Boma was due for another try. We had been on January 1, 2004, after woefully discovering that we did not enjoy two buffets in one day, no matter how good they are. I had been so excited about Boma that I had planned both breakfast and dinner there in the same day, and since it was a holiday, we had a credit card on file. We were hungry, but all-you-can-eat turned us off a bit. So while it was good, we didnt think it was great. Therefore, when we took our vacation time at Disney and planned a lot of restaurants to go to, Boma was on my list.
The Animal Kingdom Lodge is one of our favorite resorts due to the rich themeing, as is the Wilderness Lodge and the Polynesian. We havent stayed on property, being Florida residents, so we havent had a true feel of the resorts. But we love to resort-hop, especially when were eating a meal at a particular resort. We arrived early enough to walk around and look at the savannahs. The restaurant is on the lobby level in the back, next to Jiko, with easy access to the outdoors from between the two restaurants. We had a 7pm reservation and started to get restless, though, so we checked in about 20 minutes early. We were given a pager and went up to sit in the Victoria Lounge, but were called back down in just a few minutes. We were actually given the table right next to where we had been seated in January, which is on the right against the window. The small alcove seems somewhat quieter than the open area, and I always love sitting against a window even if theres no view. And there was no view we saw the sidewalk leading out to the pool and savannahs.
Our server came over and asked for our drink order. I had been looking at the wine list outside in the lobby between Boma and Jiko, and had also been looking at the wines at one of the stores in Animal Kingdom that day. A line called Goats Do Roam looked interesting, so I asked to try the red first. Mike ordered a diet Coke, and we were both brought out water. I always appreciate it when water is brought out with the other drinks as I forget to ask for it more often than not. Before our drinks were brought, though, we got up to look at the buffet. Before grabbing a plate, I took my camera and checked out the offerings and took pictures before beginning. I had read the rotation that someone had posted on the DISboards (thank you!) and planned to go on a Wednesday for the slow cooked ribs and the coconut curry chicken stew. I was not disappointed nearly everything that I had read on the list for the rotation that day was there. I started from the right hand side where the rotisserie and most of the meats were. There was a station with oven baked chicken, roasted vegetables, and pap with sheeba. Pap is a dish made with hominy meal (like corn meal), much thicker and drier than corn meal mush it came off the spoon in clumps. Sheeba is the accompanying tomato based sauce. Last time I tried it and didnt like it, and this time was no exception much too bland for my taste, and the sauce didnt help much. The roasted vegetables were very good, though, and I didnt have a chance to try the baked chicken.
Next came the carving station, which had prime rib, the ribs, and sauces. Embarrassingly I found out that I was supposed to serve myself, as I didnt see the self-serve tongs at first and asked the young woman behind the counter for some ribs. Oops! Luckily she was nice and said she was bored anyway. I wish I had had more room for the ribs they were excellent. They were St. Louis style, but since they were slow cooked, they were tender and meaty. They were covered with a spicy sauce, which was spicy even by my spice-loving palate. The serving I had was somewhat like the Three Bears; one was very fatty, one had little meat, but one had plenty of meat and very little fat. They were the star of the savory dishes for the evening. The sauces were all very good, even the spicy one. On the other side of the carving station was the seafood of the day, nut crusted salmon, and bobotie. Bobotie is a corned beef and lamb dish that I had tried in January and had enjoyed, but wasnt in the mood for this time. I am attempting to find seafood that I like, but the salmon that night was dry and fishy tasting.
Moving on was the kids portion of the buffet, which wasnt lowered to a childs level. Tonight it included chicken strips, pasta and meatballs, French fries, and macaroni and cheese. I tried the macaroni and cheese, which I found to be creamy but not very cheesy, as a previous reviewer had also noted. Mike said that the chicken strips were generic Disney chicken strips, a bit dry tonight. Since this portion wasnt lowered, kids may need some help at this point. Ive seen my share of children dropping their plates, much to their dismay. Moving on was the side dish station, which included couscous Marrakesh, potatoes with Afritude, Fufu, tofu and green bean curry, falafel, and a rice dish that wasnt peanut rice, unfortunately. The peanut rice from January had been great. The couscous this time was flavorful with plenty of vegetables on top, as I was there when the dish was replaced. As the dishes were constantly being refilled and replaced, I wondered if they were working in response to those TV news specials about food safety at Disney. The potatoes had been good but not great in January, but werent repeated this time. The Fufu reminds me of a holiday dish, its whipped potatoes and sweet potatoes. I didnt try the green beans as Im a fan of neither green beans nor tofu, and the falafel was unfortunately cold and bland. Falafel is made with chick pea meal and is formed into balls, breaded, and deep fried.
Next were the soups, which are always a highlight of mine. They had everything that was listed on the rotation, carrot and ginger, oxtail barley soup, three bean gumbo with sausage, coconut curry chicken stew, and Moroccan seafood stew. The only one I had a chance to try was the chicken stew, which was wonderful. This was one of the other greats of the evening. It had a thick, creamy base with not too much curry flavoring. There were large pieces of chicken and vegetables in it, and it was flavored just right. I wish I had tried the gumbo and the carrot soup, but those will have to be another time. The Moroccan stew even had mussels in it, which I always think is an attractive touch to a mixed seafood dish even if I dont eat it. The fruit pod came next, which included watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, grapes, honeydew, and pineapple. Everything looked fresh and ripe, even though I didnt try any. There was a small dish to the left of the fruit containing triangles of peanut butter and jelly on swirled bread, but with the tongs I could tell they were stale, so I passed.
Next came the long parade of salads. On the first one there was a baby greens mix with four vinaigrettes, none of which I tried unfortunately, and a potato salad. Then there was another favorite of mine, the hummus station. This is some of the best tasting hummus Ive ever had, and there are three varieties: roasted red pepper, white bean, and kalamata olive. All were fabulous, especially with the crisp flat bread and puff breads they had next to them. There was a large bowl of butter packets on this pod that was definitely not needed with the hummus there! The next salad pod had a chick pea salad, couscous salad, roasted eggplant and bean salad, and an avocado, grapefruit, and papaya salad. I tried the first three, and liked the couscous salad the best out of the three. The chick pea salad was a little bland, and the eggplant was overly mushy and just didnt have a great texture.
The last salad station on the exhausting list of salads included watermelon rind salad, curried pasta salad, chicken with chili and cilantro salad, fennel smoked fish salad, and kool slaai, which is a sort of cole slaw. I only tried the pasta salad and the salad with chicken. The pasta salad was good, did not a strong curry flavor, but the pasta had a good texture. The salad with chicken was bland and didnt taste too much of cilantro. We had one more bread station to tackle, this one with corn bread with vegetables and a bread pudding with a vanilla sauce on the side. I didnt try the bread pudding, but the corn bread was excellent. I dont like sweet corn bread (not a real Southern gal), so Im always happy to find savory corn bread.
Finally we were on to the desserts! This is always my favorite part. I dont remember some of the desserts that I didnt try as there are so many, so I apologize. Of note on the first station were the mocha mousses and the passion fruit tarts. These along with the pineapple cheesecake are my favorites. The mousse was flavorful and had a crunchy chocolate bottom, and the passion fruit tart had that nice tang of the fruit. Next came the cheesecake, fruit tarts, and zebra domes. I love the cheesecake it has a white chocolate bottom, a great tangy cheesecake flavor, and the pineapple rounds it out. The fruit tarts were a bit dry and the fruit wasnt at its freshest. The zebra domes, everyones favorite, are a moist dome of cake covered with a mocha mousse that has a slightly gelatinized texture to keep it together. Very good, as always, though they cant compete in my mind with the mocha mousse cups from before. Last were the brownies and cookies. The brownies had a great fudgy texture and taste, which is how I like my brownies, instead of cakey. The cookies included chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, and sugar. They were soft and delicious, especially the oatmeal raisin.
Back to the wine from before, I think I had about three different servers come by to comment that the Goats Do Roam red ($5.75) was an easy drinking red. It went well with the meat dishes that I tried, and had a smoky taste. I asked to try the Goats Do Roam white, and our server said that it was not good, and recommended a different white ($6.75). It was better than the red, and this is when I discovered that I liked whites much better than reds. Mikes diet Coke and our waters were kept full throughout the night. I was also brought coffee at the end of the meal. All regular non-alcoholic drinks are included in the price ($23.99).
Service was quick, friendly, and helpful. I appreciated the tip on the wine, as I am still a novice in the wine world. Nearly everything on the buffet line was kept full and fresh, which I always appreciate. As for seating, there was plenty of it, but it still left a lot of room for the buffet line as the two areas were kept separated by a short wall. I can easily see how it can fill up on a busy night, though. All three times weve been, weve been seated in the alcove area, which I prefer.
The restaurant was beautiful, with interesting light fixtures and decorations. It continued the great themeing of the entire resort. The entire restaurant seems open, partly due to the windows all along the back of the seating area, and partly because it is open on the front side. The kitchen is visible from the buffet line, which is always a plus to me.
Now that was a lot of food! I dont know if anyone can try every single dish they have here, but we made a good dent. We consider this a great restaurant, though not one of what we call our top tier. (That includes Le Cellier, among others) One thing I always notice is that for me, the food isnt incredibly adventurous. It doesnt have to be for a lot of people, either if you dont look at the name, and concentrate on whats in the dishes, you will probably notice many familiar ingredients. Even if you dont, its a good place to try new things. I would recommend checking out the rotation list, which can be found here, to decide which day to go (many, many thanks, zakatak!). To find out what is in the many dishes, look at a recipe, many of which can be found here, or do a search on the DIS message boards.
Even though its not in our top tier, we thoroughly enjoy Boma, and is on our to-be-repeated list. We like the breakfast better than the dinner, even, and hope to go sometime soon. I love those press pots!
Photo gallery
The Animal Kingdom Lodge is one of our favorite resorts due to the rich themeing, as is the Wilderness Lodge and the Polynesian. We havent stayed on property, being Florida residents, so we havent had a true feel of the resorts. But we love to resort-hop, especially when were eating a meal at a particular resort. We arrived early enough to walk around and look at the savannahs. The restaurant is on the lobby level in the back, next to Jiko, with easy access to the outdoors from between the two restaurants. We had a 7pm reservation and started to get restless, though, so we checked in about 20 minutes early. We were given a pager and went up to sit in the Victoria Lounge, but were called back down in just a few minutes. We were actually given the table right next to where we had been seated in January, which is on the right against the window. The small alcove seems somewhat quieter than the open area, and I always love sitting against a window even if theres no view. And there was no view we saw the sidewalk leading out to the pool and savannahs.
Our server came over and asked for our drink order. I had been looking at the wine list outside in the lobby between Boma and Jiko, and had also been looking at the wines at one of the stores in Animal Kingdom that day. A line called Goats Do Roam looked interesting, so I asked to try the red first. Mike ordered a diet Coke, and we were both brought out water. I always appreciate it when water is brought out with the other drinks as I forget to ask for it more often than not. Before our drinks were brought, though, we got up to look at the buffet. Before grabbing a plate, I took my camera and checked out the offerings and took pictures before beginning. I had read the rotation that someone had posted on the DISboards (thank you!) and planned to go on a Wednesday for the slow cooked ribs and the coconut curry chicken stew. I was not disappointed nearly everything that I had read on the list for the rotation that day was there. I started from the right hand side where the rotisserie and most of the meats were. There was a station with oven baked chicken, roasted vegetables, and pap with sheeba. Pap is a dish made with hominy meal (like corn meal), much thicker and drier than corn meal mush it came off the spoon in clumps. Sheeba is the accompanying tomato based sauce. Last time I tried it and didnt like it, and this time was no exception much too bland for my taste, and the sauce didnt help much. The roasted vegetables were very good, though, and I didnt have a chance to try the baked chicken.
Next came the carving station, which had prime rib, the ribs, and sauces. Embarrassingly I found out that I was supposed to serve myself, as I didnt see the self-serve tongs at first and asked the young woman behind the counter for some ribs. Oops! Luckily she was nice and said she was bored anyway. I wish I had had more room for the ribs they were excellent. They were St. Louis style, but since they were slow cooked, they were tender and meaty. They were covered with a spicy sauce, which was spicy even by my spice-loving palate. The serving I had was somewhat like the Three Bears; one was very fatty, one had little meat, but one had plenty of meat and very little fat. They were the star of the savory dishes for the evening. The sauces were all very good, even the spicy one. On the other side of the carving station was the seafood of the day, nut crusted salmon, and bobotie. Bobotie is a corned beef and lamb dish that I had tried in January and had enjoyed, but wasnt in the mood for this time. I am attempting to find seafood that I like, but the salmon that night was dry and fishy tasting.
Moving on was the kids portion of the buffet, which wasnt lowered to a childs level. Tonight it included chicken strips, pasta and meatballs, French fries, and macaroni and cheese. I tried the macaroni and cheese, which I found to be creamy but not very cheesy, as a previous reviewer had also noted. Mike said that the chicken strips were generic Disney chicken strips, a bit dry tonight. Since this portion wasnt lowered, kids may need some help at this point. Ive seen my share of children dropping their plates, much to their dismay. Moving on was the side dish station, which included couscous Marrakesh, potatoes with Afritude, Fufu, tofu and green bean curry, falafel, and a rice dish that wasnt peanut rice, unfortunately. The peanut rice from January had been great. The couscous this time was flavorful with plenty of vegetables on top, as I was there when the dish was replaced. As the dishes were constantly being refilled and replaced, I wondered if they were working in response to those TV news specials about food safety at Disney. The potatoes had been good but not great in January, but werent repeated this time. The Fufu reminds me of a holiday dish, its whipped potatoes and sweet potatoes. I didnt try the green beans as Im a fan of neither green beans nor tofu, and the falafel was unfortunately cold and bland. Falafel is made with chick pea meal and is formed into balls, breaded, and deep fried.
Next were the soups, which are always a highlight of mine. They had everything that was listed on the rotation, carrot and ginger, oxtail barley soup, three bean gumbo with sausage, coconut curry chicken stew, and Moroccan seafood stew. The only one I had a chance to try was the chicken stew, which was wonderful. This was one of the other greats of the evening. It had a thick, creamy base with not too much curry flavoring. There were large pieces of chicken and vegetables in it, and it was flavored just right. I wish I had tried the gumbo and the carrot soup, but those will have to be another time. The Moroccan stew even had mussels in it, which I always think is an attractive touch to a mixed seafood dish even if I dont eat it. The fruit pod came next, which included watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, grapes, honeydew, and pineapple. Everything looked fresh and ripe, even though I didnt try any. There was a small dish to the left of the fruit containing triangles of peanut butter and jelly on swirled bread, but with the tongs I could tell they were stale, so I passed.
Next came the long parade of salads. On the first one there was a baby greens mix with four vinaigrettes, none of which I tried unfortunately, and a potato salad. Then there was another favorite of mine, the hummus station. This is some of the best tasting hummus Ive ever had, and there are three varieties: roasted red pepper, white bean, and kalamata olive. All were fabulous, especially with the crisp flat bread and puff breads they had next to them. There was a large bowl of butter packets on this pod that was definitely not needed with the hummus there! The next salad pod had a chick pea salad, couscous salad, roasted eggplant and bean salad, and an avocado, grapefruit, and papaya salad. I tried the first three, and liked the couscous salad the best out of the three. The chick pea salad was a little bland, and the eggplant was overly mushy and just didnt have a great texture.
The last salad station on the exhausting list of salads included watermelon rind salad, curried pasta salad, chicken with chili and cilantro salad, fennel smoked fish salad, and kool slaai, which is a sort of cole slaw. I only tried the pasta salad and the salad with chicken. The pasta salad was good, did not a strong curry flavor, but the pasta had a good texture. The salad with chicken was bland and didnt taste too much of cilantro. We had one more bread station to tackle, this one with corn bread with vegetables and a bread pudding with a vanilla sauce on the side. I didnt try the bread pudding, but the corn bread was excellent. I dont like sweet corn bread (not a real Southern gal), so Im always happy to find savory corn bread.
Finally we were on to the desserts! This is always my favorite part. I dont remember some of the desserts that I didnt try as there are so many, so I apologize. Of note on the first station were the mocha mousses and the passion fruit tarts. These along with the pineapple cheesecake are my favorites. The mousse was flavorful and had a crunchy chocolate bottom, and the passion fruit tart had that nice tang of the fruit. Next came the cheesecake, fruit tarts, and zebra domes. I love the cheesecake it has a white chocolate bottom, a great tangy cheesecake flavor, and the pineapple rounds it out. The fruit tarts were a bit dry and the fruit wasnt at its freshest. The zebra domes, everyones favorite, are a moist dome of cake covered with a mocha mousse that has a slightly gelatinized texture to keep it together. Very good, as always, though they cant compete in my mind with the mocha mousse cups from before. Last were the brownies and cookies. The brownies had a great fudgy texture and taste, which is how I like my brownies, instead of cakey. The cookies included chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, and sugar. They were soft and delicious, especially the oatmeal raisin.
Back to the wine from before, I think I had about three different servers come by to comment that the Goats Do Roam red ($5.75) was an easy drinking red. It went well with the meat dishes that I tried, and had a smoky taste. I asked to try the Goats Do Roam white, and our server said that it was not good, and recommended a different white ($6.75). It was better than the red, and this is when I discovered that I liked whites much better than reds. Mikes diet Coke and our waters were kept full throughout the night. I was also brought coffee at the end of the meal. All regular non-alcoholic drinks are included in the price ($23.99).
Service was quick, friendly, and helpful. I appreciated the tip on the wine, as I am still a novice in the wine world. Nearly everything on the buffet line was kept full and fresh, which I always appreciate. As for seating, there was plenty of it, but it still left a lot of room for the buffet line as the two areas were kept separated by a short wall. I can easily see how it can fill up on a busy night, though. All three times weve been, weve been seated in the alcove area, which I prefer.
The restaurant was beautiful, with interesting light fixtures and decorations. It continued the great themeing of the entire resort. The entire restaurant seems open, partly due to the windows all along the back of the seating area, and partly because it is open on the front side. The kitchen is visible from the buffet line, which is always a plus to me.
Now that was a lot of food! I dont know if anyone can try every single dish they have here, but we made a good dent. We consider this a great restaurant, though not one of what we call our top tier. (That includes Le Cellier, among others) One thing I always notice is that for me, the food isnt incredibly adventurous. It doesnt have to be for a lot of people, either if you dont look at the name, and concentrate on whats in the dishes, you will probably notice many familiar ingredients. Even if you dont, its a good place to try new things. I would recommend checking out the rotation list, which can be found here, to decide which day to go (many, many thanks, zakatak!). To find out what is in the many dishes, look at a recipe, many of which can be found here, or do a search on the DIS message boards.
Even though its not in our top tier, we thoroughly enjoy Boma, and is on our to-be-repeated list. We like the breakfast better than the dinner, even, and hope to go sometime soon. I love those press pots!
Photo gallery
