Taste of Aloha keeps it real

Closing out the month of May, this a final piece on Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, honoring those who paved the way for all of us to have a better life than we would’ve had in our countries of origin.

We are no longer Asian Americans; due to our ancestors’ sacrifices over the centuries, we are now known simply as Americans.

Aloha means hello, goodbye, and “I love you.” Taste of Aloha is translated into “taste of love” – and today our journey takes us to the restaurant Ohana Hawaiian Café. Ohana means family, which in the Hawaiian culture takes precedence over everything: Family comes first, even before our own individual ambitions and goals.

Ohana Hawaiian Café (Ohana Café for short) has two locations in Oregon, one in Milwaukie and the other, its flagship location on Northeast Sandy Boulevard near 63rd Avenue in Portland. I’ve often heard stories about the authenticity of Hawaiian cuisine at this restaurant, so I decided to try it.

As you enter the restaurant you’re greeted by an employee, and this was a Hawaiian – for me, just the pure genuine feeling of meeting a person from the islands is refreshing. That familiar accent that I tried to lose over the years is what truly makes us people from Hawaii stand out. Our language, which we speak freely back home, is a mixture of English and Hawaiian that someone termed “pidgin” back in the day.

Over the restaurant speakers, I heard a familiar Island sound called “Jawaiian,” which tunes Hawaiian music with a Reggae beat. The whole atmosphere just had a feel of Hawaii. In the distance, I could hear the patrons speaking our slang and lingo while carrying on with their meal.

We islanders love our food. In my experience all islanders, no matter from which part of the world, love our food and culture. Most often in Hawaii and the rest of Polynesia, food is used as a reward or celebration; it gives the village a chance to gather relatives or people you grew up with.

I looked at the menu and I found familiar favorites you’d commonly see in every restaurant in Hawaii. Dishes such as Loco Moco, Hawaiian Barbeque ribs, Kalua Pig (Hawaiian pulled pork), Hawaiian mac salad, and the rice, of course. to name a few. And I haven’t gotten to the deserts yet (such as mouthwatering Haupia (coconut flan pie).

One of the biggest favorites of Hawaiian people that’s on the menu is the Luau plate, which consists of a piece of pork wrapped in a taro leaf and roasted in an underground oven we call Imu. Luau in Hawaiian means to party, or gathering, and depending on how you use the word, to roast or cook. One of my favorites is the Loco Moco, which consists of a beef patty over rice with two eggs, over-easy, topped off by some kind of gravy. The mixture of flavors with egg yolk (what we call liquid gold) is truly tasty. It’s described as “nutty,” from the yolk and creamy from the gravy.

The Café owners were born and raised in Hawaii, which helps the authenticity of the cuisine, and have been in business since 2008. I can tell by the atmosphere that they bring Aloha to the workplace. Every employee (mostly Hawaiian people) has this air of welcoming and hospitality, giving me a feeling that I stepped back into Hawaii, when I lived there. Food will make or break a restaurant, but what is equally important is the service.

Judging by the way the employees act there’s a sense of contentment with a little twist of fun in their attitude. As I once read (credit to hotel/casino entrepreneur Steve Wynn), “The greatest resource is a human resource” when dealing with how to treat employees. As we say in Hawaii, “No Pilikia” (no worries, no problems, tomorrow is another day).

If you ever want to eat authentic Hawaiian food at decent prices stop by. You’ll get a true Hawaiian experience with your meal.

Ohana Hawaiian Café is at 6320 NE Sandy Blvd. in Portland, open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.