Mulan Dinner

Mulan is a brave, resilient, and loyal Chinese heroine, so it’s not a surprise that this is one of our family’s favorite Disney movies. Celebrate Chinese culture & cuisine with a Mulan dinner & movie night. Here you can get recipes, inspiration, and resources that will be fun for the whole family.

About the Movie

Hua Mulan 花木蘭 is a legendary folk heroine from ancient Chinese history. According to legend, Mulan took her aged father’s place in the military by disguising herself as a man. The first written record of Mulan is the Ballad of Mulan, a folk song believed to have been composed between 386–535 AD and later compiled in an anthology of books and songs. Since various versions of the story have been around for more than 1500 years, nobody knows for sure if Hua Mulan was a real or fictional person.

In 1998 Disney released an animated film, Mulan, based on the Ballad of Mulan. Mulan was portrayed as an inspiring, independent, and resilient heroine teaching us to stand up for what is true, good, and admirable. Mulan exhibits loyalty and courage demonstrating true devotion toward her family and teaches us that when we follow our heart, we will also find our path.

Tablescape

We chose to create a tablescape which reflected the natural beauty of China. Elements included warm wood tones, pink cherry blossoms, and a pair of rose colored vintage porcelain birds.

We sewed a table runner and napkins using a beautiful Asian garden fabric with images of pagodas, chrysanthemums, cherry blossoms, birds, and mountains.

Our centerpiece was a simple arrangement of cherry blossoms in a clear glass vase. A pair of gold hammered glass votive candle holders added a warm ambiance to the table.

For the place settings we used simple square white dinnerware, cherry blossom chopsticks, Asian garden napkins, and basic glass stemware. We added a fortune cookie to each place setting for a fun touch.

The Menu

We chose some of our favorite recipes for this dinner! Vegetable potstickers, Napa cabbage salad, vegetable cashew stir fry, almond cherry cupcakes, and a green tea-ginger spritzer. You can get the recipes below.

Green Tea Ginger Spritzer

This drink is so simple, yet so delicious and refreshing. The ginger and honey add a light sweetness and the lemon adds a refreshing twist. It is easy to make and requires just 4 ingredients. Get the recipe here.

Vegetable Potstickers

These little potstickers are one of our family’s favorites. They’re filled with delicious vegetables and seasonings and are perfectly wrapped with a crisp wonton wrapper. Our dipping sauce has just a bit of kick but can be modified with less chili sauce. For our recipe and tutorial click here.

Napa Cabbage Salad

This salad is light, flavorful, and a perfect compliment to stir fry. It’s packed with fresh veggies – Napa cabbage, cucumbers, avocados, green onions – and the sliced almonds and crunchy noodles give it a bit of crunch. For our recipe click here.

Vegetable Cashew Stir Fry

This stir fry is packed with flavor thanks to the delicious stir fry sauce, cashews, golden tofu, and crisp tender veggies. This recipe could easily be modified by substituting chicken or your favorite veggies. For our recipe click here.

Almond Cherry Cupcakes

These cupcakes are so delicious! The almond cake is light as a feather and has a subtle almond flavor. We frosted them in buttercream and added granulated sugar to the top of the cupcake to give them a beautiful shimmer and crunch. Fondant was used to craft pretty cherry blossoms which adorn the tops. For our recipe and shopping links click here.

Fun Activities

Our family is in the process of traveling around the world through Disney movies. Mulan is our fourteenth stop! To see our other destinations click here.

Our family enjoys learning about the culture and geography of each destination in our Around the World with Disney Movies series and this was no exception. We are experiential learners and love immersing ourselves through listening, reading, and hands-on activities! Click on the image below to take a virtual trip to China with us through music, art, videos, hands-on activities, books, and more!