WASHINGTON — The DMV just got a little closer to paradise, and trust me — you’ll want to take a bite.
As WTOP’s resident “Hawaiian” (I was raised on the Big Island of Hawai`i, but am not of Hawaiian descent), I know a thing or two about the food and culture of the islands — the pu-pus, the plate lunches, the poke. So you can only imagine my excitement when I found out the D.C. area was getting its first Hawaiian-style restaurant.
For diners in the know, Hula Girl Bar and Grill is not exactly new. It began as a food truck in 2010, started by “owner/chef/dishwasher” — so says her business card — Mikala Brennan, who was born and raised on the island of Oahu. Brennan’s mom arrived in the islands in the 1960s as a Pan American stewardess, met Brennan’s dad on the beach and the rest is history.
After launching her first restaurant in San Diego, California, Brennan was recruited by Marriott International’s corporate headquarters in Maryland. Her department was laid off shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks, so Brennan turned to consulting, a business she’s been in for about 12 years.
Around 2010, Brennan debated getting back into the restaurant business, just as the economy was getting back on its feet from the recession. At the same time, the food truck trend was taking off around the country, and that concept appealed to Brennan as a cost-effective alternative to opening a brick-and-mortar establishment.
Brennan’s mom reminded her of her Hawai`i roots and pressed her to pursue a Hawaiian idea. Coincidently, there were no Hawaiian restaurants in the area, so the Hula Girl food truck was born.
In 2013, the food truck, nicknamed “Marg,” reached its peak success, and Brennan returned to thinking up plans for a restaurant. She took a brief break from the truck to plan the concept and look at spaces, finally settling on a location in Northern Virginia’s Shirlington neighborhood.
When it came to decorating her new restaurant, Brennan decided to keep with Marg’s 1960s vibe. It was her way of paying tribute to her mom and the Hawai`i with which she fell in love.
“(I wanted to) bring in elements of Hawai`i but not to overly theme, because I think a lot of people sometimes associate tiki with Hawaiian,” says Brennan, who brought in elements of the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaiian quilts from Kauai and artwork from Maui.
When it came to creating the restaurant’s menu, Brennan used feedback from her Cleveland Park pop-up as well as best sellers from her food truck. She was also inspired by the state’s tried-and-true local favorites, such as poke, Kahuku shrimp and Spam musubi.
“We’re not a fusion restaurant; I’m not trying to be fusion. I really just want to serve the things that are authentically Hawaiian,” Brennan says.
After having dined at Hula Girl on more than one occasion, I am happy to report it’s a spot where I can count on a good Hawaiian-style plate lunch, miles from home.
The authentic poke reminds me of the kind I’ve eaten time and again from my local Foodland grocery store. Even the chicken katsu with a scoop of sticky rice and mac salad didn’t let me down.
If you have a sweet tooth, be sure to save room for dessert. Brennan perfected a malasada recipe that impressed my taste buds, trained on Leonard’s Bakery and Big Island Tex Drive-In.
In addition to her experience in consulting, Brennan has a background in mixology, which came in handy when she went to work on Hula Girl’s extensive cocktail list. (Hint: If you like a good island cocktail, Hula Girl is the place to go.)
“It’s trying to take the Asian ingredients and the influences that we do have in Hawai`i, and kind of meld them into the cocktail menu while still maintaining homage to Mai Tais and Blue Hawai`is, and make sure we have a place for those things,” she says.
She also brought in local beer favorites from Maui Brewing Company and Kona Brewing Company, and included a few D.C.-area beers to round out her tap line.
Looking for something outside the bar? The restaurant serves “Aloha” canned juices — just like you’ll find in Hawai`i — and the local favorite POG juice (passion, orange and guava).
In the end, Brennan wanted the restaurant to be a comfortable spot for people to meet and feel the Aloha Spirit. She also wanted to pay tribute to her mom — the original inspiration for her truck — who passed away in 2013.
“For me, it’s a way to bring my mom here and have her be present,” she says.
And she is present. At the bar, Brennan has a special stool made of koa wood from the Big Island that reads, “Must be fun to sit here.” It was made for her mom.
“She was a spark plug; she was a lot of fun, and she sure liked to sit and hang out at the bar and talk story,” Brennan says. “That’s my homage to her, and to bring that into the restaurant was a very important design feature for me.”
From the food to the décor, it’s quite obvious Brennan’s mom would be proud to sit down with some “ono kine grindz” and talk story with the locals of D.C. And trust me: you’ll want to as well.
Hula Girl Bar and Grill, located at 4044 Campbell Ave., Arlington, is open for lunch and dinner every day.
Interested in giving Hawaiian a try? Here’s what you should order:
Ahi Tuna Poke: Hawaii’s answer to sushi, poke is a raw fish salad. At Hula Girl, Brennan prepares hers with green onion, sesame, shoyu and chili water.
Chicken Katsu: This panko-crusted chicken platter is a favorite among locals.
Kalua Pork and Cabbage: A classic Hawaiian dish roasted in banana leaves. Order the pork with a side of “mac,” or macaroni salad, to round out the plate lunch special.
Hula Girl Teriyaki Plate: You can’t go wrong with chicken teriyaki, a popular favorite for a casual lunch.
Malasadas: Make sure you save room for dessert. These Hawaiian favorites are like little deep-fried doughnuts, tossed in sugar.
