Ohana Inn is worth the drive

For all those who sit in traffic going westbound, I commend you for your patience. Much of my family still resides in Waipahu, and heading in that direction Easter morning, I made the mistake of thinking Kamehameha Highway would be clear.

"It’s a holiday; who’s going to be driving?" I thought as I exited the freeway at Aiea for a more leisurely drive.

Wow, what a mistake that was. The Pearl City bottleneck, as the lanes narrow for rail construction, was in place, and I got sunburned while stuck in snail traffic.

Only something worthwhile like home and family would make a non-Waipahu person drive in that direction. And that also turns out to be the case for Ohana Inn Korean Market, where owner Christie Morikawa says she’s grateful to have the loyalty of Pearl City, Aiea and Waimalu customers who have been willing to make the commute to her Waipahu restaurant after she closed Jang Su BBQ in the Waimalu Plaza. They were her initial clientele when she opened Ohana Inn two years ago and continue to return for her cooking; it’s the first time the restaurateur has taken on kitchen duties rather than relying on hired hands that sometimes proved to be unreliable.

"My friend said, ‘You know how to cook, you know the taste, you should do the cooking yourself," said Morikawa, who grew up on the Korean island of Cheju Do. "Now I’m so happy," even with more work, she said.

If you live in Waipahu, it would seem all Korean food comes in a Styrofoam box. Ohana Inn breaks the fast-food cycle as a full-service restaurant with all its pleasures, including the appetizing presentation of banchan, an array of small side dishes. The basic ones pictured on the wall — seasoned cabbage, kim chee, bean sprouts, sweet marinated boiled potatoes and choi sum — are just a starting point for locals. The restaurant draws a sizable audience of Korean descent, and they’re the ones who are typically asking for the more pungent, stronger flavors of salted squid and myeolchi, or dried anchovies; both also available to-go for $5.

The familiar takeout basics are all available here in generous portions. These include kalbi ($11.95), sweet egg-battered meat jun ($9.95), spicy barbecue pork ($10.95), barbecue chicken ($8.95) and a number of combos. First-timers can try a variety with the $12.95 Ohana special of kalbi, barbecue chicken, meat jun, a single mandoo, vegetables and rice.

But the reason to visit is to expand beyond the plate-lunch repertoire. Some of the best ways to start is with the nicely crisped seafood and vegetable pancake ($13.95), packed full of crunchy green beans and carrots, diced fishcake and squid. There’s also a kim chee pancake ($11.95) if you can’t get enough of the fermented cabbage.

My favorite is the dolsot, or bibimbap served in a sizzling stone pot ($11.95). Eight kinds of vegetables and beef are beautifully layered over rice and capped with a raw egg, the ingredients stirred together at the table and left to continue cooking in the pot. Ideally, you should be enjoying other dishes while some of the rice crisps against the side of the pot before you dig in, enjoying the many textures and flavors. There is also a garlic version ($13.95), the dolsot with a handful of slices of raw garlic, barely enough for those who crave the stinky bulb.

Much of the menu comprises sharable stews and soups such as aged miso stew with tofu and vegetables ($11.95), kalbi soup with long rice and vegetables ($10.95) and chicken soup with ginseng ($16.95) if you’re feeling under the weather. The amount of spice involved is negotiable, but they typically start out mild to suit the local palate.

Pan-fried and broiled fish entrees ($13.95) round out the menu.

Nadine Kam’s restaurant reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Advertiser. Reach her at nkam@staradvertiser.com.

BITE SIZE

Kakaako Foods is a healthy option

Perhaps you tell yourself you would eat better if only there were healthier options available. Well, you’d better start making up another excuse. The juicing and natural shave ice trends will likely embolden chefs to take this newfound interest in fruit and veggies to the next level.

Kakaako Foods is a small startup making healthful choices accessible to the downtown lunch crowd.

Those in a rush can pick up grab-and-go brown rice sushi rolls (about $8.50), spinach and gluten-free buckwheat soba salad ($7.50), garlic tofu and somen salad ($7.25) and plates of organic greens with lean chicken or shiso beef with brown rice.

Owner Tomoko Moriwaki also offers matcha green-tea noodles, Kyushu-style udon and build-your-own sandwiches.

Service can be slow because Moriwaki runs the one-woman shop, so she recommends checking out the website kakaakofoods.com and ordering ahead.

Kakaako Foods is in the Remington Building, 1111 Bishop St., lower level, open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays to Fridays. Calls taken at 381-8171 between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Bite Size covers the small, the new, the unsung.