Ono Hawaiian Plates brings island cuisine to United Noodles, and more restaurant news

Get ready for Kalbi ribs, proper poke and Kalua pork as Minneapolis' favorite Hawaiian-style quick-serve restaurant expands this week with a location inside United Noodles. Ono Hawaiian Plates Central is now open at 2015 E. 24th St.

Warren Seta and Jess Kelley opened the first Ono inside the North Loop Galley food hall in late 2019, and it has remained an anchor tenant.

The restaurant began as a small pop-up, with Seta cooking up flavors from Hawaii, where he remembered tasting his first plate of the famous cafeteria-style meals alongside his grandfather when he was just a little kid. The comforting fare soon drew in fans who were similarly dreaming of tropical days and dishes.

Hours at Ono Hawaiian Plates Central will be from 4 to 8 p.m. through Jan. 19. A grand opening celebration will be held Jan. 20 at 11:15 a.m., followed by its first lunch service and Hawaiian music. Regular hours will be 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, with both dine-in and takeout available.

Gia from chefs Jo Seddon and Lisa Wengler will open Feb. 6, just in time for Valentine's Day reservations. The restaurant (5555 Xerxes Av. S., Mpls., giampls.com) will be open for dinner Tuesdays through Sunday starting at 4 p.m. with an aperitivo.

The fresh, seasonal fare is inspired by dishes the chefs had in their travels through Italy and the south of France. Seddon, a doctor-turned-chef originally from London, began Gia as a seasonal pop-up. It had a residence at Winery at Sovereign Estate on Lake Waconia, but now Gia has a permanent home in the former Cave Vin, which closed last fall.

Manila Sizzling Plate has announced plans to open inside Burnsville Center. The Filipino eatery was last seen on University Avenue in St. Paul, where it operated as Manila Sizzling Wok & Grill. Owners Rowan and Laydelyn Gutierrez shuttered the restaurant in October of last year, on the eve of its fourth anniversary.

The new location is taking shape inside the mall's food court. Expect to find popular dishes like pork sisig, the juicy, chopped bits of meat; lumpia, stuffed with goodies inside a thin and crisp wrapper; and lechon, the succulent pork with crispy skin.

Look for an opening before spring of this year.

Surly Pizza Upstairs had grand plans for a sandwich pop-up four years ago. According to an Instagram post, the team had just returned from an eating adventure in Philly and New York City and were eager to host an event filled with all the good stuff that can be tucked inside a hoagie loaf. The date planned? March 2020. In their words, "So, yeah."

The idea went dormant until now. On Jan. 26, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Surly Pizza Upstairs is hosting Proof, a hoagie pop-up. The bread is coming courtesy of Evan Vranian, known for those sesame seed-crusted loaves he makes for Mario's in St. Paul. Follow Surly Brewing on Instagram for more details and the menu, which drops Jan. 24. Surly is at 520 Malcolm Av. SE., Mpls., surlybrewing.com.

Spice up your week with Raag Progressive Indian Cuisine's first chef collaboration dinner of the year on Jan. 18 at 5 p.m. with chef Roshni Gurnani, known to fans of reality cooking shows as Chef Rosh.

The tasting menu will feature both meat and meatless dishes, with craft cocktails, wine and N/A options. Tickets are $129 each and are available on Resy. Raag, a fine-dining Indian restaurant, is at 3812 W. 50th St., Mpls., raagindiancuisine.com.