Guest Review of Lunch at Sanaa, Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge Kidani Village

Nestled down in the lower level of Disney Vacation Club's Kidani Village, is one of Disney's most overlooked restaurants, Sanaa. Inspired by the flavors of India and North Africa, Sanaa dinners are treated to an up close view of the Sunset Savannah, which features Giraffe, Bongo, Impala, Thompsons Gazelles, Ostrich, Ankole Cattle, Waterbuck, African Crowned Cranes, and Blue Cranes. The large arched windows ensure that even if you do not have a window table, you will still have a fantastic view of the real stars of the show, the animals.


Sanaa At Kidani Village
Seating Under the Acacia Tree at Sanaa


To start off your meal at Sanaa right, it is absolutely essential to begin with the Indian Style Bread Service. The service includes five types of bread - Nann, Ginger Naan, Spiced Naan, Onion Kulcha, and Paneer Paratha - and your choice of three or nine accompaniments. All of the accompaniments brought out a different flavor in each of the breads, but my personal favorites were Coriander Chutney, Red Chile Sambal, and Tamarind Chutney. For a second starter, we opted for the salad trio - Chickpeas with cucumber and tomato, Watermelon salad, and Nigerian root vegetable with citrus. I didn't care for the mushy consistency of these salads. Personally, I'd say skip the salads and order a second round of bread. That sentiment was unanimous at our table as every scrap of bread disappeared while the salads were barely touched.


Indian Style Bread Service


For entrees, we shared the Tandoori Chicken, and open-faced sandwich on Naan bread, and the Seasonal Sustainable Fish, which on this particular day was Grouper. Both were outstanding choices. My personal preference would have been for the Tandoori Chicken, which was tender, well trimmed, and graced with a delicious Cucumber Raita sauce. The grouper was flaky and moist with a slightly spicy curry sauce served over seasonal vegetables. It was also excellent, but I have a bias towards chicken over fish.


Tandoori Chicken, and open-faced sandwich on Naan bread
Sanaa Offers Seasonal Sustainable Fish


Unfortunately, when it came time for dessert, our heavenly meal took a bad turn. We ordered the Dessert Trio of Chocolate Mousse, Lemon Lychee Tart, and seasonal Kulfi. We also ordered a Shahi Tukra, an Indian-inspired bread pudding, and the banana cheesecake. The chocolate mousse was the only item from the trio that tasted mostly ok. The others were filled with over-sugared, artificial-tasting flavors. The Shahi Tukra was horribly dry. For all of the splendor that is the bread pudding at 'Ohana, the bread pudding at Sanaa falls completely flat. Although probably the most passable, even the banana cheesecake was unsatisfying. Skip dessert at Sanaa and swing by The Mara in Jambo House to grab a pack of Zebra Domes to go. You'll thank me later.


Dessert Trio: Afrika Povu, Lemon Lychee Tart, and Seasonal Kulfi


Overall the location, ambiance, and food quality at Sanaa were all stellar. I highly recommend giving this "off the beaten path" restaurant a try. Sanaa is a 1 Table Service Credit Meal on the Disney Dining Plan, and also accepts Tables in Wonderland.

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A big thanks goes out to Guest Author Holly L. for sharing a little bit of her vacation with us. If you'd like to read more about Holly's Disney Adventures, you can find her sharing on our member forum.