Yak and Yeti (My Honest Review)

Yak and Yeti = Yummy…

Yak and Yeti, located in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, offers a Pan-Asian culinary experience. The restaurant features a diverse menu of Asian-fusion dishes, with entrees priced between $20 and $30. The ambiance is enriched with Southeast Asian artifacts, making it a popular dining spot in the park.

The three Ys of feasting at this Animal Kingdom eatery are pretty straight-forward and delicious.

(The Ultimate Guide to Animal Kingdom)

Our Review of Yak and Yeti

Located in the Asian section of the Animal Kingdom next to the Kali River Rapids sits Yak and Yeti.

As with all their projects, Disney World doesn’t hold back as they weave a creative story and imaginative theme into the Yak and Yeti restaurant.

Throughout various Disney properties, the Yeti appears more than once.

The most well known and recurring Disney manifestation of the yeti is from the Matterhorn Bobsleds ride at Disneyland. Also known by the nickname of Harold.

On the other side of the United States, the yeti can be found antagonizing guests on the rollercoaster at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

The presence of the Yeti can be felt throughout certain areas of the park.

With secret statues, hidden monuments, and even a wood carvings of its foot-print residing in the park.

The story goes, a wealthy merchant named Arjun (who was hit hard times financially) transformed his home into the Yak and Yeti Hotel.

Situated near the Himalayan foothills in a town called Anandapur.

Arjun creating a high-end refuge for travelers and families who are on adventure in the Himalayas.

During their stay, travelers find themselves among a mysterious collection of artifacts Arjun has acquired through his exhaustive travels around Asia.

Of note is the diverse menu of Pan-Asian cuisine and cocktails crafted by an ex-pat Australian couple.

Nothing is left to imagination, or is there?

The more you explore the deeper you fall into the experience of the Yak and Yeti. This is one of the nicer sit-down restaurants in the Disney Animal Kingdom.

Here are three reasons to experience the Yak and Yeti for yourself:

1. The popular Yak and Yeti table service

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Yak & Yeti is themed perfectly for the Asia land where it sits in Animal Kingdom. The restaurant looks like a natural extension of Expedition Everest.

First things first, Yak and Yeti is a popular table service restaurant at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The staff is known to be ever-accommodating to your seating preferences. While there is no open air balcony for seating, you can request to sit next to one of their windows overlooking the foliage outside.

They offer advanced dining reservations and some limited “stand-by” seating when the restaurant and park are operating normally.

We recommend making reservations in advance.

If you are interested in creating advanced dining reservations and want someone else to monitor it for you, check out our Nerdy Disney World Restaurant strategy.

TIP: A quick note about waiting to eat at Yak and Yeti, whether you have an advanced reservation or not, is that it is part of the Landry’s restaurant group and you can benefit from Landry’s Select Club (and our full review of Landry’s Select Club) and minimize your wait.

2. Explore the Yak and Yeti restaurant while you wait

From the moment you enter, it’s clear that your Yak and Yeti visit is going to be a culinary adventure.

There is a small (and generally crowded) lobby where guests check-in. But don’t be fooled. You can actually take a few minutes to explore the restaurant while you wait to be seated. You won’t be disappointed as you look upon a collection of Southeast Asian artifact from the Ajun’s collection.

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There are two floors to Yak and Yeti.

There are several rooms and two floors to explore, each decorated with unique furniture, paintings and statues.

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Yak and Yeti decor flows seamlessly from room to room.

We’ve noted (and enjoyed) an increase in Disney World service since its July reopening. Our visit to Yak and Yeti only enhanced these experiences.

The host team was nice and friendly and our waitress was outstanding!

Even though she had many tables spread across the second floor, she found a way to come to our quiet corner regularly.

Kept our drinks full and made some excellent recommendations.

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A window seat on the second floor of Yak and Yeti is a nice treat.
It’s tucked in a corner, a little out of the way, and makes for great people watching while waiting for the meal to be served.

3. The Impressive Yak and Yeti Menu

The Yak and Yeti menu is Asian-fusion inspired and pulls in options from across Asia.

We started with Pork Pot Stickers, but as you’ve likely seen before, our Nerdy tummy took precedent over a picture. The Nerd MUST remember to take pictures first.

Perhaps a Mickey pretzel just before eating would help?

But we digress…

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Yak and Yeti Chicken Tikka Masala.

First up on our list was the warm and delicious Chicken Tikka Masala topped with rice and served with a side of garlic naan.

The naan’s flavor was subtle, especially compared to the aromatic smell of garlic floating through the air.

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Yak and Yeti Lo Mein Chicken

Yak and Yeti Lo Mein Chicken is a Nerd favorite.

It’s fresh, light (unusual for a Lo Mein) and hits the spot.

All of our dishes were served steaming hot and the entrees were between $20 and $30. Which made this a good use of the Disney Dining Plan if you have it.

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This Yak and Yeti corner table upstairs offers a great, if foggy, view of Asia and guests milling about below.

While we didn’t have room for desert, we had our eyes on their famous Fried Wontons.

Which are skewers of fresh pineapple and cream cheese wontons. Served with vanilla ice cream with a honey vanilla drizzle.

Oh, and maybe a side of their Mango Pie baked with shortbread crust and served with a whipped topping and raspberry sauce.

Final Thought About Yak and Yeti

Overall, our experience at Yak and Yeti was a great one.

From expedited seating using our Landry’s Select Club membership, to the tucked away upstairs location, great service and fresh and delicious food.

It’s safe to say… “we’ll be back!” (think Terminator voice).