Location: Lower floor, Kidani Village side of Animal Kingdom Lodge
Parking/Transportation Situation: General Resort Parking available in the garage, underneath the buildings. Bus service from all parks.(If using Disney Transportation, allow 1-1.5 hours transportation time.)
Meals Served: L, D
Characters/Entertainment: None
Type of Cuisine: African Infused/Inspired with Indian flavors
Type of Menu: A La Carte
Atmosphere: Indian spice market
Dress Code: Theme park casual
Dress Code: Theme park casual
Guests Who Would Enjoy This The Most: Those that like unique dishes and flavors, as well as animal lovers
Level of Difficulty of Getting a Reservation: Easy
Fun Stuff for Kids: Talk about a meal with a view! The huge, floor to ceiling windows look out upon the resort's savanna, where you can watch giraffes, zebras, ankole cattle, wildebeests, cranes and more, grazing on grasses and trees. Most kids are enthralled with watching the incredible animals, but be aware that not all tables will have a view. If the view is high on your priority list, check in early, and tell the seater that you are willing to wait for a window-side table. That's no guarantee that you'll get one, but it's your best shot. Rating of Appeal to Kid-Diners: This is cool!!!
Stand out dishes: Naan bread service, Tandori Chicken, butter Chicken, Grilled Beef Sirloin Steak, Tanzanian Chocolate Mousse
Best Use of Dining Plan Point: Potjie Inspired (23.99) + Dessert Trio (7.49) + Smoothie (4.99) = 36.47
Best Use of Dining Plan Point: Potjie Inspired (23.99) + Dessert Trio (7.49) + Smoothie (4.99) = 36.47
Experience: The Hubs and I took K and our friend, KC, to Sanaa for lunch without really pre-planning. We were hungry, and wanted to go someplace that would be fun, but involved very little walking and being out in the heat, so this was perfect. We booked the reservation as we pulled into the parking lot.
The Hubs and I have been to Sanaa several times before and had brought K once before. KC had never been, and we always love bringing Disney fans to new places. Sanaa is in the newer side of the Animal Kingdom Lodge, Kidani Village. This is also known as the DVC side or the Disney Vacation Club side. One of the nice things about Kidani is that they have garage parking right underneath the rooms and the lobby, so you don't have to walk outside much at all. Their main lobby is not as vast and impressive as the one at Jambo House, but it is still authentic to the regions of Africa that it is designed to represent, and it is gorgeous. I do feel that Kidani has the better animal viewing savanna. Every time we go there, we see more animals and they tend to be closer to the windows and balconies, which is perfect, since a huge plus to dining at Sanaa is the breathtaking view of the animals on the savanna outside of the large windows.
We checked into Sanaa about twenty minutes before our scheduled reservation time and were sat about 15 minutes after we checked in. Now, not all of the tables in the restaurant have views out of the windows, and only a handful of them are actually next to the windows. We lucked out and got a table that was just to the side of one of the large windows. The restaurant is gorgeous, with many African and Indian touches throughout. I love the ceiling, which looks like the canopy of a big tree, with the trunk growing down into the middle of the dining room. There are lots of warm, earthy touches, and even the floor is designed to look like caked and cracked clay. Outside of the windows, we could see Ankole Cattle laying on the ground, (they are the ones with the impossibly large horns), and zebras munching on grass in the distance.
Our server came over to welcome us and get our drink order. I let him know about K's egg allergy and he gave me an allergy menu to look at. We decided that rather than order K his own meal, he could share off of my plate, so I checked out the allergy-friendly options. The Hubs looooves the Bread Service at Sanaa, so he immediately placed that order. The naan is amazing! Naan is a flat, doughy bread, sort of like a pizza crust, which is baked carefully in a clay oven. It comes in various flavors and styles, and with the bread service, you can pick three types of breads and three accompaniments. We went with the Traditional Naan, the Paneer Paratha (a cheesy bread), and the Onion Kucha and for accompaniments, we picked the Coriander Chutney, Tamarind Chutney and Roasted Red Bell Pepper Hummus.
When the drinks came, The Hubs remembered that for animal safety, Animal Kingdom Lodge, (as well as Animal Kingdom Park), uses paper straws, which he hates. I don't LOVE them, since it's sort of like drinking out of an empty toilet paper roll, but I can tolerate them. Lucky for The Hubs, I keep an extra Mickey silly straw in K's backpack, just in case we need one, so yes, my husband, as a grown man, sat in a restaurant, drinking from a kid's silly straw. The Bread Service came out shortly after and looked and smelled fantastic. I'm not a condiment person, so I took a plain, Traditional Naan and dug in. KC and The Hubs really enjoyed the various sauces, with the Coriander Chutney being the clear favorite. We were accidentally given a Spicy Naan, and the server apologized and said we could keep it anyway. The Hubs actually liked that one too. We aren't big fans of spice heat, but this bread wasn't overly spicy. K liked the Traditional Naan, though he thought it was pizza, and ate a bunch of it.
We placed our orders right after receiving the drinks and the entrees came out within 10 minutes of ordering them. In fact, we were still digging into the bread when our plates were delivered, and we had to clear room on the table. KC got the Sanaa Burger, which is a burger on a naan bun, with spiced mustard, goat cheese, pickled shallots and piquante peppers. She said it was delicious. I used to always order the burger at Sanaa, but it also used to be much more simple and plain. It used to be served open faced, on a piece of fresh naan, with minted greens and tomatoes. The newer version is too fancy for me, but KC really loved it and was glad she ordered it.
The Hubs and I have been to Sanaa several times before and had brought K once before. KC had never been, and we always love bringing Disney fans to new places. Sanaa is in the newer side of the Animal Kingdom Lodge, Kidani Village. This is also known as the DVC side or the Disney Vacation Club side. One of the nice things about Kidani is that they have garage parking right underneath the rooms and the lobby, so you don't have to walk outside much at all. Their main lobby is not as vast and impressive as the one at Jambo House, but it is still authentic to the regions of Africa that it is designed to represent, and it is gorgeous. I do feel that Kidani has the better animal viewing savanna. Every time we go there, we see more animals and they tend to be closer to the windows and balconies, which is perfect, since a huge plus to dining at Sanaa is the breathtaking view of the animals on the savanna outside of the large windows. 
We checked into Sanaa about twenty minutes before our scheduled reservation time and were sat about 15 minutes after we checked in. Now, not all of the tables in the restaurant have views out of the windows, and only a handful of them are actually next to the windows. We lucked out and got a table that was just to the side of one of the large windows. The restaurant is gorgeous, with many African and Indian touches throughout. I love the ceiling, which looks like the canopy of a big tree, with the trunk growing down into the middle of the dining room. There are lots of warm, earthy touches, and even the floor is designed to look like caked and cracked clay. Outside of the windows, we could see Ankole Cattle laying on the ground, (they are the ones with the impossibly large horns), and zebras munching on grass in the distance. 
Our server came over to welcome us and get our drink order. I let him know about K's egg allergy and he gave me an allergy menu to look at. We decided that rather than order K his own meal, he could share off of my plate, so I checked out the allergy-friendly options. The Hubs looooves the Bread Service at Sanaa, so he immediately placed that order. The naan is amazing! Naan is a flat, doughy bread, sort of like a pizza crust, which is baked carefully in a clay oven. It comes in various flavors and styles, and with the bread service, you can pick three types of breads and three accompaniments. We went with the Traditional Naan, the Paneer Paratha (a cheesy bread), and the Onion Kucha and for accompaniments, we picked the Coriander Chutney, Tamarind Chutney and Roasted Red Bell Pepper Hummus. 
When the drinks came, The Hubs remembered that for animal safety, Animal Kingdom Lodge, (as well as Animal Kingdom Park), uses paper straws, which he hates. I don't LOVE them, since it's sort of like drinking out of an empty toilet paper roll, but I can tolerate them. Lucky for The Hubs, I keep an extra Mickey silly straw in K's backpack, just in case we need one, so yes, my husband, as a grown man, sat in a restaurant, drinking from a kid's silly straw. The Bread Service came out shortly after and looked and smelled fantastic. I'm not a condiment person, so I took a plain, Traditional Naan and dug in. KC and The Hubs really enjoyed the various sauces, with the Coriander Chutney being the clear favorite. We were accidentally given a Spicy Naan, and the server apologized and said we could keep it anyway. The Hubs actually liked that one too. We aren't big fans of spice heat, but this bread wasn't overly spicy. K liked the Traditional Naan, though he thought it was pizza, and ate a bunch of it. We placed our orders right after receiving the drinks and the entrees came out within 10 minutes of ordering them. In fact, we were still digging into the bread when our plates were delivered, and we had to clear room on the table. KC got the Sanaa Burger, which is a burger on a naan bun, with spiced mustard, goat cheese, pickled shallots and piquante peppers. She said it was delicious. I used to always order the burger at Sanaa, but it also used to be much more simple and plain. It used to be served open faced, on a piece of fresh naan, with minted greens and tomatoes. The newer version is too fancy for me, but KC really loved it and was glad she ordered it.
The Hubs had ordered the Tandoori Chicken, which is served like the old version of the burger, open-faced on fresh naan bread with minted greens, tomatoes, onion and then a cucumber riata sauce. He absolutely loved it and was actually quiet for the majority of the meal, because he was so engrossed in his dish. The flavors all worked really well together, the chicken was tender and the naan was right out of the oven.
I chose the Grilled Beef Sirloin Steak, since the whole dish was egg-free and K could share with me. It came out looking SO delicious, with bright colors from the roasted veggies, and it was plated very nicely.
Unfortunately, the meat was overcooked to a medium well, when I had ordered medium rare. I informed the server, and he apologized. He had me put the steak on a side plate for him to bring back to the kitchen, and allowed me to enjoy the flavorful veggies and the delicious mashed potatoes, while a new cut of steak was cooked. I gave K some carrots and "white broccoli" (aka cauliflower), and he gobbled them up. Luckily, I also had a few snacks in his bag to keep him busy while we waited for the new steak. It did take another 15 minutes to get my steak, but the second cut was prepared perfectly, and it was served with a whole new plate of veggies and potatoes. The server also told me that it would not be on our bill, which was very kind and generous of him. K and I both thoroughly enjoyed the beef and I would order it again in a heartbeat.
When it was time for dessert, K opted for the lollipop he had spotted in his backpack when we went to use the potty. Oh! Speaking of which... Can we just look at this potty.. I mean, bathroom?
It's gorgeous! Do yourself a favor and make a stop off at the restroom, just to enjoy the decor! Ok, back to dessert...
Everyone else passed, but I decided on the Tanzanian Chocolate Mousse, which is flavored with Kenyan coffee and topped with caramel. I mean, what about THAT doesn't sound awesome? I was NOT disappointed in any way. Firstly, it was gorgeous, and came with a chocolate butterfly, and a quote stenciled onto the plate in cocoa powder.
And it tasted incredible! The mousse was rich and smooth, with enough coffee flavor for it to be noticeable, but not overpowering. The chocolate was the star flavor. The caramel was a nice, salty compliment to the sweet dessert, and the portion was big enough for The Hubs to have a couple of bites. Perfection!
As we wrapped up, the restaurant had emptied out, and I went over an took a look out some of the other windows, at the other animals that were grazing about. We saw giraffes, wildebeest, cranes and more. All of the animals were close to the windows and just going about their business, totally unfazed by us tourists, staring at their every move.
Although, is it just me, or does this zebra on the right seem pretty convinced that he is hiding behind that tree?
I also peeked in at the bar, which was really fun and beautifully decorated. It'd be a nice place to grab a drink or a dessert and sit for a bit. Overall, I was really pleased with our lunch. It's impressive to me when a restaurant that has a rather exotic menu and offers many foods rich in spices and seasonings can still offer me, a rather plain eater, something delicious and straight forward, but with their own twist on it. Kwaherini, Sanaa! Until we meet again...
Will we be back: We will be back at some point. I wouldn't say it's in my favorites necessarily, but Sanaa is definitely unique and when you combine the food with the view and the atmosphere, it's irresistible.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Have a question, comment, opinion or insight? Whatchya waiting for? Share your thoughts...