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Boma or Sanaa?

Tuvalu

Tuvalu

Premium Member
Both are different experiences.

Boma ~ Food is more African~based. Flavorful spicy, not hot spicy. Lots of yummy choices...salads, soups, breads, carved meats, chicken, side dishes, desserts...since it is a buffet. Can be noisy. No animal views since the restaurant is near the pool.

Sanaa ~ Food is more Indian-based and can be spicy hot. Limited to what's on the menu since it is not a buffet. The warm naan bread service is amazing! Restaurant overlooks the savanna so if you dine during daylight hours you can watch zebras, giraffes and other wildlife go by. Quiet dining.

I really enjoyed both.
 
HouCuseChickie

HouCuseChickie

Well-Known Member
AS @Tuvalu noted, they are very different experiences. While I found a few things at Boma that I enjoyed, I loved everything at Sanaa and would choose it if I had to pick one. Aside from the food being different, I prefer the setting at Sanaa (window seats :) ) and like that it's not a buffet.
 
sxeensweet

sxeensweet

Love a little Disney every day!! ;)
We would do BOTH! As said they are two totally different experiences. We love Boma for the breakfast buffet every trip. And Sanaa is great for lunch or dinner as a non buffet option. In fact we have both booked for our upcoming October trip.
Also if you have never eaten at Jiko that is another one we usually do every trip as well there at AKL. :)
 
Disney-leaf

Disney-leaf

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Tuvalu said:
Both are different experiences.

Boma ~ Food is more African~based. Flavorful spicy, not hot spicy. Lots of yummy choices...salads, soups, breads, carved meats, chicken, side dishes, desserts...since it is a buffet. Can be noisy. No animal views since the restaurant is near the pool.

Sanaa ~ Food is more Indian-based and can be spicy hot. Limited to what's on the menu since it is not a buffet. The warm naan bread service is amazing! Restaurant overlooks the savanna so if you dine during daylight hours you can watch zebras, giraffes and other wildlife go by. Quiet dining.

I really enjoyed both.
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lostpro9het said:
We don't eat enough to justify the buffet prices so Boma is not for us. Sanaa, on the other hand, was great! We could make a meal out of the bread service alone!
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Nick_A said:
Food is delicious at both locations, but as mentioned above very different.

Sanaa is much quieter- Boma can get quite loud, if that's a consideration.

For me, if I had to choose, I'd pick Sanaa because of the bread service. It's divine.
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HouCuseChickie said:
AS @Tuvalu noted, they are very different experiences. While I found a few things at Boma that I enjoyed, I loved everything at Sanaa and would choose it if I had to pick one. Aside from the food being different, I prefer the setting at Sanaa (window seats :) ) and like that it's not a buffet.
Click to expand...

jaklgreen said:
I always eat at Boma and I love almost everything there. I usually eat a little bit of everything(the only buffet that I can say that).
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sxeensweet said:
We would do BOTH! As said they are two totally different experiences. We love Boma for the breakfast buffet every trip. And Sanaa is great for lunch or dinner as a non buffet option. In fact we have both booked for our upcoming October trip.
Also if you have never eaten at Jiko that is another one we usually do every trip as well there at AKL. :)
Click to expand...

Thanks all for your replies and opinions! I really wish we had the time to do both :cry:

At the moment I have an ADR for Boma (I just really liked the look of it from the reservations page!) but there's a strong possibility I may change my mind as we get closer to our holiday. I'm fickle like that :p
 
UnhealthilyObsessed

UnhealthilyObsessed

Well-Known Member
Because I'm a bottomless pit food-inhaling monster, my real vote is to do both and throw in Jiko and The Mara for good measure.

That said, I love both of these places. Personally, I lean toward Sanaa because of the bread service, but also the consistently great food, intimate setting, the bread service, the savanna view, and of course, the bread service.

Boma is also great, and is probably a better choice if you have less adventurous eaters in your party because in addition to the unique African dishes, there's plenty of meat-and-potatoes-type options. And if everyone in my party is happy, I'm happy.

(But switch to Sanaa. Bread service.)


(bread service)
 
C

CheshireCat12

Well-Known Member
UnhealthilyObsessed said:
Because I'm a bottomless pit food-inhaling monster, my real vote is to do both and throw in Jiko and The Mara for good measure.

That said, I love both of these places. Personally, I lean toward Sanaa because of the bread service, but also the consistently great food, intimate setting, the bread service, the savanna view, and of course, the bread service.

Boma is also great, and is probably a better choice if you have less adventurous eaters in your party because in addition to the unique African dishes, there's plenty of meat-and-potatoes-type options. And if everyone in my party is happy, I'm happy.

(But switch to Sanaa. Bread service.)


(bread service)
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Ha! I couldn't have said it better myself. We love all the food options at AKL- if you get the chance try them all you can't go wrong! Three words- bobotie, pap, chakalaka :) Fun to say, tasty to eat!
However I did NOT like zebra domes, as prepared as I was to like them.
Best food hands down is Sanaa bread service (the coriander chutney and jalapeno lime pickle are to die for as is the spicy naan). Also a big fan of their simple and well seasoned entrees, particularly the curried lamb they had the day we were there.
 
CaptainAmerica

CaptainAmerica

Well-Known Member
Okay I'll say it. The bread service isn't THAT out-of-this-world amazing if you have any decent local Indian places where you live. I definitely enjoy it, and Sanaa and Boma are probably two of my top 3 WDW restaurants, but I think it's being hyped a bit much. It's also overpriced IMO.

I'd advise making the decision based on whether you just generally prefer waiter service or buffet.
 
lostpro9het

lostpro9het

Well-Known Member
CaptainAmerica said:
The bread service isn't THAT out-of-this-world amazing if you have any decent local Indian places where you live.
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You could say that about anything that folks rave about inside the bubble. Sure there is better steak, pizza, sushi, etc. near home but we're talking about decent things in the bubble.

CaptainAmerica said:
It's also overpriced IMO.
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Again, this applies to pretty much everything in the bubble.

CaptainAmerica said:
I'd advise making the decision based on whether you just generally prefer waiter service or buffet.
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Sound advice.
 
Bairstow

Bairstow

Well-Known Member
Having done both, I'd go with Boma, no question about it.
The food offerings there are much more diverse, and it's much harder to find a pan-African restaurant around here than one that can do upsacale Indian.

Heck, I'd pay Boma's prices and be happy if all they offered were their soups.
 
jpittore1

jpittore1

Well-Known Member
Try all the BOMA soups even if you are not sure if the combination sounds like something you may like! We do both restaurants and Jiko, too, every trip. I love the Jam Jar South African wine at Jiko! You can get a similar bread service at Jiko, but it only had 4 dipping sauces versus the 10 different ones at Sanaa.
 
PEPPER2029

PEPPER2029

Member
Tuvalu said:
Both are different experiences.

Boma ~ Food is more African~based. Flavorful spicy, not hot spicy. Lots of yummy choices...salads, soups, breads, carved meats, chicken, side dishes, desserts...since it is a buffet. Can be noisy. No animal views since the restaurant is near the pool.

Sanaa ~ Food is more Indian-based and can be spicy hot. Limited to what's on the menu since it is not a buffet. The warm naan bread service is amazing! Restaurant overlooks the savanna so if you dine during daylight hours you can watch zebras, giraffes and other wildlife go by. Quiet dining.

I really enjoyed both.
Click to expand...
when would the best time be to make a ressie at sanaa for watching the savana?
 
Tuvalu

Tuvalu

Premium Member
PEPPER2029 said:
when would the best time be to make a ressie at sanaa for watching the savana?
Click to expand...
Our ADR a couple weeks ago was at 5:45 pm. It had rained that afternoon and the sky was still dark, but we still had a great view. After we finished dinner (a little past 7 pm) we went outside on the overlook to watch the animals.

Of course with it being summer now and longer days, you could probably have an ADR as late as 7:15 pm and still see the animals. During the winter months, you'd have to eat lunch (rather than dinner) to enjoy the show!
 
DABIGCHEEZ

DABIGCHEEZ

Well-Known Member
My daughter and I love Boma, but I will say this... Do not book for breakfast. IMO not enough(African -inspired) foods to make it standout for breakfast compared to dinner offerings.

I enjoyed Sanaa(not as much as Boma though), my daughter not soo much.
 

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