Well, it’s been a month since we visited Tokyo Disney Resort and we had the best intentions of posting this Quick Bites review of our snacks soon after we returned, but then Disney+ happened…. Both Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea have many unique offerings and we found snacking to be much more fun than sitting down for a full meal. Here’s just some of the culinary goodness awaiting you at Tokyo Disney Resort.
Tokyo Disneyland
Pork Rice Roll
Sticky rice wrapped in teriyaki bacon. Need we say more? This became a favorite treat back when we visited DisneySea in 2014 and we were thrilled to see that it’s available in Disneyland too. You can find this snack located at Pecos Bill Cafe in Westernland.
Everything about this treat is perfect. Well almost. The only thing this Westerner would improve on would be to have crispier bacon, but that could prove challenging.
The pork rice roll consists of a log of soft, sticky rice. It’s wrapped with teriyaki seasoned bacon and I’m assuming either steamed or lightly fried. The bacon, while fully cooked is rather soft. There are no condiments served with it, just a plain and simple tasty snack. Of the three days we visited Tokyo Disney Resort we had Pork Rice Rolls each day, so if that’s not an indicator of how good it is, than I don’t know how else to sell it to you.
Additionally, Pecos Bill Cafe had a bundle where you could purchase a Pork Rice Roll and a small Halloween themed carrying pouch for ¥1,200. We weren’t sure what we’d use the pouch for, but we got it anyway. Turns out it’s the perfect size for our camera (and it’s so stinkin’ cute)!
Overall rating: 5 out of 5
Pumpkin Maple Churro
Pecos Bill’s was also serving a seasonal Pumpkin Maple Churro so of course we got that too. When we walked up to order our snacks, the cafe had a strong squash smell almost as if they were cooking pumpkins, but that obviously wasn’t the case. The actual pumpkin component was much more represented in color than flavor. That said, we could easily detect both elements with the maple flavored churro more prominent than the pumpkin sugar.
With everything pumpkin taking over fall menus in the U.S., trying something pumpkin flavored overseas seemed somewhat silly. But this was a good choice on our part and we appreciated that the pumpkin presence wasn’t overpowering. We enjoyed this twist on a traditional churro and would get it again.
Overall rating: 4 out of 5
Cheesy Tortilla Hot Dog
Tucked away in Critter Country is the Racoon Saloon where they’re serving up Cheesy Tortilla Hot Dogs. This is one of those snacks when you’re craving all-American food is the best hidden gem in the Park. Aside from that, it’s a hot dog wrapped in cheese and a tortilla and it’s good, but it’s not amazing. I will say, though, that the slight spice of the dog, warm softness of the tortilla, and smooth savor of the cheese all work amazingly well together — and, impressively, the hot dog doesn’t slip out the bottom as much as it does when I’ve attempted to make this one at home!
Overall rating: 3.5 out of 5
Tokyo DisneySea
Demi Glace Potato Churro
We’d just finished a shared meal of curry, chicken, rice and naan bread when we walked by this churro cart. I read the sign and was surprised to see demi glace, churro, and potato in the same description. Demi glace is a dark sauce made from brown stock (usually made with animal bones) and often used as a base for other sauces, so I was really curious about what the deal was with this “churro.”
As you can guess it was a savory snack was made with potato dough, shaped like a churro and filled in the center with demi glace. That said, it didn’t have an overwhelming potato flavor, but rather tasted like the dough had been mixed with mashed potatoes or potato flour. It didn’t taste deep fried and it wasn’t greasy, but it did have a light crispiness to the crust.
The demi glace was really good too. Not thin and soupy and not to thick or hearty. It added just enough flavor to keep things interesting without going overboard. We probably should have spaced it out after our lunch, but we were too excited about this mystery churro! We loved it, we’d recommend it, and next time we’re there, we’ll be snacking on two of these treats!
Overall rating: 5 out of 5
Cheese and Pepper Potato Churro
We were delighted to find another savory churro at Tokyo DisneySea! This tasty goodness was located at Zambini Brothers Ristorante in Mediterranean Harbor. Reminiscent of a breadstick, this snack was cheesy on the inside and deliciously seasoned on the outside with black pepper and Parmesan cheese dust. It was perfect as a snack and could easily enhance any chicken, salad, or pasta entree if you were looking for something more substantial.
Why no picture? We took one, I promise, but it was dark out (see below) and the image is blurry. Just picture a breadstick with little ridges and covered in seasoning. There you go!
Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Pineapple Churro
This was one of the best churros of the trip! Located at Zambini Brothers in Mediterranean Harbor, the Pineapple churro was quite fun and tasted like summer. Dusted with blue sugar crystals, it was a colorful addition to our snack list. The churro itself was pineapple flavored and just the slightest bit tangy which went really well with the sugar. Should we visit again and this treat is still available, it’ll definitely be on our “must snack” list.
One more thing to note, the restaurant was also serving a Lychee churro and both that and the Pineapple we part of the Soaring Fantastic Flight themed menu items. They came in cute wrapper just like the Maple Pumpkin Churro.
Overall rating: 4.5 out of 5
Cheese Curry Special Set
We discovered the chicken curry at Casbah in Agrabah (Arabian Cost) on our visit in 2014 and were delighted to see it was still available. This time however, we opted for the set that included two types of chicken, dessert and soft drink.
The set came with curry sauce (medium spice level) topped with shredded cheese, fried and tandoori chicken, rice, naan bread, and a purple potato mousse with yuzu jelly (citrus fruit) and chocolate crisps.
We loved this meal. It was just enough food for us to split so we could focus on eating more snacks! The medium spice level was perfect for our paletes which are less accustomed to bold spices. The chicken was cooked through, juicy, and nicely fried. There was nothing outstanding about the rice or naan, but they made perfect companions for the delicious curry.
Now on to dessert! The mousse was good and reminded me of sweet potatoes, as for the yuzu jelly, I didn’t really think it tasted like anything. And yes, it’s called jelly, but it had much more a jello texture. We weren’t crazy about this dessert, but we didn’t dislike it either. I’m glad it was part of a set and not something I purchased separately.
Overall meal rating: 4 out of 5
Barbecue Popcorn
This seasonal flavor was served from a cart that looked like a covered wagon and was located near Country Bear Theatre in Westernland (the Frontierland equivalent). Having had our fair share of barbecue flavored potato chips, we were initially intrigued by the idea of barbecue seasoned popcorn. We were expecting something sweet, and smokey with a hint of spice, but sadly that wasn’t what this was.
While we were in line we could smell the barbecue goodness and eagerly anticipated munching on this snack. When we got our box the popcorn didn’t look heavily seasoned and upon the first bite tasted like salted popcorn, which was a huge disappointment. However as we continued to eat, the seasoning was noticeable and it did have a smokey salt flavor, it just didn’t taste much like barbecue of any sort. The popcorn itself was good, crunchy, not buttery, but this is one snack we won’t be getting trying again.
Overall rating: 2.5 out of 5
Milk Chocolate Popcorn
When we first read that the Cape Cod area of DisneySea was serving milk chocolate popcorn was a flavor option, we weren’t sure what to think. We figured it wouldn’t be fancy chocolate covered popcorn like the holiday gift box staple, so the next thing that made sense was chocolate dusting, almost like hot chocolate mix. It was neither.
This mix was plain, lightly salted popcorn with a chocolate glaze-like coating. And the best part: it wasn’t sticky! The popcorn was good and although the chocolate flavor wasn’t very strong, we weren’t disappointed. We found this to be a really tasty snack—one we’d get again.
Overall rating: 4.5 out of 5
Chinese Chili Popcorn
The chili element of this popcorn treat comes from Sichuan peppers. Yes, it was spicy, but not overwhelming or burn your tongue hot. It took a few moments for the spiciness to hit and then it lingered for a bit. The overall result was delicious! While this wouldn’t be on our list for every trip, it’s a snack we’d like to revisit a few more times.
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5
Now that Halloween is over, most of these treats likely won’t be available anymore, but there’s always the possibility they’ll be featured next year. Regardless of when you visit, there are so many unique flavors, meals, and snacks you’ll have to try for yourself!