Boma — Flavors of Africa
Located at the Animal Kingdom Lodge & Villas, in the Jambo Section of the resort, Boma is a favorite of both locals and visitors. The restaurant offers an all-you-care-to-eat buffet for breakfast and dinner that is well prepared. If you like a major bang for your buck, try Boma. You won’t be disappointed. If you go for the African flavor, make it dinner!
Boma’s big, open floor plan allows a lot of tables to be packed in, making it somewhat cramped and noisy. That’s good for families with small children, though: A crying baby (or adult) won’t get even a glance from anyone nearby. Theming includes concrete floors colored to look like mud, faux-bamboo railings, and patterned sheets decorating the ceiling. The quality of Boma’s long buffet encourages diners to roam and graze, just like the animals you’ll see wandering outside.
House specialties are pecan-caramel bread pudding at breakfast; papaya, avocado, and grapefruit salad; lamb curry; bobotie; and house-made soups. The soups are really amazing. Try the butternut squash soup, the carrot-ginger soup and the coconut-chicken-curry soup.
The three different kind of hummus (White Beans, Black Olives, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes) are amazing and so is the Salmon with Moroccan Chermoula and Olive Tapenade.
We really enjoyed bobotie, a South African dish made with ground beef, lamb, and mushrooms.
The Durban-Style Roasted Chicken with Masai Mara (Kenyan-Style Pesto with Pecan and Roasted Red Peppers) goes well with a side of Geel Rys (Tumeric and Cinnamon-spiced Basmati Rice with Raisins).
There are plenty of desserts, and our favorites are White Chocolate Cranberry Bread Pudding with spiced vanilla sauce, Guava Panna Cotta, and, of course, the famous Zebra Dome dessert. Boma has a unique selection of South African wines—many of which are available by the glass.
Boma is just one of two great restaurants at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Right next door is the upscale Jiko – The Cooking Place, serving a blend of traditional African, Indian, and Mediterranean cuisine. The Kidani Village section of the resort is home to Sanaa, a restaurant offering African cooking with Indian flavors in a unique setting. Make sure to get a table with a view overlooking the Savannah.
For a review of all dining at Walt Disney World check out The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World by Bob Sehlinger and Len Testa.
