Let's Eat! - Ohana

[mcsue]

Ohana


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I’ve wanted to experience Ohana for absolutely ages.
Obviously though, with Paul being a vegetarian, the chances of him ever wanting to eat here were exceedingly slim.
In 17 years of visiting WDW he had refused to even entertain the idea of eating in such a carnivorous environment.
Still, I remained determined in my hope that one day we’d have dinner at Ohana - even if the very idea was quickly dismissed every time I dared suggest it, which I did, quite often….

This time I had an extra advantage, were staying at the Polynesian Resort and the view from our balcony helped me out ….


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As we relaxed on our balcony with a glass of wine in the evening, we couldn’t help but take in the tempting aromas emanating from the wood-fired ovens of Ohana, as they wafted over the marina toward us.
Looking through the vast windows of the restaurant, we could see the bright glow of orange flames as they leapt up from the massive fire-pit, and we watched hungrily as the servers rushed back and forth with the famed skewers of barbequed meats and various other tasty dishes.
Even from a distance we could sense there was a tremendous buzz about the place and everyone seemed to be really enjoying themselves.
Paul could see how much I longed to eat there and at last conceded that maybe Ohana could be a fun place to spend an evening – even for a vegetarian.
Along with an extra little bit of cajoling from me, he finally relented. At last, I was going to eat at Ohana!! :spin:

Usually, Paul doesn’t feel the need to speak with one of the chefs beforehand, but with Ohana being such a meat-oriented restaurant he wanted to be absolutely sure he’d be catered for and that there’d be no awkwardness once we were seated.
So the day before our reservation, whilst the restaurant was closed, he popped over to the Ohana kitchens and asked to have a chat with the Chef.
One of the Chefs took some time out from pre-dinner preparations and reassured Paul that being a vegetarian presented no problem to them at all.
They prepare veggie meals often – it’s not unusual for people have a vegetarian in their party these days and the chefs are happy to accommodate.
The chef was laughing as he told Paul, ‘Don’t you worry my friend. I promise you will not walk away from here hungry!’

He certainly wasn’t wrong there! :)


Well my longed for evening at Ohana had finally arrived, and as usual we thought we’d start off with a cocktail before dinner so we headed off to the Tambu Lounge.
We managed to squeeze through the masses to get a seat at the bar - even though it was only about 6pm, it was already very crowded in there.
A total contrast to the empty bar area we’d passed by much earlier in the day.


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Martinis were duly ordered for us both – I had a Pomegranate Cosmo and Paul had an Ultimate Lemon Drop.
I didn’t much like the glasses they were served up in and I’m not entirely sure of the exact ingredients now, but they tasted very good and had the desired effect! ;)


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We had requested a window table, mainly so that we weren’t in the thick of things when the entertainment began. We’d heard that the kids would be racing about with coconuts and hula hoops and we didn’t want to get in their way. ;)
We were lucky enough to be seated next to the window just 5 minutes before the fireworks started.
What a fabulous view; better than the view of the fireworks at California Grill I thought!


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[mcsue]

Very quickly (actually everything was to happen very quickly!) we were brought some Mixed Salad Leaves and crispy Wontons along with some delicious dipping sauces; Peanut (sweet), Harissa (hot) and Chimichurri (garlicky).
Before we’d had a chance to tuck in to these, out came a bowl of Chicken Wings and some Sweet and Sour Shrimp.
I had no intention of eating the shrimp but our waiter left the bowl on the table and dashed away before I had a chance to say anything, which was a shame as I don’t like to waste food.
I sure enjoyed the chicken wings though; they were made just how I like them, sweet, spicy and sticky.


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The servers were rushing about all over the place, but somehow we managed to order a bottle of Château Reynella Chardonnay, before more food came.
For his main Veggie dish, Paul was brought out a bowl of Stir-fried Vegetables, Noodles and Tofu - along with a Cafetiere of something, we knew not what!
When one of the Chefs came to the table, to open the wine and check all was okay with Paul’s veggie food, I asked him what was in the coffee pot and he explained it was a light Miso and Ginger broth for Paul to add to his dish.
Paul enjoyed his veggie/noodle/tofu special and somehow managed to eat almost all of it, but he didn’t think it had the depth of flavour of the similar dish at Kona Café.
Oh and he loves spicy food, but I’ll just mention that when he tasted that red chilli sauce in the little pot, he actually gasped - it was exceedingly hot!


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Our table (and tummies) continued to be filled with a family-sized bowls of Stir-fried Mixed Veggies and creamy, buttery, cheesy Scalloped Potatoes.
Just as I knew he would, Paul absolutely adored the potatoes and single handedly demolished a whole dish!
Next came the infamous three-foot skewers, loaded with oak-grilled meats; Steak, Sausages, Pork Loin and Turkey.

I’d been a bit worried as I’d read that the meat would taste heavily smoked. I’m not at all keen on that horrid liquid mesquite smoke flavouring and it can give me a headache, but they must have gone easy on the marinades this night as none of it tasted overwhelmingly smoked at all.
Admittedly, the cuts of meats were not the most tender I’ve ever had, but hey this is basically a huge indoor barbecue and I wasn’t expecting Filet Mignon.
The first piece of steak I tried was tough and some of the turkey was a bit dry, but overall the meats were really very tasty.
Anyway if you do get a ropey bit, just leave it – they’ll soon be round with more!
I think my favourite offering from the skewered meat selection was the pork loin with the steak coming in a close second.
I enjoyed them all though, and I felt compelled to test them thoroughly in order to make my final decision ;)


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I made a few feeble attempts to get them to slow things down, but more and more kept arriving even though there was so much on the table already.
It seemed that every few minutes, there was another server at the table with the offer of more food.
The evening had a rather frenetic feel to it and we had some really fun banter with our lovely servers, Raquel and Driss.


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Driss insisted that we’d only eaten half the amount most guests do, and we really should have some more - he didn’t seem to think we were serious when we said we honestly didn’t want any more.
Goodness knows how much food some people manage to put away!
It reminded me of being at a family barbeque, the one where your favourite Auntie rushes to fill your plate with more goodies, the second it looks even remotely in danger of being empty.
We’d stuffed ourselves silly and I was so incredibly full up. My stomach literally hurt – a mix of gluttony and laughter.
In the end I really did beg them to stop bringing us more!

Once the plates were completely cleared, we sat back and (from a safe distance ;)) watched the kids having a Hawaiian sing-a-long and limbo dancing, whilst we finished off our wine.
Amazingly, we managed to make just a bit more room in our very full tummies for a cup of coffee, and some scrumptious Bread Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream and warm Butterscotch and Banana Sauce.

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We were both well and truly stuffed when we finally waddled out of Ohana.
Actually I’m pretty convinced that everyone waddles out of there completely stuffed; there’s just so much food!

Our dinner at Ohana was a much faster paced meal than we are used to, but we were kind of expecting that.
It’s such a busy place, and no matter what time of year, there have always been loads of people waiting for tables whenever we’ve passed by the restaurant.
I think the servers are under pressure to turn the tables round as quickly as possible these days, so the general pace is all a bit giddy and hurried.
If you feel too rushed, don’t feel intimidated by them, they want you to enjoy yourselves, but you may need to be rather assertive if you prefer to relax and take your time.
We did manage get the message over to our server that we had no intention of being overly rushed and although it appeared that the food came out very swiftly, we were actually there for over two hours.

I’m so very pleased that we eventually got to experience the food and atmosphere of Ohana for ourselves.
We were both a bit apprehensive as it’s very different to the type of restaurants we usually choose, and I knew we’d either love it or hate it.
Paul enjoyed the evening far more than he ever imagined he would, and I absolutely loved it!
We really did have a fantastic time, we had such a laugh and it turned out to be one of the most memorable Disney meals we’ve ever had.
As a vegetarian, Paul was very well catered for and everything we had to eat was fresh and tasty - to say it was plentiful would be an understatement!
An evening at Ohana is hectic, busy and loud and it’s obviously geared more to families and groups.
It’s not the place for couples looking for a quiet romantic evening, and fine dining it ain’t – but take it from me, it sure is fun dining!

I can’t wait to return to Ohana, and I have this very strong feeling that I’m not going to have to wait another 17 years!

[Clare]

It sounds and looks amazing Sue :thumbs-up

[Sue]

Looks fantastic Sue, I'm sure they would be very disappointed with my attempts at eating though - a fraction of that lot and I'd be stuffed!

[loadsapixiedust]

Really sorry we missed out on this last time, it is on my must-do list for next time. Everything looks delicious, thanks for your report. Can I ask what time your ADR was that worked out so well with the fireworks?

[TinkTatoo]

You've done it now Su - I don't know wether to change our dinner pour deux from Kona to Ohanna now. I'm really tempted as you made it sound like a fab experience (where's the confused smiley !!)

[voddygirl]

Wow all that food you made a fair effort well done ...and great pics

[BenH]

Looks brilliant, looking forward to trying it this year.

[BarryandCaron]

Your report makes 'OHana sound brilliant Sue and I'm glad you enjoyed it. We ate there last year and were not at all impressed. First of all our waiter made it clear that we wouldn't be able to linger over our meal to see Wishes (10pm) even though we weren't seated until 8-30pm. Although we were sat at a lovely window it was out of way of the action. I found the meats too under- cooked for me and not being a meat lover it didn't suit me.

I know loads of people love it though at 'OHana and we did love the character breakfast there.

Caron

[disney owl]

great report thanks

Ohana is on my to-do list

[TinkTatoo]

Your report makes 'OHana sound brilliant Sue and I'm glad you enjoyed it. We ate there last year and were not at all impressed. First of all our waiter made it clear that we wouldn't be able to linger over our meal to see Wishes (10pm) even though we weren't seated until 8-30pm. Although we were sat at a lovely window it was out of way of the action. I found the meats too under- cooked for me and not being a meat lover it didn't suit me.

I know loads of people love it though at 'OHana and we did love the character breakfast there.

Caron

Ohh and Now I don't know if we want to do it :confused2 :confused2

[filharmonic]

sounds great i will definatly be booking it for our next trip

[big-si]

OMG Sue:erm: you've sold me we are definatly eating there :cool2:

[mcsue]

You've done it now Su - I don't know wether to change our dinner pour deux from Kona to Ohanna now. I'm really tempted as you made it sound like a fab experience (where's the confused smiley !!)


I don't think the kids would forgive you if you went without them Jakki.

Aodhan would at last be able to erase the trauma of that teeny bit of steak he was given. :pgig:

[mcsue]

Really sorry we missed out on this last time, it is on my must-do list for next time. Everything looks delicious, thanks for your report. Can I ask what time your ADR was that worked out so well with the fireworks?


Sorry Lynn I can't quite remember, but the ADR was made so that we should have been seated 30 mins before the fireworks started. 6.30 for 7 I think.

We missed our first call cos we were too busy chatting at the bar with a couple from Atlanta :blush:

I guess we were lucky to be seated just in time.

If /when we go back I'll make our adrs for an hour before the fireworks are scheduled I think.

[Michelle]

Su, fantastic report and lovely pictures. (as always;))

I am so pleased we have changed our minds and are eating at 'Ohana again, DH loves this place.

Thank you for sharing.

[TinkTatoo]

I don't think the kids would forgive you if you went without them Jakki.

Aodhan would at last be able to erase the trauma of that teeny bit of steak he was given. :pgig:

SO true :d: I think I'll save it and we can all eat there

[mobeckwith]

after reading these reports last night,i went to bed dreaming about the place,i wasnt that bothered about going compared to some of my other adrs,but now i cant wait.i didnt know that wishes can be seen from this rstaurant also,thats a bonus because we have got a 20.00 adr after a day at universal. mo.

[SusieK]

Looks and sounds fab.

[cerigirl]

Great review - we are booked for DD's Birthday supper, after doing CRT for breakfast also!! Looking forward to it, we are eating early=ish, so we can return for Spectromagic/Wishes and a few more rides!!:wavey:

[orlandosgr8]

What a wonderful evening Sue, the food looks great and it sounds like the whole experience of the restaurant was fantastic too. Hope you don't have to wait another 17yrs for a re-visit :D

[mcsue]

Hope you don't have to wait another 17yrs for a re-visit :D

Me too Jo! :d:

[gala]

Great report Sue and fab pics as usual. I was unfortunate to have a very bad experience at Ohana and havent been back. Im sure it was (as is the case in many restaurants) an off night. Im not too keen on smoked food either so although everything looks very good I'll have to skip this one!

Margaret

[mcsue]

Mags I remember you hated the smoked taste of the meats at Ohana. I trust your foodie tastebuds implicitly and I must say that was on my mind.
I didn't expect to like the food as much as I did to be honest - but I was fair impressed.
I think Ohana is another of those love it or hate it places.
I know we would have hated it if we were seated right in the middle of things too - far too hectic!

LOL Mo I'm glad it's not just me that has dreams of eating at WDW reataurants!

Glad you are all liking the piccies.Thanks once again for your kind comments everyone. :smile:

[Leanne1977]

What a fab report. I am gutted i didnt add it to my ADR list now.:( The menu was all so meat based i didnt think it would be any good for me as a veggie. I think the kids would have enjoyed it too.

Oh bum!!:cry:
Maybe a change is in order.;)


Sorry Sue a couple more questions. I will make myself sound stupid but what exactly are fried wontons? I have never had them. Are they veggie?
Also did you manage to see what alternatives they had for the children as the allearsnet menu said they have alternatives if requested. DS is a bit fussy. Thanks.

[ladyholiday]

having never been here b4 can somebody explain wot happens at this restuarant do you pay per dish or just a price per person on entry. where abouts is it and would it be expensive for a family of 4. sorry to be a bit vague but it looks lovely and would love a bit more info ty

[ladyholiday]

having never been here b4 can somebody explain wot happens at this restuarant do you pay per dish or just a price per person on entry. where abouts is it and would it be expensive for a family of 4. sorry to be a bit vague but it looks lovely and would love a bit more info ty

[Leanne1977]

having never been here b4 can somebody explain wot happens at this restuarant do you pay per dish or just a price per person on entry. where abouts is it and would it be expensive for a family of 4. sorry to be a bit vague but it looks lovely and would love a bit more info ty

This is a set price meal.:)
Take a look here,


http://www.allearsnet.com/menu/menu_oh.htm

I have just booked it on the strength of this food report!:D

[mcsue]

Oh bum!!:cry:
Maybe a change is in order.;)




:blush: Sorreee


The wontons are crispy and deep fried. Sort of a cross between a tortilla chip and a poppadom. Not sure what they are made of to be honest :erm:

I think I read they'll get the kids some chix nuggets.

[angie-noo]

a great report sue- ive got a breakfast and a dinner booked here-yum:wavey:

[ANGEL]

Sue, that was really helpful as we'd like to take all our family to OHana in October but were unsure that becky would be catered for as she is Vegan. I'll definately book it now as I know my parents and sister's family would love it (we've been before)...and I'll call first and talk to someone about Becky's meal :)

Thanks for that!

[Treacle44]

Wow Sue great pics as ever! :)

We made 11 ADR's last year and 'Ohana was hands down our favourite, wonderful food, great atmosphere, just perfect. Then we sat on the beach for a while in the evening, it was bliss. Doing dinner and brekkie next time.

Thanks for sharing. :)

T
x

[Eeyorefan]

Wow great pics! must try o'hanas! Yum!:grin:

[Mickey's Tyke]

ohana looks good to me but could you just confirm is your review for "spirit of Aloha"

[lindylou2_2002]

It was a lovely detailed report, but I dont think iwill be adding it to our list of must dos. Have done berekkie there and it was terrible the food was undercooked or over cooked never just right. I didnt like the rushing about.

I had heard the evening was better but As i hate being hurried. It would wind me right up, all over again.

[mcsue]

ohana looks good to me but could you just confirm is your review for "spirit of Aloha"


The review is for Ohana.
I've never been to Spirit of Aloha, but I'd like to one day.

[lindylou2_2002]

Im glad your experiance of Ohanas was better than ours. We did the breakfast to be fair, not the evening meal.
The food was over cooked,and not big plates either. the service was non existant so no chance of getting the plates refilled and the characters were too rushed compered to other character brekkies we did.

[Minniespal]

Excellent ~ Thanx for sharing :pgig:

[mainecoon lover]

Excellent report. We have this booked and are really looking forward to it even more now :grin:

[TandCmum]

not sure wether to do this or kona now????

[mcsue]

not sure wether to do this or kona now????


Too many restaurants such little time syndrome again isn't it?

I love Kona too but Ohana was more of an 'experience'.

We were talking about Ohana only last night and Paul said we can definitely add it to the list next time. Yay!!! :spin:

[lynneandnick]

wow, looks great

[RichF]

That food looked great - Thanks for sharing

[Mondruid]

I've just resurrected this report, wow, I am so glad I found it. I was quite excited about going anyway, now I can't wait. i do like my food, perhaps just a little too much (says my waistline)!

Fab pics, thanks for sharing that, I eagerly await our ADR!!!

Thank you,

[mcsue]

Glad you enjoyed the report. Hope you have a geat time when you go too!

Just a note to let you know that the potatoes have been changed for a noodle dish and the shrimp are now being served grilled. The wontons are gone too but there is pineapple bread instead.

I see Kris has an adr but for anyone else going to Ohana, be sure you make your ressie as soon as poss - it's really popular.
We missed our adr in May as I was unwell and I couldn't get another one for love nor money, even though we checked every day :cry:

PS The other Sue is eating at Ohana in a few weeks time so we'll get shiny new up to date report with more detail on the changes when she returns :)