Boma, Jiko or Sanaa??? HELP

[Must C Mickey]

Right now I have Boma scheduled on our AK day for dinner but I keep hearing great things about all of the AKL TS restaurants. Are Jiko and Sanaa better??? Is one a Signature restaurant as we are on the Dining Plan? Any suggestions or reviews would be very helpful. Our party is 4 adults and 3 children so I'd like for everyone to be happy w/ the menu selections.

 

[OKW Lover]

Jiko is significantly better. But it is a signature restaurant.

For the little ones, I'd stick with Boma since there are lots of different choices on the buffet that they will like.

 

[Pakey]

I've eaten at all 3; Sanaa 3 times and the other two many times.

Jiko is a signature so will take 2 credits on the DDP. In all honesty, the stars of the show at Jiko are the appetizers and the amazing wine selection. If you are not going for appetizers and/or wine, I'd probably skip. The flatbreads and soups are especially good. Most people seem to like the filet as the favorite entree; I think it's okay (however the risotto it currently comes with is very very good). They do have a decent steak on the children's menu. The restaurant has always been very quiet when we have dined here and it's dark/intimate with a slower paced service. We were here most recently 2 months ago and our dinner took a couple of hours. The desserts here used to be pretty interesting but I've been so unimpressed the last few visits that I skip it now (we don't do DDP). Out of the 3, I think Jiko has the most generic entrees and would probably work best for people who prefer plain foods.

Sanaa, IMO, is the best 1 TS credit restaurant at WDW. The food is Indian inspired but it's not authentic Indian and not as spicy. There are several mild dishes and you can even request that they be made even milder. The portions are hearty and the service has been very good. Most people rave about the bread service (considered an appetizer) but honestly, it's too much food for us to have that and then order an entree. I have enjoyed fish, chicken and short ribs here; all have been great.

Boma is a very large buffet. There is a huge selection of dishes here. However, at least half of them are going to be African inspired which means they will have unusual spices. Many of the dishes will have a sweet taste to them. We enjoy Boma a lot, especially the meat carving station and the soups. We are very adventurous eaters but we did once take some people who were more particular and they didn't enjoy the majority of the dishes. We like going here as a larger group because the restaurant is already noisy so we blend in fine. The children's pod is quite extensive so I think it's a great choice for the younger diners.

 

[NoraG]

I had a just so-so experience at Jiko, but I'd certainly give it another shot. It wasn't terrible, but I thought it was mediocre for the price. The apps are much more appealing to me than the entrees.

Sanaa is my all time fav WDW restaurant. And Boma was great too. I didn't like everything, but I enjoyed being able to try it all.

Some things to think about: At Boma it's a buffet, so if you want to be served, reconsider. If having lots of options appeals to you, Boma might be a good choice. However, if getting up 10 times with your kids does not appeal to you, you may want to choose something else. As for Jiko and Sanaa, I'd look at the menus to see what appeals to you. I've never had a bad item at Sanaa, but they have a limited kids menu and very few non-exotic options. If you are paying OOP, Sanaa is much more affordable, especially at lunch. A definite bargain to be had. Boma is much pricier and Jiko will be two credits, so there's a lot to think about, but I don't think you can go wrong either way. I don't feel the need to do the same meal at Boma again (Dinner), but I'd go back for breakfast. I'd try Jiko again sometime and I'd go to Sanaa anytime!

It's a great dilemma to have-have a wonderful meal, whatever you choose!

 

[bloodonthesaddle]

Have only eaten at Jiko. Was very skeptical first trip and was pleasantly surprised. Second trip had a great piece of fish, but no way was the whole experience worth 2 credits on DDP. 2nd trip waitress asked if I was going to have wine with dinner as I had brought a beer from bar while waiting, I said yes and she still took my glass the next time she walked by, then took 15 minutes to return with a glass.

 

[Saratoga Goofy]

we LOVE Bomas! Won't take a trip to DW again without going, and everyone we take to Bomas loves it too! It's great that it is a buffet and we can sample all kinds of south african foods, and there is something on the menu for EVERYO
NE! Can't wait until we visit there again!

 

[umieesa]

Boma can be either a love hate for people. The first time we ate there we said we would never go back since we found the savory food on the sweet side, but when we stayed at AKL this past January and it rained very heavily one night we decided to stay and eat at the resort. My husband was really not happy about this, but let me tell you it was one of our best meals the whole trip! I know some of the food rotates on specific nights, so not sure if we just had a good night, but most people love Boma. My kids really loved it second time around!

As for Sanaa it was another one of my favourite meals. I think it depends on the ages of your kids and how adventurous they are. My kids were 9, 5 and 8 months at the time, but they really liked it.

Never ate at Jiko, only sampled some of their flatbreads and dips, but like others have said keep in mind it is a 2 credit signature meal.

Overall, Boma would probably be the best in terms of everyone finding something they'd like and depending on when you're going Sanaa would be nice to do for a lunch when the animals are out (adds to the experience). Either way I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

 

[Must C Mickey]

Thanks so much everyone for your input. You have been a big help. I think I am going to stay away from Jiko for now since it is 2credits until we try Boma and decide that everyone likes the African style dishes. Sanaa sounds amazing too however I may book that for our adults only evening. I should've mentioned that my husband and his brother (whose family is also traveling w/ us) are both fine dining Executive Chefs at local country clubs. They are actually my picky eaters of the group, they are a bit of a food snob. Don't get me wrong, DH's fav dish is a burger, so we don't eat fancy every night by any means. I wanted something exotic tasting for them, and while they are usually turned off by buffets, I think the option of being able to sample everything at Boma would be appealing.

 

[minnie mum]

I think you've made a great decision. And I'll bet your DH will enjoy Sanaa if you decide to do a couple-only dinner!