Located at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge (DAKL) Resort in the Kidani Village section, also known as the Disney Vacation Club (DVC) wing of the resort, is Sanaa. Let’s talk about the resort itself first. This resort is not the most accessible in terms of theme parks. No Monorail, Skyliner or even walking paths to any theme park. This means if you do not have a rental car, the horrible Disney bus service is your only option to get to the parks. This is the only con of DAKL, as this resort is beautiful.
Upon entering the main lodge, you are instantly transported to an immensely themed main room. The architecture and carvings are just breath taking. You will want to casually walk around the main lodge inspecting all the details that Disney Imagineering provided.
Also one unique feature of this resort is they built a savanna that backs up right to the resort. You can see and smell live animals living in the savanna. Disney does great work in both preserving extinct animals here at the resort, as well as donating huge chunks of money to help save the real ones.
Sanaa
Ok lets get over to the main point of this article, Sanaa! Sanaa is located in the Kidani Village of the Animal Kingdom Lodge. The term Sanaa in African means, work of art. This place is definitely well themed and happy looking. The vibe it gives off is jubilant. It is hard to capture in photos the ambience of the restaurant as there are people and waiters running around.
The Food
Let’s get it out of the way. This place is phenomenal! Did I just spoil the article? No keep reading and check out the wonderful dishes that we ordered. Not only does Sanaa welcome you with a wonderful vibe, but the dishes are incredibly tasty, and one could argue works of art in their own right.
The Indian Style Bread Service Sanaa offers is delicious, albeit filling, you have to order this. The 9 different accompaniments range across a huge spectrum of taste. This includes spicy all the way to mild. The 5 breads that come with it are also different tasting and are all mouthwatering.
From the Sanaa website, here are the 9 accompaniments and the 5 naans: Choice of Five Breads – Traditional Naan, Garlic-Ginger Naan, Spiced Naan, Onion Kulcha, or Paneer Paratha. All Nine Accompaniments – Cucumber Raita, Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, Mango Chutney, Tomato-Date Jam, Tamarind Chutney, Coriander Chutney, Garlic Pickle, Red Chile Sambal, or Spicy Jalapeño-Lime Pickle.
Next up, the entrées. Making their way to our table was, Potjie Inspired, and Pork Shank. Both of these were top notch and delicious.
Potjie Inspired is a choose-your-own-adventure dish. You pick your protein, I selected Pork Vindaloo. Then you select your plant based side, I ordered Chickpea Wat. This dish was tasty. The pork is well-marinated with a tiny bit of spice. Not really a traditional curry, so if Indian curry isn’t for you this dish fits your bill. The side reminded me of chili beans but with a good sauce taste. The jasmine rice they serve with this even has a bit of a spice to it that works very well with everything else on the plate.
Emma ordered the Pork Shank. This pork was the most tender pork I think either of us have ever eaten. The taste was incredible, and even though I also had pork, they both tasted so different. This came on top of black eyed peas, and even a couple of chicharrons. Again this one hits it out of the park on taste. I can still taste it today.
Conclusion and Thoughts on Sanaa
All conclusions should start with a dessert right? So let’s dig into the Spiced Candy Bar, which so happens to not be on the menu, so ask for it. This thing has a lot going on, but of course is awesome.
Inside this amazing looking candy bar is, it is a coconut, apricot, caramel, pistachio, and cashew bar coated with milk chocolate, and then topped with Chai cream, pistachio crumb, and apricot gelee.
Now that we got through all the food, our final thoughts on Sanaa: This place should be on your list to grab an advanced dining reservation (ADR) at. We consider this the best restaurant we have eaten at so far here.
If you are a little uneasy on the menu, you can check it out here. They do offer other food items that aren’t as risky as what we had, but I do challenge anyone reading this to open your palate up and try at least the Indian Bread Service. If you pass on Sanaa, I can offer you a good brunch option at STK as lined out in a previous article.
Have you tried Sanaa? Will you venture off your normal eating patterns to try it? Let us know in the comments.
