Yak & Yeti -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Animal Kingdom

*This dining experience took place in May 2018.

Dinner at Yak & Yeti

Yak & Yeti is a table service restaurant located in Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park. Back in April before we went to the DVC Moonlight Magic we had dinner with Brandon's mom at Yak & Yeti. This restaurant isn't owned and operated by Disney, but by Landry's. Brandon's family are members of the Landry's Select Club which offers priority seating and rewards, and we ended up signing up that night for the membership. Since we had a $25 reward to use from signing up, we decided to get dinner one night at the Yak & Yeti to use it.

Atmosphere

The theming for Yak & Yeti is quite lovely. It really fits in well in the Asia section of the Animal Kingdom.Both the food and the decor reflect Asian cultures, and we were told by cast members that much of the decor is authentic from Asian countries.On our previous visits, we have always dined upstairs on the second floor of the restaurant. On this visit, we were seating in the back corner of the first floor. It was nice to have a different seat and check out some theming and decor we'd never seen before.I absolutely love this quote and Bollywood movie posters that were on the wall near our table. It adds such a fun touch and gives the restaurant even more back story to its theme.There is definitely a lot to look at in the restaurant, and I would encourage you to wander a bit, if you have the time.

The Food

Having been to Yak & Yeti recently, I knew that the restaurant offered a "gluten sensitive" menu but that a chef would also come speak with me. On this visit, I was given the menu and asked if I wanted to speak to a chef or just order off the menu directly. I'm glad that I spoke with a chef, as I learned that the menu does not necessarily list items that are celiac safe.When the chef came to our table, I mentioned I was interested in the burger listed on the gluten sensitive menu. He said the fries were not safe for guests with celiac disease and that the burger would be served plain, as the regular menu toppings could not be made gluten free. I was a bit taken aback by this and did ask what the point of having them listed on a menu was. The chef's only response was that this is a gluten sensitive menu and not a gluten free menu. This is very disappointing to see that, especially since the chefs who have assisted me at the restaurant seemed to understand the need for safety. Personally, I'd rather they just get rid of the menu and come talk guests directly instead, since the menu really isn't meant for most of the people who might use it.Since the burger was not a great option, the chef recommended to me several items, including the Malaysian Seafood Curry which was not on the gluten sensitive menu. He said this is a naturally gluten free and dairy free dish. So, I opted to order this.I have to say that of the menu items I've tried at Yak & Yeti, this has been my favorite. The dish was super flavorful and packed full of seafood. It was also a huge portion. I definitely didn't leave hungry. It wasn't super spicy either, so if spice is a concern, you'll find this red curry dish to be quite flavorful and mild. I'd definitely order this again.

Overall

Despite the issues with the gluten sensitive menu, I really enjoyed my meal at Yak & Yeti. I do think there are better options in the park, but having the Landry's Select Club card means it's an easy spot to have a meal without a reservation at the last minute (which is great for us as locals). Thankfully, I have not had any issues with the food I've ordered here, and I've always been able to speak to a chef on each visit. I would recommend if you have celiac disease or allergies to ask to speak to a chef prior to ordering to ensure safety and not order directly from any special diets menus, like the gluten sensitive one they are currently offering.Have you been to Yak & Yeti Restaurant? What was your overall experience?