Author: Kevin Crossman

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Sunday Brunch at San Jose’s Dr Funk Tiki Bar

Dr. Funk has been doing brunch on Sundays for a couple months now, so we went over to sample it. The menu has some nice boozy cocktail options, along with some traditional and Hawaiian food offerings.

Mrs Mai Tai and I enjoyed the Thai-Chi and Puka Punch cocktails that were available, and can see that bottomless POG Mimosas could be popular. The Puka Punch really blew me away with some tangy tropical flavors and just the right blend of silver, aged, black and 151 rums. Note that these are the only cocktail options available during brunch.

We kept it simple for the food this time. Mrs. Mai Tai really liked the Veggie Benedict that featured two well-prepared poached eggs and plenty of veggies. I did the BYO Scrambled eggs but didn’t add the optional protein or veggies. Really liked the preparation of the hash browns, which are often harder to get right than you might think.

Brunch at Dr. Funk is a delight. Quite mellow and relaxing inside, or go out to the patio to watch the game on the newly installed televisions.

Thai-Chi
Puka Punch
Veggie Benedict
BYO Scramble
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Mid-Week Dinner at The Tonga Room

My friend Amy was in town for business but we found time for dinner at The Tonga Room a couple blocks from her hotel. Yes, it helps to get there early before opening even on Wednesday. But it is worth it when they give you a table right by the lagoon.

About the same experience as last time. The prices here are pretty steep, but you can’t beat the amazing decor inside. Music was an eclectic mix of surf and Hawaiian and a little Reggae, and service was spot on as usual. I really liked my salmon entree.

Drinks were okay. Mrs. Mai Tai’s Shirley Temple didn’t even come with a cherry, but the Tonga Kong was a hit for her and with Amy. The Mai Tai was a little too limey, though mellowed over time.

We also had a short visit with Jayme from @lagoonofmystery who was in town for whirlwind tour of the Bay Area’s famed set of tiki bars.

Mai Tai at The Tonga Room
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Spike’s Breezeway Cocktail Hour Halloween Pin

A very cool new pin was sent out to Patreon supporters of Spike’s Breezeway Cocktail Hour. And the note was even hand-signed by Spike.

I am still enjoying this weekly YouTube show covering cocktails and other adjacent topics, with Spike and sometimes with special guests. Check it out if you’re not hip.

Spike is also dropping some new merch today, so if you want to support the show or just get some cool stuff then head over to The Hula Girls website to grab it before it’s gone.

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Mahalo John Peterson

A hearty thank you to John Peterson who is moving on from the GM role at Forbidden Island and starting a new chapter away from the hospitality industry.

John has really elevated the cocktail program at Forbidden Island over the past five years, not just with standard menu items but especially with specials or riffs or just when you ask them make something their way. I loved their Planters Punch implementation and also the bitters-forward Peynkiller.

I really appreciate how John has put themself out there in contests. We saw them at the 2019 World’s Best Mai Tai contest in Hawai’i and just recently at Mai Tai Day at Trader Vic’s. Always coming up with something interesting, but importantly to me while still keeping the cocktails true to their origins.

Like everyone in the industry, the last 2½ years haven’t been a constant party, but they always greeted me with a friendly smile and words of welcome. I’m in awe of hospitality staff like John who can remember a customer’s tastes and preferences.

Wishing John the best on the next path, where I’m sure their engaging spirit will be met with success and fulfillment.

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Kona Club Revisited

A relaxing Saturday afternoon on Oakland’s Piedmont Ave concluded with a visit to Kona Club. I had a round while Mrs. Mai Tai shopped nearby, and then she joined me for a second round. Service was much better than on some previous visits and we had a good experience with the cocktails. Music was a mix of mellow hip-hop and groovy dance music that was generally relaxing. But whoever put Poison’s “Talk Dirty to Me” on the playlist needs to reconsider their choice.

Kona Club Chi-Chi

Mrs Mai Tai had Kona Club’s signature cocktail, the Chi-Chi. There’s a noticeable amount of Macadamia Nut liqueur here, which I think is a plus for the cocktail. I also sampled their standard-issue and quite decent Paloma, but thought the Undertow cocktail was even better. It has white rum, coconut rum, lime, passionfruit puree, orgeat, and guava. Some ingredients I don’t normally like but I have to admit it worked well.

It is too bad that the music and other aspects of Kona Club aren’t more in line with what tikiphiles prefer. As such, Kona Club relies on the patronage of locals who come in for non-tropical cocktails, beer, or shots. Literally three others ordered whiskey pours during our visit.

Paloma
Undertow Cocktail
Kona Club’s Amazing Decor
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Small Hand Cocktails Mai Tai

Craft cocktail syrup company Small Hand Foods is entering the bottled cocktail market as Small Hand Cocktails and I gave their Mai Tai a try. The cocktail is made with Hamilton Rum, orange liqueur and of course Small Hand’s orgeat. The bottle is 25% ABV so this compares well to a freshly made cocktail.

Regular readers know that I’m not a fan of Small Hand’s orgeat, which to me has an unusually strong taste that doesn’t taste “almond-y”. Even though I know it is very popular with others and is used at cocktail programs in many bars.

Needless to say, you’ll have a better experience with this ready to drink Mai Tai if you’re a fan of their orgeat, but even I must admit this is a great bottled Mai Tai. The rum flavors do work so well with the rest of the ingredients and the mouthfeel is the same as with a freshly prepared scratch Mai Tai. Definitely worth seeking out.

This bottled Mai Tai compares well to other premium RTD Mai Tais, such as market leader On the Rocks. You could serve this to a cocktail enthusiast and they’d hardly notice the difference. These cocktails are available at Good Eggs and some Total Wine locations, plus discerning liquor stores. The 200ml bottle is around $11 and serves two-ish cocktails.

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Kuleana Rum Works Hōkūlei

The latest blended rum release for Kuleana Rum Works will appeal to those who love barrel notes in their rum. This rum combines distillate from six countries, including a unique aged version of Kuleana’s Hawaiian Rum Agricole. Issued at 46% ABV, this is reminiscent of quality Barbados rums but with a slightly lighter overall character. No added colors, flavors, or sweeteners.

As noted there is a complex and interesting set of seven rums in this bottle:

  • Base rums: Molasses rums from Panama, Nicaragua, Barbados, and Venezuela and aged 2-3, 3-8, 5-8, and 8 years respectively.

  • Body rums: Kuleana’s Hawaiian Rum Agricole made from sugar cane juice and aged 18 months in Cognac barrels, plus a 15 year molasses-based rum from Barbados.

  • Accent rum: Molasses-based rum from Trinidad, aged 18 years.

I can’t say that the Hawaiian Rum Agricole hits me over the head, and honestly I’d love to try some of that just by itself. But overall, Hōkūlei is a really great sipping rum with great spice and oak notes.

In a Mai Tai, Hōkūlei doesn’t really punch through in the assertive way that Kuleana’s Hawaiian Rum Agricole does, though there’s plenty of general rummy flavor. On the other hand, this rum shines in a Daiquiri where you can taste those same spice and oak flavors alongside the brightness of the lime and sugar.

Hōkūlei retails for around $70-80 and is just coming to market this year. You can order from Kuleana’s website as well.

Additional info: Kuleana Huihui and Nanea / Kuleana Hawaiian Rum Agricole

The bottle was provided by Kuleana but this is not a sponsored post.