cajunstitch
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2004
We just got back a couple of weeks ago from Orlando and while we were there we made a special trip into DW at 9pm to Ohana for the only reservation available that week we were there. We have eaten there probably 8 times in 3 years but it had been 2 years since we had eaten there last so first things first:
we were in a cluster of about 7 or 8 tables with one server for all of them so she was trying but she just couldn't physically be everywhere at once, then with the same table count we had one guy who was in charge of cleaning tables, bringing the appetizers out, and bringing the meat skewers. Needless to say this was impossibly slow and in about 45min he managed to come over twice. It was soo bad the server ended up getting her own skewers to bring to us and literally by the time I had enough food in front of me worth eating I was already full from the few beers I had which seemed to be the only thing I could get quickly. Then there's the menu changes: They did away with the pu-pu platter (hope I spelled that right) in exchange for chips and dip (dont know what that was about) wontons (didnt know these were indigenous to the Hawaiian Islands) and scalloped potatoes (again didn't know this was a Polynesian delicacy). Then we discovered that they no longer have chicken on the skewers, which I could live with, and that the tiger shrimp, that were phenomenal, were replaced with tiny pork sausages all of which were dry because they are too small to handle being cooked over the heat of the open pits. Needless to say I was borderline irate because Ohana is far from cheap and that night it didn't live up to what it once was. Now for the good
We get the manager over, a Mr.Alexander Lewis, who apologized profusely and told us that there was a change in the cooking staff which prompted the menu changes, that he has had numerous complaints about this very same thing, and that he has hired a new chef who has full intentions of bringing back the old menu within about 4 months. Mr. Lewis also comp'd our meal and gave us his direct number and cell phone and asked us to come back after the 3 - 4 month period because he wanted us to experience Ohana as it should be and to call him directly if no reservations were available during our stay that he would make room himself. I was disappointed because this used to be one of my favorite places to eat in the country but with managers like that at the helm, i'm more than willing to give them another try!
we were in a cluster of about 7 or 8 tables with one server for all of them so she was trying but she just couldn't physically be everywhere at once, then with the same table count we had one guy who was in charge of cleaning tables, bringing the appetizers out, and bringing the meat skewers. Needless to say this was impossibly slow and in about 45min he managed to come over twice. It was soo bad the server ended up getting her own skewers to bring to us and literally by the time I had enough food in front of me worth eating I was already full from the few beers I had which seemed to be the only thing I could get quickly. Then there's the menu changes: They did away with the pu-pu platter (hope I spelled that right) in exchange for chips and dip (dont know what that was about) wontons (didnt know these were indigenous to the Hawaiian Islands) and scalloped potatoes (again didn't know this was a Polynesian delicacy). Then we discovered that they no longer have chicken on the skewers, which I could live with, and that the tiger shrimp, that were phenomenal, were replaced with tiny pork sausages all of which were dry because they are too small to handle being cooked over the heat of the open pits. Needless to say I was borderline irate because Ohana is far from cheap and that night it didn't live up to what it once was. Now for the good
We get the manager over, a Mr.Alexander Lewis, who apologized profusely and told us that there was a change in the cooking staff which prompted the menu changes, that he has had numerous complaints about this very same thing, and that he has hired a new chef who has full intentions of bringing back the old menu within about 4 months. Mr. Lewis also comp'd our meal and gave us his direct number and cell phone and asked us to come back after the 3 - 4 month period because he wanted us to experience Ohana as it should be and to call him directly if no reservations were available during our stay that he would make room himself. I was disappointed because this used to be one of my favorite places to eat in the country but with managers like that at the helm, i'm more than willing to give them another try!
Maybe I was expecting too much of this place, but I had hoped that in honor of her birthday, my girlfriend would have received a lei, or a special dessert (even if charged for it, I just didnt want an entire cake, therefore, i didnt order one ahead, as we were a small group, and had expected to enjoy the meal, rather than to leave in tears, and be hungry an hour later)
