Aloha to the Honolulu - Alexandria VA

Well, as previously posted under a different heading, the Honolulu in Alexandria is about to close. A sad event to be sure. David and his wife are wonderful people, and the restaurant is a fine example of what we are all here to preserve and celebrate.

The silent auction is under way, and everything in the restaurant will be sold ... for those who haven't had a chance to get to Alexandria, I've put a copy of the Silent Auction rules and items online in PDF format. Bidding ends April 3, so there isn't much time left.

I don't have any connection to the restaurant (other than as a customer), so please address any questions or inquiries to David at the phone number indicated on the form. Good luck all.

http://www.cybertiki.com/h1.pdf

Cybertiki -
Thanks for the heads-up on the auction.

Is there any other format to get the info, though? My laptop went kinda haywire trying to download that pdf file (it went into this crazy Adobe-loading-you-can't-load-loading-you-can't-load loop, and I finally had to shut down my computer).

I loved the Honolulu and would love to have a piece of it to remember (other than the photos and mental memories there).

(I wonder if they'll auction off the sunken booth where the gi-normous 7-SB's-a-day guy sat every day. He was as important as any fixture in there, in my mind.)

Yeah ... thank you once again Mr. Gates. That PDF thing drives me nuts - it's not on all machines, and it is fixable, but it probably isn't worth the effort.

I uploaded the file in MS Word format (images in a Word document), and since it's Microsoft it should work.

http://www.cybertiki.com/h1.doc

It looks like you can right click on the link and just save the file locally.

Stay on the beach. The natives over there are cannibals.
They eat liars with the same enthusiasm as they eat honest men.

http://www.cybertiki.com

[ Edited by: cybertiki on 2004-03-22 10:54 ]

Thanks, Hon - that worked fine this time.

I've wanted one of those cool shell wall lamps or a table lamp since my first trip.

sigh
another one bites the dust

Looking at the auction list made me sad-and I have never ever been there!

If you would like to see photos of the inside click on the marylanddc link then go to the events photos

powerofthetiki
http://www.marylanddctiki.com
http://marylanddctiki.proboards2.com/index.cgi

I'm trying to get in touch with any TC'ers in the DC area to see if you'd like to meet at the Honolulu this coming Monday, March 29th. I just found out that I'll be in town (again), and don't want to miss an opportunity for an impromptu get-together for Mai-Tai's and Puca Punch! Drop me a PM or email me if you can make it, and we'll get something going!

Cheers!

[email protected]

Unfortunately, I live about 2 hours north of the Honolulu and there is no way I could make it...

On 2004-03-25 15:01, cybertiki wrote:
I'm trying to get in touch with any TC'ers in the DC area to see if you'd like to meet at the Honolulu this coming Monday, March 29th. I just found out that I'll be in town (again), and don't want to miss an opportunity for an impromptu get-together for Mai-Tai's and Puca Punch! Drop me a PM or email me if you can make it, and we'll get something going!

Cheers!

[email protected]

hey CT,

gotcher PM ~ i think monday is kind of ruff for us as well, like johntiki i live an hour + north of dc ~ but on the positive side let me talk to mah wahine, we are determined to get there sometime again before the anti-tiki wrecking ball arrives... j$

I found out after posting yesterday that "since I'm going to be in the area anyway..." my company has a few other piles that need sweeping up (I'm the guy with the broom and shovel at the end of the parade).

So, if Monday is bad, maybe we could do Tuesday or Wednesday. Pretty sure I'll need a drink by then!

I just found out that my brother had his birthday dinner at the Honolulu with his family last night. He didn't even tell me! I would have asked him to bid on something for me. I'm very happy that he was able to go again before it closes.

Many thanks to Vern for a great evening at the Honolulu! As always, TC hospitality is really something special. We didn't get thru every drink on the menu, but we certainly did a fair job! David was nice enough to provide his own recipes for their Puka Punch, and Zombie which are really extraordinary ...

I'll be back at the Honolulu this evening - if any other locals are in the area (J$?) I'd love to hook up for drinks. I'm easy to spot - big guy, loud shirt, little hair.

Cheers!

hey ct, sorry for dropping the ball... this week sucks for me ~ i'll buy ya a mai-tai when we make it to fla! mahalo ~ j$

Is the Honolulu open Sunday and Monday nights and what time do they close? I'm flying up there Sunday evening, April 4, and might be able to get there for a drink or could possibly get free from business stuff Monday night the 5th. Just wondering if I can squeeze in one last visit.
Mahalo,
KG

On 2004-03-30 08:26, Kailuageoff wrote:
Is the Honolulu open Sunday and Monday nights and what time do they close? I'm flying up there Sunday evening, April 4, and might be able to get there for a drink or could possibly get free from business stuff Monday night the 5th. Just wondering if I can squeeze in one last visit.
Mahalo,
KG

they are typically closed sundays. mondays i think they are open. best maybe to give them a call, 703-960-3668 ~ they always have answered when they are open.

Use the telephone? What a novel idea....
Mahalo for the suggestion. :lol:

Honolulu is closed Sunday night. Open Monday night. That probably works better anyway. I'm going to try and get over there around 7 pm next Monday, if anyone is up for that.
KG

[ Edited by: Kailuageoff on 2004-03-30 12:50 ]

Hay Vern Did you also get Dave’s recipe for his Zombies if so hook a brother up!!

powerofthetiki
http://www.marylanddctiki.com
http://marylanddctiki.proboards2.com/index.cgi

Here are David's recipes - written at the table as he dictated them.

Puka Punch
1 oz Sour Lemon
2 oz Orange Juice
1 oz Light Rum
1/2 oz Dark Creme de Cacao
1/2 oz Orange Curacao
3/4 oz 151 Rum
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth
1/2 oz Grenadine
Crushed ice in a shaker

Zombie
1 oz Sour Lemon
2 oz Orange Juice
1 oz Light Rum
1/2 oz Orange Curacao
1 oz 151 Rum
1/2 oz Grenadine
Crushed Ice in a shaker

Cheers!

On 2004-03-31 16:55, powerofthetiki wrote:
Hay Vern Did you also get Dave’s recipe for his Zombies if so hook a brother up!!

Well I think we all know where this is going. :)

Dude, thanks for posting those recipes. Got any more?

Anybody win anything in the auction? I'm hoping to hear that I got what I bid on.

i figure that if we got a winning bid we will hear this week - ? anyone yet? i put my cellfone # on the form so i should hear as soon as possible if so. i'll let anyone know, and hopefully visey-versie? j$

not to be a bearer of sad news, but the last day is this Saturday, April 10 2004. they open at 4:00 PM. at least yesterday, parking was hell and we had a 30-minute wait. but it was worth it!

aloha oe, j$

[ Edited by: Johnny Dollar on 2004-04-08 14:05 ]

From 8 April Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59735-2004Apr7.html

Dynamite Mai Tais, Welcoming Owners
Wilson Bridge Takes Favored Haunt

"For nearly 26 years, the Honolulu Restaurant has surprised and charmed first-time patrons, many of whom worried that once inside the windowless brick building on Telegraph Road, they would discover not an eatery but a strip club in disguise.

"The quirky little Fairfax County restaurant, nestled obscurely between an Exxon and a 7-Eleven, offers wall-to-wall Polynesian kitsch and the kind of wicked-strong mai tais that have kept legions of faithful customers coming back week after week. . ."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59735-2004Apr7.html

Sad article - I think the Post has its numbers wrong; last week Mrs. Chan was telling customers that the state's buyout was $15,000. The customers misunderstood and said, "50 thousand isn't bad," to which Mrs. Chan said, "No, not fifty, but fifteen, one five." Ouch. She didn't seem too pleased.

Eminent domain is a biatch.

Anybody try their bottled mai tai mix, yet?

I'm gonna go into mai tai and Navy grog withdrawal very soon!

I stopped by this afternoon (4:15), to see if I could buy a couple more bottles of their mai-tai-mix. They were sold out, and I don't think any more will be ready by Saturday. There was at least a half hour wait for a table by then.

There was also a channel 8 news van with satellite dish in the parking lot.

This is all quite the contrast from those quiet lunches, when I would be the only customer in the Honolulu.

I'm not sure if the Chan's actually own the Honolulu building, as I heard one of them mentioning something about their landlord at one point. That may be one reason that they are not getting much $$ from the state.

Vern

I wrote this for over on the MD/DC/VA page, but wanted to let it become part of this thread as well.

Naturally it helps a little if you had ever been to the Honolulu- but here are a few pictures off my site to give you a feel for the Honolulu in it's thriving final year-

http://www.sevenpleasures.org/gallery/Honolulu-VA

Also on the second page I just added a photograph of the black and white version of the drink menu, normally it was colored.

Mike and I did make it back in town before the final closing, so here's our small tale of our 'last days of the Honolulu' (insert mental image of similar to SHAG's Kahiki painting here).

We tried to make it three days before closing, but got down to Virginia MUCH later than we intended, by the time we drove by the restaurant, the parking lot was full and double parked in several places, and the line was out well into the parking lot. We pretty much knew we had no hope of getting in. Instead we swore to return eariler in the day the next day, and drove over to Mango Mike's- also in Alexandria.

Lest anyone get the wrong idea Mango Mike's is no Honolulu 'substitute'- nothing could be- but we knew that as we had been there before. It's more Caribbean, and it's mixology is more of the 'island drinks' varriety, BUT they do have some Tikis carved by Tiki Murph and the place has a little bit of the vibe with exposed rock in places, foilage, and some tiki related mugs. The food is good, too.

Sabina's first rule of the post Honolulu era- any drink in a Coconut is better than no drink in a Coconut.

So- in search of our 'fix', we returned to Honolulu the next afternoon. The first good signs were that parking was still possible and that the line wasn't out the door yet. So we waited and actually managed to get a table.

Let me back up for a minute, though. Stepping into the relatively bare walled anteroom was quite a shock! The fountain was still there (and yes, we dropped in final pennies with wishes!), as was some of the art and a huge thank you card signed by many, but otherwise, the cool quiet was replaced by a bright light and the hustle of those waiting in line.

Mostly, we saw regulars who had been coming for years- not the hipster crowd at all. One woman was commenting on how despite the fact they had been coming for years, she had sort of a set of staples she ordered over and over- which made me smile as I too, never seemed to stray far from my favourites.

Anyhow, eventually we got in. Instead of the calm soft aloha there was constant scurrying. Still very aloha, but not the same aloha. There was no music, and there was a frantic sort of energy to the place. It was no longer the same Honolulu we remembered- and will always remember this last visit as somehow 'not the same' as our other fond experiences. Not worse or wrong- just categorized very differently.

It's probably not much consolation for anyone who didn't get to make it at the end, but remembering Honolulu as it was- before the thatch was gone and the anteroom was undone- back when Honolulu was in normal swing was more relaxed and more what I at least will remember.

The last hurrah with the MD DC VA crowd is really what will stay with me not only as my last Honolulu meal- but my last Honolulu with friends.

We had thought we would be able to catch a quick dinner and leave before the real dinner rush set in, instead we waited patiently. We memorized every last detail and just enjoyed being there. It took longer than we thought, but I did manage to get one last David Chan Mai Tai, made by the master's hand. Any wait was worth that.

Mike had asked to see a drink menu and realizing it was our last chance, we took a picture of the menu- something in all our visits we had neglected to do. By the near end most of the colored drink menus had wandered off I guess.

Eventually, we realized how late it was getting and that we wouldn't be able to stay. Mike had just a liittle of my drink since he was driving, and thanked Mrs. Chan and left. Already the line was well out the door- and we knew the next people would appreciate the table.

All in all it was a fond farewell.

Or so we thought.

But surprise, it wasn't over yet! We had been on the road at the time of the end of the auction so we had sent in an auction form. Having not heard anything we didn't think we won anything- surprise- after the Honolulu closed we got an e-mail saying we had won one of the clamshell lights near the booths along the back wall.

The day we went to pick it up, we walked in and the first 'thing' we saw was none other than Vern. How like the Honolulu that you walk in and see a friend!

It felt VERY strange to be in the Honolulu with the lights on, no music, no regular quiet crowd AND no busy frantic crowd. Just piece by piece watching little bits and pieces leave in bags with at once both joyful and mournful new owners.

Mrs. Chan showed us a copy of the menu from when it first opened- at the bottom it urged people to bring their friends next time.

Finally, we pre-ordered a few bottles of the Mai Tai mix, and took one last look around.

All in all, sureal.

But all in all, a fond farewell.

Or so we thought.

Until yesterday, when we got a phone call...

it's not finalized quite yet, and I don't want to jinx it, but IF this comes together this week, we may have some interesting pictures to share soon