Scott Joseph of the Orlando Restaurant Guide has been provide the Lunch and Dinner menus to SANAA, the new African food with Indian Flavor Restaurant that has apparently soft opened at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. As a critic he’s willing to give them the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the tastes and textures of the meals until he’s actually dined there, but he already has one interesting observation, there is pork and beef on the menu.
Most Indians are either Hindu or Muslim. Cows are, of course, sacred to Hindus. And to Muslims, pigs are considered to be unclean animals and should not be eaten. At least the Culinears at Disney chose to offend both dominant sects.
I’m not sure Disney restaurants should be held to those standards. I think it’s up to the patron on what to order or what restaurants to visit. On the other hand they do it just fine with Marrakesh Restaurant at EPCOT.
A First Look at Sanaa’s new menus and already there is controversy? http://is.gd/r6ou Wishing I was at Animal Kingdom Lodge to enjoy anyway.
I think that critics who start writing about a restaurant before ever being there are merely being boorish. Sounds like he’d fit right into the critic’s circle in Ratatouille.
Let Disney do what they want, it’s their restaurant. If people don’t like it don’t go there.
Who said they have to do everything in order of religion. They do serve meat in their restaurants during Lent on Fridays, and Catholic’s don’t complain. People will find other things to eat, to meet their obligations to religion. Looking at the menu there are items for all to eat. If people are that worried about the food servered because of religion, either don’t go or eat at home. It’s very tiring constently hearing about certain people that need to be held by the hand and do anything to make them happy. Let’s move on it’s a theme park restaurant.
Really, I think the reviewer was expecting them to offer Indian cuisine, which isn’t the case here, it offers African food with an Indian flavor to it. Remember Disney’s goal is to appeal to everyone, to that end they have made some adjustments to the flavors and dishes served to give everyone an opportunity, a lot of people don’t eat Red Meat or Chicken, but might eat pork.
But again, the important thing to remember is that this is an African restaurant that uses flavors from India, at least that is how I have read it, so I don’t see why this would be offensive to anyone, as others have stated, if it’s not wha you want, don’t eat there.
I agree with Chris Wade; Scott Joseph was unclear about the theme and/or cuisine.
The reviewer thought it was going to be an Indian restaurant, and he explained why pork and beef are not Indian cuisine. It would have been a break in theme as severe as going to the Coral Reef Restaurant and finding an all-you-can-eat Waffle bar.
Not to mention that I’m sure the Muslims in India eat beef and the Hindus eat pork. Well, really, I shouldn’t say I’m sure because I’m not. My point is just that it’s not like they’re serving a ham dinner at their new Jerusalem Cafe.
Dude, the vast majority of Indian restaurants in the United States serve beef. That critic is just being silly.
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