Forbidden Island, by John Lee/Aurora Select for The Wall Street Journal

We’ve done this time & again… an initial rush at the news that a major publication has written up an article about this nutty tiki craze thing… followed by an immediate let-down that the article was sloppily researched, full of inaccuracies, misses the point, and doesn’t really understand that this isn’t just a tacky, ironic thing to us, that there’s real quality and history here.

But over the past year or two (going back perhaps not-so-coincidentally to about the time that Forbidden Island opened) these articles have been improving, both in the quality of their research, and in the authors’ ability to find a bit of true appreciation; they’ve been coming closer & closer to seeing what we see.

Today, finally, comes the zenith of Polynesian Pop journalism. You can tell right from the title, “Tiki Doesn’t Have to Be Tacky,” that this article isn’t going to be the same old quickie, filler, throwaway article that confuses or even damages the public perception of Tiki.

The impetus for the article is the upcoming annual San Francisco Tiki Crawl, but the article touches on much more than that — aside from giving mention to several Bay Area tiki hotspots, it also explores the very essence of Polynesian Pop. It points out the difference between good tiki and bad tiki (yes! yes! oh, thank you, yes!). The author, Eric Felten, even mentions something I’ve long held to be true — that while yesterday’s PolyPop escapism was about eschewing formality, today’s escapism is more about eschewing informality.

So, thank you Eric Felten, thank you Wall Street Journal, and thank you to anyone and everyone who helped him write this beauty. You’ve done us all a great service, and I’d like to buy you a drink.

• Tiki Doesn’t Have to Be Tacky [The Wall Street Journal]
• Forbidden Island, Alameda [Critiki]
• San Francisco: Tiki Central’s Tiki Crawl 8 [Humu Kon Tiki]

Mongoose chase the Cobra’s Fang away!

I adore breakfast drinks. No, I haven’t finally become so-far-gone a rummy that I’m starting my day with the stuff, but every now and then there’s nothing quite as refreshing (and restoring) as a nice brunch cocktail. A little hair of the dog that bit me.

It occurred to me a short while ago that I’d never heard of a rum-based brunch cocktail. I’d definitely not encountered a tropical-skewing breakfast drink — the closest I’d seen are the Port & Starboard Light drinks, which call for scotch and bourbon, respectively. At tiki events, the morning-after cocktail of choice has generally been a Ramos Gin Fizz (a personal favorite, thanks to Martin Cate) or a Bloody Mary (which I’ve always struggled to get excited about). It’s high time us tikiphiles had a morning drink of our own, a little Hair of the Mongoose.

Hair of the Mongoose

Hair of the Mongoose

1/2 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz lime juice
1/4 oz passion fruit syrup (thanks, Flannestads!)
1/4 oz Licor 43
1/2 oz Clement Creole Shrubb
1-1/2 oz Clement Premiere Canne rum
1 oz half-and-half
1 egg white

Shake without any ice to get the egg white emulsified, then shake again with ice. Pour into a tiki or bamboo mug, and top with:

1-1/2 oz ginger beer (I use Cock-n-Bull)

Add ice to the mug to fill, if necessary. Grate fresh ginger root over the top.

This is my first real attempt at coming up with a cocktail on my own, and I’m pretty darned pleased with it (and freshly impressed with others who do this on a regular basis). Ginger is a common home remedy to ease tummy-aches, and I think the grassy elements in the Clement Premiere Canne make this something that tastes a little more crisp than your typical tropical. If you can’t find the Clement Premiere Canne (but really do try), stick to a crisp, silver Martinique rum. This drink is a sort of distant cousin to the Ramos Gin Fizz, with a definite tropical leaning. I hope you’ll find that it will put right the sins of the night before, rather than revisit them.

Mongoose chase the Cobra’s Fang away!

A few weeks after concocting this little beast, my friend Erik posted an old rum-based breakfast drink on his blog, appropriately named the Eye Opener Cocktail. (Erik is working his way through the entire Savoy Cocktail Book; dinners at his house are a treat on many levels, and he has spoiled me rotten with his cocktailian ways.) It uses an egg yolk rather than the more common egg white, and it sounds delish. I can’t wait to try one.

• Eye Opener Cocktail [Underhill Lounge]
• Cobra’s Fang [Trader Tiki]

There was a day a few years ago when suddenly the sky got a little bluer, the air smelled a little fresher, the birds trilled a little sweeter. You may have paused for a moment, wondering if you were imagining things… or you may have just gone about your business, smiling a little bit, without realizing that the world had just changed. Not a lot, just a little, but definitely for the better.

The Sweet Hollywaiians at Forbidden Island

That day, halfway around the world from sunny California, The Sweet Hollywaiians had gotten together. Thank goodness for that.

I got to see The Sweet Hollywaiians perform last night at an impromptu show at Forbidden Island. The Sweet Hollywaiians hail from Osaka, Japan, and they play hapa-haole Hawaiian music in a Hollywood style. They are dashing, they are darling, and they are really effing good. I might even call them pipin’ hot. It was transporting music, played pitch-perfectly, and it got the whole room swaying.

The Sweet Hollywaiians are Tomotaka Matsui, Nobumasa Takada, Takashi Nakayama and Kouichi Tsutsumishita. They’re touring California right now, but if you miss them here, you can pick up their music at the Sweet Strings website.

• The Sweet Hollywaiians [MySpace]
• Sweet Strings website

Having a wonderful time, wish you wrer here! You can follow along from home and pretend by following my Twitter feed:

http://twitter.com/humuhumu

Also, I’ve been busybusybusy adding more features to Critiki, take a look!

http://www.critiki.com

Critiki’s New Look

I created Critiki way back in 2002, and while I’m pretty proud of how well the design stood up all these years, there was no denying that it was starting to look a bit dated. Plus, I have a lot more experience doing this stuff now, and all the little things I knew could be better bugged the heck out of me.

So, I finally took the time to sit down and redo the thing (there is a direct correlation between this and the absence of posts here during the past few weeks). Oh, man, it’s so much nicer to look at now. And nicer to use, too, I think.

Check out Critiki’s New Look

I literally cannot count the improvements I made, but most of them are on the back end, or are so subtle that you won’t notice them individually, but I hope that you can feel the improvements.

One improvement that is more obvious is how much easier it is now to browse through global destinations to find tiki in a given area. Instead of having to drill down all the way to obscure little towns and then back up again, now you can see the area on the Critiki Map as you browse, and it’ll tell you how many tiki locations are in the area.

Spain in Critiki

Now that things are cleaned up a bit behind the scenes, I’ll be able to add some new features to Critiki. I have lots of ideas for new features, but what do you think? What do you wish Critiki could do?

• Critiki – Guide to Tiki Bars & Polynesian Restaurants

Thatch entryway,
photo by Heather Gregg

I love Portland so much, I’m coming back again. I’ll be at Thatch this Friday night (July 25) to meet up with the local tikiphiles — you’re invited. I had the great pleasure of meeting a few local folks the last time I was in town, and I always enjoy meeting more. Come on out if you’re in the Portland area!

Thatch
2733 NE Broadway St.
Portland, OR

• Thatch, Portland [Critiki]

I have never, ever heard of this. The Diamond Head Game, with your host, Bob Eubanks! In his ’70s best! This was submitted by Bora Boris, who does remember it, and says it was pretty much all downhill after the opening. Which I can believe. The video quality here isn’t great, but it’s still pretty captivating.

So, what’s the grand prize for a game show that’s being played by people already on a dream vacation to Hawaii? A dream vacation to Paducah?

• Diamond Head Game Open [YouTube]

Tiki Central’s Tiki Crawl 8

Save the date! The eighth annual San Francisco Tiki Crawl is happening October 9-12, 2008. Full details haven’t been announced, but the website has been launched with a basic outline (South Bay on Thursday, San Francisco on Friday, East Bay on Saturday, Forbidden Island revisit on Sunday).

San Francisco is unique in its density of great tiki locations, and this annual event is also unique in that it’s the only official event for Tiki Central. If you haven’t seen all the great tiki San Francisco has to offer (or if you have, but you’re due for a refresher), this is a very fun way to pack it all in.

The official event hotel is the Phoenix Hotel in San Francisco — it’s a very fun hotel, and I encourage you to get reservations sooner rather than later.

• Tiki Central’s Tiki Crawl 8
• The Eighth Annual Tiki Central Tiki Crawl — October 9-12, 2008 [Tiki Central]

Tiki Luau Nights, artwork by Kevin Kidney

It’s time once again for tiki movies at the Egyptian! This has been an annual event for the past few years, and I’m always sad to miss it (this year I’ll be in Portland). But here’s why you shouldn’t miss it:

After the success of our Tiki events the past three summers, we’re back again with more exotic ephemera: more fun feature films, diverting oddball shorts, vendors, food, music and more! We’ll be showing old-school island adventure pics FAIR WIND TO JAVA, ALOMA OF THE SOUTH SEAS and HER JUNGLE LOVE (all in gorgeously saturated color) will screen along with artist Kevin Kidney’s collection of rare, island-themed TV surprises. Join us in the Egyptian’s Courtyard for a Royal Southern California-style Luau with exotic musical entertainment from King Kukelele and his Friki Tikis and the Polynesian Paradise Dancers. There will also be Tiki vendors and other special surprises in the courtyard on Saturday from 1:00 PM until we shut it down.

This year it’s happening over two nights, July 25-26, 2008. It all starts Saturday at 1pm at the Egyptian Theater in Los Angeles. Tickets will be sold at the door, but if you want to guarantee you’ll get to enjoy the luau dinner, it’s best to get tickets in advance.

• Tiki Luau Nights [American Cinematheque]

Hawaiian Punch Village at SeaWorld, from the collection of matterhorn1959

Hawaiian Punch Village was an area tucked into the back of SeaWorld in San Diego — SeaWorld used to have lots of Polynesian theming, but it’s sadly gone now. (One of SeaWorld’s creators, George Millay, also owned The Reef, a Polynesian restaurant in Long Beach.)

Matterhorn1959 has posted several tropical pictures from SeaWorld on his Stuff from the Park blog, including this picture of an unusually snazzy fellow at the Hawaiian Punch Village entrance. Even his pants look punchy. Aside from his spectacular pants (if you need another moment to revel in his polyester pant fantasia, go ahead, I’ll be right here…)… aside from that, it’s a great shot of the shields & poles that decorated the entrance.

Here’s another picture, with Hawaiian Punch Village visible in the background:

Hawaiian Punch Village at SeaWorld, from the collection of matterhorn1959

• Sea World 1973 [Stuff from the Park]
• The Reef, Long Beach [Critiki]

Tiki bar at the Wolf’s Lair in Hollywood

Hollywood! Dah dah dah dah!

Mentally cue up Robin Leach for this one: (Is he dead? I forget.) Nestled here on 3.3 acres of land overlooking Hollywood, a mansion fit for a Kamehameha… The Wolf’s Lair, built for and by L. Milton Wolf, one of the original developers of Hollywoodland. Former occupants include Debbie Reynolds, Efram Zimbalist Jr., Marlon Brando, and The Beatles.

The house has secret tunnels, and a whole turret was dedicated to the housing of a pet gibbon. A monkey! In a turret! How can anyone hate Hollywood when they’re keeping monkeys in turrets? I mean… they’re just living the dream. You can’t hold it against them.

Anyway… back to this tiki bar. Okay, it’s not really a tiki bar, there aren’t any tikis. But it’s gorgeous. It’s stripped a little bare at the moment, but can you imagine this space with low light and fllotsam & jetsam everywhere? And a drink in your hand?

Does anyone we know have $7.5 million? What would the down payment be, d’you suppose? Maybe if we all throw in together and start a commune?

• 2869 Durand Drive, Los Angeles, CA
• On The Market: Inside Hollywood’s “Wolf’s Lair” [Curbed LA]

Hawaiian Eye Mug by Kevin Kidney

Kevin Kidney is the A#1 lover of all things Hawaiian Eye, the 1959-63 Warner Bros. TV show… he’s also, in my opinion, the A#1 Polynesian Pop artist. No one does Polynesian Pop in true keeping with the midcentury style of the art form like Kevin does.

So this is a natural: a tiki mug, sculpted by Kevin (he paints! he draws! he sculpts! he’s unstoppable!), based on the Hawaiian Eye tiki. Kevin says this is a project in the works, with a squishy estimate of it becoming real in early 2009. It’ll have a bisque finish, and a lid with a straw hole.

Sing it with me now… HAWAIIAN EEEEEEEYE – AH!

• Hawaiian Eye Tiki Mug by Kevin Kidney [Flickr]
• Hawaiian Eye [Wikipedia]
• HAWAIIAN EYE tv show opening [YouTube]

Chamborlada at Forbidden Island, photo by Kenn Christ

The New York Times has a great article today about blender drinks — specifically, delving into bartenders’ understandable distaste for them, and why they’re worth a second look. It’s a refreshing read: just a few years ago, an article like this would have more likely been on the side of pooh-poohing tropical drinks without taking the time to understand that the drinks of the ’70s were not the drinks of the ’50s, and they don’t have to be the drinks of today. Instead, the article does a good job of giving a short history of blender drinks, and explains the situations where a blender can do a drink some good.

Martin Cate of Forbidden Island gets quoted throughout, and there are quotes from Jeff “Beachbum” Berry and even Mike Buhen from Tiki-Ti. I might have to order a Max’s Mistake when I’m at Forbidden Island tonight for my weekly tiki fix…

• The Pulse of Summer: Blender Drinks Are Back [NY Times]
• Forbidden Island
• Beachbum Berry
• Tiki-Ti

Tiki Oasis 8

Robert Drasnin! Waitiki! I’m there!

Taking place once again at the former Hanalei Hotel (now the snoozetastically-named Crowne Plaza), with a special Thursday night meet-and-greet at the Bali Hai. There’s also burlesque & musicians & vendors & all the usual trappings, but of course it’s really all about the room parties. Though I am hoping I can manage to not be too hungover for the seminars…

August 14-17, San Diego… way too many details to go into here… just go over to the Tiki Oasis website & buy your tickets already!

• Tiki Oasis
• Crowne Plaza, San Diego [Critiki]
• Bali Hai Restaurant, San Diego [Critiki]
• TIKI OASIS 2008 Aug 14-17 Voodoo Zombie Island [Tiki Central]
• Tiki Oasis Room Crawl… It’s on!… UPDATED List Pg. 1 [Tiki Central]

Mahiki Rum

King Kukulele’s monthly Floating Luau is drifting into the San Fernando Valley this Friday, to the Tonga Hut in North Hollywood. The Tonga Hut recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, making it a natural choice for the King to weigh anchor in her port.

The Friki Tikis will be performing, and the King has brought back a special gift from his recent trip to England: the brand-new, currently-unavailable-stateside Mahiki Rum.

Also on hand will be the Polynesian Paradise Dancers and Ali Lexa, host of KPFK’s Ukulele Spotlight. A special highlight this month is a presentation of Johnny Halifax’s “Tiki Tiki Tiki,” which was filmed at the much beloved and sadly defunct Kahiki Supper Club in Columbus, Ohio:

If you’ve heard King Kukulele’s song “Otto’s Odyssey”, then you’ve heard the line: “Halifax is filming for the BBC”. This is what Johnny Halifax was filming, and now you have the ultra rare opportunity to see “Tiki Tiki Tiki”.

Wish I could be there to see it myself — I’ve always wondered what became of the BBC filming mentioned in “Otto’s Odyssey.” The show is happening this Friday, June 27 at 8 p.m., and there’s a $5 cover.

Tonga Hut
12808 Victory Blvd
North Hollywood, CA 91606
(818) 769-0708

• king kukulele presents the floating luau at the tonga hut [Tiki Central]
• Mahiki Rum
• Tonga Hut, North Hollywood [Critiki]
• Kahiki Supper Club, Columbus [Critiki]