The Red Dragon Spice Traders, a food booth available for the 2023 Lunar New Year, is notorious for its use of spice in anything on the menu. While we happen to love any dish with a good kick to it, we do warn you to maybe have a glass of milk ready if you order from this booth.
Menu for Red Dragon Spice Traders in Disney California Adventure for Lunar New Year 2023
Food:
- 🆕 Gochujang Elote – $7.50
- 🆕 Red Spice Fried Chicken Bites – $8.75
Beverages:
- Dancing Firecracker – $6.50
- 🆕 Guava Whiskey Cocktail – $15.00
Photos of Menu Items for Red Dragon Spice Traders in Disney California Adventure for Lunar New Year 2023
*NEW* Gochujang Elote – $7.50
Steamed Corn on the Cob rolled in Gochujang AÑ—oli and Cotija Cheese, drizzled with spicy Gochujang Sauce
This was one dish we expected to be spicy and it wasn’t. It had a responsible level of spice so that you’re not in pain for the rest of your meal. But, that being said, where the spice is delicate the salt is not.
This is one of the saltiest dishes we had, which is just too bad. The flavors present were great. The gochujang aioli was beautifully balanced in flavor and spice. But whether it was a seasoning or the aioli itself or some other factor, it was almost inedible being that salty. The cotija cheese is already salty enough, it really doesn’t need much more than that. With that, we did not enjoy this because we couldn’t finish more than a couple bites.
*NEW* Red Spice Fried Chicken Bites – $8.75
Fried Chicken Chicharrones in spicy Red Chile Sauce
These could have been better than they were. They’re spicier than they need to be and very chewy. They don’t so much breakdown as you chew, you just decide when you’re done chewing and attempt to swallow the bite.
And the spice level just grows the longer you chew it, which if this was a full-sized entree and part of a meal, would be fine. But as a small tray snack, part of a larger tapestry of foods one will eat at the Lunar New Year Festival, these things are too spicy for and run the risk of burning out taste buds before you can move on to the next dish.
It’s not that there’s anything wrong with spicy food, and there are other spicy dishes here at the festival. But for what this is, it’s not enjoyable enough to warrant being this spicy and burning out your taste buds so that you can’t taste any of the other, better foods available at other booths.
Dancing Firecracker – $6.50
Pineapple & Lime Juices, Guava Nectar, spicy Honey and House-made Hibiscus Syrup, garnished with a Lime Wheel
It’s comprised of super sweet juice with a surprising kick of heat. As one of the few non-alcoholic drinks at the festival, this still may not be a great option for kids. The amount of heat the Dancing Firecracker packs could be off-putting to a child. An adult looking for a non-alcoholic drink may enjoy this.
It’s not bad, but we probably would not opt for this with so many other drinks available.
*NEW* Guava Whiskey Cocktail – $15.00
Whiskey, Ginger Liqueur, Guava Nectar, Coconut Cream and Lime Juice, garnished with a Lime Wheel
This was another unique cocktail that brought out the similarities between guava and whiskey which we had never noticed before. But overall this one stopped at unique and never quite made it all the way to delicious.
It was fine, and we were grateful for the realization of the guava and whiskey parallel, as with the watermelon and wine cocktail bringing out those flavors. But while other cocktails at the festival are enjoyable and delicious, this one was commonplace. It wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t particularly special.
Do you love spicy foods and cocktails, or is this booth a bit too hot for you? Let us know in the comments below.
The Lunar New Year festival is running from January 20 through February 15, 2023.
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