We headed over to Polynesian by way of the Magic Kingdom bus, then hopping a Monorail. We actually arrived about an hour early, because I really wanted to get a great seat to watch the Wishes firework show! Even doing this though, we were told to just come back at exactly our reservation time (8:50pm) and they would get us taken care of. While that didn’t make much sense to me, I trusted the hostess and we went to have a seat in the bar.
I knew what I wanted before we even sat down…the
Lapu Lapu! I'm usually a person to go out of my way trying less mainstream, popular items...but the hollowed out fruit gets me every time! Give me a Coconut or Pineapple with a straw sticking out the top and I'm one content little lady.
When I ordered however, I heard the dreaded news…they were OUT of Pineapples! Never fear, they could do the same drink in a Tiki glass. While not quite as fun, it was probably more potent because of it…I definitely only had one drink this night!
Jeremy just ordered a Gin and Tonic and kept things simple.
These guys make me laugh! I actually witnessed one kid sticking his face in that poor statue's butt, making me laugh more!
ANYWAY, We wandered around the resort, went outside and checked out the pool area, and then came back when it was about time to check BACK in. Sure enough, the original hostess was no longer there and they didn’t know what I was talking about. Luckily, we were seated in a great spot anyway!
Before she left I mentioned that I was excited that Chef TJ would be helping me out tonight with my meal. I almost turned around and left when she said that he had taken the night off and that Chef Julie would be helping me! I know this was probably selfish of me, but I had learned of his schedule and made my reservation for this Monday night with that in mind. But, I wasn’t going to let this get me down – we were already having a great night, so I thought good thoughts, knowing that Ohana could accommodate anyone, no matter the chef.
Our waiter brought the chef straight out...and she was very nice! She let me know a little bit about what they could do, made sure Jeremy wanted to stick with the standard fare, and brought us both out a lovely
Salad.
We had barely made headway into the salad (and we were starving since we were eating such a late dinner), when more food arrived and Jeremy got caught up in the meat extravaganza that was taking place at our table.
Pork Pot Stickers,
Sticky Wings, and a
Trio of Sauces were brought out that he immediately began devouring. You would think that I never cooked anything but bean sprouts at our house the way he was ripping into everything! I was a pig myself though, because they also came out with some absolutely delicious
Stir Fry Noodles and Veggies that consisted of
Broccoli and
Snow Peas. Even Jeremy loved the noodles and had a few helpings of them!
The server brought skewers of Turkey, Pork and Steak for my Mad Hatter to munch on. He didn't want me to photograph the carnage though, since it wasn't that appetizing to look at after being taken off the skewer, so I present you instead with a view of the grill where said meats were cooked. Julie brought me out another round of food, as well.
Vegan Hand Rolls! They were incredible, and she did a great job pairing it with a sauce that I could have. I had mentioned to her that I am THE sauce girl! The rolls were stuffed with Carrots, Avocado, Zucchini and Rice with a sauce very similar a Ponzu sauce you would get with Tempura at a Japanese restaurant…only a bit spicier.
Again, more food for me! This turned out to be quite tasty.
Mixed Veggies in a crisp Wonton Shell that included Mushrooms, Broccoli, Yellow Peppers, Onion, White Rice, Peanuts, and a Peanut sauce mixed in. I must admit, I was hoping for a tower of delicious tofu to come out of the kitchen (you know what I’m referring to), but this was so great and I wouldn’t have been able to eat much more than this after everything else! It really appeared very appetizing...more so than the picture implies!
Right after the firework show, when we were practically passing out from full bellies, our pre-dinner drinks, and just plain exhaustion, dessert arrived.
Jeremy got the
Bread Pudding, because what else would he have gotten at Ohana? He said it was absolutely worth getting, and he isn’t a bread pudding fan! (The hostess actually talked him into it on the way to our table earlier).
Julie came and brought out a nice presentation of
Fruit and Chocolate. It was perfect for me and while I didn’t eat much of it, each bite I had was absolutely fantastic.
Out of pocket, our total at Ohana was only
$66.01. Keep in mind this doesn’t include our drinks at the bar, though. I loved this experience, would do it again in a heartbeat, and can’t wait to see what other chefs can create for me…even if I don’t get Chef TJ next time either. There are definitely others that can cook amazing meals here!
