Boma -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo House
*This dining experience took place in August 2014.Boma: Flavors of Africa, located in Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge - Jambo House, is one of my favorite places for brunch on property. It's reasonably priced breakfast buffet and unique offerings make it a good value and a great dining experience. Adding to this, the restaurant is terrific at accommodating guests with special dietary needs and makes dining at a buffet meal much less stressful (and delicious!).Boma serves both breakfast and dinner, but breakfast is by far my favorite of the two meal offerings. You can read gluten free dinner reviews from my friend Alexis at Gluten Free in Orlando who is a big fan of dinner at Boma! The day before, I had dined at the Mara and was greeted by Chef Frank who mentioned he would be at Boma the next morning. And sure enough, Chef Frank was there to go through the options with me. Before we made our rounds through the buffet, our server also brought along some Jungle Juice (combination of passion fruit, guava, and orange juices) and unsweetened ice tea. Perfect way to start the morning! Once I had some caffeine flowing, Chef Frank and I toured the breakfast buffet. From carved meat to hot quinoa cereal, there are plenty of off the buffet items that I can enjoy. They will also bring many of these items from the back if you ask. I also opted for a custom made omelet (my favorite at Boma), some allergy Mickey waffles, and various breakfast pastries. Let's just say that I did not go hungry at this meal. First up were my offerings from the buffet. I always get the carved turkey and carved ham from the carving station. The sambal chili sauce is safe but their Boma mustard is not (it contains soy sauce). I also grabbed my favorite grilled asparagus which is smoky and hearty and my hands down favorite breakfast item at Boma. Some other offerings included the pap (similar to grits), chakalaka (stewed tomatoes), and tater tots. I must say that I did miss the Boma breakfast potatoes that they usually have present. Tater tots are OK but Boma breakfast potatoes are amazing! Hot quinoa is another Boma favorite, and I get it with brown sugar and raisins. If you are concerned about cross contamination (hot oats are nearby which are not certified gluten free), I recommend asking for the toppings from the back. Fruit at Boma is a must. I don't know what it is about Boma but they always have amazingly fresh fruit. I learned from Gluten Free in Orlando that Boma has bananas foster version of their allergy Mickey waffles. Of course, that means lots of dairy but that didn't stop Chef Frank from coming up with a terrific version that was different and unique. He made allergy Mickey waffles and served them with dried bananas and walnuts (on the side) and hot real maple syrup. All I have to say is "WOW!" Super delicious. I love allergy Mickey waffles, and these were cooked to perfection. Add in warmed maple syrup and the fruit & nut topping, well, let's just say it was more than divine! I started to eat my other meal offerings first but Chef Frank made sure to encourage me to eat the waffles first while they were piping hot. Good call! (and yes, I ate every last bite of them)In addition to my regular buffet plate, Chef Frank also brought me an omelet made with ham and onion (my go-to Boma combination). This was a great protein boost post the sugar coma that was my allergy Mickey waffle plate (so worth it). To add to all of the deliciousness, Chef Frank also brought me out a bounty of breakfast pastries that included Kinnikinnick donuts, Udi's muffins, and Enjoy Life cookies. Thankfully, he suggested that I get a to-go bag for them to take them back to my room or in the park as a snack. Typically, you cannot take to-go items from a buffet, but as a special diets diner, they will often allow you to take special diets products with you. I definitely enjoyed these later down the road as a snack!As you can tell, I did not leave Boma hungry. In fact, it's a great brunch spot that will fill you up for most of the day. The food is always terrific for breakfast, and I love how many options I have available to me. Chef Frank really went above and beyond to make my dining experience great, and the food he prepared was stellar. The allergy Mickey waffles were crisp and delicious and some of the best I've ever had on property! Overall, Boma continues to remain one of my top breakfast choices at Disney and my favorite breakfast buffet. I am looking forward to dining here again soon! (maybe for the Jingle Jungle 5K post-race meal). I give this a solid 9 out of 10. Those allergy Mickey waffles with dried bananas and walnuts blew me away! Have you been to Boma for breakfast? What is your favorite buffet item?