Boma -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Animal Kingdom Lodge

*This dining experience took place in July 2013.

Boma: Flavors of Africa

Jambo and welcome to Boma: Flavors of Africa at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge! It feels like it's been forever since I've been to this restaurant. Recently named in U.S.A. Today as the number one Theme Park Restaurant, it's no wonder why Boma consistently has ranked high on my list of favorites and a great option for gluten free, dairy free and other special diets diners. On this particular visit, we went for breakfast to enjoy the African-themed food.Our breakfast was really more like brunch, as we had a 10 a.m. reservation. When we arrived, we were quickly seated and found the restaurant to be very quiet considering it was 4th of July. Holidays can be a mixed bag at Disney--sometimes really busy and sometimes very quiet. Boma, was the latter. (On a side note, if you are a Tables in Wonderland card holder, 4th of July is a blackout day on the card, so you can't use it for discounts. Lesson learned first-hand. Always read the fine print!)

Nice quiet view by the window

Once seated our server brought over drinks including the famous Jungle Juice. From the recipe's I've seen, Jungle Juice is a combination of pineapple juice, mango juice (which is a prevalent flavor), orange juice, and lemonade. It is delicious--and very sweet! I can usually only muster a cup of it. I always get unsweetened ice tea, since I don't drink coffee anymore, but when I did, Boma was the place for coffee. The regular coffee is great, but if you want to have an extra treat, try the pressed pot coffee (it's an extra upcharge).After we got our drinks, Chef Chris (oh crazy Chef Chris!) came over to meet me. I don't go enough that he completely knows me, but I been there enough when he is that he recognizes that he's helped me before, which was the case this time. He asked if I needed him to walk the buffet with me, which of course is a no brainer, even if I have a good idea. If you ever meet Chef Chris, he's a bit of a jokester, so be prepared. Sometimes, he's kidding (like the millions of remarks about adding extra cheese to everything). I like a sense of humor, but not necessarily when it comes to my food prep!We walked the buffet, and pretty much everything was the same as usual. In terms of omelets, if you want a custom omelet the chef will make it in the back. I chose a ham and onion omelet. In addition, I asked for Allergy Mickey waffles (made on a dedicated waffle maker), donuts (Kinnikinnick) and muffins (Udi's blueberry) from the back. What can I say? I like carbs! From the buffet, the fruit station is safe, as is the carving station (except the Boma mustard--this has soy sauce in it), the veggie station is good (more on that later), the quinoa is also safe, and if you want gluten free oats, they carry Bob's Red Mill GF oats which are prepared specially in the back. The oatmeal on the buffet is not certified GF. You can have regular scrambled eggs, but I personally find that station to be heavily at risk for cross contamination and ask for eggs in the back. Potatoes, breakfast meats are also OK but do let the chef know if you are uncomfortable with any cross contamination risks.I also looked for some good vegan options, as I think Boma has a good variety for breakfast goers who are vegan or vegetarian. Here are some photos and a list of good choices that are vegan specific:

Completely vegan and vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free, egg free & more!

First up is the veggie station:

• Grilled asparagus
• Chakalaka
• Pap (made with water)
• Grilled tomatoes

Fresh fruit

Fresh fruit station:

• Grapes
• Pineapple (my personal favorite)
• Honeydew
• Canteloupe

Hot Cereal Station: Vegan, Vegetarian, Not completely GF (ask for GF oats in the back)

Hot cereal station:

• Quiona (made with water)
• Oatmeal (made with water--not certified GF oats, ask for them to be made in the back)
• Raisins 

*ask for a brown sugar supplement for vegans (it might not be vegan) or for those worried about cross contamination.

Quinoa with brown sugar and raisins

I also didn't ask, but I'm betting that they have tofu on hand and could make a tofu scramble or something vegan friendly.Here's what I got as a gluten free & dairy free diner:

Carb plate!

First-up I got the Kinnickinick glazed donuts, the Udi's Blueberry muffin and allergy Mickey waffles. All yummy. The waffles weren't the best in terms of crispiness and texture, but hey, a Mickey waffle is a Mickey waffle, right?! I also had pure maple syrup for the waffle (no Earth Balance this time).

Care for some maple syrup with your omelet?

The ham & onion omelet was very un-hammy (is that a word?). They definitely skimped on the ham. Otherwise, it was a good omelet. A little overcooked but good.

Fresh fruit

The fruit was a great palate cleanser at the end of the meal and very good. Love their pineapple.

Buffet plate

For my buffet plate, I grabbed some meat from the carving station which was outstanding that day. The ham and turkey were flavorful and perfectly cooked. The turkey was really moist! The pap was great as usual, as were the breakfast potatoes. The asparagus was just so-so. It's not in season in Florida, so it's the "wimpy" asparagus. You can always tell really fresh asparagus from the not so fresh stuff. Still, the grill flavor is excellent with it.Overall, I ended up really stuff at my meal. I never go hungry at Boma, and what I love is that I can really enjoy a lot of great goodies. The buffet really lends itself to a lot of special diets, which is important. Plus, it's just plain delicious! For me, this is a solid 8 out of 10 for great food and service. U.S.A. definitely picked one of my favorite choices for great Disney food!