Photos by Evie Carpenter
Grade: B
Hula’s Modern Tiki in midtown Phoenix is a festive Hawaiian bar with an odd sense of style.
The restaurant shows ESPN on a plasma screen TV, but it’s not a sports bar. It projects movies on the wall, but it’s not an artsy boutique. It has a Hawaiian theme, but it strays from the motif.
Hula’s has more seating outside than inside, making it the kind of place that’s conducive to parties. The triangular building is shaped like a tent, and is lit from the outside with small blue and green spotlights.
Inside the restaurant, a bar displays Hawaiian trinkets and artwork, like wood carvings and little sculptures, in a glass case. A large TV hangs on the wall above the bar and is surrounded by a substantial collection of drinks.
A long table runs most of the room’s length, with about 20 tall chairs lining it. I sat down looking out the window to the outdoor seating area. To my right was a huge hexagonal window taking up nearly the entire wall, framing a view of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church across the street. To my left was a projection of what I thought was a Star Trek movie, but a nerdy friend informed me that it was actually “The Ambushers,” starring Dean Martin.
I started off with the calamari, which came in a sweet mixture of lime ginger and soy sauces. It didn’t taste too strong, and the sauce made it especially easy on the palate. A friend commented that it could pass for a breakfast dish. The texture was so soft it barely required chewing, and it was soaked in juices.
The waiter recommended the special, two seared ahi tacos, which also came topped with a sweet lime sauce. The ahi tuna was slightly fishier than I would have liked, but it wasn’t overwhelming. The tuna was nearly as tender as the calamari, and the corn tortillas were noticeably fresh. It came with a side of rice and black beans — a simple dish that complemented the ambitious tacos well.
A friend offered me a taste of the Polynesian chicken sandwich, which had a simple but delicious taste of grilled chicken and pineapples. It was brushed with teriyaki sauce and topped with sun-dried tomato pesto aioli, but these flavors were so light that they didn’t take anything away from the classic taste of grilled chicken on a warm, soft bun.
Although my tacos were good, my two bites of the chicken sandwich were excellent, so I’ll be back again soon for the whole dish. Luckily, nothing about Hula’s makes me reconsider returning for more. The outdoor seating offers a nice place to relax, and inside, the projected movies, Hawaiian knickknacks and TV ensure that there’s always something eye catching.
Hula’s atmosphere is relaxed, but it has an interesting 1960s twist that’s partly tongue-in-cheek but mostly just playful — sort of like an old movie, like “The Ambushers,” starring Dean Martin.
Contact the critic at john.l.fitzpatrick@asu.edu
