Hapa J’s – San Clemente, CA – Home of the Man Fries!

Posted by The Tiki Chick in Bar & Restaurant Reviews and tagged with Hapa J's, Hawaiian food, mai tai, Orange County, restaurant review, Restaurants, San Clemente, Tiki, Tiki Bars September 6, 2013

I first heard about Hapa J’s a few years ago through Tiki Farm. Back when the tiki mug company was still located in San Clemente, they organized a few dinner and drinks nights at the nearby restaurant. I hadn’t been able to make any of those events, but we decided to stop by on a drive back to LA from San Diego.

Orange County native Justin Shea opened this Hawaiian-inspired spot in 2009 with chef Aaron Lee at the helm. They had met while they were both working at the Moana Surfrider Resort in Waikiki. The restaurant was named in honor of Shea’s son, Jaedon, whose heritage is part Asian/Pacific Islander (a.k.a. “hapa”).

I was a bit taken aback when I saw this quote from an OC Weekly review printed on the menus: “Absent is Roy Yamaguchi’s corporate polish and Don the Beachcomber’s tiki kitsch — This is a Hawaiian restaurant in the real world.”

It’s true, this is not a tiki bar. (Of course, I think it would be even better if it were.) Rather, the decor is sleek and simple, though I would have liked to have seen a bit more island flair.

The best ambience seems to be in the lounge, which is on the left when you enter. I liked the high ceilings, dark purple beams, red lotus lanterns and string lights. I imagine it’s also a nice setting during the day with all the natural light let in by the windows lining the three walls.

The food is described as a “fusion of Hawaiian, Asian and American cuisine,” with plate lunches, burgers and rice bowls for lunch and some fancier fare like macadamia crusted mahi mahi added at dinner. Most of what our party ordered was from the all-day starters (pupu) section, like the spicy Asian-style chicken wings ($9.75).

Poke is a point of pride at Hapa J’s as they took home first prize at the 2011 I Love Poke Festival in San Diego. The ahi poke trio comprises three varieties: spicy tobiko, shoyu and sesame. It hit the spot as I’d wanted something light and fresh so I wouldn’t feel so bad about diving into this next dish…

MAN FRIES! Probably the most notorious thing on the menu, these are the yukari-seasoned Hapa Fries ($6.75 + $6 for Man-style) loaded with cheddar and jack cheese, kalua pork, special wing sauce, ranch, barbecue sauce and green onions. The massive portion size can easily feed four people, but don’t be afraid of bringing home leftovers because they were even more flavorful the next day.

The kalua pork quesadilla is one of my favorites at Don the Beachcomber, and Hapa J’s version ($11.75) topped with avocado sour cream sauce and chipotle aioli is also really good.

The bread pudding ($7.75) made with King’s Hawaiian bread and white chocolate sounded and looked delicious. Unfortunately the menu neglected to mention that there’s also macadamia nuts in it, which would be good to know for people who have allergies. (Like me!)

There are a few tiki-ish drinks among the cocktail options. While it may have a tough-sounding name, the Gravedigger is actually a sweet, rainbow-colored concoction of coconut rum, melon liqueur and pineapple juice, topped with Stroh 80 rum. The Rossy Boy Mai Tai tastes like a Hawaiian-style version; purists can request the off-menu “Old-School” Mai Tai which more closely resembles what Trader Vic intended.

Happy hour is Wed.-Sun. from 3 p.m.-6:30 p.m. with $2 off pupus (which include nearly all the dishes above), $3 drafts and $6 Mai Tais. There are also various specials throughout the week, such as Taco Tuesdays (with homemade corn tortillas) and Aloha Fridays ($3 Primo drafts all day and a Luau Plate with lomi salmon, huli huli chicken, haupia and more for $20).

With so many real tiki bars in Southern California deserving of business, it’s hard for me to put Hapa J’s too high on my return visit list. On the other hand, those Man Fries are quite the temptation…

Hapa J’s
2016 S. El Camino Real
San Clemente, CA 92673
949-276-6657

Tiki Tolteca at Felipe’s Taqueria – New Orleans, LA

Posted by The Tiki Chick in Bar & Restaurant Reviews and tagged with Felipe's Taqueria, New Orleans, Restaurant Reviews, Restaurants, Tiki, Tiki Bars, Tiki Tolteca, Travel August 22, 2013

For a town that really enjoys rum, New Orleans hasn’t had much going on in the way of tiki bars until recently. The original midcentury ones closed by the 1980s — a common story around the country. But now Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, who is the ultimate authority on tiki drinks, is rumored to have something brewing, and in May 2013 a tiki bar turned up in an unexpected place: Felipe’s Taqueria.

The private party space upstairs from this Mexican restaurant in the French Quarter has been turned into Tiki Tolteca, a “pop-up” tiki bar that’s open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 p.m. to midnight, plus some Fridays and Saturdays 6 p.m.-3 a.m. Pop-ups tend to be temporary but I got the impression that they’d keep it going as long as there is interest.

Tiki Tolteca has its own separate entrance off the street. A black chalkboard on the sidewalk points you to the stairwell and a couple of tikis signal that you’re headed in the right direction.

I chatted with bartender Richard “Trader Dick” and he said part of the inspiration for this Latin-Polynesian mash-up was Thor Heyerdahl and his Kon-Tiki expedition. In 1947, this Norwegian anthropologist sailed from Peru to the South Pacific on a primitive raft to support his theory that the ancient Polynesians may have migrated from South America.

The bar is just off the right when you walk in, then there’s a few tall tables and several wood & leather couches with cowhide cushions. On the brick walls are small carved tikis and ship’s figureheads straight from the Oceanic Arts catalog. Large Moai, colorful fish floats, bamboo room dividers, thatch and coconut pirate heads further contribute to the scene. The decor may be a bit minimalist for a tiki bar, but at least there’s no sign of anything from Party City.

Also adding to the atmosphere the night we were there was a soundtrack alternating between surf music (The Ventures), exotica (Arthur Lyman), Doo-Wop (“Sh-Boom”) and Latin (“Oye Como Va”). Thursdays are “Exotica Lounge” nights with DJ Beach Bunny.

The cocktail menu offers about a dozen tiki drinks, both classics and originals by Felipe’s bar staff. Half highlight rum while the others showcase south-of-the-border spirits like tequila, mezcal, pisco and cachaça. On the sweeter side is La Conchita ($8), an El Dorado 5 and Smith & Cross creation by Danielle. The Original Hurricane ($7) is bold and tart just as it ought to be, far from the alcoholic Kool-aid you find now at Pat O’Brien’s.

The chef at Felipe’s Taqueria created a short list of small plates influenced by Mexico, El Salvador, Brazil and Peru. Paying tribute to tiki tradition is the classic rumaki. Reportedly invented by Trader Vic, it’s bacon-wrapped chicken livers and water chestnuts. Pineapple gastrique gives this version a nice hint of sweetness.

My favorite of the food we tried was the sweet corn tamale cake ($7), a warm, comforting dish served with salsa verde, avocado and Mexican crema picante.

On the other hand, I was hoping the tostones ($7) would have more flavor considering the crispy fried plantains were topped with habanero jelly and pulled pork. I’d say go for one of the other tempting offerings like the pupusas; Louisiana gulf shrimp ceviche with coconut milk, lime and pineapple salsa; or brigadeiros (Brazilian chocolate truffles).

For round two, I went for the Subtropical Itch ($7), a Sazerac Rye cocktail created by “Trader Dick.” He told me how he has fun loading this drink up with garnishes, including a backscratcher (naturally).

Patrons can take home a souvenir mug (Dynasty Easter Islander with “Tiki Tolteca” inked in permanent marker) for an additional $8. “Mai Time” happy hour is 11 p.m. to closing, with Mai Tais, Hurricanes and 151 Swizzles priced at $5.

There’s a fun sense of humor here — their Mai Tai is described as “Trader Dick’s take on Trader Vic’s take on the QB Cooler” — but make no mistake these are serious cocktails. And considering the care and quality ingredients going into them, they are very reasonably priced too ($5-10, Escorpion Punch serves 2-3 for $25). ¡Viva Tiki Tolteca!

Tiki Tolteca
Upstairs from Felipe’s Taqueria
301 N. Peters St.
New Orleans, LA 70130
504-267-4406

Port of Call – New Orleans, LA

Posted by The Tiki Chick in Bar & Restaurant Reviews and tagged with Burgers, New Orleans, Port of Call, Restaurant Reviews, Restaurants, Tiki, Travel July 19, 2013

There are many restaurants in New Orleans that are famous for a particular dish: oysters Rockefeller at Antoine’s, barbecue shrimp at Mr. B’s…and burgers at Port of Call. The latter had been highly recommended to us by a Southern friend, and several other locals we encountered in The Big Easy also told tales of the huge hamburgers and super-strong drinks.

Dating back to 1963, this nautical dive bar is located on the northeast edge of the French Quarter, on the border of the Marigny neighborhood. (A couple blocks farther over on Frenchmen Street is Port of Call’s sister establishment Snug Harbor, which serves up the same burgers. It also offers a more extensive menu and is a decent jazz club, apparently.)

Because of its popularity among both tourists and locals, there can be quite a wait some nights when you put your name down for a table. (Your other choice is to hover behind somebody at the bar in hopes they eventually give up their seat.) However, we had no trouble at 5 p.m. on a Wednesday (upside of being jet lagged).

There are only about eight tables in the sunken dining area behind these bamboo poles, plus a few more tables in another room down a hallway from the L-shaped bar. Nautical lanterns, an aquarium and colorful Christmas lights brighten up the dim space, and the wood-paneled walls are covered with ship replicas and prints, a life preserver and ship’s wheel. Above your head is a canopy of rope woven together like a fishing net.

For the record, I didn’t see any tikis anywhere except the tiki mugs depicted on the menu, which is likely why Port of Call merited a mention in James Teitelbaum’s Tiki Road Trip book. (Besides the fact that there isn’t much tiki in New Orleans — though that is starting to change…)

The cocktails are served in big plastic cups, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that the emphasis is quantity over quality. (They’re not half bad though if you come in with proper expectations.) For perspective, here you can see the difference between the jumbo size ($10) and a regular/half order ($5.50). The unofficial signature drink is Neptune’s Monsoon, described as “an old recipe used frequently as a last request by pirates condemned to walk the plank.” It’s a Hurricane-esque drink made with passion fruit, “tropical juices” and two kinds of rum. We also tried the Huma Huma, which had too much melon for my taste. I’d say stick with the Monsoon.

The menu is short and simple, just salads, steaks, baked potatoes and burgers smothered with shredded cheddar cheese and mushrooms. These are not those gourmet burgers so trendy nowadays, but I still thought they were damn good. Instead of fries, your starchy side is a hearty baked potato you can load up with bacon bits, chives, cheese (+$1.25), sour cream (+$1.25) and mushrooms (+$1.50). A burger and a baked potato may sound like an odd couple but here it works. Ask for extra napkins — things are gonna get messy.

Our server was very friendly and even asked around to help us find a bar nearby where we could watch the playoff hockey game. (If you’re looking for the best place to watch hockey in the French Quarter, head to Ryan’s Irish Pub.)

Port of Call is just the place if you want to stuff your face and consume entirely too much alcohol. And if you haven’t finished your drink but need to be on your way, you can request a plastic top and take it to-go because that’s part of the fun of being in New Orleans.

Port of Call
838 Esplanade Ave.
New Orleans, LA 70116
504-523-0120

The Tiki Chick

A California girl chronicling modern tiki culture

Tag Archives: Restaurants

Hapa J’s – San Clemente, CA – Home of the Man Fries!

Tiki Tolteca at Felipe’s Taqueria – New Orleans, LA

Port of Call – New Orleans, LA