One of the restaurants that we were looking forward to the most at Walt Disney World was 'Ohana. I was a bit hesitant about the reservation, because the meals at 'Ohana are served family style - no menu, and I wasn't sure what I would be able to eat.
'Ohana is located on the second floor of the Great Ceremonial Lodge (main building) at the Polynesian Resort. The easiest way to get there is on the monorail from the Magic Kingdom or Ticket and Transportation Center. From the monorail stop, there is clear signage to 'Ohana.
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| The signage to 'Ohana is clear and easy to follow. |
We ended up arriving about 45 minutes prior to our 6:00 reservation time, so we had a bit of time to kill. If there is any more beautiful place to kill time, I haven't found one yet. We wandered around and visited the several gift shops in the Polynesian Resort's lobby. Absolutely everything in the lobby was South Sea Island themed.
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| These happy fellows greet you in one of the Polynesian's gift shops. |
Tikis were plentiful in the lobby as well. For a family that absolutely adores the Tiki Room, the lobby was a lot of fun!
Once we were able to check in, we were escorted to a table where our server took our drink order, and the chef came out to talk to me. I wish I could remember what his name was, but alas, I can't. He went over the substitutions that he would have to make with me, and retreated back to the kitchen. He made me feel entirely comfortable with the food and preparation methods that would be used.
The menu starts with 'Ohana Welcome Bread, which was definately out of the question for me. I was offered some gluten-free rolls, but I wasn't in the mood, so I skipped those. We also were served a large bowl of mixed greens with a honey-lime dressing, which I was informed was gluten-free.
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| Mixed greens with sesame-lime dressing |
The dressing was good, but there was very little of it, and there wasn't much flavour to it. Overall, I would rate the salad as only alright.
While the rest of the table enjoyed honey coriander chicken wings (deep-fried in a non-dedicated fryer) and pork fried dumplings, I was brought out a plate of baked chicken wings in sauce, as well as a smaller plate with two dipping sauces (a teriyaki and sweet and sour)
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| Baked chicken wings |
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| Gluten-free teriyaki and sweet and sour sauces |
The chicken wings were excellent - moist and tender and very well-seasoned. As you can see, the portion size was generous as well.
At 'Ohana, the meat is really the focal point of the meal. Chicken, pork, steak and shrimp are cooked on long skewers over an open fire and served with an accompaniment of Egg Noodles tossed in a peanut sauce with pineapple and stir fried vegetables. Theic chef had informed me that I could have the steak and shrimp from the skewers, and he would prepare me some safe chicken skewers. As I couldn't have the side dishes, he also sent out a plate of white rice and steamed broccoli.
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| Steamed broccoli and white rice |
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| Teriyaki chicken skewers |
The chicken skewer was served with a gluten-free teriyaki sauce
Just when I thought that I couldn't eat another bite, our table was served 'Ohanas famous bread pudding, and I was brought out....
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| Gluten-free Brownie Sundae |
An amazing chocolate brownie sundae. I was very pleased with the effort and presentation. Usually I can take or leave prepackaged gluten-free brownies, but the chef had made a real effort to make it beautiful and delicious. The brownie had been warmed, and served with ice cream and strawberries - yum!
Overall, I really enjoyed 'Ohana. Even though it was a family-style meal, I felt both taken care of, and part of the experience (I wasn't made to feel a hassle). My food was served at the same time as the rest of the table, and I even got a few jealous glances from the rest of my family (my wings looked better than the ones they had). There was a TON of food, and we did feel bad about letting so much go to waste. We would certainly eat at 'Ohanas in the future.
