UNNI's — Restaurant in Oak Harbor

UNNI's Kitchen behind Frank’s at Midway & HWY 20. I’m so glad I finally made it to this awesome new restaurant. The best take out I have gotten in a long long time, in any city! I was driving through Oak Harbor midday but really wanted something fun to dinner to bring back to the south end, so I brought a cooler with ice packs and Unni gave me instructions for heating them up later (don’t microwave the curd & rice!).

The flavors are so mild and delicately balanced. There were a lot of vegan options, but I got the curd & rice (cooling flavors in yogurt and rice with pickle sides), delicious beef, a special vegetable stew called Sambar, and a cool Indian rice high in vitamins. It’s Southern Indian food, which is lighter and very different than the Northern Indian food at most other Indian restaurants in the US. You can mix and match small containers like this to create a healthy and easy quick to go option for the whole island. I also got a delicious unsweetened chai, but I can’t wait to go back so I can try the special...

Unni is very nice, gives good conversation, is a good cook, the food had nice flavor and well made but disappointing portion size for price and it took almost an hour to get ready, even though we were told on the phone we don't need to call in our order (as it'd be quick). Told upon entering it'd be 15 minutes before he'd start ours, but a whole 45 minutes went by past that before I left.

The pricing is almost double what it should be, and what we see elsewhere. $15 for a little snack-sized pot of curry that doesn't come with any rice. $5-6 per flatbread as shown.

We ended up spending $43 without tip, without drink, for 2 average-appetite people and we are both hungry afterwards. Oh and we had to make our own rice at home...to be full we'd have to spend $30 - $35 per person.

Also the gluten free flatbread wasn't marked so we didn't know which my wife could eat.

Also warning! "Mild" on the spice is actually more like spicy /medium. Overall quite disappointed and wishing we would have not bothered. But, alas,...

First of all, the food was delicious, and just as important, it was legitimately healthy from the first bite to the last. We ordered some vegetarian dishes and watched as Chef Unni prepped them in front of us while taking the time to explain each item. He was incredibly friendly and genuine with us. Sometimes, you meet someone who you can tell is just a good person through and through. His two small kids were there (he's a single dad), and it felt good to see the grace he showed in settling their disputes. There is a lot of love in this small space, and it seems to work its way into the food. Manu is offering something you won't find in other restaurants, and it is more than a unique, delicious, and healthy meal. We will be back, and we will be telling others about it. Chef Unni is also a US Navy veteran. You will feel good about supporting him, his small family, and his...