked garlic.

Pepperoni Pizza Bao Bun served with marinara available at Prosperity Bao & Bun during Lunar New Year at Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, CA, on Jan. 20, 2023.(Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

11.The new Pepperoni Pizza Bao Bun served with marinara at the Prosperity Bao & Bun booth ($9)

The underwhelming pizza bites were a total letdown — especially after the epic line at the festival booth. The flavorless bun and utter lack of pepperoni left me wondering what all the fuss was about. The Prosperity Bao & Bun booth was clearly overwhelmed on opening day — with sales limited and cut off at various times to handle the crowds.

Mickey Mouse-shaped Hot Dog Bun: Brioche-style Mickey Mouse-shaped buns stuffed with hot dog and finished with sesame seeds and scallions available at Bamboo Blessings during Lunar New Year at Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, CA, on Jan. 20, 2023.(Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

12. The returning Mickey Mouse-shaped Hot Dog Bun finished with sesame seeds and scallions at the Bamboo Blessings booth ($7.50)

The fan-favorite hot dog bun is certainly fun, photogenic and plentiful — but it’s nothing special in a festival filled with so many food options. Disney will never take it off the menu, but it’s probably time to retire this old standby.

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I washed my food down with a Dancing Firecracker ($6.50) from the Red Dragon Spice Traders booth. The nonalcoholic cocktail featured a tasty blend of pineapple, lime, guava, honey and hibiscus flavors. I certainly wouldn’t order the way-too-sweet firecracker again — which tasted like I was drinking a Jolly Rancher.

There were plenty of teas and coffees ($6.50) as well as boozy cocktails ($16 to $17) sprinkled throughout the booths for those looking for a fruity splash of something sweet to go with their grub crawl.

The new Bamboo Blessings booth served as the festival’s craft beer hall — offering a golden stout with Vietnamese cinnamon from Inglewood’s Three Weavers, green tea rice lager from Anaheim’s Brewery X and ginger wheat ale from Placentia’s Stereo Brewing ($13 each). The booth offers a pair of pre-selected flights ($17) if you can’t decide on just one beer.