Review and PHOTOS! Is Yak & Yeti at Disney World’s Animal Kingdom Still Worth a Reservation?
Does Yak and Yeti Restaurant in Disney’s Animal Kingdom live up to its reputation as a fan-favorite?
Yak & Yeti Restaurant
Since it first entered the Disney food scene back in 2007, we’ve found Yak and Yeti Restaurant to have consistently good food. Which, as you may know if you’ve been following Disney Food Blog for a while, is a pretty big compliment!
While many of the restaurants in Disney World have a tendency to go through peaks and valleys over time, Yak and Yeti generally seems to stay the course. So, let’s see how our most recent experience at the restaurant played out! Let’s take a look!
Atmosphere
Yak and Yeti Restaurant is located in the Asia area of Disney World’s Animal Kingdom park — you’ll spot it on your way to the Maharajah Jungle Trek. The exterior of the restaurant is an eye-catching introduction. The bright purple building really pops and the arched windows and intricate detailing draw us right in!
Yak and Yeti Restaurant
And, as is expected of so many of the locations in Animal Kingdom, Yak and Yeti has an elaborate backstory! The building is owned by a former merchant named Arjun — and he’s transformed his ornate home into lodging for weary travelers.
Checking in?
This explains the decor, which includes a variety of statues, wall hangings, and furniture.
Yak and Yeti Decor
You’ll find a bar located just to the right of the lobby area. The chairs in here are HEFTY, but they’re also super comfortable. Between the cozy seating and friendly vibe, the bar is a great area to hang out and enjoy a drink or even a meal — the full menu is available here! Just keep in mind that seating is first-come, first-served at the bar.
Bar at Yak & Yeti
In the restaurant area, seating is available on both the first and second floors. The walls are decorated with framed pictures and mirrors, which keep our eyes and imagination dancing.
Downstairs Seating
We love the aesthetic in this restaurant! The elaborate artwork and rich contract of colors make for a warm and comfortable vibe.
Yak and Yeti Second Floor
We definitely suggest taking some extra time to look around and really soak in all of the details here. Apparently Arjun is quite the interior decorator! You should especially pay attention to the light fixtures… .
Now on to the food!
Eats
Yak and Yeti offers up a selection of Asian fusion cuisine. You’ll find some familiar favorites like Wok-Fried Green Beans and Pot Stickers as well as options like Bhaktapur Duck for more adventurous travelers!
We decided to kick things off with one of those tried-and-true items — the Pork Pot Stickers. And they were just as good as we remembered! They have a nice, caramelized outer layer with a warm, flavorful filling, and they’re served with a soy-lime dipping sauce.
Pork Pot Stickers
We can confirm that we’re still on board with this classic appetizer. Here’s a look at that delicious filling in the center!
Pork Pot Stickers
Next up, we had to get those Firecracker Shrimp. Ohhh yeah, this is another DFB favorite (in case you’re having a case of deja vu!), so we had to make sure that it still gets the stamp of approval!
This is a whoooole lot of crispy fried shrimp tossed in a creamy, spicy sauce and served on top of Asian slaw! The verdict? Still a must-eat for us! And honestly, if you’re eating these alone, it’s a full meal. Great portion size!
Firecracker Shrimp
After our small plates, we moved on to the Wonton Soup, made with pork wontons, clear chicken broth, and vegetables. We do love the Fried Wonton dessert, so we figured, hey, let’s try some wontons a little earlier in our meal!
Wonton Soup
If you’re a Wonton Soup fan, this will be fine for you. Very basic, but warm comfort-food nonetheless.
We followed up our soup with the Sweet and Sour Chicken, made with Tempura chicken, ginger, garlic, bell peppers, and pineapple. It was served with the perfect amount of sauce, which really brought out the flavors of the bell peppers and pineapple.
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Again, this one is pretty much what you’d expect, but it’s definitely not your standard take-out! If Sweet and Sour Chicken is what you’re craving, this version won’t disappoint.
Switching gears a bit, we also tried the Kobe Beef Burger, which comes topped with your choice of shiitake mushroom and scallion compote or Asian slaw, and served with sesame-soy mayonnaise and crispy fries on the side! We’ve had this one before, and we wanted to check in on it again.
The flavors blend really well together and overall the burger was delicious — BUT in our experience, it isn’t the absolute best burger we’ve had on Disney property, so don’t set your expectations toooo high! The fries, on the other hand, were better than we anticipated! They were super skinny which made them nice and crispy, and they were sprinkled with a delicious seasoning.
Kobe Beef Burger
Overall, this is a good option for the picky eaters in your group, or those who aren’t fans of Asian-inspired cuisine. But if you’re a more adventurous eater, definitely choose from the more interesting dishes on Yak and Yeti’s menu.
We also ordered the Kid’s Cheeseburger, which comes with a choice of two sides and either milk or apple juice. The sides you can choose from are carrot sticks, fresh fruit, Go-Gurt®, white rice, brown rice, applesauce, corn, and steamed veggies. (I love the addition of rice to the list of options for kids here!)
As you can see, we had the iPad going in the back for my 6-year-old, and that’s his hand on the burger to give you an idea of size. It looks huge, and it IS larger than a typical kids’ burger, but it’s not massive by any means.
Kid’s Cheeseburger
And rounding out the meal, we ordered the Korean Beef, which is Wok-fried beef tossed with peppers, onions, pineapple, and Korean BBQ sauce. This was another new-to-us dish, and it’s an excellent option for those just making the crossover from picky to adventurous eater!
The flavors are tame enough and recognizable enough that those who are unfamiliar with Asian cuisine will likely feel at home with this dish.
Korean Beef
We enjoyed soooo many savory options on this trip to Yak and Yeti. And we’re happy to report that our tried-and-true favorites still hold up!
Nosh or Not?
You’ll want to make a reservation at Yak and Yeti if:
- You enjoy Asian-fusion cuisine and want to try a Disney version of it.
- You’re looking for an escape from the heat and for an affordable and different meal that doesn’t require the same amount of money as Tiffins and Tusker House.
You might want to skip this dining experience if:
- You or your party aren’t big fans of Asian cuisine and are looking for more familiar eats.
- You aren’t wanting to eat a table service meal in hopes of spending more of your time tackling attractions around the park.
Overall
Yak and Yeti has continued to provide us with consistently great meals. The restaurant feels warm and inviting, and the incredible level of detail shows how much care went into crafting the atmosphere. The menu has some of our go-to favorites and some solid options for more adventurous eaters. So, we’re still sticking by our opinion that this is a great option for a table service meal in Animal Kingdom! Our compliments to Arjun — for a merchant turned inn-keeper, he runs a surprisingly consistent restaurant!
One thing to note before we go — this restaurant is run by the Landry’s company, not Disney. So if you’re a Landry’s loyalty group member, you should be able to use your Landry’s perks (like your $25 birthday gift card) here. Another great loyalty group bonus is priority seating. I’ve personally experienced getting seated very quickly when I didn’t have a Disney advance dining reservation but I did note that I was a Landry’s loyalty member. Normally this wouldn’t shock me, but since it had just started pouring rain outside and the restaurant was overwhelmed with walk-ups trying to get a table, it was unexpected news.
Check out our last review of Yak and Yeti to see how our experiences compared!
What’s your favorite thing to order at Yak and Yeti? Let us know in the comments!
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