BlovesC
home is where the Yeti is
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2008
- Messages
- 2,613
Well we broke our streak of "new to us, unpopular on the DIS!" restaurants thanks to a moment of indecisiveness. I'd wanted to hit the Boardwalk and try Kouzzina, DH wanted to go to AK and eat at Boma...so we checked out ADRs for the night, saw a 5:15 ADR for 'Ohana, and promptly settled on that. 
Now, DH and I had both really enjoyed 'Ohana during our other two visits there this year, but both times those ADRs had been at 9PM, because that was the only availability. We got to see Wishes each time while we ate, which was fun, but not really a selling point for us. I had no complaints about the food or service and didn't really think the timeframe of the ADR mattered, except for fitting it in around park plans.
Wrong! So wrong! If we really liked 'Ohana at 9, we LOVED it at 5.
We were promptly seated after the restaurant 'opening ceremony' by Cousin Joe. Since we'd been there before, he offered for us to skip the friendship bread mambo-jambo and brought us right to our table. I got a big kick out of Cousin Joe's sense of humor throughout the night, though I know not all would appreciate it. It was strange to us to be seated in 'Ohana while it was so BRIGHT! At 9PM we can usually barely see each other across the table.
Another thing that struck us; you could hear a pin drop. It was almost eerily quiet. Our previous ADRs had been about as loud as dinner at WCC. Even when the 'entertainment' started (and I find the female MC to be lovely, but to DH her voice is like nails on a chalkboard) and we had coconuts racing past our table, it felt a lot calmer and more subdued than at 9PM. Obviously this was due to the fact that the restaurant was about 1/4th full yet. In fact, the table behind us remained empty the entire 75 minutes we were there.
Now, friendship bread. I usually feel like I'm committing blasphemy when I say that I don't really care for it. It's paled in comparison to the bread at Kona during our previous Ohana meals. THIS time though, it tasted a lot softer and more flavorful. I'm SURE they don't just bake one batch of bread towards the beginning of dinner and then serve hours-old loaves the rest of the night (right?)...but that's what it tasted like!
Friendship bread...exactly the same as the 9PM bread yet magically better at 5PM!
We were also given our bowl of salad...
Delicious, delicious salad. I've got to make the dressing at home sometime soon. So simple, yet so perfect!
We had ample time to enjoy the bread and salad alone before any new items were delivered. I really appreciated that. In the past, they've both been a bit neglected as we hurried to eat the hot items that were arriving fast and furious. The pacing on this meal was much, much more drawn out!
The potstickers and honey-coriander wings arrived...
We never really made a dent in these before. Before we arrived tonight, I even told DH that we should just ask them to not serve them to us. I hated to waste food. But, because we'd arrived at 'Ohana with HUGE appetites (doing a few hours of yardwork in the FL heat will do that!) and because the meal had been paced so nicely thus far, we made more than a dent in this. DH ate ALL the potstickers. Every last one. And I, a person who hates dark meat and chicken on a bone, actually had two chicken wings. And they were delicious!
One of my favorite parts of the meal, the noodles and vegetables arrived!
If 'Ohana had an a la carte menu, I could make a meal out of those noodles. They get better each time I have them. DH usually completely ignores this tray but he actually enjoyed some noodles this time. We were really doing well on that not-wasting-food stance!
Sauces were delivered...
I never remember what sauce is what, because I avoid them like the plague. I'm not a sauce person, especially when it would just cover up the delicious grill-char flavor I so very, very much love. Speaking of...
Skewer time! Skewer time!
First up was my very favorite, the chicken:
I hate taking pictures of the meat at 'Ohana, because by the time they arrive our plates are so messy and the way they slide off the skewers makes the meat look half-chewed. I tried to crop out the offending dirty-plate as best as I could! The chicken may not look like much, but to me it's heaven. I completely understand why some folks are underwhelmed by 'Ohana. But chicken is my favorite protein, and grilling it is my favorite preparation, but it can be so tricky to get that nice char flavor while still leaving it juicy. They do it perfectly at 'Ohana, IMO. I could eat this every day and never get tired of it.
DH had steak, which was perfectly cooked:
And we both said a loud, hearty "YES PLEASE!" when Cousin Joe offered up shrimp!
So, so, so good. I don't even bat an eye at the messy peeling process anymore. Sauce-fingers is a small price to pay for the smokey, tangy flavor of these babies!
Both Cousin Joe and his partner Cousin Autumn seemed concerned that I wasn't getting enough food since I'd turned down the steak and pork, even though I'd more likely grow wings and a tail than I would waste away from malnourishment.
Autumn came by again quickly with more shrimp and Joe returned soon after with more chicken. Two rounds of each! Glutton heaven!
We had a much-needed bit of respite after the meat onslaught ended, giving us plenty of time to wash our hands and strategize over dessert. DH and I both adore the bread pudding and have had no issue devouring it in the past. I'd joked to DH that this time we'd each ask for our own serving. Of course, the joke snowballed into a concrete plan in his mind. I only finally talked DH down from that ledge seconds before Cousin Joe arrived with our single, yet still ridiculously mountainous, serving.
I LOVE snapping that money shot as DH pours the bananas foster sauce over it!
This dessert is just ridiculous. It turns me into one of those annoying people who says "OMG so good" after each bite, alternated with groans of pain from the richness. This is seriously just so rich. It's as rich as a slice of cheesecake stuffed inside a brownie sandwiched in a layer of chocolate cake. I don't think DH and I could handle individual servings of this on our own even if we skipped the rest of the meal in entirety, unless we were on some sort of suicide quest. I can't imagine NOT loving this dessert. It'd be like not loving kittens or rainbows or sunshine.
We had such a good experience at this meal. GREAT service, peaceful atmosphere, slow-paced meal, and as always, delicious food. When we make future ADRs we'll definitely try for an early time again. As much as we loved it though, when we got home I promptly cancelled an ADR we have for our trip in September. This marked our third dinner here this year...four times just seems like way, way too much of a good thing. For now we're bidding adieu to 'Ohana until the new year, and certainly going out on a high note!
Now, DH and I had both really enjoyed 'Ohana during our other two visits there this year, but both times those ADRs had been at 9PM, because that was the only availability. We got to see Wishes each time while we ate, which was fun, but not really a selling point for us. I had no complaints about the food or service and didn't really think the timeframe of the ADR mattered, except for fitting it in around park plans.
Wrong! So wrong! If we really liked 'Ohana at 9, we LOVED it at 5.
We were promptly seated after the restaurant 'opening ceremony' by Cousin Joe. Since we'd been there before, he offered for us to skip the friendship bread mambo-jambo and brought us right to our table. I got a big kick out of Cousin Joe's sense of humor throughout the night, though I know not all would appreciate it.
It was strange to us to be seated in 'Ohana while it was so BRIGHT! At 9PM we can usually barely see each other across the table.Another thing that struck us; you could hear a pin drop. It was almost eerily quiet. Our previous ADRs had been about as loud as dinner at WCC. Even when the 'entertainment' started (and I find the female MC to be lovely, but to DH her voice is like nails on a chalkboard
) and we had coconuts racing past our table, it felt a lot calmer and more subdued than at 9PM. Obviously this was due to the fact that the restaurant was about 1/4th full yet. In fact, the table behind us remained empty the entire 75 minutes we were there. Now, friendship bread. I usually feel like I'm committing blasphemy when I say that I don't really care for it. It's paled in comparison to the bread at Kona during our previous Ohana meals. THIS time though, it tasted a lot softer and more flavorful. I'm SURE they don't just bake one batch of bread towards the beginning of dinner and then serve hours-old loaves the rest of the night (right?)...but that's what it tasted like!
Friendship bread...exactly the same as the 9PM bread yet magically better at 5PM!
We were also given our bowl of salad...
Delicious, delicious salad. I've got to make the dressing at home sometime soon. So simple, yet so perfect!
We had ample time to enjoy the bread and salad alone before any new items were delivered. I really appreciated that. In the past, they've both been a bit neglected as we hurried to eat the hot items that were arriving fast and furious. The pacing on this meal was much, much more drawn out!
The potstickers and honey-coriander wings arrived...
We never really made a dent in these before. Before we arrived tonight, I even told DH that we should just ask them to not serve them to us. I hated to waste food. But, because we'd arrived at 'Ohana with HUGE appetites (doing a few hours of yardwork in the FL heat will do that!
) and because the meal had been paced so nicely thus far, we made more than a dent in this. DH ate ALL the potstickers. Every last one. And I, a person who hates dark meat and chicken on a bone, actually had two chicken wings. And they were delicious!One of my favorite parts of the meal, the noodles and vegetables arrived!
If 'Ohana had an a la carte menu, I could make a meal out of those noodles. They get better each time I have them. DH usually completely ignores this tray but he actually enjoyed some noodles this time. We were really doing well on that not-wasting-food stance!
Sauces were delivered...
I never remember what sauce is what, because I avoid them like the plague. I'm not a sauce person, especially when it would just cover up the delicious grill-char flavor I so very, very much love. Speaking of...
Skewer time! Skewer time!
First up was my very favorite, the chicken:
I hate taking pictures of the meat at 'Ohana, because by the time they arrive our plates are so messy and the way they slide off the skewers makes the meat look half-chewed. I tried to crop out the offending dirty-plate as best as I could! The chicken may not look like much, but to me it's heaven. I completely understand why some folks are underwhelmed by 'Ohana. But chicken is my favorite protein, and grilling it is my favorite preparation, but it can be so tricky to get that nice char flavor while still leaving it juicy. They do it perfectly at 'Ohana, IMO. I could eat this every day and never get tired of it.
DH had steak, which was perfectly cooked:
And we both said a loud, hearty "YES PLEASE!" when Cousin Joe offered up shrimp!
So, so, so good. I don't even bat an eye at the messy peeling process anymore. Sauce-fingers is a small price to pay for the smokey, tangy flavor of these babies!
Both Cousin Joe and his partner Cousin Autumn seemed concerned that I wasn't getting enough food since I'd turned down the steak and pork, even though I'd more likely grow wings and a tail than I would waste away from malnourishment.
Autumn came by again quickly with more shrimp and Joe returned soon after with more chicken. Two rounds of each! Glutton heaven!We had a much-needed bit of respite after the meat onslaught ended, giving us plenty of time to wash our hands and strategize over dessert. DH and I both adore the bread pudding and have had no issue devouring it in the past. I'd joked to DH that this time we'd each ask for our own serving. Of course, the joke snowballed into a concrete plan in his mind. I only finally talked DH down from that ledge seconds before Cousin Joe arrived with our single, yet still ridiculously mountainous, serving.
I LOVE snapping that money shot as DH pours the bananas foster sauce over it!
This dessert is just ridiculous. It turns me into one of those annoying people who says "OMG so good" after each bite, alternated with groans of pain from the richness. This is seriously just so rich. It's as rich as a slice of cheesecake stuffed inside a brownie sandwiched in a layer of chocolate cake. I don't think DH and I could handle individual servings of this on our own even if we skipped the rest of the meal in entirety, unless we were on some sort of suicide quest. I can't imagine NOT loving this dessert. It'd be like not loving kittens or rainbows or sunshine.
We had such a good experience at this meal. GREAT service, peaceful atmosphere, slow-paced meal, and as always, delicious food. When we make future ADRs we'll definitely try for an early time again. As much as we loved it though, when we got home I promptly cancelled an ADR we have for our trip in September. This marked our third dinner here this year...four times just seems like way, way too much of a good thing. For now we're bidding adieu to 'Ohana until the new year, and certainly going out on a high note!
Wow that looks really good!! Thanks for the great review and glad you enjoyed it!!
.
Our server never said a word about it to me, so I didn't discover my mistake until we got home and I was going through my receipts. So anyway, that experience kind of soured me on 'Ohana, but I guess maybe 5 years has been long enough to hold a grudge. 
So excited!
