About Us
About Us
As long as you're not afraid of meeting new people, a man with a big knife, or flying shrimp, the chefs of Ohana Steakhouse will serve up one of the most entertaining dinners in Des Moines.
Ohana features teppanyaki style dining, a Japanese term meaning: teppan-griddle, and yaki-fry or cook. The translation is quite literal as all guests' dinners are cooked right in front of them on a grill built into the table set for ten.
Dinner begins with Japanese clear soup and a salad with a delicious Italian cream or ginger dressing. Things get lively when your table's chef appears. Regulars often request their favorite chef, but they are all very talented says Owner Cy Gushiken, who is a chef himself. Cy & Tami Gushiken have been the owners since 1996. Cy is from Hilo, Hawaii; currently lives 15 minutes west of Des Moines & has been here for over 20 years.
After the soup and salad the chef gets busy on the table-grill with the teppanyaki shrimp appetizers, mixed vegetables and fried rice. Here come the "don't try this at home" tricks as your choice from a diverse selection of entrees is cooked to order at the table. Top dinner off with a choice selection of specialty drinks.
Our Chefs
FAQs
How long does dinner take?
Anticipate 1 hour – 1.5 hours
Do you accept reservations?
Yes, we accept reservations up to 3 months in advance. Just call us at 515-225-3325 and one of our hosts can set it up.
How far in advance should we call for reservations?
We suggest 5-7 days for a prime time (6:00 pm to 8:00 pm)
I don’t have a reservation can we still dine at Ohana?
Yes, we do accept walk-ins. Walk-ins are quoted a time based on 1st come 1st serve. Wait times will range between 10 min to 1.5 hours based on the evening. We realize most restaurants in Des Moines do not accept traditional reservations and the public is not accustomed to calling a week in advance.
Can we call ahead and put our name on a list?
We do not do call ahead seating. The wait times we quote are estimated for the longest time you will wait. In order to keep our chefs cooking on time we only seat parties when your group is complete.
How many people fit around a table?
Ten
Can we request the guy in the commercial?
Yes. The guy you see is Cy Gushiken. Cy is the owner and he cooks 4 nights a week. Cy is a popular chef and has many loyal customers. If you would like to request him, please call ahead.
Do you serve Sushi?
We serve California Rolls on Friday/Saturday only. As sushi needs to be fresh and served almost immediately, we prepare a limited quantity. Come early to enjoy.
Can I call and place an order to go?
We do not do “carry-out/to-go” dinners.
We have 13 people and some of our group are children, can we still sit on one table?
We apologize but our tables seat 10 people. We do have a couple of tables that have a little extra space where we could fit a tight 12. If you would still like to make a reservation for only 12 people, a credit card will have to be placed on file. If you make a reservation for 12 people and should come in with less with no prior notification there will be a $15 per person fee attached to the meal for any missing people.
I have a group large enough to take up more than one table. Can I reserve 2 (or more) tables?
We apologize but we do not take parties/groups that exceed more than one table. Unless a table that can accommodate 12 people is still available for that evening, the most we can take would be a group of 10.
Can I make separate reservations to get my entire group in?
We kindly request that you limit your group size to 10. Because we schedule one table every 15 minutes, your reservations will not be at the same time and there is a great chance that you will not be near each other or in the same dining room. Our business depends greatly on coordination, we have to proceed with flow of business as it is scheduled so we can properly attend to all customers for the evening. Holding groups or tables prevent us from accomplishing our best possible service to all patrons.
Can we request a chef?
You can, but please understand that we can not guarantee the chef you requested will make it to your group. Though we try our hardest, many obstacles make it difficult for everyone to get the chef they request.
We have dined at Ohana and did not like the chef. Can we request not to have him again?
Yes, all “anti” requests are guaranteed. We do apologize for a poor performance on our part. We do recognize personality compatibility is a strong part of your experience at Ohana. We strive to match the right chef with the right group. We are sorry when we fall short of your expectations. Please give us another chance to find the match for you.
Do we have to sit with other people?
Yes, we do try to fill our tables as close to 10 people as possible. It is your choice whether or not to talk with them. However, people have been surprised to sit with people whom they have not seen in months or years.
