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.