The final new version of the Tiki Tom’s cocktail menu debuted this weekend in Walnut Creek, so Mrs. Mai Tai drove up for dinner and drinks. We’ve had the BenZombie before (a very nice Zombie variant) and of course the Ultimate Mai Tai, but wanted to try some new things.
There’s a section of four cocktails from Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, so I tried the Rum Runner riff called Captain Cleo. Gold Barbados rum, lime, blackberry, and banana. A wonderful fruity taste with a finish that leans a little tart and not sweet like you might expect.
Mrs. Mai Tai had her standard beloved Ohana Punch but also tried the Song of the Siren, with Rumhaven coconut rum, guava, orgeat, and lime. I expected this one to be very sweet, but it only leans that way a little. Overall, this was nice and juicy and well-balanced. Plus, the drink comes with fire!
My favorite of the evening was the Tongaroa. This has Puerto Rican and Jamaican rums, gin, orgeat, cinnamon syrup, mango, and lime. The blend of flavors was rich and complex, though the overall feel of the cocktail was light and refreshing. Really, really good.
Dinner was very good too. The Island Abodo Tacos were really great, including tropical mango and pineapple pico and pickled onions. Menu offerings like this are why I love eating at tiki bars, when restaurants add tropical elements to something sort of standard. The pork shoulder in the tacos was had the perfect amount of spices. Mrs. Mai Tai enjoyed the Chicken Katsu and we shared the Coconut Prawl Skewers that feature a nice falernum chili sauce.
Tiki Tom’s seems to be doing great business on the weekends (where they don’t take reservations). We arrived at 5:20 and got one of the last two tables, but we did see that some of the tables turned over quickly when folks only stayed for one round. So, there didn’t seem to be too long of a line to wait.
