Today is a big day for EPCOT and holiday fans — it’s the start of the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays!

We’ve been gearing up for the festival by looking at the menus, creating a free DFB printable for the booths, and sharing our best tips for visiting EPCOT. But now the day has arrived and it’s time to EAT — let’s check out the L’Chaim Holiday Kitchen!

Menu

The menu at L’Chaim is inspired by “classic deli noshes with a side of New York flair.” You’ll find things like pastrami on rye, a potato latke, and a black-and-white cookie!

Most of the menu items are returning this year; however, there is a new cocktail on the menu for 2022. Let’s check it out!

Eats

We tried all of the returning eats on the menu this year, so let’s dig in! We started with the Pastrami on Rye with house-made pickles and deli mustard for $5.50. In past years, we’ve really enjoyed this dish and it has made several best of the fest lists — how does it compare this year?

We loved this sandwich! The meat was very tender, and it had a TON of flavor. The rye was very good as well, and the mustard added just the right amount of sharpness without being overpowering. If you’re a fan of classic deli food, this one is a can’t-miss.

Next up from the L’Chaim Holiday Kitchen is the Pastrami on Rye with house-made pickles and deli mustard 🥪 pic.twitter.com/u1prZC9bvp

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) November 25, 2022

Next up is the Smoked Salmon Potato Latke, which is gluten/wheat friendly, for $5.75. This one was introduced in 2019 and it’s a strong festival snack — that holds true this year as well.

The latke is wonderfully salted and really good, and the salmon is cold smoked salmon. The capers added a nice saltiness, and the dill was super fresh. Overall, all the flavors worked really well together, and we would 100% get this again.

More latkes: Smoked Salmon Potato Latkes from L’Chaim Holiday Kitchen ❄️ pic.twitter.com/c2wK7il0Q6

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) November 25, 2022

If you don’t like salmon or want something simpler, you can get the Potato Latkes for $4.25, which is also gluten/wheat friendly and plant-based.

These latkes were very well cooked. The outside was brown and crispy, while the inside was a little bit doughy. The sauce on top was light and fresh, and the strongest flavor came from the fennel (which we really liked!). This is a good option for a quick snack, and it’s plant-based, too!

L’Chaim Holiday Kitchen also had LATKES! This one is the potato latke 😋 pic.twitter.com/QwD9AJZNBs

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) November 25, 2022

For a sweet treat at this booth, you have two options. One of those is the Sufganiyot, also known as mini jelly-filled doughnuts, for $3.75.

These donuts don’t really compare to the eats at the Donut Box, but they’re wonderful in their own way. The raspberry filling is very tasty, and the tartness contrasts well with the sweet powdered sugar. They almost reminded us of strawberry toaster strudels, and we mean that as a compliment.

Let’s have some more donuts! The Sufganiyot are mini jelly-filled doughnuts 🍩 from L’Chaim Holiday Kitchen. pic.twitter.com/CsfNZe6Phj

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) November 25, 2022

Lastly, the menu also has a Black & White Cookie for $3, which is part of the Cookie Stroll! We’ve had mixed feelings about this plant-based cookie in the past; however, it really stepped up last year and was our plant-based best-of-the-fest winner!

This year, the cookie once again impressed us. It’s pretty dense (not a cake cookie), and the frosting on top is very sweet. The white frosting is vanilla, and the dark frosting tasted like milk chocolate. It’s simple but tasty! This was one of our favorite cookies in the Cookie Stroll.

Last but not least at L’Chaim Holiday Kitchen, we’re checking the Black and White Cookie off our list for the Cookie Stroll! 🍪 And it’s plant-based 🌱 pic.twitter.com/Ehn73kNcxA

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) November 25, 2022

Moving on — let’s talk drinks!

Drinks

There are two drinks on the menu here — the Brooklyn Brewery Winter IPA, which is $5.50 for a 6-oz pour and $9.50 for a 12-oz pour, and a new cocktail called the Frozen New York Whiskey Sour featuring Manifest Whiskey and Manischewitz Blackberry Wine for $11.50. We grabbed the new cocktail to give it a try!

We enjoyed this drink a lot! It reminded us of the Moonshine Sour from the American Adventure Pavilion. It was heavy on the blackberry flavor and very sweet, so if you’re not a fan of sweet drinks, you’ll want to skip this.

We’re off to L’Chaim Holiday Kitchen — and there was SO MUCH to try!

First up: Frozen New York Whiskey Sour featuring Manifest Whiskey and Manischewitz Blackberry Wine 🥃 pic.twitter.com/wmPFyzgbmV

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) November 25, 2022

But if you want a tasty way to cool off during a warm EPCOT day, this one was a win in our books!

Overall

In general, this was one of our favorite booths at the Festival of the Holidays this year! The Pastrami on Rye was so good and very filling as well — that sandwich would make a great lunch in EPCOT. We also really enjoyed the latkes, and those miniature donuts were tasty too.

Stay tuned to DFB for more booth reviews from the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays!

REVIEWS of ALL the 2022 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays FOOD BOOTHS!

What are you looking forward to at the 2022 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays? Let us know in the comments!