Hi Sarah,
I'm so glad you asked! This is my favorite topic: Disney dining with a burst of exotic flavor. My daughters grew up as adventurous eaters and I attribute that to all the time we have spent at Walt Disney World over the last 25 years. So, I have lots of suggestions for you.
The first restaurants that come to mind are all in
Animal Kingdom Lodge -- Boma, Sanaa and Jiko. The trio are among our top picks at Walt Disney World, bursting with African influences. My family made a special trip last weekend just to eat at Boma with friends. We had Christmas dinner at Jiko, and the bread service with nine accompaniments at Sanaa may be my favorite dish in all of Walt Disney World.
At Magic Kingdom, we're fans of
Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen and its Asian, South American and African tastes.
At Animal Kingdom, many of the quick serve kiosks have interesting Asian and African dishes, often plant-based.
Satu'li Canteen's entrees, where you choose your protein, base and sauce combination, include a crispy tofu we can't resist. And, for signature dining,
Tiffins serves beautiful dishes with an international flare. Love a menu with dishes such as tamarind-braised short ribs, whole fried fish and charred octopus. Yum!
Epcot, of course, is often the place you think of first for international cuisine at Disney. We haven't yet had a chance to try the new
Takumi-Tei, which looks amazing, but we always enjoy the sushi and udon at
Tokyo Dining. Other authentic cuisine (I will use that term instead of exotic) I recommend at Epcot includes
Rose and Crown,
Biergarten,
Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe and the barbacoa empanadas and esquites (spicy corn) from
Choza de Margarita. For tapas with a view, try
Toledo -- Tapas, Steak & Seafood atop Gran Destino Tower at Coronado Springs.
At Disney Springs, you'll find modern takes on Spanish cuisine at
Jaleo by Jose Andres, on Mexican cuisine at
Frontera Cocina and on Asian cuisine at
Morimoto Asia. We like to sit at the sushi bar at Morimoto and dine omakase style, leaving the selection to the chef.
I'm almost out of space, Sarah, so I will leave you with this: Frontera Cocina has a guacamole appetizer with toasted chapulines (grasshoppers). That may be the most exotic dish I've tasted at Walt Disney World. It was also delicious.
Happy dining!
Wilma