Get Bombed at The Bikini Lounge – Phoenix, AZ

Posted by The Tiki Chick in Bar & Restaurant Reviews and tagged with Bikini Lounge, Phoenix, Tiki, Tiki Bars, Tiki Mugs May 24, 2016

Tiki is having its second (or third?) wind, with new spots still popping up, but few bars remain from its original heyday in the ‘50s and ‘60s. The Bikini Lounge opened in 1947, making it one of the oldest remaining tiki bars in the world — and the only vintage tiki bar left in Phoenix.

For decades, Bikini Lounge seems to have done just fine as a local’s dive, but since current owner Matt Tomb took over, he’s made an effort to preserve the bar’s history and bring in more tiki elements, including décor, drinks and mugs.

Carved tikis, restored hanging bamboo lights, fluorescent-painted tapa print and local artist Tom Cooper’s contemporary tiki art (some of which is for sale) coexist among neon beer signs, a pool table and booths patched with duct tape.

The bartenders are a loyal bunch, and if you’re lucky, they might regale you with some stories about the bar’s history. They told us how this painting behind the bar was originally a nude, but then in the ’60s a grass skirt was added for a bit of modesty.

Bikini Lounge often hosts DJ nights starting at 10 p.m. — check their Facebook page to see the schedule. Before that, you can set the sonic mood yourself with the hulking internet jukebox by the entrance.

A door to the right of the pool table leads to the patio, which is populated with a picnic table and plastic lawn chairs. Tom Cooper recently added some tiki murals to spruce up the space. (I especially like that tiki with the glowing toothy grin.)

Everyone else seemed to be drinking pitchers of beer, but our crew insisted on ordering off the menu of tropical drinks. The dozen options include a Mai Tai (with pineapple juice, FYI), Blue Hawaiian, Painkiller and Scorpion, plus original concoctions like the Mr. Howell (coconut & spiced rums, mango puree, pineapple juice, sweet & sour). They’re not craft cocktails by any means, but it’s hard to complain too much when they’re priced between $6 and $7.50. Meanwhile, Maui Brewing Co.’s Coconut Porter and Tahitian lager Hinano bring some island influence to the beer choices.

On New Year’s Eve 2015, Matt Tomb introduced the bar’s first custom tiki mug, the Laughing Moai, and followed up the next year with the Angry Samoan (a Tom Cooper design). Both of these $10 limited-edition mugs have since sold out. However, you can still purchase Bikini Ka Blammi ($50), a collaboration between Bikini Lounge and Jimmy Smith. The mushroom cloud sculpt references the bar’s namesake, the 1946 nuclear testing site. You can’t really get a sense from the photo but this is one hefty piece of ceramic — it holds 64 ounces.

Comparing the tiki bars in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area, Hula’s Modern Tiki may have better drinks and a full food menu, but Bikini Lounge has them beat when it comes to history and personality. It is open every day from 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. and keep in mind that it’s cash only. The Grand Avenue arts district is lined with studios and galleries, but at night it feels industrial and rather desolate. (At least it’s not hard to find parking.)

Bikini Lounge
1502 Grand Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85007
602-252-0472

Like Disneyland for Adults: The Golden Tiki – Las Vegas

Posted by The Tiki Chick in Bar & Restaurant Reviews and tagged with Las Vegas, The Golden Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Bars, Tiki Mugs, Travel February 26, 2016

With its rum-spiked Dole Whip and profanity-spouting animatronic skeleton, The Golden Tiki in Las Vegas is like Disneyland designed for adults. It’s even sprinkled with tributes to (and/or props from) Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, Indiana Jones, Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion.

The driving force behind this tiki bar, which opened in August 2015, was Vegas marketing and nightlife impresario Branden Powers. (Back in the ’90s in San Diego, he spun exotica tunes for weekly events at the Hanalei Hotel’s Islands Restaurant, before it was gutted.)

The Golden Tiki is sandwiched in a seemingly endless strip mall called The Center at Spring Mountain in Chinatown, which is only a couple miles west of The Strip.

The fantastic décor was masterminded by Tiki Diablo, whose previous projects include the Tonga Hut Palm Springs (and its secret tiki room) and Mission Tiki Drive-in Theater in Montclair. Billy the Crud devoted half a year to making masks, carvings and more for the bar.

After entering through a lava rock cave serenaded by the familiar refrain of “Yo ho, yo ho, a pirates life for me,” you’ll find yourself next to a trading outpost (future souvenir stand) stocked with curiosities like The Chachapoyan Fertility Idol.

The design incorporates the legend of the Golden Tiki, which you can read on the back of the menu (or on the website). It’s the story of Captain William Tobias Faulkner, who flees from vengeful pirates and lands on Skull Island, reputedly populated by Cyclops who melted down treasure in a volcano to make the Golden Tiki. His crew is attacked by inhospitable natives, as represented by the “Headhunter Village” on the left. Three booths, each able to sit at least six, are adorned with skulls, spears and other weapons, as well as masks from Oceanic Arts, the famed tropical warehouse in Southern California.

Along the wall is a shell waterfall reminiscent of the one from the aforementioned Hanalei Hotel. Meanwhile, the backs of the bar chairs feature Bosko carvings that correspond to each area’s theme (skulls, cyclops or seahorses).

If you walk straight in instead, you’ll find tall tables along the wall below A-frames and custom black velvet paintings that also illustrate this backstory. Behind the bar is a large thatched hut with a tiki drummer from the Enchanted Tiki Room perched on top. You’ll also notice the illuminated face of “Goldy,” an animated special effect contributed by “Irk” Hedman. A faux night sky stretches over all this space with twinkling LED stars and bursts of fireworks.

(I hear there used to be TVs behind the bar, so I was happy to see that they’ve since been cleverly concealed…though there is still one remaining screen on the rear wall next to the DJ booth.)

The tale continues with the Captain being saved by seductive sirens. “Mermaid Cove” is portrayed by this giant pink clamshell bathed in a fluid lighting effect to illustrate the “Diamond Falls” (where Faulkner discovers and steals the Golden Tiki). It’s a popular spot to pose for photos, so I had to continue the tradition.

This corner has a small raised platform where live bands occasionally perform. (The Golden Tiki has been open for less than a year, but they are already looking to expand into the space next door to create the “Cyclops Burial Ground” and a larger stage.)

Finally, you’ll reach the “Pirate’s Lair.” Moored in the middle of the room is a ship with the skeleton of Faulkner, who wasted away gazing in wonder at the Golden Tiki. Periodically, he comes to life and regales those seated on the surrounding banquettes. (I guess dead men do tell tales…)

Adjacent to this room is the hall of curiosity (also the corridor to the restrooms). It’s worth a wander even if you’re not in need of the facilities.

Dole Whip, that frosty pineapple treat people line up for at the Enchanted Tiki Room, can be ordered on its own for $6, as a float with pineapple juice for $9 or with Coruba dark rum for $11.

Dole Whip even makes its way into some of the drinks, like the Banana Batida (left) and The Painkiller (middle), where it stands in for the pineapple juice. Aside from that, they stay faithful to the recipe for this litigious libation with Pusser’s Rum, coconut cream, orange and grated nutmeg on top.

The other cocktails range from tiki classics (Mai Tai, Navy Grog, Three Dots and a Dash, Jungle Bird) to original creations that incorporate Asian flavors like lemongrass and Thai basil. For example, the signature Golden Tiki features five spice syrup along with Jamaican rum, Michter’s rye, apricot liqueur, ginger and mango.

Of the drinks we sampled, my favorites were probably the Painkiller and the Kokonut Sunrise (left), made with tequila, mezcal, honey syrup, pineapple and homemade grenadine. If you prefer something that’s not as sweet, the Hotel Nacional (middle) may be up your alley. The Honey Mango Java Punch (right) is interesting, though I’m not a huge fan of bringing coffee liqueur into the mix.

Most of the cocktails are priced at $11, but there also are a few bowls (Scorpion and Zombie Punch), Martinique Ti’ Punch prepared tableside from a cart, and the $500 Treasure Chest that comes with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Champagne and Appleton Estate 12 Year Jamaican Rum (the tiki equivalent of bottle service, I suppose).

Tiki Farm mugs are available for purchase for $29 (including the drink), but the ones pictured on the menu have since sold out. Instead, they offer some of the other recently released designs, like the Marqo-Coco and Lightning.

However, The Golden Tiki is working on some unique signature designs for mugs, including one featuring Tiki Diablo’s sculpt of the logo tiki from Doug Horne’s menu cover art, as well as a Cyclops sipper from Tom Thordarson (aka Thor). The former should be available in March.

In true Las Vegas style, The Golden Tiki is open 24 hours (same as Frankie’s Tiki Room, the other must-visit tiki bar in town). Food isn’t served here except during happy hour (Monday through Friday 2 p.m.-6 p.m.) when there is a free mini-buffet of Chinese food (chicken wings, egg rolls, potstickers), plus $5 Mai Tais and $1 off all drinks. (The drink specials are also available weeknights from 4 a.m.-8 a.m.)

Check out their Facebook page for a heads up on DJs (cover charges sometimes apply after 8 p.m.), live music, burlesque shows, etc.

The Golden Tiki
3939 Spring Mountain Rd.
Las Vegas, NV 89102
702-222-3196

Germany Tiki Tour, Part 3: Trader Vic’s Munich

Posted by The Tiki Chick in Bar & Restaurant Reviews and tagged with Germany, Munich, restaurant review, Restaurants, Tiki, Tiki Bars, Trader Vic's, Trader Vic's Munich, Travel January 26, 2016

Our little tiki tour of Germany started in Nuremberg with Kon Tiki and Die Blume von Hawaii, and concluded a little farther south into Bavaria with Trader Vic’s Munich. During the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, “Trader Vic” Bergeron ramped up the expansion of his eponymous Polynesian-themed restaurants. However, of the more than 20 locations from its mid-century heyday, only a handful of those original establishments are still around today. Trader Vic’s London, which opened in 1963, is the oldest operating branch, followed by Trader Vic’s Munich, which made its debut in 1971.

This is the only Trader Vic’s location left in Germany (or continental Europe, for that matter), since the closures of Trader Vic’s Berlin (2003-2009) and Trader Vic’s Hamburg (1990-2013). The restaurant is located in the basement of the Bayerischer Hof, an historic hotel that’s a favorite of politicians and celebrities. To the right of the main hotel doors is a blue awning underneath which a Marquesan tiki stands sentry.

This entrance leads straight to the staircase descending into this subterranean tiki retreat. It’s flanked by carved tiki poles and decorative metal tiles. (If we’re drawing comparisons, I’d say the tapa-covered spiral stairway of Trader Vic’s London may be more impressive, but Trader Vic’s Munich has the edge when it comes to the rest of the decor.)

Here, you’ll be greeted by more tall tikis and the reception stand. Straight ahead is the bar and lounge area, while the various dining rooms are to the right.

On a future visit, I’d try to snag one of the small tables in the bar area, since it’s in the middle of the action. It was a bit confusing to figure out where the lounge seating technically stops, but we were told that anything without a tablecloth is up for grabs. (We checked back here later in the evening and the whole section was full, so I’d recommend arriving on the early side.)

The space is a labyrinth of interconnecting rooms and it can be difficult to get your bearings, especially if you’ve had a few Mai Tais. But who wouldn’t want to get lost in these gorgeous surroundings?

The bamboo and woven matting ceilings are laden with glowing glass fish floats, outrigger canoes, pufferfish lamps and fish trap lanterns. Underneath this medley of textures and ambient lighting, diners are seated at rattan peacock chairs and green banquettes.

A glassed-in room houses the large wood-fired Chinese ovens, a signature of Trader Vic’s restaurants. A small sign describes (in German) that the temperature reaches nearly 500°C (around 900°F) and the oak imparts a subtle, smoky flavor to the meat that’s hung inside to cook.

We were brought to a table in the farthest section of the restaurant, not too surprising since we hadn’t made reservations. (We had called earlier in the evening and were told it wasn’t necessary for that particular night.) Above our table there was a pretty little tableau of glass fish floats, shells and fake orchids and foliage. (Since we were in a semi-private alcove, I didn’t feel like I wasn’t making too much of a spectacle photographing the meal…)

When you see the menu prices, you will remember you are in one of the fanciest hotels in Munich. Most of the main dishes are in the 30+ euro range, though there are a couple options for about 20 €. Of course, there are Trader Vic’s signatures like the cosmo tidbits platter, ham and cheese bings, bongo bongo soup, etc. Crab Rangoon (11,60 €) is one of my favorites so we had to start with that, especially since our German friend had never tried it before.

The menu seems much more extensive than what you’ll find at other remaining locations. (I noticed overlap from vintage menus from Trader Vic’s Beverly Hills.) It was a little overwhelming trying to decide on a main course from all the curries, continental fare (lobster Thermidor) and Chinese oven and wok specialties. I eventually settled on the barbecued duck breast with Polynesian spices, pineapple, mango chutney and Hawaiian potato gratin (30 €). (I don’t know what was supposed to be Hawaiian about it, but it was tasty.)

Our friend chose one of the chef’s specials, which was wok-fried kangaroo with ginger, prunes, shiitake mushrooms, sugar peas and scallions (24,50 €). He wanted to take the opportunity to try a more “exotic” meat than the pork that’s so plentiful in Germany.

You’ll find all the classic Trader Vic’s cocktails, naturally, plus the Munich Sour. (The server told us it’s just like the London Sour, but with Cognac instead of Scotch.) I went for the Tiki Puka Puka (16,90 €), while our friend selected the Suffering Bastard (12,30 €) intrigued by the novelty of the name. The drinks were potent, to be sure, but could use a little more finesse. Thankfully, the fantastic setting helps one overlook any flaws.

If you’re traveling through Germany, be sure to take a momentary detour from the beer gardens and stop in for a Mai Tai at Trader Vic’s Munich. This treasure is like stepping into a tiki time capsule. It’s central and not far from the Marienplatz, Frauenkirche and other sightseeing attractions. As this menehune in the sign helpfully points out, Trader Vic’s is open every day from 5 p.m.-3 a.m.

Trader Vic’s Munich
Bayerischer Hof
Promenadepl. 2-6
80333 München, Germany

Related Posts:

Germany Tiki Tour, Part 1 – Kon Tiki

Germany Tiki Tour, Part 2 – Die Blume Von Hawaii

The Tiki Chick

A California girl chronicling modern tiki culture

Tag Archives: Tiki Bars

Get Bombed at The Bikini Lounge – Phoenix, AZ

Like Disneyland for Adults: The Golden Tiki – Las Vegas

Germany Tiki Tour, Part 3: Trader Vic’s Munich