Aloha Cafe is just over half a year old, but the Pacific Island themed restaurant has already seen ample support from the Blaine community.
Drisana Horton is a Pacific Islander and her husband John Horton is Korean, so they blended their two cultures into their cafe at 684 Peace Portal Drive.
“We opened this up because we felt like Blaine needed diversity,” Drisana said. “We created the menu with all the things my family loves.”
Drisana was born in San Diego after her parents moved from the Philippines. The Hortons started their family in San Diego before moving to Birch Bay in 2015.
The Hortons have owned Super Duper Teriyaki in Bellingham for four years. Restaurant ownership brought Drisana into the restaurant business for the first time after she’d mainly been focused on raising her eight children.
“I was a stay at home mom for 19 years,” Drisana said. “I love kids. I love my family.”
Drisana’s new family, the Blaine community, has welcomed the new restaurant with open arms.
“Everybody loves it,” Drisana said. “They love that the waffles are gluten free, and that it’s different.”
The waffles are made from mochi, a Japanese rice cake, and are made without gluten, dairy or eggs.
“It’s crispy on the outside, but chewy on the inside,” Drisana said.
Along with the waffles, which come with a variety of toppings, the cafe also serves Hawaiian shave ice, boba, bingsu (Korean snow ice), lattes and teas. The cafe stays open until the evenings because Drisana wants it to be accessible for kids getting out of school.
“I have kids that age and there’s not much for them to do here,” Drisana said. “It’s a place to hang out. I have a bunch of games.”
Drisana envisions putting together a Pacific Islander festival to continue her goal of bringing her culture and diversity to Blaine.
As for Aloha Cafe, she wants locals who haven’t visited yet to experience the atmosphere.
“It’s a low-key, laid back feel that’s uplifting,” Drisana said. “I hope whoever walks in here comes out feeling good.”
Restaurant recommendation: Drisana recommends readers try the #1, which is a classic mochi waffle with strawberries, banana and Nutella. For a drink, she recommends the pineapple cloud or pineapple sunset.
This article is part of a series in The Northern Light highlighting Blaine and Birch Bay restaurants.
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