Category: Tiki Bar

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Menu Changes at The Tonga Room

Our weekend in the city started with dinner at The Tonga Room, right at opening when the crowds are a little lighter and before the band plays on the boat. As always, we received very friendly service from the wait staff and were treated to a little cake since we were celebrating a birthday.

We noticed that while the cocktail menu that was introduced in Fall 2023 still remains in place, the prices for those cocktails were raised again to a very high $24 each. We do like the menu overall including the balanced Mai Tai that’s very approachable for the Tonga Room’s general audience, as well as the Tiki’Meister that’ll appeal to tiki craft cocktail fans. Mrs. Mai Tai loved the Banana Bread Old Fashioned with a mix of rum and bourbon. But these prices are really high and the idea that it serves as a sort of cover charge for the venue is harder to rationalize than it used to be.

The food menu has been revised since our last visit, sadly dropping the Salmon bowl and Poke Tostada that were among our favorites. The entree protein pairings didn’t really interest me, though Mrs. Mai Tai loved the Tiki Noodles with tofu. I stuck to a bunch of appetizers including some very tasty spring roll style Tonga Rolls, the Coconut Calamari, and some fabulous Kalua Pork Sliders.

We really enjoyed the meal, though value decisions remain more of a considerations than many restaurants. We love the vibe inside and everything is really great including the service, decor, and cocktails. But then the bill comes and it feels like it shouldn’t be that high. Something to consider.

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Pagan Idol Friday

We’re in the city for the Brandon Crawford tribute game on Saturday and had a great time meeting up with Maggie and Joe who traveled from San Diego for the game. Pagan Idol was near our hotel and while busy we found a nice corner in the back to socialize amongst the tikis and peppy Latin tracks.

Mrs Mai Tai had an all-time lPagan fave Toucan Dance and I had the delicious Polka Dot Bikini with tequila and watermelon that was a really nice change of pace.

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Foamy Mai Tai at the Luau Lounge

We did a family day in San Francisco and browsed Pier 39 while waiting for our lunch reservation time window. While my wife and son looked at the sea lions I popped in to see how Luau Lounge is doing these days. There’s still a bar/restaurant inside the Players Sports Grill & Arcade, though the greeting area has been overrun by arcade machines and one of the two tiki themed displays is now empty. There’s also a Luau Lounge Tiki Patio that overlooks the bay with Alcatraz views and glass windbreaks.

I’ve had mixed results from Mai Tais over the years here, but I decided to add another to the sample size. The 1944 Mai Tai is made with Mount Gay and Appleton rums, but I wanted it just a little heavier and asked just for Appleton. There are other rums at the bar, but the bartender didn’t seem to have a way to put those into the cocktail.

The Luau Lounge 1944 Mai Tai now comes with Lilikoi Foam, so not really “1944” style but nonetheless a great addition as it adds a ton a sweet tropical passionfruit flavor. The base of the cocktail was also nicely balanced thanks to Appleton Signature rum and Ferrand Dry Curacao. It looks like Monin is the orgeat brand, not my favorite but it didn’t have any ill effects on the final product that was a pretty good refresher on the pier.

We like this location with great views of the bay and overall a nice cocktail list and service at the bar is always friendly here. Luau Lounge isn’t appointment visiting for tiki tourists but regular old SF tourists who like a tiki or Hawaiian vibe won’t be disappointed.

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Mai Tai for Two at Pagan Idol

Was pleased to see that Pagan Idol was fairly busy on Wednesday night, though the venue’s reputation for having the highest backpack to customer ratio seems to still be intact. There were several groups having a great time and while there were ebbs and flows there were a steady stream of customers ordering at the bar.

We started with the Mai Tai that is made with Kō Hana Kea and Appleton Signature, which resulted in a bright flavor that leaned a little in the orange direction. If you’re a fan of Hawaiian rums or any lighter sugar cane spirits then this Mai Tai is a great option. Nathan and I both can be picky but we agreed this was really good Mai Tai.

Nathan didn’t want the night to end just yet and ordered another round including an amazing Daiquiri made with Rum Fire (supposedly “just a splash” but clearly more than that). It had been a while since I’d been in the back room at Pagan and forgot how many tikis are in this section, including two big ones that are still impressive. I didn’t love the Reggae-heavy music playlist, but overall this was a great visit and nice to see Pagan still doing well with the tiki thing in the Financial District.

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Dr. Funk Rum Asylum Level II: Deleri-rum

Popped into Dr. Funk to drink some rum from the Rum Asylum Level II list, a curated list of 60+ rums from the doctor’s collection.

Mrs Mai Tai is still working level I and she had a Wray & Nephew Overproof rum as a Daiquiri, so I did a little compare and contrast by having The Funk has a daiquiri, a similar unaged Jamaican rum that is a little less boozy (“only 100 proof”) and quite lovely in that format.

Then I tried a delicious AK Zanj 10 year rum from Haiti, made from sugar cane juice. Very approachable and full flavored.

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Island Glider at Trader Vic’s

Had a nice visit to the bar at Trader Vic’s Emeryville on the way to pick up Mrs. Mai Tai at the airport, where coincidentally my exploration of the vast cocktail menu led me to a new drink called the Island Glider. This is a Paper Plane variant developed by Mika who was actually my bartender for the evening.

The Island Glider features dark rum, Aperol, and Pineapple Amaro and is served up. This is a dry leaning but still flavorful cocktail and a good option for those looking for spirit-forward options, though the use of the Trader Vic’s Dark Rum means that the rum doesn’t quite hold up to the other ingredients as much as you’d want. I appreciate what Mika was trying to do here, and the constraints to use Trader Vic’s branded rums, but this is a case where a bolder rum really would have benefitted this cocktail. The garnish includes nods to hang gliders and is a really nice touch.

Later, Mika demonstrated how the Vic’s bartenders keep up with all those Mai Tai orders by building eleven Mai Tais at one time and keeping them on hand for orders so that all they need to do is add ice, shake, and garnish.

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Completing Dr. Funk’s Rum Asylum Level I

I finally completed the first level of Dr. Funk’s rum club list, the Rum Asylum. I’d have finished back on March 11 had they not run out of my last rum, Real McCoy 12 year from Barbados, and finally returned after a couple weeks of heavy travel.

Level I is a very good overview of the various styles of rum, including unaged expressions all the way to heavily aged ones, plus distillate from more than a dozen different countries and regions. There’s a little bit for everyone, from those who like it sweet and light to those who like boozy funk bombs. I love Jamaica rum above all others, but best of all there’s not a dud in the bunch.

Dr. Funk Rum Asylum: Level I

1-3. Rum Flight (incl. Planteray Pineapple, Paranubes, Appleton 12)
4. Bacardi 8 Ocho
5. Barbancourt 8 yr
6. Planteray Xaymaca
7. Rhum JM VSOP
8. Santa Teresa 1796
9. Myers’s Single Barrel Select
10. Privateer Queen’s Share
11. Real McCoy 12 Yr
12. Lemon Hart 151
13. Wray & Nephew Overproof
14. Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva
15. Kō Hana Kea
16. Chairman’s Reserve Spiced
17. Appleton 21
18. Denizen White 5 yr
19. Pusser’s British Navy
20. Worthy Park 109

When you complete level I there’s a small pin awarded, plus the list for Level II and the goal of future rewards. Thanks to Justin for initiating me and letting me ring the bell.

The best way to celebrate the completion of the list? A fantastic Dr. Funk Mai Tai, of course.