Tis Me Michelle

Love the diversity of food we have here in Greater Orlando. It’s so nice to have this kind of variety. I feel like I open every Orlando food review this way now. I am so blown away and can’t keep up with all the new spots!

Moa Kai opened up last fall, in September of 2025. It’s a Hawaiian diner created by the folks behind Poke Hana, Chi-Kin, and Side Chik. I’ve had poke bowls and mac salad, but haven’t experienced much else when it comes to Hawaiian food. I knew my one friend really loved it, and we were going to hang out, so I included it in the suggestion box, and we went for it!

The Atmosphere: It really has a diner feel, a touch fancier than a regular degular diner. My friend said it reminded her of the layout of a Waffle House, and we came to learn it was an old Firehouse Subs. So it feels very homey in that regard, and the staff is very welcoming and helpful. It was also popping on a Friday evening.

The Parking: There is a small parking lot that is shared with a yoga studio. If you don’t get in early, you may have trouble parking. I don’t know if it’s allowed, but we parked at the bank lot right across the road. If you take that lot into consideration, there’s plenty of parking.

The Food: For appetizers, we started with the Char Siu Manapua and Fish Dip. I liked the pillowyness of the buns. My friend accurately described the flavor as yeasty, and it wasn’t my favorite. To be fair, I was expecting the flavor of a Char Siu bao bun. The fish dip was a pleasant surprise. It was a mahi fish dip with fresh jalepeño & red onions with a side of plenty of, what I have to believe are, Ritz crackers. There was a nice elevated hominess about it. It’s like what I want my tuna salads to taste.

We all ordered something different, and I, of course, tried a little bit of everything. Funny enough, some of my favorite bites were the tried and true poke and mac salad part of my pick 2 mixed plate choices. Both were solid. I opted for the spicy ahi along with the kalua pork and kimchi. The kimchi was good. Nothing super special. I was a bit underwhelmed with the kalua pork. It was tender, but it wasn’t the flavor I was expecting. I mean, it could be exactly what it is meant to taste like. I just found it a bit bland.

My friends opted for some good options. One of them got the Grilled Shoyu Chicken with a side of Teriyaki Beef and Garlic Noodles. I tried a bit of the first two and enjoyed them both. I thought both were seasoned well. My friend was not as impressed with the beef, but I enjoyed it. And our other friend ordered the Kalbi Ribs, which is always a great option. The fatty beef is always so flavorful. These didn’t disappoint. I’d opt for their choices over mine, minus maybe getting a full serving of poke.

And we ended things off with dessert too, settling on both the Ube Haupia Pie and Banana Bread. My friends loved the banana bread. I appreciated that it was warm and that it came à la mode. I love a scoop of ice cream, but I never considered it with banana bread. We did request the caramel come on the side, but they forgot. I didn’t find it overly sweet, though. To be honest, I enjoy my banana bread more, so I wasn’t wowed. On the other hand, I have no idea how to make the pie, and I don’t think I’ve had it before. It was surprisingly light and not super sweet. The combination of the coconut and ube flavors worked well. Not for everyone, but I like different textures, which made it unique.

I enjoyed trying new dishes. There were a variety of options, and I’d be happy to try more dishes. My friends, who are Hawaiian food fans, were sold and considered putting it on their rotation. I would love to come back and try their brunch menu sometime.

Rating: 8/10

Address: 2217 E Colonial Dr, Orlando, FL 32803