French Market

French Market in Disneyland Anaheim

After visiting a few too many restaurants to look at their lunch menus, we finally settled down at French Market in New Orleans Square. A counter-service style restaurant that serves Southern classics with French influences.

Jambalaya ($12.99)

This was a dish recommended on the internet as being large enough to fill two people to the top. It was a spicy stew with chicken, sausage and vegetables over a bed of dirty rice. I didn't remember there was supposed to be shrimp until I stumbled upon one lonely shrimp. And that was the only shrimp in the whole dish; a bit disappointing. The dish must have downsized because it was probably enough to fully feed one person. Overall, the Jambalaya was flavourful yet not too salty, and the jalapeno corn bread that comes with most of the entrees is very good too (although not as moist as Sweet Tomatoes/Souplantation's). It's not the best dish in the park but it isn't a bad choice.

Corn Chowder ($9.29)

The Corn Chowder came in a massive bread bowl and could be considered an entree for one. However, the person hollowing out the bread didn't do a thorough enough of a job so there was not quite enough room for adequate soup. Meaning the soup to bread ratio was rather off. The chunky chowder was packed with tons of corn and was a pleasure to eat.

Na Awlins Salad ($10.99)

Needing some vegetables with our lunch, we chose to order one Na Awlin Salad. The salad is prepared upon ordering and came with soooo many candied roasted pecans!! Delicious! The slaw makes for a great dressing. Other toppings include plump Crasins and some mysterious black bean looking things. This salad also comes with cornbread. A good salad that could also be an entree for one.

Three dishes was the perfect amount to feed my family of four people. We just drank water with our meal, which is provided free of charge. However, French Market is known for their mint julep, so if that is of interest, I would suggest trying one! Oh, and the Mickey beignets.
 
On our way out of the restaurant after lunch, my dad took a peak at the dinner menu. He was immediately drawn to the red snapper entree and said he wanted to come back for dinner. So, here we are at French Market for the second meal in the park.

Chicken Caesar Salad ($10.99)

The salad choices didn't change so we tried the Chicken Caesar Salad. It was a typical caesar salad except it had black eyed beans! There was a plenty of shaved Parmesan cheese and croutons (my brother's favourite salad topping). The chicken was thin and rather lacking in portion. This salad comes with cornbread too. Does the trick for adding some vegetables but romaine lettuce does not hold much nutritional value. I liked the Na Awlins Salad more than this caesar one.

Panko-Crusted Red Snapper ($14.99)

And finally, we come to the goal of the night, Panko Crusted Red Snapper. We had two of this entree. The fish was borderline dry but still moist enough to enjoy. (Snapper is naturally not very oily) A tomato-y, creamy sauce (not as neon as the photo depicts) dressed this fish and the flavour is very strong, but tasty. It was something I hadn't tried before and I quite enjoyed the pairing. The frozen carrots on the side are bland and has that 'previously frozen' texture that isn't pleasant. Perhaps those that are used to eating frozen vegetables will not find a problem here. The charred corn niblets are good as well as the nicely roasted potatoes, though the potatoes could have been cooked for longer to be more soft. This entree came with a potato bun, but it didn't taste very fresh. We just used this as a vehicle to mop up some sauce. For $15, this is a very affordable dinner entree and provides a balanced meal.

The seating is all outdoors but is covered and very cool. My parents really appreciated the live band playing as we enjoyed our lunch and dinner. If you are able to snag a table by the railing, it's a great place to do some people watching as well. After dinner, we were able to find a great seat on the ground for the viewing of Fantasmic, a nighttime show at the Rivers of America, which is directly across from French Market.

Nothing was overly salty, the service is quick and friendly, and the location is beautiful. If you're looking for a reasonably priced, affordable, yet still tasty meal in Disneyland Anaheim, French Market is a great choice! 

Reviews on Yelp

Anaheim on Dwellable

Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡

Butternut Squash Lasagna Roll-Ups with Corn Puree & Barlett Pears

Autumn brings about squash and gourds season! I began my butternut squash marathon by using a leftover sheet of fresh lasagna pasta and created these beautiful pinwheels. Think of it like a hot and cooked version of a lunch wrap. They are so easy to put together and the possibilities of filling combinations are endless. Plus, these roll-ups look super impressive, even if I must say so myself.

Butternut Squash Lasagna Roll-Ups with Corn Puree & Barlett Pears

Inspiration for this dish came from this month's issue of Fresh Juice magazine, Super-Green Pinwheels with Minted Pea Puree. I really love reading this relatively new-on-the-market magazine by President's Choice. Especially since my mom gets every issue free in the mail because she holds their credit card. Anyways, how did I do with recreating this? Does it look similar? :D

The flavours are simple and speak for themselves. Roasting the squash gives it the warm and cozy feeling, the ricotta provides that creaminess we all know in a lasagna and the basil is there for a pungent yet fresh punch of flavour. All the flavours blend together and melts in your mouth. 

I chose to experiment with slices of squash in the roll-ups. Mainly because it would cook faster in the oven; I can get rather impatient on a hungry stomach. The result was a little drier than a normal lasagna is, missing the sauce and loads of cheese. In Fresh Juice's version, they pair their lasagna rolls with a pea puree. Using that idea, I made a simple 'sauce' of pureed cooked corn kernels (and cheated by using the canned variety) to add some necessary moisture. Very basic but did the job of adding moisture, flavour, and decoration well. Maybe next time I will puree the squash to fill the pasta; this will also help retain some moisture.

This entree (or potential appetizer?) is borderline crossing into the sweet territory. Butternut squash, corn, and barlett pear can all be used in sweet recipes. But being someone with a sweet-tooth, I have no problem with my dinner being a little sweeter than usual ;)

Butternut Squash Lasagna Roll-Ups with Corn Puree & Barlett Pears

The colours on my plate look more summer-y than fall, but that just means this recipe can be altered according to what ingredients are fresh and in season. Switch up the fillings and the herbs, there are bound to be tons of delicious combinations out there!

Butternut Squash Lasagna Roll-Ups with Corn Puree & Barlett Pears

Inspired by Fresh Juice

Serves 1

Ingredients

• 1 sheet of fresh lasagna
• about ⅛ of a small butternut squash
• 1 tsp coconut oil, melted
• Pink Himalayan sea salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
• ½ fresh barlett pear
• ½ cup of corn niblets, canned, fresh or frozen
• ¼ cup ricotta cheese (low fat is okay)
• about 6 basil leaves, chiffonaded + mini ones for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Peel butternut squash skin off with a vegetable peeler. De-seed and cut into paper-thin slices.
3. Toss squash slices with melted coconut oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread squash in a single layer (or as best you can) onto prepared baking sheet and roast until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Avoid over-baking and turning them into chips!
4. Meanwhile, in a flat frying pan, bring about 1 inch of water to a boil. Cook lasagna sheet for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and place on an oiled or parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
5. In a small bowl or custard cup, mix together ricotta and chiffonaded basil. Spread onto cooked lasagna sheet, leaving a 3 inch boarder on one of the shorter ends. This will help seal the pasta later. 
6. Arrange roasted squash slices over ricotta cheese and roll lasagna up tightly (unlike me) like a sushi roll. Cut into 6 or 8 equal pieces with a sharp knife.
7. Place lasagna roll-ups cut-side up on the same baking sheet and bake at the same temperature (400°F) for 20 minutes.
8. While roll-ups are baking, slice pear into paper-thin pieces and arrange onto serving plate. The left-over slices of squash can be used to decorate too!
9. In a food chopper or processor, puree cooked corn niblets until mostly smooth. Spoon over pear, or use for desired decoration.
10. Once finished, plate baked lasagna roll-ups and garnish with a few whole corn niblets and some mini basil leaves. 

Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡ 

Tiki Juice Bar: The Dole Whip

Tiki Juice Bar

Located at the entrance into Adventureland from Main Street USA is this little straw-roofed hut that serves the best ice cream in the park. Don't bother buying five dollar Mickey-shaped ice cream bars from the carts, make a beeline straight to Tiki Juice Bar instead!

Coconut Crumpet and the Dole Whips

I don't have a photo with just the dole whip, so one with my face in it will suffice. Sorry... Evidently my family was too eager to get something cold into our systems before we overheated.

The Dole Whips (just the soft serve ice cream) are $3.69 each. There is also a Whip Float for $5.19, which is pineapple juice, topped with the pineapple soft serve, then decorated with a paper umbrella and such. It's very pretty and totally 'instagram-worthy' but we were on our way to grab lunch at French Market and didn't want to use up too much stomach room. 

So..are the famed Dole Whips worthy of their rave reviews? YES! This tall swirl of soft ice cream is creamy and full of fresh, tropical pineapple flavour. I can understand why Dole Whips are a must-get at Disneyland. Sometimes the line up at Tiki will be long, sometimes there is no wait at all. There is no need to fret as the line up goes really fast. You must stop here to get ice cream, or the float! But..I'd skip purchasing any fresh fruit in Disneyland. A small chunk of pineapple for $3? I could buy a whole pineapple for less than that!

Reviews on Yelp



Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡

Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe

Needing to find a place to charge up our midday glucose levels and hide from the summer sun, my family found shelter and snacks at Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe on Main Street USA in Disneyland.

Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe

We picked up two sweet treats to share amongst the four of us. The display case had everything from Mickey-themed cookies, to cinnamon buns, to muffins and scones. There are coffees, specialty drinks, simple sandwiches and salads for sale too. I would say this cafe resembles the Starbucks inside the California Adventure park.
 

Matterhorn Macaroon ($1.99) and Raspberry Almond Twist ($3.49)

I was really excited about the Matterhorn Macaroon. Not only because I love coconut macaroons (duhh, I am Coconut Crumpet for a reason), but the concept of using Matterhorn and it actually looking like the mountain is adorable! However, I was originally skeptical about the taste; poorly made macaroons (please do not confuse with the macarons) can end up extremely chewy and overly sweet. To my pleasant surprise, this was neither! It was a beautifully crafted macaroon with tender, fine flakes of coconut with the perfect level of sweetness. A very well executed traditional coconut macaroon. The massive size also contributes to it being such a great deal for two dollars. No joke, this is a mountain of coconut.

The pastry of the Raspberry Almond Twist was like a danish, flaky and a bit chewy. The filling consisted of a thin layer of raspberry jam which provides all the sweetness this items needs. Sliced almonds were generously sprinkled on one side but were not toasted, therefore lacking the aromatic flavour of almonds. I would have preferred that there was no icing sugar dusted on top. Although this twist was okay, I wouldn't purposely recommend it.

Helpful Tip: Cups of ice water are provided for free when asked for! Really appreciated on a hot summer day and when you don't feel like hunting down a water fountain to fill up your water bottle.

Outdoor Seating at Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe

The outdoor patio seating is beautiful, and the building blocks the afternoon sun rays, making it a great place to cool down. There is ample outdoor seating (with umbrellas!) and no indoor seating. All of Disneyland is built with the most exquisite and well-designed themes. Everything is kept sparkling clean as well. We were here just as the Soundsational Parade was taking place. Although we were still a distance away from the parade route, I would much rather have a glimpse of the floats and performers from the shady patio than have to be sandwiched between a bunch of other people out in the blazing sun. Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe is well worth a visit and makes a great place for a relaxing afternoon nibble.



Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡

Refreshment Corner: Stuffed Pretzels!

Refreshment Corner in Disneyland

Getting a cream cheese-filled pretzel was on my list of things-to-do inside Disneyland.

Cream Cheese Pretzel ($3.69)

Even though we just had a snack at the Jolly Holiday Bakery & Cafe, I still wanted to try a pretzel. The pretzel was soft and chewy, yay! The cream cheese filling was slightly sweet and was more like a melted milk-y layer in the middle of the pretzel. I liked how it was nice and hot when eaten. Other than the cream cheese filled variety, there is a savoury jalepeno pretzel and a Mickey pretzel, which I believe is just plain. I wouldn't say this was the most amazing thing I ate at the park, but it wasn't bad. Refreshment Corner is a good place to pick up something to munch on during the parade or fireworks.

Reviews on Yelp

Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡

Ghiradelli Soda Foundation and Chocolate Shop

Ghiradelli is a San Fransisco based chocolate company; they are the Lindt of America. My mom and I had our eyes set on dessert from Ghiradelli the second we walked past it while looking for lunch, which we later found at Flo's V8 Cafe.

Golden Gate Banana Split ($9.95)

Named after San Fransisco's iconic bridge, this luscious boat of ice cream and all the fixin's was heavenly. I surprised myself and liked the chocolate and strawberry ice cream most. The chocolate ice cream was rich and chocolately, not just sugary like that fake stuff sold in the aisles of the grocery store. Comparable to Bella Gelateria's chocolate gelato. I haven't had strawberry ice cream in ages, no exaggeration used, mainly because it usually tastes too fake and sugary. But this was totally different, there were chunks. of. fresh. strawberries. Ehmagawd. The crushed pineapple topping was an uncommon but delicious addition. I didn't care much for the bananas, as it wasn't very ripe. But the ice cream was gorgeous, beautiful, made in heaven. Three scoops for ten dollars isn't that bad when the quality is as phenomenal as this. Guys, this is the real deal. Oh, sorry for the melt-y looking sundae photo, we ran three minutes from Ghiradelli to Fiddler Fifer & Practical Cafe in the 30+ degree sun. There is only a handful of tables outside the ice cream parlour, which 1) isn't very pleasant to sit in the hot weather, 2) you may cry watching your delicious ice cream melt before your eyes, and 3) the tables are probably all full in the afternoon.

Mint Bliss Dark Chocolate Sundae ($8.95)

Since my mom's favourite ice cream is mint chocolate, that is the flavour of sundae she chose. Before I begin the rest of my ranting, this dark chocolate fudge. Oh. My. It was sinful, and so good. Dark chocolate has never been this amazing before and this sundae just took it to the next level. One scoop of chocolate ice cream, which was also in the sundae and I've mentioned that it is ah-may-zing, and one scoop of mint ice cream. The mint ice cream is okay, very creamy and smooth but I don't love mint ice cream as much as my mom. The mint ice cream (that isn't dyed green) from Coconut Bliss is probably just as good. The highlight of this sundae is the dark chocolate fudge. The cold ice cream turns this hot, liquidy chocolate sauce into chewy fudge. I felt naughty eating this stuff.

Although the prices at Ghiradelli inside California Adventure are a bit steep, it's well worth the splurge and the portion sizes are acceptable and can be easily shared with another person, or two if you're kindhearted. I will dream about these decadent ice cream treats. Did I mention you get a free square of chocolate each time you step into the store? Oh yes, we went in twice. Once to see the menu in the morning and once to actually purchase ice cream. We left the park with a total of eight squares of melted caramel-filled chocolate, whoot whoot!

Reviews on Yelp 

Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡

Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Cafe: Starbucks in California Adventure

Being my dad, he had to get his Starbucks fix even in California Adventure. I didn't oppose to this at all because I wanted to see the cup design exclusive to Disneyland. I know, it's a weird reason but doesn't everyone want their own 'instagram-worthy' photo of Starbucks in Disneyland?

Which characters can you spot?

Perhaps the only unfamiliarity for Starbucks regulars is the name of the cafe. It isn't given the name 'Starbucks' and you'd only know it serves the usual frappuccinos and goodies if you read the description on the map.


We'd been at the park since 7am and needed to hide away from the blazing California sun at around 2pm. With some Ghiradelli ice cream in hand, we ran from Paradise Pier into this cafe to cool off and maybe even take a nap. My dad claims that spending 14 hours in Disneyland is more tiring than a 7 hour drive from Fresno to Anaheim, hence needing a caffeine charge up. I strongly disagree.

Dad got an iced coffee for the family. And this is no regular iced coffee, it's a mega sized iced coffee. Thought venti was big? At California Adventure, there's an even larger size! I'm not sure what it's called but when my dad made his order, he told the cashier "I want the largest size!" and the cashier told him they had a size larger than venti. It's also very cheap too, I believe until $5 for a towering cup larger than my face (and I don't have a small face). Perfect afternoon refresher.

My parents also got a scone and croissant for dinner before going to see the World Of Colour show. The pastries are exactly the same as any other Starbucks location.

Reviews on Yelp

Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡

Flo's V8 Cafe

Since my last visit to California Adventure, many changes have happened in the park. The addition of Cars Land being one of them. I wanted to spend as much time as I could exploring parts of the park I had never been in before. After looking at several menus from the eateries around the park, we decided to try Flo's V8 Cafe.

Menu & Plastic food display at Flo's V8 Cafe

The menu, like many of the other counter services restaurants in the park, is very limited. Entrees here are around $12 and three orders can be shared between four somewhat-beginning-to-get-hungry people.

View of Radiator Springs Racers from inside Flo's V8 Cafe

We ordered just before noon when the rush of lunch visitors arrive. My dad got us a table facing the Radiator Springs Racers ride, which is a MUST GO at California Adventure. Not only is it a must go, it's a must get-up-at-6am-to-line-up-for-a-fastpass ride and a must go on more than once ride. Even a one hour wait time did not stop my impatient family from going on it a second time.

Roast Beef & Gravy ($11.49)

Cozy Cone Motel

Chicken Verde Cone ($6.99)

Needing to grab a quick dinner before the World Of Colour show began, I ran to Cozy Cone Motel (probably my 5th time in Cars Land that day) to get a chili cone. I wasn't quite sure which one of the two cones I wanted. The employee there asked if I liked spicy foods and I replied yes. She suggested the Chicken Verde Cone, which is like a green curry. I am very glad I got this one because it was unique and delicious. But warning: it gets increasingly spicy the more you eat it. The good type of spicy though. It's quite a large serving and works great as a dinner on the go. This size was just enough to fill me up to a comfortable level.

Chili Con Queso ($6.99)

I ended up getting the opportunity to try their other cone too because my brother decided he wanted one for his dinner too. This is the bread cone filled with a traditional beef chili. Not as spicy as the Chicken Verde but still had a kick. The shredded cheddar cheese on top melts and gets all gooey once mixed into the chili, yumyum~ There is also bits of crunchy corn chips to add some textural contrast.

Both the Chicken Verde and Beef Chili bread cones were delicious and cheap. These cones made for the perfect hand-held dinner while waiting for the World Of Colour show to begin. It's also from the adorable, new, looks-exactly-like-the-movie Cars Land, so you can't go wrong.

Reviews on Yelp





Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡