Overview:
Ohana is extremely popular, for both breakfast and dinner (the restaurant does not offer lunch), and it is thus very important to make reservations well in advance if you want to dine here. In Hawaiian the word “ohana” mean family and that is a central theme for what the dining experience here is all about. Both breakfast and dinner are served family-style and are all-you-care-to-eat. While this restaurant will certainly appeal to everyone, it is especially good for those families with younger children. Breakfast features the characters Lilo, Stitch, Mickey, and Pluto who visit each table for pictures and autographs. Although dinner is character-free, it does feature live entertainment and other activities for kids to participate in. Disney is a company which prides itself in providing something for every member of the family, whether boy or girl, old or young. At its core, this is what Disney World is all about. Walt Disney himself once said, “The important thing is family. If you can keep the family together, that’s what we hope to do.” Ohana is a restaurant which truly lives up to this Disney legacy, offering an experience that helps to bring families together to have a good time and enjoy a good meal.
Atmosphere:
In keeping with the family-oriented nature of the restaurant, Ohana has a laid-back and casual atmosphere. It is no surprise that the restaurant has a south-seas flare, but in a way that is more subtle and subdued in its island décor rather than over-the-top. While it does feature carved tiki statues and thatched roofs, the rest of the restaurant’s décor is fairly simple.
That being said, Ohana has a certain exotic quality and an authenticity that makes you feel as though you are dining in some faraway Polynesian locale. One of the most notable features of the restaurant is the open fire pit where you are able to watch the chefs grilling the various meat skewers that will be served for your main course. The fire, smoke, and amazing aroma coming from the grill provides some added flare and excitement to the dining experience.
Overall the restaurant has a very open feel, thanks in large part to the fact that it is basically comprised of just one large dining room. Also adding to this sense of openness are the large windows along the perimeter of the restaurant that afford spectacular views of the resort’s pool area and beyond to the Seven Seas Lagoon and even a distant glimpse of the Magic Kingdom. The windows let in plenty of light, but as you move to tables further away from them the restaurant takes on a slightly darker feel (as is also the case once the sun goes down). Next time I go I will definitely make sure to request a table by the window because the view is definitely one of the main allures of the restaurant’s atmosphere.
Another important component of Ohana’s authentic south-seas feel is its live entertainment. Throughout the night an entertainer wanders through the restaurant singing and playing songs on his ukulele, teaching guests different Hawaiian words and phrases, and playing games with the children such as limbo and coconut races. I felt that this entertainment really gave the restaurant a more festive atmosphere and allowed for the kids to have some fun during the meal. It should be noted, however, that because of all the singing and activities going on during the course of the meal the restaurant can get a little noisy, especially when it is very crowded. If you are looking for a quiet and romantic night out this might not be the restaurant for you, but if you are looking to have a good time with your entire family then Ohana is a great option.
The Menu:
Before talking about the food I would first like to sound this warning: whenever dining at Ohana the most important thing you should remember is to PACE YOURSELF. I can best describe dinner at Ohana in three ways: it features a prix fixe menu including a salad, appetizers, entrée, and dessert; the food is served family style and is all-you-care-to-eat; and you will most definitely get a lot of food.
The meal starts with Welcome Bread, which was unlike any other bread I have had before. It was served warm, soft, and was light in texture. The bread had a slight flavor of coconut and pineapple, but was not too strong. There was enough flavor, however, that you do not even need to put any butter on the bread. As a bread lover I think I could have eaten a whole loaf myself, but its important to know that there is still a lot more food to come.
Along with the Welcome Bread was a Mixed Greens Salad with a Honey-Lime Dressing. The salad was very fresh and the dressing was light and very flavorful. The flavors of the honey and lime complimented each other extremely well in a way that was neither too sweet nor to sour. It was a very refreshing way to start the meal.
Next came the appetizer items that included Pork Dumplings with a Sweet-and-Sour Sauce as well as Honey-Coriander Chicken Wings. Of the two, the dumplings were definitely my favorite. They were served slightly crispy on the edges but still soft on the inside and the pork filling was seasoned just enough to give the dumplings an added kick but without being too overpowering. The sweet-and-sour sauce that topped the dumplings added a little extra flavor and complimented them very well. The chicken wings were also very good, but I think they would have been even better if they had been served crispier as I found them to be a little too soft for my personal taste. The sauce that topped the wings was mild and had a slightly sweet flavor, which provided a good contrast to the slight spiciness of the Pork Dumplings. The wings also came topped with sesame seeds and, although they added a little extra texture, I could have done without them and actually ended up scraping them off.
Then came the entrée, and by this point the amount of food was just staggering and it seemed as though it just kept coming with no end in sight. First came Noodles that were tossed in a teriyaki sauce along with Stir-Fried Vegetables. The noodles were actually one of my favorite parts of the meal and had a surprisingly sweet flavor. The light taste and texture of the noodles served as a perfect accompaniment to the rest of the entrée. The vegetables likewise went along very well with the rest of the main course, but were served a little too undercooked for my liking.
The main feature of the entrée is the meat skewers which have been cooked over the open fire. They included Chicken, Pork Loin, and Sirloin Steak. Along with these skewers also came Grilled Peel-and-Eat Shrimp. Each of the skewered items was grilled to perfection and slightly charred just enough to add some extra flavor to the meat. The chicken, pork, and steak were also very tender and not fatty at all. Each of these grilled items was very flavorful and well-seasoned. They had enough flavor on their own that I did not even use any of the dipping sauces that were provided. While the grilled meats each had a little kick, it was the shrimp that were by far the spiciest of all. Even though the shrimp were really good and had a lot of flavor, I would have enjoyed them even more if they did not have shells on them. In fact, the shells were not even split which made them even more difficult to remove.
Overall, what I most enjoyed about the meal was that it offered a wide variety of different flavors that both complimented and contrasted each other very well. There was a good balance of both sweet and spicy flavors along with some items that were light in flavor and texture while others were stronger and heavier in taste.
As if that was not enough food, then came the dessert which is considered one of Ohana’s signature items: Bread Pudding a la mode with a Banana-Caramel Sauce. This is why it is very important to save some room while you are eating your appetizers and main course because this dessert is one not to be missed. The bread pudding is extremely sweet and rich in flavor and is also very filling (just in case you are not full enough already). There was just enough banana flavor to notice that it was there, but not so much that it overpowered everything else. The vanilla ice cream served on top was very refreshing and complimented the bread pudding and banana-caramel sauce very well.
Even though the bread pudding was very good, I could not help but compare it to the bread pudding at Raglan Road. Having now partaken of both bread puddings I would give the edge to Raglan Road in large part to the fact that it is made fresh when you order it and is served piping hot. At Ohana, I could tell that they must have prepared a large batch of bread pudding in advance in order to be able to serve it quickly. At the same time, however, Ohana presents a different spin on bread pudding (with the banana-caramel sauce) that makes it unique from that of Raglan Road.
Service:
My only complaint about Ohana was that the meal was too fast-paced. Everything just felt very rushed and you hardly had time to finish one course before the next course was brought out. Adding to this was the fact that the servers kept bringing out the additional courses of food without clearing the previous courses, which meant that the table quickly became cluttered with a wide assortment of dishes. The fast pace of the meal is most likely due to the vast popularity of the restaurant. The servers need to bring out the food quickly so they can get the tables turned over quickly in order to get more parties seated. Even though the meal was extremely good, it would have been nice to have some time to relax and digest between courses rather then getting bombarded with one thing right after another. On a positive note, the servers were extremely good about continually bringing over more food. As soon as a bowl of noodles or vegetables became empty, they were right there with another bowl. The servers actually give you so much food when they initially bring out the entrees that there is little need for second helpings.
Dining on a Budget:
Ohana is not cheap. However, I still believe that you get good value for your money based on the quality of food and the amount of food that you get. If you are not necessarily a big eater or if family-style/buffet meals do not really appeal to you, then you might get better value for your money somewhere else. At $34.99, Ohana is comparable in price to many of the dinner buffets found on property, such as Chef Mickey’s ($34) or Crystal Palace ($32.99), but it does offer a dining experience which is far more unique and exciting than those found in these other restaurants. Therefore, while it may not be the best choice if you are looking to save some money, it does offer you a good bang-for-your-buck.
The Overall Experience:
Even though this was my first time dining at Ohana, it has already become one of my favorite restaurants in all of Disney World. Once you get past the fast-paced nature of the meal, everything else about the dining experience is top-notch. An “experience” is truly an apt word to describe Ohana because it is more than just a restaurant, but rather a little taste of the south-seas in the middle of Florida. The atmosphere, live music and entertainment, and vast amounts of food all combine to create a level of authenticity and immersion that is what you come to expect when dining at a Disney restaurant and one that is truly unique in all of Disney World. As its name suggests, Ohana is a great restaurant for the entire family where you can go not only for an exceptional meal, but also to have fun.
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