It’s TIME. We’ve been trying out all kinds of food booths at the 2023 Festival of the Arts in EPCOT, but now we FINALLY get to visit one of our all-time FAVORITE booths!

EPCOT’s 2023 Festival of the Arts is officially underway and we’ve been making our way through the entire park to show you everything this Festival has to offer. From full menus for ALL of the Festival booths to a complete list of the concerts you’ll be able to catch, we’ve got you covered! Now, we’re taking you on a food adventure through the Painted Panda food booth. Is this a booth you absolutely have to visit or have the tides turned this year? Let’s find out together!

Menu

Over at the Painted Panda food booth, you’ll find a variety of available items. Most of them are returning this year, including General Tso’s Chicken Shumai and the Char Siu Pork Bun.

To drink, you can try the NEW Silk Road Hard Lemonade or check out a few returning beverages, like the Sea Butterfly or Panda Bubble Milk Tea.

Let's head to China to check out what they have in store for us at The Painted Panda booth! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/dUDj8sABAP

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) January 13, 2023

 

 

Now that we’ve taken a look at the menu, let’s dive into the food itself!

Eats

First up, we grabbed General Tso’s Chicken Shumai for $10.75. Last year, this dish was one of our favorites! The sauce had a bit of a kick, the pickled cucumbers were fantastic, and the chicken inside was very filling. So how does this year’s version stack up?

Well, we’re happy to say these were DELICIOUS! There was a slight kick from the chili glaze, as well as LOTS of meat. It’s semi-chewy, but not in a bad way. Basically, it’s a lovely little meaty dumpling and we were VERY pleased.

Pair that with the fresh cucumbers at the bottom, which have a great crunch, and you have a really well-balanced bite.

Looking for some munchies in China? Try the General Tso’s Chicken Shumai for $10.75 pic.twitter.com/FTnMxhZ0cW

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) January 13, 2023

 

 

Next up is the Char Siu Pork Bun, which is pork and a tasty sauce on a bao bun for $8.50. When we had this snack last year, our reporter described it as “Glorious!” The pork was tender, there was some sweetness from the sauce and bun, and you got a pretty generous portion for the price. Can the 2023 version live up to our high expectations? For the most part, yes!

This dish was VERY yummy. The bun itself was wonderfully light and fluffy, while the pork was savory. There was really no kick of spice here, so don’t worry if you’re spice-averse. Our only critiques this year are that the meat was a little tough and we wish it had been served nice & warm.

Still, it was a really tasty treat, and the sauce on the side really brought another layer of fantastic flavor!

Annnnd last but not least we're trying the Char Siu Pork Bun at The Painted Panda! Grab this yummy snack for $8.50 👏 pic.twitter.com/PvmkMRP4af

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) January 13, 2023

 

 

Let’s try some drinks!

Drinks

In terms of drinks on this menu, we got NEW Silk Road Hard Lemonade, which is made with Smirnoff Vodka, lavender-coconut syrup, and lemonade for $13.50.

In terms of looks, this drink is GORGEOUS. Put it on your Instagram, your Twitter, your TikTok — it’s sure to be a BIG hit! But it wins in terms of flavors too. It was absolutely delicious and wonderfully sweet. 

The lavender coconut syrup was really the main flavor. The lemonade and vodka didn’t come through as much, but if you aren’t worried about that, we think this is a drink that could be great to pick up. Plus, just think of how epic your photos will look?!

Let's start with the NEW alcoholic drink, the Silk Road Lemonade! Smirnoff Vodka, lavender-coconut syrup, and lemonade 🍋 $13.50 pic.twitter.com/THT0125tv0

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) January 13, 2023

 

 

We also tried out the returning Sea Butterfly, which is a Butterfly Pea Flower-infused cocktail with Smirnoff Vodka, light rum, lychee syrup, and magic boba pearls for $13.75. In the past, this drink has had a very strong lychee flavor that we enjoyed!

This year, we felt like the drink was very light and airy.

But, heed this advice — make sure to MIX the drink before you take a sip! That’ll help all of the flavors properly blend together. In terms of an overall flavor profile, we felt that it was floral but not necessarily sweet. It had more earthy vibes, so if you don’t like earthy flavors, you should skip this one!

Returning to The Painted Panda is the Sea Butterfly which features Butterfly Pea Flower with Smirnoff Vodka, light rum, lychee syrup, and magic boba pearls 🦋

Grab it for $13.75 pic.twitter.com/ukTzXOvl2f

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) January 13, 2023

 

Up next is the “Panda” Bubble Tea. This fun favorite is a black tea with milk, chocolate, and tapioca boba pearls, and it’s non-alcoholic. We’ve had this drink at previous Festivals of the Arts, and we love the creamy texture and not-too-sweet flavor. Plus those boba pearls are just fun to chew on! You can get this drink for $8.75.

Finally, you can get the Lucky Foo Pale Ale for $5.25 for a 6oz pour and $9 for a 12oz pour.

OVERALL

Overall, this booth had some really strong dishes. The Shumai was really tasty, the pork bun was a bit tough (with the meat) but overall really yummy, the new hard lemonade was delicious, and the Bubble Tea is fun. The sea butterfly is good too, but make sure you like earthy flavors before you try it!

Planning your trip to the 2023 Festival of the Arts and not sure where to start? You’ve come to the right place! Click here to see the FULL menus for all of the food booths this year, click here to see a list of all of the NEW items at the Festival, and click here to see the items you can get to complete the Festival of the Arts Food CHALLENGE.

Want to know how to handle the Festival like a PRO? Grab our BRAND NEW DFB Guide to the Festival of the Arts for 150+ pages of tips, tricks, and advice.

We’ve got ALL of the information you’ll need in there to make sure you enjoy every single minute of the Festival and don’t miss the very best it has to offer!

Click here to get the guide!

We’ll be sharing FULL reviews of all of the booths at the Festival and all of the other information you need to know, so check back with us for all the latest Festival of the Arts news!

Click here to see our reviews for EVERY single EPCOT Festival of the Arts food booth!

What items from this booth would you most want to try? Tell us in the comments!