Which AKL restaurant? Boma, Sanaa, or Jiko

[NLD]

Out of the three, which is your favorite AKL restaurant? And why?

Any answer goes, take into account any factors you want (ambience, food quality, menu selection... anything!)

______________________________________________

Background: We're staying at AKL and want to eat at the resort after our off-site Universal day. Two adults--my sister and I--no kids. This is my pros and cons list based on nothing but what I know through the Internet , having never eaten at any of them:

Jiko pros: menu looks amazing. Glowing reviews everywhere. Getting served after a long park day. "Grown-up" atmosphere.

Jiko cons: price, and honestly we're not "foodies"--it might be lost on us.Plus I actually dislike long, drawn-out meals. (Does it take two and a half hours to eat there?)

Sanaa pros: again, menu looks good. LOVE Indian flavors. Getting served after a long park day.

Sanaa cons: not as "adventurous" for us as the other two, given we regularly eat Indian at home. Located in Kidani rather than Jambo (requires another walk after a long park day... yeah I know, suck it up! )

Boma pros: adventure factor... never had this kind of food before. Soups and breads sound really good. Lots of variety.

Boma cons: buffet means we serve ourselves... not as relaxing as being served. Worried about flavors being too sweet? (Keep reading reviews to that effect.)



Thanks!

 

[bangzoom6877]

Out of the three, which is your favorite AKL restaurant? And why?

Any answer goes, take into account any factors you want (ambience, food quality, menu selection... anything!)

______________________________________________

Background: We're staying at AKL and want to eat at the resort after our off-site Universal day. Two adults--my sister and I--no kids. This is my pros and cons list based on nothing but what I know through the Internet , having never eaten at any of them:

Jiko pros: menu looks amazing. Glowing reviews everywhere. Getting served after a long park day. "Grown-up" atmosphere.

Jiko cons: price, and honestly we're not "foodies"--it might be lost on us.Plus I actually dislike long, drawn-out meals. (Does it take two and a half hours to eat there?)

Sanaa pros: again, menu looks good. LOVE Indian flavors. Getting served after a long park day.

Sanaa cons: not as "adventurous" for us as the other two, given we regularly eat Indian at home. Located in Kidani rather than Jambo (requires another walk after a long park day... yeah I know, suck it up! )

Boma pros: adventure factor... never had this kind of food before. Soups and breads sound really good. Lots of variety.

Boma cons: buffet means we serve ourselves... not as relaxing as being served. Worried about flavors being too sweet? (Keep reading reviews to that effect.)



Thanks!

That's a tough one...I have never been to Jiko, but have been to both Boma and Sanaa. Both have excellent food, beautiful atmosphere, and great service from my experiences. If you think you will be very hungry after a long day at a theme park, Boma may be the way to go. It's also not a long walk, as you mentioned Sanaa would be. Boma will give you variety, and if you try something and don't care for it, there is always something else on the buffet to eat.

Sanaa is very nice, quiet and laid back. So if you really want a more relaxing meal, where they serve you, then you should go with Sanaa. The same would apply to Jiko, I'm assuming. I don't think you could go wrong with any of those choices though!

Personally, if it were me, I would go to Sanaa or try Jiko. While we loved Boma, DH and I tend to get heartburn easily, and that night (it was in the summer of 2008), we both had very bad heartburn. We ate a lot of food at Boma, and lots of different spices. Plus, most of the desserts are made with alcohol, which was terrific, but not good for heartburn. We do consider going back to Boma though, and just taking it easy and not overeating (hard to do!!). Another reason I would go with Sanaa or Jiko is just what you said...after a long day at a theme park it's nice to be served your meal in a more quiet atmosphere. I'm sure you will enjoy whatever you choose!

 

[nytimez]

I'd go for Jiko unless you simply can't afford it. I don't think you need to be a foodie to appreciate it -- it's just damn good eating, period.

Sanaa is not quite an Indian restaurant. It's a good choice too, but I don't think it's anywhere close to Jiko.

 

[cbg1027]

That's a tough one because it depends on the experience you want.

I like all 3.

Jiko is the best in terms of food quality and service. I absolutely love it there. It does not have to be a 2.5 hour meal either. I think most people eat there in much less time than that.

Sanaa is my favorite non-signature Disney restaurant. It doesn't have the same presentation as stuff at Jiko, and it's a more relaxed atmosphere. The view is is awesome - watch the animals eat while you eat! I think it is a fantastic restaurant. It's definitely Indian-influenced, but I would not really call it Indian, so it's different than eating at an Indian restaurant.

Boma is great, especially for a buffet, but the food is not as good as the other places. Still very enjoyable though. It's loud and busy, so if you want something more relaxing after a day at Universal, I would go with Jiko or Sanaa.

For you, I think I would go with Sanaa - it's the mid-priced option, the view is amazing, but it's casual and relaxing, with fantastic, creative, and delicious food.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

All 3....probably the best collection of restaurants at any WDW hotel....just ahead of the Grand and Boardwalk

i would pick Jiko...though Boma has never disappointed and Sanaa was a great new addition to our last trip (but the menu is limited, but everything is good)

 

[aussietravellers]

Jiko is by far our favourite for dinner, we LOVE Jiko and are going twice on our trip next month. But Boma is our favourite breakfast at WDW.

 

[jamstew]

It's Jiko, hands down, for me. I think it's in the top three restaurants on property. I'm not a foodie either, and you don't need to be. I don't think I've ever spent more than 1.5 hours there for a meal, and that included an after dinner glass of wine.

 

[OhThePain]

I'm another one for Jiko, even though both my fav app and fav entree are no longer on the menu it seems. You can be in and out of there in an hour if you really wanted to be. However, I find the atmosphere very relaxing that after a long day in the parks you may not be in such a rush to leave. The service is fantastic and the food is excellent.

I have yet to go to Sanaa (looking foward to trying on our next trip) and if you aren't in a buffet type mood after the parks, Boma may not be the best place that night.

 

[Pakey]

I've been to all 3; Jiko and Boma many times and Sanaa was a first on our last vacation.

For 2 tired adults, I'd have to go with Jiko. The appetizers are adventurous but the entrees are not. The soups here are better than the ones at Boma although you will only have the choice of 1, maybe 2. I always get soup here and it's outstanding, the real hidden gem of Jiko IMO.

Boma is crazy noisy. I love the variety here and we enjoy eating here when we have a larger party but it's not a place I would pick for a dinner for 2. It's not relaxing in the least.

Sanaa is very good but it's only Indian inspired with a small menu. None of my favorite Indian dishes were available. The food is good, portions are huge. The evening we dined here, it was pretty noisy.

 

[wasabi girl]

I've stayed at AKL a few times because of the great dining options, even the Mara is a great food court! I've been to all three restaurants and they are all quite good. For an adult only trip I might skip Boma, it is amazing but there are usually many young children...some of will be cranky, whiny and loud after a long day in the parks. Jiko is excellent, excellent service, great ambiance, great chefs. Sanaa has stunning decor, a menu that is a little less adventurous than Jiko, but the items are well prepared and the staff is very proud of their restaurant and their pride shows. I was at Sanaa with a friend last May during a week of monsoon weather...we wandered in to our Sanaa reservation, wet bedraggled, cold and a little dispirited, we were seated at a widow table (we asked), so we could see the animals on the Savannah. We ordered a herbal chai, the waitress brought a pot of tea, a small pitcher of cream and a pot of honey, she returned every couple of minutes to let us know how much longer our tea needed to steep to be at it's best. Our meal that night was delicious. It has become a nice memory of a cold and waterlogged week at Disney.
Jiko served one of the best meals I've ever eaten my first visit to WDW in 2005, and is my husbands' favorite restaurant on property (and he is a chef-trained in Europe, so he can be picky).
Whichever you choose, you will enjoy it, and you can save the left-over for your next trip!

 

[dgbg100106]

These are some great reviews.... My DH and I are going to Jiko on our trip in October... We are looking forward to sitting at the Cooking Place

 

[Plumeria9]

I am trying to figure out my ADRs for January and w/ some trial and error found Sanaa. My family and I have never been at the AKL and I thought it would be neat to check out the property and eat dinner there. I didn't know Jiko was a 2 dining credit place ("free" DDP) so Sanaa looks like a decent alternative. Thanks!

 

[pianoronni37]

DH and I are personally huge fans of Boma. We've eaten there each trip, and have an ADR for dinner there for our upcoming trip!

The flavors can be on the sweeter side, but there are favorites that he and I wouldn't pass up, including:

Ribs!
Every single soup - twice over
Salmon (however it's served, they do it well)
Hummus
Desserts (not a huge fan of zebra domes, but everything else we enjoy!)

We can't bring ourselves to eat at Jiko, because our AKL trip is usually a long one, so we can't do two separate ones - so Boma's always won our ADR competition!

Good luck, whatever you choose! AKL is gooorgeous!

 

[TinkerKell-ey]

I LOVE Boma, but it is a buffet and a bit chaotic (and having kids, I mean that in the very best way!). I would love to try Jiko, but, again, those kids . We are staying at Kidani in November and will have a dinner at Sanaa (and breakfast at Boma) and I'm very excited. My guess is you will be happy wherever you go, and the AK Resort is amazing itself!

Don't let Sanaa's location scare you. If you are taking a bus from a park, just get off at the Kidani stop. If you are driving, there is plenty of parking at Kidani too!

Edit---just re-read your OP and see you are staying at AKL! Do you know you can take the DTD bus from Jambo and get off at Kidani, and from Kidani take any park bus to Jambo (no long walk between lobbies!!)