How does Sanaa compare to your favorite Indian place?

[KateDrake]

I'm thinking about booking Sanaa for our next trip, but I'm a little torn. We usually book Boma, and we all love it, but I'm challenging myself to try some new places this trip.

Here's my conundrum: I really love Indian food, so I'm worried Sanaa won't be as good as my favorite Indian places at home. I have read several reviews where people rave about how exotic it is, and seem to go nuts over the bread service. Is it just that they've never had naan before, or is it really that good?

I just don't want to end up paying Disney prices for a meal that isn't as good as what I could get at home. Though the views do sound like they might make it worthwhile!

Any Indian food lovers who can comment?

 

[ArmyVet80]

The bread service is outstanding. The entree's would probably be on par with your local Indian eatery. We just went to Sanaa during our Nov. 2013 trip and liked it so much we are booking again for our Sept. 2014 trip. My wife is not very adventurous when it comes to food but I have gotten her to try a middle eastern/Indian restaurant here in Indianapolis and that somewhat prepared her for Sanaa. She liked Sanaa significantly better than the local place. I've actually eaten authentic middle eastern food while on deployments and would say that Sanaa is very close to what I have eaten. I really really liked the bread service (the different naan's were outstanding) and the Tandoori Lamb was very good too. My wife had the Tandoori Chicken and bread service.

 

[phdhycster]

We eat Indian often here in NY. The food at Sanaa was wonderful and though I found some comparisons to my yummy Indian food I thought there was enough differences to make me say it was a wonderful meal! We did the bread service and loved it! Going back in two weeks I enjoyed it so much!

 

[rwdavis2]

IMHO Sanaa food is under spiced. Still very good but not as good as the best local place. The bread service is very good though.

I would easily take it over Boma.

 

[iona]

We very much like Sanaa but find that it bears little resemblance to our local Indian (in the UK) - whilst there are a few "traditionally Indian" dishes many of the nicest things on the menu (like the fish) are those that are flavourful but would not normally be available alongside tandoori, etc.

 

[vettegirl]

I find it to be better than my local place, but not as good as what I've had in the UK. Still love the place!!

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[SamSam]

Dh and I were Sanaa fans until around a year ago when they changed the menu and (at least as far as we're concerned) dumbed the menu down. The bread service is still excellent, the dipping sauces really good but the regular menu is sadly lacking.

We've had many excellent meals there in the past but not in the past year. Now all we'll do is sit at the bar for bread service and appetizer's.

 

[minnie mum]

Like a couple of the PPs, we enjoy the food at Sanaa, but find it is a very Americanized version of what we can get at home. The dishes are for the most part very under seasoned compared to an authentic Indian restaurant. Some might consider the food spicy if they've never tasted the real thing, but we don't. It may be helpful to know that you can ask to have the heat quotient raised if that is your preference. We love the bread service and all of the dipping sauces.

 

[KateDrake]

Thanks for the replies everyone! I really appreciate it. I am still kind of on the fence about it, so maybe I will survey the rest of the family (we're meeting my parents and sister and her family). The setting sounds lovely, but I am just not sure about the dishes. Maybe we should just go for bread and samosas

I have such a hard time telling whether something is actually good, or just good for Disney, if that makes sense. I love good for Disney too, I just want to make sure I'm having realistic expectations. So thank you all so much, it really helps!

 

[cammie810]

How about this....The food is definitely exotic by Disney standards. It tastes really good and is easy to share a variety. Last week there were four of us who split the bread service and 2 entrees. The view is great! Give it a try!!

 

[x5x5x5x5x5]

I'd say it's good for Disney but not a stand alone exceptional experience. I understand why - they can't be too far outside of the box because of their audience. I'd still go though - it's a pretty place and the Animal Kingdom Lodge and Villas are fun to roam around.

 

[mousehappync]

I love Sanna, and for us the bread service highlights are the sauces, rather than the naan, which is just naan. I don't know how much of a connoisseur I am of Indian food, but we love our local Indian restaurant and eat there a few times a month. The entrees at Sanna were not spectacular, but they were solidly good. We just loved the whole experience at dinner-- we had a great server, the food was good, they made lots of accommodations for our kids, and it was just a FUN meal, you know? We have not eaten at Boma, though, so can't compare, but we have re-booked Sanna for a second dinner in June.

 

[princesslilobess]

I love Sanaa. It is one of my must go to restaurants on every trip, but I never thought of it as an "Indian restaurant". The food is inspired by Indian food, but comparing it to and Indian restaurant is not really possible. Its delicious though.

 

[hemmie]

Thanks for the replies everyone! I really appreciate it. I am still kind of on the fence about it, so maybe I will survey the rest of the family (we're meeting my parents and sister and her family). The setting sounds lovely, but I am just not sure about the dishes. Maybe we should just go for bread and samosas I have such a hard time telling whether something is actually good, or just good for Disney, if that makes sense. I love good for Disney too, I just want to make sure I'm having realistic expectations. So thank you all so much, it really helps!

I feel the exact same way! I just canceled the dining plan so am now really scrutinizing prices - and Sanaa is about twice as expensive as really good Indian restaurants near where we live.

Question: is it possible to just go for drinks and apps at Sanaa? We are guess at AKL, and I'd lie to experience the ambiance but do not think a full meal would be worth it for us at those prices.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

I'm thinking about booking Sanaa for our next trip, but I'm a little torn. We usually book Boma, and we all love it, but I'm challenging myself to try some new places this trip.

Here's my conundrum: I really love Indian food, so I'm worried Sanaa won't be as good as my favorite Indian places at home. I have read several reviews where people rave about how exotic it is, and seem to go nuts over the bread service. Is it just that they've never had naan before, or is it really that good?

I just don't want to end up paying Disney prices for a meal that isn't as good as what I could get at home. Though the views do sound like they might make it worthwhile!

Any Indian food lovers who can comment?

It's a very watered down version of Indian food. The food is fine but it won't compare to your favorite Indian restaurants at home. We even asked the chef to "really kick it up" with the heat and spice once. We got a slightly less mild version and a bottle of sriracha. After trying the place three times I've scratched it from my list. The bread service is just naan, kulcha, and papadum. I think the people who rave about it do so because it's new and exciting to them. For someone familiar with Indian food it won't be all that exciting. Again, the food isn't bad, but if you're looking for a real Indian meal, this isn't it.

I feel the exact same way! I just canceled the dining plan so am now really scrutinizing prices - and Sanaa is about twice as expensive as really good Indian restaurants near where we live.

Question: is it possible to just go for drinks and apps at Sanaa? We are guess at AKL, and I'd lie to experience the ambiance but do not think a full meal would be worth it for us at those prices.

You can order apps and drinks at the bar, no reservation needed. (But you won't have a window view from there.)

 

[hemmie]

It's a very watered down version of Indian food. The food is fine but it won't compare to your favorite Indian restaurants at home. We even asked the chef to "really kick it up" with the heat and spice once. We got a slightly less mild version and a bottle of sriracha. After trying the place three times I've scratched it from my list. The bread service is just naan, kulcha, and papadum. I think the people who rave about it do so because it's new and exciting to them. For someone familiar with Indian food it won't be all that exciting. Again, the food isn't bad, but if you're looking for a real Indian meal, this isn't it.



You can order apps and drinks at the bar, no reservation needed. (But you won't have a window view from there.)

This is really helpful! Thanks! I am leaning toward skipping Sanaa in favor of Boma a second time... (out of curiosity, do you like Boma?). We could always venture away from AKL for dinner, but my thought was to stay at AKL and conserve our traveling energy for the parks

Also to the OP... what did you decide on Sanaa?

 

[MakiraMarlena]

If you go expecting an Indian restaurant you may be disappointed. Sanaa is not an Indian restaurant. It is an African restaurant with "Indian influences." It's also adjusted for American palates (although some Americans will tell you it hasn't been adjusted enough.) It's exceedingly exotic for WDW, but it is probably true that you can get much better, and certainly more authentic, food from restaurants at home.

If you just want drinks and apps but you don't want a reservation, they serve food in the bar.

 

[WDW1971]

If you go expecting an Indian restaurant you may be disappointed. Sanaa is not an Indian restaurant. It is an African restaurant with "Indian influences." It's also adjusted for American palates.

Exactly. It's meant to be the kind of food you often get in E. Africa or southern Africa. Durban, rather than Delhi. Of course that's a pretty obscure reference for most, but the point is that it's not trying to be Indian cuisine. It's kind of reminiscent of the ways we have adapted Italian cuisine here in the States.

The bread is good -- they take more care with it than many otherwise good Indian restaurants do.

It's well-made food with more interesting flavors than you get in most Disney restaurants. So, take that for what it's worth. And yes, it has been Americanized a bit from its roots. Otherwise, they'd serve a good Durban Bunny Chow. Mmmm.

 

[TillyMarigold]

I have eaten a lot of Indian food and a fair amount of African food, and I think Sanaa is very good. It definitely has milder flavors than the hottest food you can get at a real Indian restaurant, but it's well seasoned. Just not hugely spicy--the spiciest thing I've had there would be on the mild side of medium at an Indian restaurant. But that's pretty typical of most East African food, anyway ... the spices are to add richness more than heat.

It's a *little* Americanized but let me put it this way: more like San Ángel Inn than like Tortuga Tavern.

 

[kneedeep]

I am Indian. So I have had "real"'Indian food, both at home and at many Indian restaurants of varying quality. I agree w/PP who said it is "Indian-inspired," and I personally find the food at Sanaa to be very tasty and much more flavorful than most of what is available at WDW. We actually cancelled BoG dinner to dine at Sanaa last week because we just needed some food with more oomph. (Plus we had already had lunch at BoG twice.)

I also love very spicy food and asked for my food to be prepared extra spicy, and they did so. (Maybe because they could tell I am Indian lol?)

DH is not Indian and also loves the food at Sanaa. And it is nice that our DDs can find things they enjoy there as well.

I should mention that we really like Boma, too. Also very flavorful food, but in a different way.