On Friday, November 23, 2007, Jim, Sheila, Donna, Michele, Tony, Lane (10) , Julia (7), Blake (4) and I at dinner at O’Hana at the Polynesian Resort.  None of us had ever been there before, so we were all excited to try it out based on many of the reviews I had read.  Again, we arrived about 15 minutes before our 5:45 pm reservation and were seated within 5 minutes.  On the way to the table, the hostess explains the meaning of O’Hana (a place of family, laughter and sharing — Hawaiian style) and stops at the counter in front of the kitchen and shows the customers the specialty drinks and the dessert — an incentive to clean your plate!

This restaurant serves family style all you can eat, so it is like a buffet, but the servers bring the food to you!  There is a huge fire pit in the middle of the restaurant where the skewers of meat are cooked.  The price of the family-style menu is $25.99 for adults and $11.99 for children (3-9) and consists of the following:

STARTERS:  Fried wontons served with peanut sauce, chimichurri sauce (olive oil with spices) and harissa (I missed the description, but the server insisted that it is not “hot” even though it is a red color) and mixed greens with a honey-lime dressing.

APPETIZERS:  Spicy-sweet and sour shrimp and honey-coriander chicken wings.

SKEWERS PREPARED OVER AN OAK FIRE:  Marinated sirloin steak, Asian barbecue pork loin, mesquite grilled turkey and Hawaiian pork-sausage with pineapple teriyaki glaze.

ACCOMPANIMENTS:  Maui scalloped potatoes and stir-fried vegetables.

DESSERT:  O’Hana bread pudding a la mode with bananas foster sauce.

Although everything was great, the mesquite grilled turkey, Hawaiian pork-sausage and the Maui potatoes were a special hit with our party.  The kids had a great time because they got to roll coconuts with straw brooms around the restaurant and do a few other things with one of the cast members who took them on a “parade” around the restaurant.  Also I was told to let our server know that we were celebrating Lane’s 10th birthday and she brought out a cupcake with a candle — a nice touch!

We will very definitely return here for meals in the future!!!!!

Nanci Wright, Trips The Wright Way, LLC