Tag Archives: restaurant review

Trader Vic’s – Las Vegas

Posted by The Tiki Chick in Bar & Restaurant Reviews and tagged with , , ,

IMG_4343

Our trip to Vegas a few weeks back might be considered the kick-off to this summer’s Baseball/Tiki Road/Plane Trip (though the baseball element was missing in this leg). We stayed at the Bellagio, so it was quite convenient to stop at the Trader Vic’s in the Miracle Mile Shops across the street before we went to go bet on the ponies. (Our strategy is to bet on the horse with the most hilarious name…It actually works out often enough.)

IMG_4292

For being a Trader Vic’s in Vegas, of all places, the decor is pretty understated. Not so sure how I feel about these modernized tiki touches in the bar area, but I do love glass fishing floats in any situation.

IMG_4296

For me, these giant dudes are the saving graces of the restaurant. They’re larger than life, now that’s what I expect in this town!

IMG_4276

I might have insisted on sitting outside so we could see the fountains (Mr. Baseball doesn’t understand what’s so captivating about a water show), but it was ninety degrees out and I’d never really gotten a good look at the inside of Trader Vic’s.

IMG_4282

Picking my poison was a rather difficult process with all the choices. I kept second guessing myself and finally went with the Tonga Punch ($9.50), made with light rum, Curaçao, grenadine and orange juice. It was ok, but I wouldn’t order it again.

IMG_4284

Mr. Baseball got a ciabatta sandwich from a special insert on the lunch menu that offered more straight-forward American stuff without much Polynesian flair.

IMG_4288

Happy hour lasts from 3 p.m.-6 p.m. and as we were on Vegas time and having a rather late lunch, we were able to get two of the pork sliders with plum sauce for a buck a piece. The rest of the specials included very un-tiki 2-for-1 well drinks, $5 baskets of wings/calamari and $15 buckets of Corona.

IMG_4291

I had the Hawaiian Poke ($11.50)—ahi and hamachi tartare with avocado and taro chips. There’s something indulgent about ordering seafood in the middle of the desert—definitely not locavore-friendly!

Next time I make a visit to Vic’s it will be for Mai Tais at night on the patio. Cue the fountain show!

IMG_4297

6/5/09 Update: As the great Sam Butera once sang: “There’ll be no next time!” The Las Vegas Sun has reported that the Trader Vic’s Vegas is closing. This is precisely why I’ve been trying to visit so many tiki sites on these trips…you never know when they’re gonna get shut down!

Trader Vic’s – Las Vegas
Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood
3663 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702-405-4700

Trader Vic's (Planet Hollywood) on Urbanspoon

Mister Tiki Mai Tai Lounge – San Diego, CA

Posted by The Tiki Chick in Bar & Restaurant Reviews and tagged with , , ,

img_3932

I headed down to San Diego (home of the much-maligned new tourism slogan ‘Happy Happens‘) to see the lovely Rachel (and her also lovely boyfriend), and they were kind enough to indulge my tiki-phile tastes so we ventured out to Mister Tiki Mai Tai Lounge in the Gaslamp District.

img_3952

The last time we came here there was some kind of special where we ended up drinking carafes, yes, indeed, carafes, of Mai Tais. Happy hour has changed a bit since then and now they offer five sushi rolls, appetizers and drinks for $5 each until 7 p.m.

img_3951

Even better, happy hour is available not just in the bar but in the entire restaurant. I enjoy the lanterns in the dining room, but I think it’s more interesting to sit in the bar where the giant Moai with the neon nose ring presides.

img_3937

Preserved pufferfish lamps are popular fixtures at tiki places (like Luau, for one), so I thought these blown-glass blowfish were a nice take on that design theme.

img_3941

We sipped a “haole” mai tai and the coconut kiss cocktail. (The former features an interesting naming choice…) Both were absolutely delicious, but more like desserts than drinks, and also quite dangerous to our tolerance for that very reason.

img_3943

Out of focus calamari fries with sweet and sour sauce. I think the chef must have captured the giant squid from “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” to make these. They were ok, I guess I prefer my fried squid in either bite-sized ring or tentacle-y form.

img_3945

I love the shiitake and goat cheese wontons with garlic ponzu sauce. I could eat a million of these!

img_3963

So-Cal artist Bosko created the tikis found in the restaurant—more than thirty carvings—according to his site.

img_3962

Mister Tiki Mai Tai Lounge
801 Fifth Ave.
San Diego, CA 92101
619-233-1183

img_3970

Mister Tiki Mai Tai Lounge on Urbanspoon

Update 6/29/10: I’m very bummed to report that Mister Tiki Mai Tai Lounge closed a few months ago, and in its place will go yet another burger joint. The Cohn Restaurant Group gets no points for creativity.

Animal Restaurant – Los Angeles (Loco Moco)

Posted by The Tiki Chick in Bar & Restaurant Reviews and tagged with , , ,

img_4001

After completing phase one of “Loco for Loco Moco: No Joke-o” (me at Bruddah’s Hawaiian Foods, and the Gastronomer at somewhere I’m not sure because she hasn’t blogged about it yet), it was time to try the luxe loco moco at Animal, a restaurant with the same name as my favorite Muppet, no less. It’s on Fairfax, right across from the ill-fated Largo, and unless you know what you’re looking for you might fly right past it since it’s unmarked, that’s how you know it’s hip.

img_3982

After asking if it was our first visit (it was), our server went through the menu describing dishes and pointing out her favorites. (The loco moco was notably not on that list. For a second time, I wondered what we were in for.)

img_3994

The foie gras loco moco ($35) came with stubby Carolina Gold rice, Niman Ranch hamburger, Spam and a big slab of seared foie gras (that’s mostly what you see in that photo) topped with a fried quail egg. The gravy element of the moco was substituted with teriyaki sauce and dots of Sriracha, which made it less comfort food-y. The foie was great, but it definitely took center stage in the dish and it made it a little hard to discern all the flavors in each forkful. It was pretty ridiculous!

If you want to hear about the rest of the meal, there are more photos…after the jump!

Continue reading →