Disneyland chefs turn up heat with `STAR WARS' FOOD
Limited-time noodles, burgers and more offer a surprising kick
Disneyland chefs have turned up the heat for the Season of the Force with a spicy lineup of “Star Wars” foods that are as hot as the fiery Outer Rim planet of Mustafar, where Anakin Skywalker was left for dead in “Revenge of the Sith.”
The spicy-hot lineup of limited time menu items is available through June 2 during the Season of the Force seasonal event.
I tried all the Season of the Force foods and drinks at Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, and Galactic Grill in Tomorrowland, and was surprised by the amount of spice Disneyland chefs used to bring a little Mustafarian fire to the dishes.
The first thing I tried turned out to be my favorite. The fried chicken baos ($14.99) looked delicious before I even put them in my mouth. The first thing I tasted was the spicy katsu sauce at the bottom of the tacolike folded bao bun.
That bite set in motion an afternoon culinary adventure that left me repeatedly wiping sweat from my forehead and reaching for a cold drink to douse the fire. The creamy slaw and the cloudlike fluffy bao also helped temper the heat.
The Dewback Chili Noodles ($17.99) were less interesting to me but no less spicy. The chile flakes on the spiced fettuccine noodles weren't too hot, but the chile sauce at the bottom of the bowl delivered a concentrated kick.
I headed from Batuu to Tomorrowland after trying the two seasonal items at Docking Bay 7. Galactic Grill had a larger assortment of Season of the Force foods and drinks on the menu.
I have extremely low expectations for theme park cheeseburgers. So I was pleasantly surprised by the taste — and the heat — on the Bantha Burger ($15.99).
I'm not sure who Disneyland chefs think they're appealing to with an Angus beef and vegetable patty. It's certainly not vegetarians, who can't touch the Bantha Burger. Carnivores like myself might be turned off by the mere mention of a veggie patty — but in this case it was more about introducing a flavor profile than about satisfying a lifestyle choice.
What really made the Bantha Burger work were the chunks of marinated pork belly hiding at the bottom of the burger. The sambal sweet mayo mixed with the Asian-inspired slaw delivered a hint of heat that sneaks up on you.
The Ferrixian Fries ($13.49) are essentially chorizo-loaded nachos over waffle fries instead of tortilla chips. The hearty portion suitable for sharing is topped with pork chorizo, Oaxaca cheese, black beans, green onions and avocado-tomatillo sauce.
The heat in this case is courtesy of chile de arbol cheese sauce — delivering a kick that's hotter than cayenne peppers on the Scoville scale.
Fortunately for me, Galactic
Tacolike fried chicken baos ($14.99) are made with a spicy katsu sauce.
Dewback Chili Noodles ($17.99) start out fairly mild but gain heat from chile sauce at the bottom.
The Bantha Burger ($15.99) has a patty made with Angus beef and vegetables.
Grill had a pair of Season of the Force slushies that helped put out the five-alarm fire brewing in my mouth by now.
The “Dark Side” Watermelon Slush comes with a Death Star glow cube, while the “Light Side” Granny Smith Apple Slush has a Millennium Falcon glow cube ($12.19 each).
Disneyland drinks tend to be too sweet for my taste. I liked the Watermelon Slush way better than the Apple Slush — which left me recoiling from the mouth-puckering sweetness. These are essentially 7-Eleven Slurpees with tiny toys floating on top. They're fun and Instagramable, and cool you down on a hot day — or after a fiery feast.
The final culinary stop on the Season of the Force menu was also my most anticipated. I love chocolate, and nobody does sugar better than Disneyland. So the notion of chocolate done four ways had me drooling before I even took a bite from the Wookie Parfait ($7.49).
The delectable dessert is essentially chocolate pudding presented as a layered treat. Dig down and you'll find chocolate pearls, chocolate-coffee crust and chocolate sponge cake. A layer of caramel mousse adds just a bit of variety.
There are plenty more Season of the Force foods and drinks to try on the limitedtime menu at Kat Saka's Kettle, Ronto Roasters, the Galaxy's Edge Milk Stand, Oga's Cantina and Disney's Grand Californian Hotel. But those will have to wait for another day. My mouth needs some time to cool down and recover from the spicy Mustafarian menu.
Ferrixian Fries ($13.49) are basically chorizo-loaded waffle nachos.