Foodie Friday: Boma-Flavors of Africa

When the options on the dining plan have overwhelmed your palate with your meat and potatoes (poor unfortunate souls who eat filet every night), Boma at Animal Kingdom Lodge offers the perfect solution

Boma-Flavors of Africa, is exactly that, an international array of foods that can change daily. There are over 60 items on the buffet organized into stations as opposed to the traditional one line buffet. This gives you the freedom to hop around to each station and not wait in one miserably long line. Boma offers breakfast and dinner, and although the items change the dinner usually includes some mix of the following:

African breads with a selection of hummus, mixed field greens with choices of mango vinaigrette, paw paw vinaigrette, chili cilantro vinaigrette or balsamic vinaigrette.

Moving on there is a selection of potato salad, fresh fruit and a unique fruity salad such as avocado, grapefruit and papaya salad. Pasta salad, watermelon rind salad, kool slaai, chicken salad with chili cilantro, Moroccan seafood salad: couscous, mussels, scallops and shrimp.

The starch options include macaroni and cheese and safron rice and more African choices such as fufu-which is a sweet and white potatoes mashed with coriander and cinnamon. It looks similar to the American version of sweet potato casserole. There are usually two soups on the buffet that can include any of the following:

Mulagatawny, chicken corn porridge, smoked tomato soup, creamy carrot and ginger soup, coconut curry seafood soup, or butternut squash.

For the carnivores there’s a large selection of meat options. Durban spiced roasted chicken, malabu pepper steak, grilled seafood, wood roasted meets and bobotie-which is a a casserole of lamb and beef quiche with onions, raisins and bread.

For the vegetarians there are vegetable skewers, varieties of couscous and endless options at the previously mentioned stations.

There is, of course, a kids station, with chicken tenders, mac and cheese, and spaghetti and meatballs, but if you want your child to sample a more savory selection, let them pick something they’ve never tried off the buffet.

There are chefs at each station to answer questions and each item is labeled but if you need a bit more description, they are available to answer your questions.

The dessert station is a popular destination at this buffet. You’ll find lots of two-bite treats, such as small tarts and brownies, but the real star here is the famous  Zebra Dome.  Haven’t had one? It’s a two-bite morsel of vanilla cake, covered with white chocolate and filled with a chocolate ganache that’s accented with Amarula liquor, made from the marula fruit which is native to Africa.  They’re positively addictive.  We’ve heard that the chef keeps some gluten-free versions in the freezer for those who must avoid wheat flour, by the way.

The environment inside Boma is beautiful, just like the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Rich dark woods carved into unique shapes and looking authentically hand carved make up the tables and chairs. The overhead buffet decorations are made to look like awnings in an African bazaar. The atmosphere in the restaurant is bustling, and the noises of the buffet and open kitchen make a nice backdrop for this international experience.

Here are a few tips for your Boma experience:

• Remember your manners, just because you are at the Animal Kingdom Lodge doesn’t mean you can act like animals.
• Don’t push small children, or adults for that matter. There is plenty of food for everyone.
• Take small portions to taste before you commit. You may find a certain dish with African flare isn’t to your liking. No need to waste!
• Finally, don’t forget that Boma is at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, which is not inside the Animal Kingdom park. Just take a quick bus ride from the Animal Kingdom to the lodge for your dining experience.