travel

Why Your Family Should Dine at Sanaa

June 7, 2021 / 38 Comments

Sanaa is a restaurant at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas. Its menu blends African and Indian flavors, featuring slow-cooked meats as well as simmered vegetarian plates. The food is fragrant and the dishes are delicious.

the sign for Animal Kingdom Lodge Kidani Village is made of bamboo posts tied together with rope

Sound good? Here are our top reasons you should visit!

the exterior of Sanaa resembles a mud house

The Atmosphere

Details make Disney. Kidani Village, part of Animal Kingdom Villas and home to Sanaa, is no exception. The resort and the restaurant both provide an immersive experience. It’s so thorough, we almost felt like we had been transported somewhere exotic. We certainly didn’t feel like we were in Central Florida anymore!

the interior of Sanaa features a lush, leafy ceiling with patterned supports

I loved exploring the patterns and color combinations at Sanaa. I was curious about what the lanterns were made of, how the beaded host stand was constructed, and how the colors and shapes of the pillars were chosen. There was so much attention paid to every detail. You often hear this about the Disney difference, but I didn’t expect it to be so thorough at a restaurant outside the parks!

dried, bound bamboo and lanterns frame the dimly lit entryway to Sanaa

Take a look out the window and the immersion continues. You won’t see town centers or suburbs; you’ll see a savanna menagerie!

The Animals

That’s right! At Sanaa, you can watch a variety of animals living their best lives on the savanna as you enjoy your meal.

Seriously, who wouldn’t want to live at a Disney resort?

As we ate, we spotted several different animals. We recognized the heavy hitters (zebras, ostriches, and giraffes) and could remember some of the more obscure ones from our time at Animal Kingdom, but some were unfamiliar to us.

two children peer out a window at a savanna as a giraffe browses for leaves

We got a really good look at a few giraffes!

with resort rooms barely visible in the distance, a giraffe crosses the savanna

After our meal, we exited the building from the backside of the lobby. There we found a long deck jutting out into the savanna like a peninsula. We walked the length of it, soaking in the views.

a wildebeest crosses the savanna

At the end of this Savanna Overlook we found two animal guides who were ready to answer all of our questions! We asked about the unfamiliar animals I mentioned, how the animals were cared for while at Kidani Village, and what they all ate. (Unsurprisingly, most of the animals here are herbivores.)

The savanna overlook is also home to a large fire pit with lounge chairs. We’d love to visit at night and soak in the savanna with the warmth of a fire at our feet!

It seems a little backwards to say it’s unfortunate we had reservations, but Sanaa is one place I certainly wouldn’t mind waiting! There is just so much to soak in and explore.

Sanaa's full menu, backlit, hangs framed outside the restaurant

Appetizers

Two words: bread service.

Sanaa’s Indian-Style Bread Service combines two things that I love: exploration and variety. It’s also one of the tastiest things Sanaa has to offer!

Here’s the description straight from the menu:

Choice of Five Breads and with all Nine Accompaniments – Traditional Naan, Garlic-Ginger Naan, Spiced Naan, Onion Kulcha, or Paneer Paratha

five different breads, including multiple versions of naan

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

nine different sauces in small metal ramekins with matching small spoons

The spiced naan was the only bread the children didn’t try. I happily ate it all. Their favorite of the four others was the garlic-ginger naan.

My favorite sauce of all nine was the coriander chutney, the bright green one.

The red pepper hummus and cucumber raita were favorites with all three kids. Both were mild and somewhat familiar. (We eat hummus at home and cucumber raita is a lot like tzatziki, another family favorite.)

nine different sauces in small metal ramekins with matching small spoons

I tried and enjoyed all of the sauces, even the two spicy ones. At one point I mentioned to our server that one of the spicy sauces was sweeter than I expected. She offered to bring me a less sweet version. That version was more like tomato paste than a sweet chutney, but the heat, which snuck up on me, was intense! It was very good, but I could only handle a couple bites. They must keep these big guns in the back for more adventurous eaters!

If I hadn’t been determined to experience as much of the menu as possible, I would have ordered my own bread service as a meal!

Lunch

For my main course, I ordered from the Potjie Inspired (small pots of food), which allows you to choose two different items. As I said, I love variety!

Again, from Sanaa’s menu:

Choose one from the Journey – Goan Seafood Curry, Butter Chicken, or Braised Beef

Choose one from the Harvest (Plant-based) – Aloo Masala, Chickpea Wat, or Cilantro-Coconut Vegetables served with scented Basmati Rice

I felt pretty sure I’d like anything on the menu. Still debating, I inquired about what seafood was used in the curry. It’s made with shrimp and salmon, my two favorites! It was the obvious choice. I added cilantro-coconut vegetables.

three metal bowls atop a square plate hold seafood curry and rice

It was amazing!

The shrimp was firm, the salmon was tender, and the flavor of the curry was perfect.

The vegetable blend included cauliflower, red onions, bell peppers, lima beans, and red and yellow tomatoes. The sauce was light and flavorful.

Kids Meals

Before we even arrived, I wondered how my 5-year-old son would handle all of the new flavors at Sanaa. I prepped him ahead of time, explaining that the entire menu was an adventure. We didn’t have any restaurants like Sanaa at home that could recreate these dishes… and I certainly can’t!

Well, y’all, after all of that, he ordered a burger with macaroni and cheese. Then he devoured every bit of it.

a cheeseburger, metal bowl of macaroni and cheese, and small ramekin of ketchup on a patterned plate

You know what, though? He did try a bite of my seafood curry and a bite of my vegetables. He didn’t spit either one out! (Now the ratatouille from Epcot is another story….)

Other than burgers, my kids ordered the kids’ butter chicken (a richly flavored dish that they know and love) with veggies and basmati rice.

a metal bowl of butter chicken and a metal bowl of mixed peas, corn, and lima beans on a patterned plate

For dessert, all three kids enjoyed Pumbaa’s Dessert Grub, a next-level “dirt and worms” style dessert. In addition to the staples — chocolate pudding, crushed Oreo cookies, and gummi worms — this version was garnished with frosting leaves and milk chocolate rocks. Marshmallow and graham cracker crumbs were buried beneath the chocolate pudding layer, making it like a s’mores dirt cake.

chocolate rocks, gummi worms,and frosting leaves on a dessert covered in a bed of crushed chocolate cookies

Plan Your Visit

Sanaa
3701 West Osceola Parkway
Kissimmee, Florida 34747
website

a Mickey Mouse-shaped silhouette etched in a rock formation
.

You May Also Like

Horseback Riding Adventure at Big Rock Dude Ranch

October 5, 2020

Fall Harvest Festival at Belvedere Plantation

October 8, 2018

Phone Number Bracelets

January 28, 2019

38 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *