If you have great Indian restaurants where you live, I doubt you will find Sanaa all that special. Unfortunately Indian cuisine is not common in many places, at least its not common in the various cities Ive lived in or family and friends have lived in. I think its kind of like the Lobster Rolls in WDW. Many people rave about them. Ask a lot of folks from New England and they will tell you they are not even close. Some say Homecomin is amazing Fried Chicken. Living in the Carolinas, Our bad Fried Chicken is better than that. And if you want to talk BBQ at the various festivals in EPCOT that people rave about. Im sure the folks in Texas, KC, and my fellow Carolinians can get you a list at a minimum of 10 BBQ spots that would shame that food.
Exactly this. I've lived on or near four coasts, in the south, in the north, in the west, in the far west (AK), and now in Virginia. What you say is absolutely true--if you live in an area known for a particular style or dish, then rarely will you find its equal anywhere else. However, in terms of attempting dishes under the limitation of appealing to a variety of appetities (cost
cutting savings, after all, means making dishes palatable to the hordes), Disney does a solid job overall. Sanaa falls into that category. I live, at a minimum, two hours away from a decent Middle Eastern or Mediterranean or fresh seafood restaurant. The sauces at Sanaa are good but perhaps lack the complexity you could find in NYC, Boston, L.A., Miami, or even Anchorage. Still, they're a fine representation, as is the naan. Outside of V & A's, I'm not sure I'd go to any Disney restaurant with the expectation to be amazed at the quality of food--sometimes we have been, just as sometimes we've been underwhelmed (
smcabee's examples are spot on). Still, as far as Disney food goes, there are far worse places than Sanaa.
