A popular DC food truck is preparing to settle into a permanent Virginia home. Kam and 46 will be bringing its signature Hawaiian and Filipino cuisine to Arlington this spring, reports local media outlet ARL Now.
The unique concept will be joining several other eateries in the Upside on Moore food hall, located at 1700 North Moore Street, opening in mid-March. Kam and 46 owners Elaine Benisano and Vanessa Maneja spoke with What Now DC about bringing their unique and authentic recipes to Rosslyn.
“The community is amazing.” the duo states. “We frequented many Arlington county neighborhoods during the pandemic when neighborhood food truck nights were very popular, so we know that the Arlington community is really amazing and enjoy what we have to offer. Rosslyn is a great location also, and is just across the bridge so our DC followers don’t have to go too far out to visit us. But working with Mothersauce Partners, with their experience, expertise in the industry and their just down-to-earth staff, as well as working alongside some great names in the food hall really made Upside on Moore a place that we could really see ourselves in.”
Kam and 46 gained considerable heat in the DC area, so when the founders of Upside on Moore came calling, Maneja and Benisano saw a golden opportunity. The restaurateurs state “We had been a food truck and catering business for a couple of years with a modest amount of growing popularity. People would keep asking us when we would open up a place. As we were actively looking around, Nick, of Mothersauce Partners, serendipitously called us and presented us with an opportunity to join them at Upside and the opportunity aligned with all of the things we were looking for.”
Benisano and Maneja want Kam and 46 to be a warm, welcoming community space. The pair describe it, saying “We want people to feel like they’re being welcomed into their best friend’s home whose mom and grandma want to feed them their favorite dishes and ‘talk story’ with you; ‘Talk story’ is a term in Hawaii which is much like ‘shoot the breeze’ and sharing stories. There’s so much about our culture that many people are unfamiliar with too, not just our brand, and we’re so happy to talk about that with people if they showed interest. For example, many people have asked why we say ‘Local Hawaii’ rather than ‘Hawaiian’ fare, and we love explaining that there is a huge difference in that.”
Kam and 46 will feature a delicious, fusion cuisine with a rich history and background. The owners state “There is actual Hawaiian cuisine which encompasses native Hawaiian’s traditional food before foreign settlement, then there’s Local Hawaii cuisine which encompasses the melting pot of cultures, mainly Filipinos, Japanese, Chinese, Korean to name a few, that make up a good part of present day Hawaii cuisine. Some people don’t know that this all began during the plantation days where the plantation workers, who came from many different countries, would share food with each other, and eventually dishes were born that were an intermingling of those different cultures’ food ingredients. Spam Musubi, Manapua or Shoyu Chicken are great examples of products of this. But that’s a whole ‘nother story.”
Arlington foodies eager to sample Kam and 46’s fare but uncertain where to begin needn’t worry. Benisano and Maneja provide the following suggestions for cutting one’s teeth on the restaurant’s cuisine: “We always say that you can’t go wrong with anything, but if we had to pick, it would be our two most popular dishes, Kalua Pork Sisig and Tuna Tartare Nachos. Kalua Pork Sisig is a perfect combination of both Hawaii and Filipino culture where the pork is cooked Hawaiian style in that it has a roasted smokey flavor, and it’s finished off Filipino style, as it’s sizzled with our house aioli, jalapenos and onions. And we have to mention everyone’s favorite Tuna Tartare Nachos because not only is it great as a shareable item, but it’s light and refreshing and has the original poke style flavors that everyone loves. And since we’ve introduced the Kalua Pork Sisig Nachos over the same fried wontons, it’s quickly climbing up that popularity ladder.”
With its distinctive cuisine and welcoming atmosphere, Kam and 46 is certain to become one of Rosslyn’s essential eateries. Benisano and Maneja are committed to making the best restaurant imaginable. The pair states “There’s always intentions to grow, but for now, our heart and soul is dedicated to making this place a part of people’s go-to places.”
