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

*This dining experience took place in March 2017.

Dinner at the Yak & Yeti Restaurant

The Yak & Yeti is a table service restaurant located at Disney's Animal Kingdom Park. Owned & operated by Landry's (who also owns the Rainforest Cafe and T-Rex Cafe), the Yak & Yeti is a restaurant that I haven't dined at in a long time. In fact, I realized that I hadn't dined there since October 2010, so it's been a long time. On this particular occasion, we decided to stop by the Yak & Yeti Restaurant for dinner, while touring the Animal Kingdom Park on a hot day. We all needed to get inside air conditioning, hydrate, and of course, eat!

Atmosphere

I'm always so impressed when I dine at the Yak & Yeti. Even though it's not owned and operated by the Disney Company, it seems like the Yak & Yeti follows Disney's attention to detail and style when it comes to the restaurant theming.In fact, as we learned from our hostess, all of the artifacts on display in the Yak & Yeti are authentic to their native regions. How cool is that? Both Brandon and I want to go back, not just for the food but to look around and check out all the detail. The restaurant is beautifully themed and decorated.We were seated on the 2nd floor of the restaurant with a fantastic view of park. It was also much quieter up there too. So, if you're looking for a quieter spot, do ask if you can be seated upstairs.

The Food

I was really looking forward to trying my meal at the Yak & Yeti. After reading other more recent reviews, like this one from Alexis's Gluten Free Adventures, I knew that the Yak & Yeti had expanded their gluten free (and dairy free options) to include things like lettuce cups. I wasn't feeling that great on our visit (way too much sun for me), so I opted to get just an entree instead of an appetizer too.Because the restaurant isn't owned by Disney, they don't necessarily have to follow Disney's standards for special diets accommodations. This means you won't find an allergy-friendly menu here. But, thankfully, the chef came out to walk me through the options which was great. Dairy free is super easy with most Asian / Pan-Asian food. And, Yak & Yeti has gluten free soy sauce on hand to make dishes with, which is great. So, there were a lot more choices, than I expected.One of my favorite things is rice. And, since I wasn't feeling great, I decided to get a version of the noodle bowl but with rice. The dish had both chicken and shrimp in it along with several vegetables including carrots, green onion, and cabbage. With a nice gluten-free soy sauce added, it was the perfect dish for my dinner. Plus, the portion was HUGE! I ended up taking half of it home, it was that large. I would definitely get this dish again, though I'm also wanting to try some of the other dishes there too. I've got to get those gluten free and dairy free lettuce cups sometime!

Overall

I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised with my meal at the Yak & Yeti. The food was delicious, the portions large, and the chef accommodating. Even the non-special diets diners with me all enjoyed their meal. Brandon got the gluteny version of the dish I got and said it was fantastic too. I definitely want to make sure I get back to the Yak & Yeti again soon and maybe even check out the quick service options they serve outside too.Have you been to the Yak & Yeti? What did you enjoy when you dined there?