Ohana

I'd like to talk about one of my favorite restaurants I love to go to for happy hour.  It's called Ohana, located in the heart of the Belltown neighborhood in downtown Seattle. 

Happy hour is pretty big here in Seattle, so it's important to find those places that offer great food for great happy hour prices.  Ohana just happens to be one of those places.  You'll find an extensive happy hour menu filled with delicious dishes like beef robata (basically skewered chunks of marinated, grilled, tender beef....you can also get chicken), crunchy shrimp tempura rolls, spicy salmon hand rolls, gyoza, spam musubi, etc....all for just a couple of bucks each! 

The atmosphere is very relaxed and family friendly.  Occasionally, the establishment will host live music (usually later in the night) or even karaoke.  The staff is always friendly and do their best to check up on you as often as they can, even when they're packed with patrons. 

The decor is what really makes this place different.  Inside you'll think you're in Hawaii after taking a look at all of the Island-inspired decorations and trinkets hanging from the ceiling and walls.  It's very dimly lit inside, which offers a very cozy and relaxing feeling. 

Beef Robata:


Salmon Skin Roll, California Roll, & Crunchy Salmon Hand Roll:


Gyoza:

Hawaiian decorations:

OK, here comes my famous (not really) 5-"NOM" rating system (5 being the highest):

SERVICE, 4.5 NOMs= The service is great at Ohana.  My party is usually promptly seated whenever we arrive.  They're very attentive throughout the dining experience and extremely friendly with the patrons.  I give them credit for keeping up with each and every table on a busy night. 

ATMOSPHERE/LOCATION, 3.5 NOMs= Ohana is located right in the heart of Belltown on a main street, nestled between a couple of restaurants.  So, as you might expect in a downtown environment, there isn't any parking dedicated to the restaurant.  Downtown parking can be a chore to find in this particular area, which is the only downside.  The upside is that you definitely can't miss the place with all the brightly lit signs and the colorful lights lining the outside patio fence area.  For those cold nights, you'll be pleased to hear they have outdoor heaters on the patio.  The atmosphere inside is very fun and inviting.

FOOD PRESENTATION, 3.5 NOMs=  I usually come here for happy hour, so I can say they are definitely well presented.  I had dinner here once and the presentation was just "ok".  The happy hour plates are generally pleasantly presented on small, decorative plates.  I think the robata plates are presented the best, with grilled meats covered in a teriyaki glaze, served on top of a small bed of lettuce and grilled asparagus on the side. 

TASTE, 4.5 NOMs=  Like I said, the reason I go here is because they serve up great food.  I think the only thing that could be improved is the California roll.  It's a little too mayonnaisey.  Other than that, everything I've tried at Ohana is absolutely delicious.  Again......BEEF ROBATA!!!

VALUE, 4.5 NOMs=  $3 happy hour plates in downtown Seattle is fine by me.  I can get full and it'll still work for my budget. 

ORIGINALITY, 5 NOMs= Not too many Hawaiian restaurants in the city with a great menu, accommodating hours, and fun nightlife. 

OVERALL, 4.2 NOMs=  Ohana, I will definitely be back here for many happy hours to come.  As of now, you are my #1 happy hour spot in the city!

"Food?....it's O.N.N.N.!"  
-NMOS

Welcome to "Om Nom Nom Nom!"

Hey everyone. Welcome to my newest blogspot where I focus primarily on how I rate local restaurants and eats in and around the Seattle area. My name is Nerick, and since I eat out frequently and after hearing my friends constantly mention that I should blog about my epicurean adventures, I finally gave in and created this blog.

I actually do have an entry for my first food blog today. For lunch I stopped by the "Marination Mobile". This mobile restaurant (like Skillet) serves up food with a Korean and Hawaiian flair. Luckily it stops near my work during the week, so I got to finally try it out (after hearing about it from friends).



I pulled up alongside it with one of my co-workers and took a couple of pics before ordering up. The front is very open, organized, and clean for a mobile kitchen. The staff was extremely nice and friendly, along with their two pugs roaming around.


I decided to try a little of everything (well, not everything). I got the kalbi soft taco, the miso ginger chicken taco, and the shredded pork slider. Damn! This food was crazy good! Each one was only $2 and they were well worth it. The different marinated meats were extremely tasty, and the sauces and slaw in each "dish" were a great accompaniment. I savored this newfound goodness and was actually content.


I have to say that I will definitely be back to visit this mobile restaurant. Although I do love Skillet (I'll have to do a separate blog on them), I think they're going to be pretty good competition. Today was their 1 month anniversary, so they were giving away free dessert. It was similar to baklava (they called it the "Hawaiian baklava"). Check out the website to view the menu at http://www.marinationmobile.com/.

At the beginning of each new entry, I will include a 5-doughnut rating system, with 5 being the best. Here is my rating for the Marination Mobile:

• Service= 4 doughnuts; The servers were very friendly and lively.
• Atmosphere/Location= 3 doughnuts; It's a restaurant on wheels, so what can you expect? However, it looked very clean and for the food they served it was aesthetically pleasing and appropriate. It's located on the canal, so there was nice scenery all around.
• Food Presentation, 3 doughnuts = Not too bad for this speedy, gourmet type of "hangover" food. The slaw and the sauces added some color.
• Cost/Value= 5 doughnuts; Very cheap food for delicious food.
• Taste= 4.5 doughnuts; Like I said....delicious! The marinated meats were savory.
• Originality= 4 doughnuts; I've never heard of a kalbi or miso ginger chicken soft taco. Check out their menu.
• Overall=4 doughnuts; I was very pleased with the Marination Mobile and I will definitely be back for more. I just wish they served the Spam musubi at my location. I hear those are only served in the Capitol Hill location. :(

Well, that's about all for that. Now I have to go run and workout a bit so I can eat more tomorrow. Hope you enjoyed the first entry! Visit often. Later.

NMOS