Small Business Spotlight: Ono Hawaiian Plates
Monday, July 17, 2023 at 3:34AMArticle by Becky Fillinger, photos provided
If Major League Baseball teams have given their (unofficial) seal of approval to Ono Hawaiian Plates, maybe it’s time for you to drop by the North Loop restaurant for a plate of goodness. We talked to co-owner Jess Kelley about the delicious offerings, and to hear her suggestions for those new to Hawaiian cuisine.
Q: “Ono” means delicious in the Hawaiian language. You’ve proved your concept many times over. What makes your food so sumptuous?
A: I think it's because of the mana. We cook with heart and purpose. These dishes we serve are ones we grew up eating. This is local Hawaiian comfort food, food that our mom and grandma used to make.
Q: For a newcomer to your business, what dishes should we try to get the true nature of the Hawaiian culinary aloha?
A: I think if I could pick four dishes for a newcomer to try, it would be: Luau Bowl, Loco Moco, Garlic Shrimp & Kalbi Shortribs and Katsu & Hawaiian BBQ Chicken. Or, you can start at the top of the menu and work your way down the next time you come in!
Loco Moco
Garlic Shrimp
Chicken Katsu
SPAM Mususbi
Q: What are the most popular dishes on the menu?
A: Our Chicken Katsu & Hawaiian BBQ Chicken, Kahuku Garlic Shrimp & Kalbi Short Ribs, Loco Moco and our Ahi Poke bowls and SPAM Mususbi. A newcomer is our Sesame Chicken Bowl that we can't keep in stock due to the demand, haha!
Q: What a great problem to have – too much demand. It’s not just local residents who love your food - Major League Baseball teams crave it, too. Your website features foods ordered by the Yankees, Nationals and Astros. How did you become, and stay, so popular with the Twins and visiting teams? Are you also catering for the St. Paul Saints?
A: So, we started catering food for the St. Paul Saints when a friend of ours was their starting shortstop. He has ties to Hawaii and we would bring food for him. The rest of the team took interest, and then we started bringing food for the whole team and press box from time to time. We officially got on the St. Paul Saints catering roster the next season.
We opened our North Loop location in December, 2019 and being in such close proximity to Target Field, we started catering for the visiting MLB teams. The MN Twins saw the food we were bringing and also took interest. Soon we were catering for both the MN Twins and their opponents. So far, we have catered for:
Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Guardians, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, MN Twins, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays. Most of these teams - multiple times.
Q: How may we stay current on your news, pop up events, etc.?
A: All of our events are posted on our social media. You can follow us on Instagram, Facebook and at onohawaiianplates on TikTok. We also keep our website updated with our current goings-on. Come visit us at the North Loop Galley in the The Nordic, 729 Washington Avenue N.
