Hula's Modern Tiki

 Do you remember the time, when you were able to enjoy food and drink at a Tiki bar?  You know, back in the 1960's?  Neither do I.  But Hula's Modern Tiki has it covered if you are looking for that atmosphere. It is located on Central and Camelback in a uniquely shaped building recently renovated into this modern tiki bar.  One of the great things we noticed was that we were given the choice of sitting in the dining room or out on the patio.  Out on the patio you will be close to the hustle and bustle of the street and watch the light rail go by.  In the dining room it is not that much different as they have these large glass garage doors that open out onto the patio.  As the weather was beautiful, these doors were propped open the entire time we were there.  After ordering our Coke's, the first appetizer that caught my eye was the Abalone Style Calamari.  Abalone stye we found out, means they take the large bell part of the squid and cut it into large strips.  These strips are then lightly battered and deep fried.  It is then topped with a lime-ginger cream sauce and a soy glaze. 
I was really impressed with how tender and meaty the large pieces of squid were.  The sauce and the glaze made it a tasty calamari.  When you took a bite of it with the salsa too, it changed from a Polynesian flavor to a southwestern fusion.
Patti was drawn to the Crispy Coconut Shrimp Rolls with pineapple-horseradish dipping sauce.  Her thinking was you can't go wrong when coconut and pineapple are involved.  I actually thought the pineapple sauce was too sweet for my liking.  This is an excellent twist on the traditional egg roll. Most egg rolls I've had are mostly filled with vegetables.  This modern twist was a crispy shell mostly filled with seafood.

Patti's entree was Cocojoe's chicken plate.  More coconut on the lightly battered chicken breast which was topped with lilikoi sauce.  This sweet sauce contrasted with the black beans and rice on the side to make a tasty balance.  But as Patti has quite the sweet tooth, she also opted to dip bites of the chicken in some of the shrimp rolls' pineapple sauce to make a flavorful burst of tropical goodness.  The chicken was tender and still juicy and the large portion made for a nice left over meal.  You can't  go wrong with fried plantains.  These were lightly pan seared and still firm when you bite into them.
 My entree was the Jawaiian Jerk Pork Plate.  Jawaiian is not a word that I would use, but I am sure it is a combination of "Jamaican" and "Hawaiian".  Those who are familiar with jerk pork would recognize the jerk flavoring has a spicy kick but still keeps the pork juicy.  The Hawaiian fusion is the sweet fruity flavors that accompanied this dish.  The white rice that is topped with a mango salsa, will help curb the kick from the pork.  You also get two jamaican johnny cakes on the plate.  The best way to describe these are a heavy bread similar to but heavier than southern corn bread.  It also helped curb some of the spice from the jerk pork.  Anybody who uses fried plantain as a side vegetables is good in my book.
 As it was the weekend before Halloween, many of the patrons were arriving in costume and we had the perfect spot to view them entering.  Since Patti wasn't finished people watching by the time we were done with our entrees,  we naturally decided to order dessert.  The one dessert that we found to be different was the Hula sundae.  This is macadamia nut ice cream drizzled with chocolate and caramel sauce then topped with more chopped macadamias and toasted coconut.  The ice cream tasted as a fresh vanilla with a generous mixture of chopped macadamia nuts throughout it.  The toasted coconut was a nice touch for a topping and of course I couldn't resist playing with the little umbrella that garnished it.
This is a fun place to hang out and people watch down town.  And if you haven't tried jerked pork, try it now.

Cooperstown

 This week I finally found a restaurant where my eyes were bigger than my stomach.  Cooperstown is located in downtown Phoenix at 1st Street and Jackson.  This establishment comes from Alice Cooper who has created an atmosphere of extreme rock and roll memorabilia mixed with a sorts of sports memorabilia.  This makes a great place to get a drink and/or eat downtown before going to a game at Chase Field or US Airways center.  So if you do plan on coming here be prepared for crowds if it is a game day and come early enough to get a seat.
We did not come on a game so we were seated quickly and ordered our usual Coke products.  The size of soda was extremely large which makes it handy so you don't have to keep asking for refills.  While still uncertain about our entrees, we decided to start off with "Sparky's BBQ sliders".  The combination of sliders included two barbecue beef, two barbecued pulled pork and two barbecued chicken.
 These had a mild, sweet BBQ sauce with the beef being the most moist while the chicken being the driest meat of the three.  The buns were super soft and just melted into the barbecue meat.
Patti was feeling fat and felt the need to try a healthier option than she has had for the past few months.  She went with the "Bruce Lee" Asian Chicken Salad.  This is a typical Asian Chicken salad with mandarin oranges, a sesame ginger dressing and crispy rice noodles mixed with lettuce and grilled chicken.  The portion size was large enough for left overs.  The chicken was not as dry as the sliders but didn't quite melt in her mouth either.  The chef was reasonable when mixing the dressing thoroughly and was able to leave the lettuce flavorful but not drenched and dripping.  And yes, before you comment on the irony, Patti does realize that it is contradictory to have three barbecue sliders before having a healthy salad.

I, of course, was under no illusion of trying to eat healthy tonight.  So I decided to take on what is known as the "Big Unit".  Not just the typical "Big Unit" but the " Adam Richman's Bases Loaded Big Unit".  For those of you who don't know who Adam Richman is, let me fill you in.  Adam is a TV personality on the Travel Channel and known to be more stomach than man.  When it comes out of the kitchen, the staff ring a large cow bell and announce to everyone in the restaurant that the "Big Unit" is on its way. This entree consists of the "Big Unit" which is a full pound, 22 inches of Vienna Beef hot dog on a baguette roll and then loaded with "nightmare chili", bacon, cheese sauce, sauerkraut, jalapenos, diced tomatoes, diced onions, sweet relish and shredded cheddar.  And on the side it is served with a bunch of crispy french fries.
 Even with the large big mouth that I am, I had a difficult time shoving this into my mouth.  The hot dog alone is at least 1 1/2 inches in diameter.  With all the flavors that are loaded on top, some bites overpower others.  One bite you find is more like a chili cheese dog but the next bite might be more Polish sausage with onions and sauerkraut, while another bite might be full southwestern with jalapenos and tomatoes.  Plan on getting messy while eating this hot dog.  This takes two hands and should not be ordered if you are trying to impress a "first date".  I was able to polish off 7/8ths of this behemoth and enjoyed the flavors as well as the fun.  This is an excellent place to bring friends especially if they enjoy sports and rock-n-roll.  And if you have never tried a 22 inch Big Unit, try it now!

The House at Secret Garden

 Sticking with fun and adventure, I needed to try a restaurant that had something I had not tried before.  It is getting harder and harder and my list of untried foods is getting shorter and shorter.  But here at "The House at Secret Garden" I found a very intriguing menu.  For a bit of historic charm, the house was built in 1929 at 24th Street and Baseline and only had three owners.  One of which made it a hippie commune and hosted "woodstock"-like music festivals.  But now it has been turned into an upscale restaurant worthy of any special occasion.  Our special occasion was the 41st week of Fun Frank Friday.  It is a well known fact that the fresher the ingredients the richer the flavor of any meal.  All of the food on the menu is either grown on site or purchased from local farmers or vendors.  This greatly influences the menu due to changing seasons and availability of certain food options.
I was intrigued by the menu option for appetizer called "Roasted Bone Marrow Luge".  This is a large bone, sliced in half with the marrow exposed, seasoned and roasted.  For those who have never tried bone marrow, the best way to describe it is a piece of fat that so gentle it melts in your mouth.  Upon the plate is also toasted bread and an apricot-cherry mostarda with a side of seasoned arugula and radish salad.  To get the full flavor and texture effect, I took a small fork, pulled the marrow from the bone placed it on the bread and then with a small spread of the mostarda, I placed it in my mouth.  The contrasts danced on my taste buds like nothing before.  This should be near the top of your list for a must try experience.  Each of these ingredients can also be eaten alone but I highly recommend eating the salad to cleanse your palate between bites which then allows you to experience the flavors enhanced.

Our second option for an appetizer was the "Pork “Tender Belly” Bacon".  This is Seared Pork Belly topped with almonds, portabella mushroom pieces and dried figs.  This is then served with a small dollop of Rainbow Valley Maple Mascarpone and mint on the side.  Gastrique is almost like a drizzle of carmel on the plate which adds a slight sweet flavor.  There is an old expression of living "high on the hog" which means that only the rich were able to afford the top cuts of the pig.  These would leave the lower cuts and pork belly for the poor.  But when a pork belly is prepared in this manner, you feel as if you are living high on the hog.  The best way to describe it is a melty bacon goodness and how can you go wrong with bacon.

The evening's menu also include a tasting option for people like Patti who have a more difficult time choosing.  For a fixed price you can choose one of two appetizers, one of two entrees and a dessert.  Patti chose the Grilled Calamari Semi Salad which included slices of shaved Zucchini topped with grilled but not breaded calamari, red onion and a spiced lemon herb dressing.  On the side were small pickled Shitake mushrooms with a sliver of red onion and cilantro batons next to a dollop of Corno di Toro Jam.  Beautiful grilled flavor with excellent texture but be prepared that this one has quite a kick to it.  Our server warned us that the jam was spicy but there was more kick coming from the lemon dressing than from the jam.

For the entree, I chose "Hand Made Pappardelle"  which included wild boar sausage, cherry tomatoes, grilled corn, Pecorino cheese, caramelized onions, garden basil and pork demi sauce all over the pappardelle pasta.  This is the perfect example of fresh ingredients making a perfect dish.  Even the corn tasted as if it had been harvested off the cob just prior to my arrival.  The large noodles were obviously hand made with care.  The wild boar sausage with a strong Italian influence in the seasonings was paired well with the smooth mild noodle pasta.  Don't be scared of the name of "wild boar", this sausage would be something you would enjoy even on your pizza.

Patti opted for the "Hand Made Potato Gnocchi".  This small gnocchi was served in a sauce consisting of Rainbow Valley Mascarpone Cream, Portabella mushroom pieces, diced zucchini, and seasoned with thyme and squash blossoms.  I kept trying to get more bites of this dish but Patti kept threatening me that if I touched her gnocchi she would put a fork in me!  The gnocchi was a soft potato ball but the cream sauce was smooth and surprisingly sweet.  The mushrooms and zucchini provided an interesting contrast to the potato without taking away any flavor from the cream sauce.  This is definitely worth ordering again...and again.

Patti's dessert choice from the tasting menu was the bread pudding.  This is a dried berry bread pudding made with tart cherry, cranberries, raisins, bananas & almonds.  This was then topped with Crow’s Dairy Goat Milk Pecan Gelato and accented with Bourbon Maple Anglaise on the side.  The bread pudding itself tasted very much like fresh homemade banana bread with a contrast of tart berries inside.  The gelato reminded her of homemade ice cream with a sweet creamy flavor that balanced well with the bread.  The anglaise on the side really didn't add much for the flavor as the bread and gelato was all that was needed.  Lucky for her, I can't have anything with raisins so couldn't even try a single taste.
 Not wanting to be left out when it comes to dessert, I ordered the "House Cannolis".  These were traditional Italian cannolis filled with Chocolate ganache and cream cheese frosting.  It sat upon a garnish glaze of Balsamic vinegar reduction and garden basil.  It was accompanied by strawberries with chocolate ganache, cookies and biscotti.  The biscotti was fresh and unlike the kind I have had in the past which could break a tooth, these were light and easy to eat.  The cookies I also expected to be hard but they were surprisingly flaky.  And how can you go wrong when you put chocolate ganache inside of sliced strawberry?  But the true surprising flavor and texture came from the cannolis.  The pastry was tender and flaky with a strong rich chocolate sweetness.   Imagine my surprise when I realized the tart of the balsamic vinegar paired so well with this sweet richness.

Don't let this restaurant stay a secret.  You should come visit and tell your friends there is fine dining outside of Scottsdale.  And if you haven't tried roasted bone marrow, try it now.

Pan Asia

 For this Fun Frank Friday adventure, we take you to one of our favorite restaurants here in South Phoenix area.  Located at 24th Street and Baseline is Pan Asia.  We've been coming here for at least 5 years.  This is an Asian fusion restaurant which means the menu includes a combination of different Asian entrees from Chinese to Japanese.  We have found that our most favorite is the Pan Asian New York combo.  This consists of black pepper tuna tataki served in a martini glass with mango surrounded by the Pan Asia fire starter roll (spicy tuna topped with tuna and a spicy chef special ponzu garlic wasabi sauce) on the bottom.  They are telling the truth on the "fire starter" roll, it will set a blaze your mouth.  So make sure you have a full drink on hand before you pop any of it in.  The good news is the smooth smoky tuna tataki and the sweet mango help cool the fire down.

 We each decided that on this visit, we would order a salad.  Patti chose the seaweed salad, which has a slight crunch and a nutty sesame flavor to it.   It is quite enjoyable for even a novice to try.  I on the other hand decided to go with the Octopus salad.  This salad had octopus that was quite tender which was excellent because if they had overcooked it, octopus is too chewy to enjoy.

 One of Patti's favorite sushi rolls is the Lisa Lisa Crunchy roll.  This roll consists of shrimp tempura, avocado, cream cheese inside sushi rice and topped with tempura flakes for crunch on the outside then sprinkled with scallions.  The biggest selling point however are the three sauces on top.  A yellow one that gives a bit of spice flavor, a brown eel sauce which is a sweet soy flavor and the piece d'resistance is the red one which has a sweet berry flavor.  Note to all you non-sushi eaters, there is no raw fish on this roll at all.  This roll is one of perfect explanations of Asian cuisine.  The belief of balance between yin and yang is interpreted to mean that for every crunch there is a smooth, for every sweet there is a sour and for every bland there is a spice.  With these combinations, it makes the Lisa Lisa an excellent roll to try.

Since I am a big sushi fan, I can't just order one roll.  I must have at least two or five or however many I can eat without breaking the budget.  These three rolls are (clockwise starting top left) the dragon roll, the grand canyon roll and the rock and roll #2.  The dragon roll consists of shrimp tempura and cucumber inside the rice then topped with eel and avocado.  It is then drizzled with eel sauce and sesame seeds.  The Grand Canyon roll consists of a traditional california roll (crab, cucumber and avocado inside rice) but then topped with a baked crab mix, scallops, mushroom.  This warm mixture on top is then itself topped with eel sauce, masago (flying fish eggs) and green onions.  We always like to finish off with the Rock and Roll #2 roll because of the cool cucumber it uses.  This roll included tempura shrimp with mix crab and a tiny bit of rice.  This is all wrapped in thinly sliced cucumber rather than the traditional sea weed wrap.  And of course topped with special eel sauce.

To broaden our horizons and for the enjoyment of Fun Frank Friday readers, we also opted to venture off the sushi menu and order from the Chinese side.  So for starters we ordered the chicken pot stickers.  These were pan fried with a slight crunch.  The inside meat was well seasoned which paired nicely with the dipping sauce.
 Our next order was the Pan Asia salt and pepper calamari.  These just melted in your mouth!  The calamari was so tender and the tempura coating was so buttery that it was a tiny bit addicting.

Patti ordered from the "Chef's recommendations"  the chicken tempura with plum sauce.  Two large tempura fried chicken breasts but still juicy inside and then covered in a delicious sweet plum sauce.  This entree comes with plenty to share and served with a side of fried rice and broccoli.




I, of course, am more open to a little adventure so I ordered something new to me. The Sizzling Seafood Open Omlette caught my eye.  This consists of cooked shrimp, scallops, calamari, crab and white fish mixed with sweet peas and served over fried eggs.  It comes to the table sizzling on a hot plate.  This seafood medley is an ingenious combination that I would have never thought to add a fried egg to.  However the end result was so delicious that I am surprised I hadn't seen it before.


You are probably asking yourself, how in the world were we able to eat so much food?  Well, my friend that will have to remain an ancient Chinese secret.  And if you haven't tried a seafood open omlette yet, try it now.