2-Minute Review: Ohana

It's like Nakato, but don't get carried away with the comparison.

THE PLACE: This free-standing joint is pretty swanky on the inside. The mostly dark, modern décor is accented with random punches of bright color, like in the multi-hued blood-cell shaped lights that hang from the ceiling in the entry. There are deep red walls with cutouts holding vases that look vaguely like chess pieces. The bar at Ohana (310 W. Battlefield Rd.) is dark and intimate, while the dining room is more a flurry of activity, with lively chefs preparing meals around wide hibachi grills like the ones you’ve probably seen at Nakato.

THE MENU: This is a hibachi joint, so much of the menu consists of protein choices and combinations for the grill. At lunch, the hibachi menu is $5.95 (for veggies and tofu) to $10.95 (for combos with shrimp, calamari, scallops and salmon). At dinner, the range is $13.95 to $37.95 with some fancier options, such as lobster and filet mignon. There is also a variety of appetizers, salads and clever sushi rolls. (And there’s the odd side dish of lobster for $15. What?)

THE FOOD: GO art director Kari Engel and I both opted for seafood hibachi choices. She got tilapia, and I tried the calamari. Serving sizes are generous. You get rice, noodles and crisp grilled veggies with your meal. I definitely got enough food for two people and wound up taking a lot of it home. It helps to like sweet food here because much of what goes onto the grill comes off of it with a sweet teriyaki (or teriyaki-ish) sauce. The calamari was perfectly cooked and tender and lovely, but my favorite part was the shrimp appetizer they gave everyone. It had some barely crunchy, extra-garlicky, buttery topping.

THE SCORE: I’m a fan. Kari liked it, I think, because this was her third visit. There are eight seats per grill, so you’re always eating with a group. We liked our chef, too. He was named J.J., and he was a young funky fella with bleach blond hair who did clever things with eggs and fire on the grill. Don’t compare Ohana too much to Nakato. Similar concept, but different feel. One doesn’t replace the other. I give it an A, and you should give it a try.