Restaurant Spotlight: Ohana

Our first trip to Ohana was back in December 2005. It was our first trip as a family, and the first trip we thoroughly planned. I bought planning books. I did research on the internet. I joined an online community. It was our first trip on the dining plan and being exposed to all the awesome food at WDW.

When we were planning our meals, I used online resources to check out the menus. I liked the menu for Ohana. I like that it was family style. It sounded like a really fun place to go. And I was so glad I made that reservation! We've gone many times and experienced several menu changes, but it's always been awesome.

Ohana is at the Polynesian resort, and a very easy monorail ride from the Magic Kingdom. After checking in at the podium, there is usually a wait. It's such a busy place. Your "Cousin" will seat you and right away bring some pineapple coconut bread. Tasty!

There will probably be some kind of fun going on.

My kids adore any restaurant where they can get up and run around. There's no where I can think of at home where they can do that! Ohana has coconut races, limbo, hula lessons, maraca parade, and they also play music and bring up all the couples celebrating honeymoons or anniversaries for a special dance. A very fun and lively atmosphere.

And now we can talk about the food!!!

Your cousin will bring all the food right to your able- an awesome salad with a honey lime vinaigrette, then fried dumplings, chicken wings, noodles, shrimp, stirfried veggies. Everything is cooked in a Polynesian style and so so yummy!

Ohana is known for it's giant meat skewers- chicken, pork, and steak. They cook them on an open fire and bring them around on 3 foot skewers and slide the meat off onto your plate. Whatever you want. And they keep coming back. Very cool! (You can see the flames in the background!)

And then comes dessert. It's no secret that I have issues with bread. I'm picky about it. It's a texture issue. So when I heard the dessert at Ohana was bread budding, I was like "ugh." And it had a banana sauce. Double "ugh." But I gave it a chance. And Oh. MY. GOD! Delish!

The restaurant is just really really cool. Love the tikis!

Ohana also does breakfast and we had a really fun time! It's a character meal with Lilo and Stitch. The food was served family style, eggs, potatoes, sausage, bacon, waffles, etc, but with a Polynesian flair.