Dining Review: Sanaa at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
I recently enjoyed dinner at Sanaa; a restaurant located within Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village; that specialises in African cuisine with unique Indian flavours in a setting which you could say resembles a traditional Spice Market.
Looking out towards the Sunset Savanna; the restaurant features exceptional views of the animals and wildlife that roam around freely. Watching Giraffes, Zebra, Kudu, Storks and even cute little Rabbits as I enjoyed my meal is something I will never forget.
So what’s the food like?
The menu itself is quite extensive, but you’ll be pleased to know the prices are fairly reasonable for a “unique/themed dining establishment” as Disney likes to call it.
I started off my African-Indian adventure with the Indian-style bread service. Featuring five different types of bread: Traditional Nann, Garlic-Ginger Naan, Spiced Naan, Onion Kucha and Paneer Paratha; and ten accompaniments which included Mango Chutney, Tomato-Date Jam and Roasted Red Bell Pepper Hummus, yum.
The selection was plentiful, and I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed sampling different variants of bread with the various accompaniments. I followed on with the seasonal soup, which was very tasty although quite filling after all that bread!
Other starters available included a Shellfish Tinashe, Salad Sampler and Boerewor & Slaphakskeentjies; which is South African Sausage and a Cape May Onion Salad.
For the main event, I ordered the Butter Chicken.
Simply put, it’s a Butter Chicken curry served with rice, shallots, peas, carrots and cucumber. The dish itself was incredibly tasty and although not too adventurous; I really enjoyed it.
One of the other popular entrees available was the Potjie inspired dishes. This is where you have a choice of two options of Butter Chicken, Spicy Durban Shrimp, Seasonal Greens and Tomatoes, Paneer Tikka, Goan Seafood Curry, Spiced Lamb, Lentil Dhal or Chickpea Wat which are served with either Basmati Rice or Five-grain Pilaf.
The photograph above is of the Spicy Durban Shrimp and Goan Seafood curries; which my dining companion thoroughly enjoyed.
Although I did not leave any room for dessert (again it’s due to the bread!), the Shahi Tukra; an Indian-style bread pudding seemed to be incredibly popular, along with the Seasonal Kulfi (Indian Ice Cream).
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the Sanaa restaurant at Kidani Village. In terms of ambience, cuisine and value for money – you simply cannot go wrong. You’ll be pleased to learn that select Disney Dining Plans and Annual Passholder discounts are accepted. Being able to watch the animals up close is something unique and I would certainly recommend anyone visiting the Walt Disney World Resort to include a meal at Sanaa during their holiday.
Reservations are strongly recommended and can be made up 1o 180 days in advance via the Disney Dining website, through the My Disney Experience app or by calling (407) 939-3463.
