One of my unofficial goals for 2017 is to try new things. Go new places. Try new activities. Eat new food. Get out of my comfort zone. (Although now that I'm stating it on my blog, I suppose this goal has become somewhat official. I'm okay with that. Tell me if you want to do something new together!)
I love our neighborhood so much, and it has almost everything one needs to live life: School. Grocery stores. Restaurants. Library. Parks. Post office. Exercise studio. Friends.
As a result, I often go weeks without leaving the 'hood. This is great overall. I don't love driving places, and I love the small-town feel of our community.
But sometimes I get antsy. I need to go somewhere new! With that in mind, last week my sister, Cameron, and I jumped in the car and headed to Lohi for lunch at Ohana Island Kitchen. As I understand, it started as a food truck, then became a take-out window, and more recently has become a full-fledged brick and mortar restaurant. Although make that almost full-fledged. They don't have a dishwasher, so all their food is served in to-go containers. That is the one negative of the place.
The food, service, and vibe were all FANTASTIC. It was such a great lunch spot. Casual enough for kids but also hip enough for a date. Therefore also perfect for a lunch date WITH your kids! (Although, I'm pretty sure they didn't have highchairs. Just something to keep in mind if your child won't sit on your lap.)
We tried the spicy poke bowl and the kale side salad. The salad was delicious, but the poke bowl stood out as exceptional. Just the right amount of heat. We ordered the side salad size, and it was quite large, so definitely a good option if you're getting something else. We also got the macaroni salad, thinking it'd be for Cam, but we all really liked it. Not spicy at all, and light dressing. The pasta could have been a bit more al dente for my liking, but that's just me nitpicking.
MOST IMPORTANTLY: a manager (owner?) was there when I went in, and she was super receptive to my (constructive, hopefully) complaints about the single-use plastic situation. She encouraged me and others to BRING YOUR OWN CONTAINERS. They're happy to fill them. In the meantime, they do have a well-definitely recycling system, so at least there's that.
Try it out next time you're in Lohi and have a container with you! Healthy and delicious.