Stepping into the Ono Pinay Kitchen, enticing aromas fill the air. The menu consists of some local Hawaiian and Filipino favorites. 

Ono Pinay Kitchen opened its doors to Olde Towne Bellevue on January 12, 2019, after being urged by friends and community support to expand. While their menu is only weekly consistent, with the specials shifting daily, they still have a trend of Turo-Turo Tuesday, WikiWiki Wednesday, Tayo Na Thursday, and Aloha Friday. During Tuesday’s lunch hours and Friday’s dinner hours, an-all-you-can-eat buffet is in action, where fresh food is made the day of, and served with amiable smiles. 

“So a friend of mine, who used to be a senator, Carol Blood, she helped me out trying to do my business plan,” Maria Villegas, owner of OPK, said, “and finding a location which is the best.”

But food isn’t the only thing OPK has to offer, as they also provide Hula lessons at the La Vista Community Center, and live music from Deven & Jacob, the Coconuts, and the Kukui Nuts. When it comes to interacting with the community, you could find OPK in the One Community Cultural Festival, The Vegan Nurses Association (VNA,) and NebrasKon, all this year.

“But, we are going to be at the anime convention, the NebrasKon, on August 18, 19, and 20,” Villegas said. “We still do the VNA, which is the Vegan Nurses Association, where we donate soup for like, 2000 people.”

While this restaurant is not as publicly known to the students of Bellevue East High School, as a fast-food chain would be, like Dairy Queen or McDonald’s. There are still many students who can vouch for OPK’s authentic and eccentric cuisine, like seniors Carlos Gill, and Kyleigh Dearth.

“It was all delicious,” senior Carlos Gil said. “I was nervous at first to try everything, but then I tried a little bit of everything and immediately fell in love with it. If I lived closer to the school and there, I would go there every single day.”

While some places like to have a natural ambience, others could usually play an automated playlist. A personal touch is expressed when an owner chooses what they fill the natural silence with, as well as their staff. 

 “The establishment was very friendly, there was good music, there was enough space for people to eat and not overhear each other’s conversation,” Gil said.

Not only is OPK reported to have friendly staff, but also an amiable owner, Villegas. The beginnings of the restaurant were quite humble, starting as a pop-up at the farmer’s market before becoming an establishment.

“Somebody actually asked me if I could do a restaurant,” Villegas said. “So I did a pop-up first, to try out whether this is something I wanted to do for the rest of my life, or for the duration of the time I’m going to work. I tried it out, it was fun. So I decided to have our own storefront, and it seems to be working.”

Even with the location being in the heart of Bellevue, traction is the one aspect this restaurant seems to struggle with.

“If you want to be rich, restaurant business is not it because it’s a hit or miss,” Villegas said. “Recently, I think a week ago, someone shared our restaurant in a TikTok, and everyone’s been coming in, so they’ve heard and they’ve been here for, like, ten years in Bellevue. So that’s why I say hit or miss.” 

Gill and Dearth have recommendations for first time customers. Dearth said his favorite dish would have to be the Lumpia as he liked how easy they are to eat. They’re similar to mini egg rolls, and they taste pretty good. 

“My favorite dish would have to be their chicken adobo, it was really good, it was really tender and juicy, it was all around a good plate of food,” said Gil. “It kept making me want to go back and get more.”

There are picky eaters out there that might struggle to find enjoyable food. Gil has a few tips for them.  

“If you’re a picky eater and you just want to give it a try, they’re all really good choices because I don’t think there was anything bad there, the plates were all really good, it was all really well made,” Gil said. 

Dearth also recommends the guava cake. Initially, she didn’t think she’d like the treat too much, but because of the balanced sweetness, she ended up finishing the whole thing. The pink color and syrup was also very interesting, Dearth noted. 

“If I had to pick just one item, it would be the guava cake they had during the buffet dinner hour,” Gil said. “Sadly, I do wish the portions on that cake were a little bigger because I inhaled it, so it’s a really good beginner baked treat.”

When it comes to the interactions OPK has with the community, we aren’t only speaking about the people, but also the environment in general. However, OPK has found ways to combat food waste with a technique that’s as simple as time. 

“We don’t waste food,” Villegas said. “Even though our menu changes everyday, whatever leftovers we have we give it away to the neighbors, Dairy Queen, whoever wants to eat.” 

The coronavirus pandemic took a hard toll on many small businesses. OPK was not an exception.

“During COVID, this lady used to come in, buy food for the entire neighborhood, just so I could stay open,” Villegas said. 

For the next four upcoming years OPK’s mission is to expand on their delivery service connections online, as the only methods available are dine in or pickup orders. Villegas said she is hoping to offer delivery in the future but is still unsure.

“I’ve seen how delivery is,” Villegas said. “What if my egg rolls, my lumpia, don’t get there on time? It’s going to be sad, and they’re going to write a review. This is why we currently decline all deliveries.”

 Ideas for further development continues on to the selection of baked goods, the very concept OPK gained popularity within the vendors market. Some of the treats in question are made personally by Villegas’s daughters, with the guidance from Villegas herself. The guava cake, for example, was an intrapersonal treat.

“I’m hoping to do more of our bakery because we started with all our bread and stuff,” Villegas said. “I’ve had to give it up for now because it’s just too much work with the farmers market and restaurant together.” 

All in all, Ono Pinay’s Kitchen will continue to serve and support the community of Bellevue, with the help of friendly staff, family, and customers. Their expansion is still in the works, and with the encouragement of East, and the local community, we may see it come to life. 

“I appreciate the community,” Villegas said. “I mean, Bellevue is such a wonderful place. I don’t live here, but it seems like this is my second home. Even though sometimes business is slow, I appreciate the people who come in on a daily basis.”