If you can’t get enough while visiting the food booths for the 2023 Lunar New Year Festival, then head over to Paradise Garden Grill where there’s practically a specialty feast that’s been added to this location. With five dishes to pick from, three of which are new, and then two new beverages as well, there’s something here for everyone to enjoy.
Menu for Paradise Garden Grill in Disney California Adventure for Lunar New Year 2023
Food:
- 🆕 Kimchi Bokkeumbap – $14.49
- 🆕 Shrimp Lo Mein – $14.99
- 🆕 Sweet and Sour Whole Fish served with Steamed Rice and Stir-Fried Vegetables – $27.99
- Dak Bulgogi – $17.99
- Bánh Mì – $14.49
Beverages:
- 🆕 Tiger Milk Boba Tea – $6.49
- 🆕 Blackberry Soju Cocktail – $15.00
- 🆕 Anderson Valley Brewing Co. Black Rice Ale (3.8% ABV) – $12.00
The Sweet and Sour Whole Fish returns this year, however without the chicken soup.
Photos of Menu Items for Paradise Garden Grill in Disney California Adventure for Lunar New Year 2023
*NEW* Kimchi Bokkeumbap – $14.49
Kimchi, potato, carrot, and onion fried rice with egg and Korean chili paste topped with crispy sweet and sour tofu and black sesame seeds
This fried rice has a lot going on, though it’s not overwhelming the diner with flavors. Yes, there are a lot of tastes in here, but very few of them raise their head for too long. The rice absorbs most everything and creates a fairly uniform consistency with the soft potatoes. The crispy fried tofu loses some of its luster when coated in sweet and sour sauce, making it soggy.
This dish is not unpleasant or boring, it just seems to have everything there in a muted form. Overall, it was enjoyable but not something particularly memorable.
*NEW* Shrimp Lo Mein – $14.99
Lo mein noodles tossed with shrimp, mushrooms, onions, carrots, and bok choy
This is a simple dish. Garlic is the only real discernible flavor beyond the shrimp, and the noodles are sauced but not overpowering in flavor.
It really is simple and plain, but not in a boring way. It’s more of a solid, dependable dish that you know exactly what it is before you take a bite. We weren’t unimpressed, but we don’t know that we would revisit it either.
*NEW* Sweet and Sour Whole Fish served with Steamed Rice and Stir-Fried Vegetables – $27.99
(served family-style for two)
The fish itself is a gorgeous meal, and clearly, it’s meant to serve a family from the sheer size of the Tilapia. It looks and tastes like something that might be more at home at Carthay Circle. So that’s the problem: a quick-service restaurant typically serves food that guests can consume easily, which this is not.
Anyone who has ever had a whole fish knows that deboning it is a long, arduous, and important process. It’s a process you wouldn’t mind in a sit-down restaurant. But if you’re a family who wants a quick bite before your next Lightning Lane, you can imagine that deboning this fish carefully to avoid any problems with bones is not going to work out.
It’s a shame because that is the only negative aspect of this delicious dish. If you want it, go for it, but be warned that it’ll take more time to consume than your traditional quick-service dish.
Dak Bulgogi – $17.99
Korean BBQ chicken served with rice and kimchi
It’s not bad Korean BBQ, but nothing stands out about this dish. Although it had a wing-barbecue taste, it was still on point and well cooked. If you’re picky, this is your meal. If not, the Banh Mi is the better option.
Bánh Mì – $14.49
Grilled pork belly with pickled carrots, cucumbers, daikon, and jalapeños with a spicy mayo
The pork belly was well cooked and crispy, which went well with the crunchiness of the bread. The vegetables complimented the meat, providing spiciness to the dish. The only problem is that the veggies made one of the ends of the sandwich soggy. Otherwise, it was a really good sandwich.
*NEW* Tiger Milk Boba Tea – $6.49
with brown sugar
This one is heavy on the milk and light on the tea. We would have preferred a stronger tea flavor to go with the sweet brown sugar boba and the sweet milk.
It’s a passable drink as it stands, but it could be better.
There are other, better milk tea offerings here at Disney California Adventure that we think we would rather have.
*NEW* Blackberry Soju Cocktail – $15.00
Soju, blackberry purée, and lemon juice with a hint of ginger
This was pleasant. It’s not as sweet as we were expecting, and the lemon helps to cut through the sugar that is there.
The soju is entirely lost In the mix of sweet flavors, which is a bit of a disappointment, but doesn’t make an overall impact on our enjoyment of the cocktail.
Overall, we enjoyed this sweet cocktail that’s dangerously easy to drink. It’s sure to be great as warm spring days approach towards the end of the festival.
*NEW* Anderson Valley Brewing Co. Black Rice Ale (3.8% ABV) – $12.00
From Anderson Valley Brewing Co.: “Once called the ‘forbidden rice’ as it was reserved only for Chinese royalty, black rice has a powerful anthocyanin antioxidant properties, a luxurious black color and wonderful nutty flavor. We brewed this nut brown ale with American two-row pale malt, a good helping of black rice, and a touch of chocolate malt. The result is a lightly hoppy, dark mahogany ale with undertones of roasted malt, dark rye bread with a delicious nutty flavor. Weighing in at an easy going 3.8% ABV, this beer is infinitely quaffable and ready to be enjoyed by everyone.”
The Lunar New Year festival is running from January 20 through February 15, 2023. Will you be trying any of these offerings? Let us know in the comments!
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