Hula Hula Seafood and Barbecue House, the first Hawaiian-themed restaurant in the country, has been attracting diners in droves since it opened last month. The 150-seater joint is bringing back a sense of adventure to the casual dining experience.
Think giant tikis in the corner, light fixtures whimsically dressed up in grass skirts and apple green walls that deliciously hint of verdant outdoors. Add into the compendium strategically placed windows that let in light generously, interesting murals in muted colors and a waterfall cascading gently inside a glass atrium, a steel spiral staircase that leads to more tables upstairs, and one gets good idea of the smiling face of Hula Hula.
Even servers are clothed in floral skirts and polo shirts to keep with the concept. They move from table to table silently but efficiently to the beat of piped-in contemporary Hawaiian music. Every so often, when business is bustling, they converge in the middle of the restaurant and break into a Hawaiian dance!
Then, of course, these all but play support to the lead star of daily dining drama: the food. The gustatory philosophy Hula Hula adheres to is familiar to us who love fiesta. And that is, big servings packed with big flavors.
It’s the island mentality of community and sharing behind this. To clannish Hawaiians, eating is not just a function but a social occasion. Whenever there’s eating, there’s family and friends catching up on stories about each other. So naturally, a lot of food must be on hand to go around unless it runs out before conversation does.
The specialty of Hula Hula is its mess of steak. When ordered, diners get three kinds of meat (steak imported from the US, delicate teriyaki and large slabs of prime pork belly) with basting and side dish of their choice. The basting selections are Adobo Rub, Manila Smoke, Teriyaki Adventure and Olive Oil and Herbs. Side dishes are macaroni salad, island fries, krazy rice, corn in a cob and chili beans.
These may sound ordinary but a taste of the meats, especially, sets it apart from the rest as all are barbecued. Meaning, if in others, these are just grilled, in Hula Hula, meats are marinated resulting to more flavor.
In terms of popularity among diners, the mess of steak is being challenged by the crab selections. Since Hula Hula is sister company of Red Crabs, crustaceans here are succulent and stuffed (from 700 grams up).
Of course, since the first is Hawaiian-themed, one cannot reasonably expect the presence of the ever-famous Sze Chuan Crabs on the menu. But then, there’s Crab Maritess, Lobsters in Mango, Crab Barbecue, Crab Casino, etc.
As they say, presentation is as important as flavor. When rice is served inside hollowed bamboos, crabs come in buckets accompanied by rocks. These are for cracking the little sipits so nothing goes to waste. There are also the metal pincers placed on every table that take care of the other parts of the crabs.
If you’re more the hand-to-mouth (that is, food goes directly to the mouth without fuss) person, but you still want fare from the sea, then Hula Hula has mussels for you. A distant cousin to the crab, the lowly shells are transformed to Cinderella creations as Mussels Bagoong, Mussels with Chorizo, Mussels with Wasabi Salsa and San Mig Mussels.
Interestingly enough, Hula Hula also offers some Filipino and Japanese-inspired dishes. Apparently, Hawaii, like mainland US, has become such a melting pot of cultures that it has adapted Japanese cuisine, too. This can’t be helped since a lot of foreigners in Hawaii are Japanese who just fall in love with the sand and sea that many opt to stay in the island.
This Japanese influence is best exemplified in Hula Hula’s Happy Island Rolls. A spin-off from the Japanese’s Maki, Hula Hula has Spicy Tuna Roll, Island Pork Luau (with pork bits that make it even crunchier) and Fried Cani Maki (with smoked fish and crab meat versus mere crab sticks). The Food Fantasy Roll with baby shrimps mixed into the paella filling is queen of the heap.
The roll with Spam in it has historical allusion. During pre-war, Hawaii was deluged with the canned goods from the mainland which was then touted as comfort food. It has stayed since and has even been used as meat substitute to some of its local dishes.
Since almost nobody dines out alone, Hula Hula has offerings perfect for groups of four or more called Luau Feast selections. Most popular so far is Bora Bora consisting of grilled okra and eggplant, liempo, skewered shrimps, chicken in curry, bagoong rice and rice noodles.
These are served in a giant square of bamboo tray covered with banana leaves that occupies almost the entire table. It’s fun to eat because no plate demarcates my order from yours. Everything is shared and, to add to the experience, eating with bare hands is best. Hot towels are provided before the meal and dishes with calamansi water appear magically beside you right after.
Polish the main meal with the lithe and mildly sweet Coco Panacotta with Mango Rhum Sauce and the tongue will definitely tell the brain: You have just been to Hawaii. And how!