Family business offers Hawaiian-style dishes

In the Islands, Ohana means family, and owner Charlie Bunker and his family want to bring a taste of Hawaii to Sisters with the opening of Ohana, his new Hawaiian-style plate lunch takeout counter.

Situated beside Sisters Market, that spirit of aloha is evident from the savory smells wafting from the kitchen and the smiles of happy customers digging into their Polynesian meals.

Bunker has owned Sisters Market for the past two years, and was trying to think of something original to occupy the space vacated by Orient Express, who had been part of the market for over 10 years. The chefs with Orient Express recently relocated to Bend, opening up a prime spot for a new dining experience.

"We already had too many hamburger and pizza joints in town so I was trying to come up with an alternative," said Bunker. "My sister lives in Hawaii and I lived on plate lunches like this when I went to visit her. I wanted something fresh and healthy and reasonably priced. Protein and carbohydrates - made up hot every day."

Ohana features the traditional plate lunch with either white rice or noodles and potato salad, with a choice of two meats: Hawaiian chicken teriyaki, Kalua pulled pork or sliced Kalua tri-tip. Meats can be ordered plain or in sandwich form, complemented by Hawaiian Sun tropical fruit sodas and kettle-style aloha chips.

"I really enjoy cooking and am pleased to bring this food to Sisters," Bunker said. "I want to keep it simple and that's the beauty of it. We've been selling out every day."

Ohana is still tinkering with the menu and is planning on adding some side sauces flavored with pineapple juice, garlic and ginger.

"My daughters, Darby and Tierra, really like it out here and work right alongside me. They totally take a huge interest in the business," said Bunker. "I listen closely to people's comments and welcome suggestions on how we can make Ohana the best it can be. We've already had a lot of Hawaiian folks come in and said they loved it."