Wanna know what really gets us excited?

New food at Disney World! We wouldn’t have food in our name if that didn’t make us happy, right? Whether it’s trying out a new restaurant, revisiting old favorite foods, or trying new snacks, we’re all about eating. So when we learned that Sanaa at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge was getting some new menu items, we were ALL OVER that.

Let’s visit Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge to check out Sanaa!

Atmosphere

Tucked inside Kidani Village at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, Sanaa is home to some adventurous eats and WILD views. You may have heard about the famous Sanaa bread service available here, which comes with five types of bread and NINE dipping sauce accompaniments.

The restaurant is peaceful and inviting, with tons of special Imagineering details scattered around the dining room.

One of the coolest parts of Sanaa is the incredible savanna views you can see right out the giant windows. You never know who you might see grazing nearby!

This restaurant has plenty of seating (mainly tables and chairs), bright lighting, and a calm, intimate atmosphere.

Eats

Sanaa brings a delicious fusion of African and Indian cuisine to the table. It also features one of our favorite appetizer dishes of all time, the Indian-style Bread Service. But today, we’re trying something different from the appetizer menu! Sanaa is now serving Lamb Kefta again, but there’s a new twist!

The entree menu is full of African and Indian-style dishes as well! Today, we’re going on a journey with the Potjie Inspired entree, which lets guests select both a protein and an additional dish. 

The dessert menu is rather small, but there are some great selections available now!

The kids menu offers a nice balance of adventurous and kid-friendly options, ranging from the Fish of the Day to a Cheese Pizza.

But we’re here to try out the new and updated dishes, so we started with the Lamb Kefta, which is Char-grilled Ground Lamb with Tunisian Couscous Salad and Ginger-Pear Chutney for $13.

This was INCREDIBLE! We need to talk about that sweet ginger jam — it was SO good! Our appetizer was bright and flavorful, and all the different flavors worked together perfectly. You might recognize that cucumber dipping sauce; it’s the same sauce they use for the bread service! The lamb has a slight kick, but a small dip of the cucumber dipping sauce complements the spice and softens the heat.

We couldn’t forget the couscous salad! It was cooked very well and enhanced every bite. Can you tell? We LOVED this appetizer! That said, this dish was made for adventurous eaters, so if you aren’t a fan of lamb, you might want to order something else.

Now, let’s try out some entrees! First, we chose the Pork Vindaloo as part of our Potjie Inspired journey. This dish is $30. With this entree, guests can pick two items to accompany their Jasmine Rice. We ordered the new Pork Vindaloo with the Sukuma Wiki, which is basically collards.

Keep in mind that the Sukuma Wiki here are a little different than your average southern collards. Instead, these are more like a stew loaded with tomatoes and onions. We seriously enjoyed this dish! The pork is pretty spicy (more so than some of the other dishes), so listen to your server if you’re hoping to avoid extra heat.

This is another one of those dishes that tastes best when you get a little bite of everything at once. The Jasmine Rice pairs nicely with the spicy Pork, and the collards have a nice, salty flavor that works well with the rest of the ingredients. Overall, we loved the customizable nature of this dish, and our meal was excellent.

We’ve got even MORE entrees to try, so next up is the new Zanzibari Vegetable Curry for $22. This is served with Seasonal Vegetables with Fragrant Rice. As the name implies, this dish is perfect for guests looking for a vegetable-based dish and caters to those with gluten, wheat, egg, fish, shellfish, milk, or peanut allergies.

Our Vegetable Curry was a HUGE portion of food! It was loaded with carrots, edamame, pearl onions, chickpeas, pickled onions, and watermelon radish, then topped with a tasty brussel sprout. The curry was well-seasoned, but expect a nice little kick with your first bite. If you’re looking for a healthy, filling entree that still tastes amazing, we highly recommend the Zanzibari Vegetable Curry.

Next, it was time to dive into the new Samaki Wa Kupaka, which is Turmeric-marinated Sustainable Fish, Roasted Cauliflower, Yuca Katlesi, and Coconut Gravy for $32. This dish and the vegetable curry are available at both lunch and dinner.

The Samaki Wa Kupaka left us quite surprised! Although this is a seafood dish, it wasn’t fishy at all! In fact, our meal was light and savory, and the fish came lightly breaded on top of an amazing yuca potato cake. If you’re wondering, the yuca pretty much tasted like a hearty potato — it was delicious! The sauce was smooth and creamy, and the cauliflower and broccoli were an excellent addition to the dish. Don’t worry, either, this one isn’t spicy, though the cherry peppers (obviously) provided a little heat.

 We’ve still got room for more, so next, we tried the Pork Shank with Braised Pork, Chermoula-spiced Black-eyed Peas, and Pickled Mustard for $28. This new dish is exclusive to the dinner menu, so if you want to try it, be sure to grab a dinner reservation!

This ended up being one of our FAVORITE entrees of the evening! The pork was cooked to perfection; the meat was so tender that it fell right off as soon as your fork touched it. Each of the ingredients was loaded with seasoning and flavor (shout-out to the black-eyed peas), but nothing was overly spicy or hot. As with most dishes at Sanaa, there was a little kick to this dish, but nothing too extreme.

Overall, we loved this entree! If you’re looking for a meaty, filling dish with some great flavors and spice, try this!

Nosh or Not

Head on over to Sanaa if…

• You’re looking for a unique meal — From lamb to curry, Sanaa serves some bold, exciting dishes that you won’t find at any old Disney World restaurant. If you’re willing to experiment and try something new, Sanaa delivers on quality while giving guests a fun dining experience. For adventurous eaters (both vegetarians and meat-eaters alike), there’s something on the menu for everyone.
• You want to try something new — Let’s be honest, this is the reason we ran to Sanaa in the first place (not that we ever need a reason to visit Sanaa; we’ll take any chance we get!). New menu items are so much fun to try — especially at a place like Sanaa where the chefs have a fantastic track record of creating amazing new dishes.
• You’re not afraid of a little spice — Like we said before, Sanaa does not shy away from spice! Some dishes will provide a little more heat than others, but it’s usually nothing that a glass of water or a bite of rice can’t tame. If you don’t mind spices like curry or cumin, you’ll probably enjoy Sanaa!

Skip Sanaa if…

• You’re a picky eater — We like to recommend reading over most Disney World menus before booking a reservation, but that advice is especially important at Sanaa. The menu here consists mainly of African and Indian-inspired dishes, so if you prefer a simple burger and fries, you might want to check out another restaurant.
• You don’t have much time — This restaurant is pretty out-of-the-way, especially if you aren’t staying at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. Unlike many of the restaurants on the monorail loop, for example, it will take a bit of driving to get to Sanaa. If you’re pressed for time, you might want to visit another restaurant.
• You’re on a budget — While Sanaa isn’t officially considered a signature dining experience, the prices certainly aren’t cheap. Most entrees range from $20-30, which adds up quickly when you have a larger party.

Overall

Sanaa rarely disappoints, and our recent visit was no exception! We loved EVERYTHING we ate, which is rare, and had no major complaints about any of the dishes. Our top two meals of the night were the Pork Shank and the Lamb Kefta (can you tell we have a thing for savory meat dishes?), though the Zanzibari Vegetable Curry is great for vegetarians or guests who want a break from all the chicken and steak served around Disney World. This restaurant has a beautiful atmosphere and equally beautiful dishes. If you’re not afraid of a little spice or trying something a little more unique, give Sanaa a try.

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Will you be trying out Sanaa’s new foods soon? Let us know in the comments!

The post REVIEW: NEW Exclusive Dinner Dishes and Stunning Savanna Views? Disney World’s Sanaa Has It All! first appeared on the disney food blog.