Category: Tiki Bar

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Museum Quality Polynesian Decor at Nui Nui

After experiencing a blackout during our visit last year, Ray and I tempted fate by returning the McMenamins Anderson School / North Short Lagoon complex in Bothell and having dinner and drinks upstairs in Nui Nui. The restaurant sits above the indoor swimming pool and there are Polynesian touches throughout the grounds. The plethora of Polynesian artwork here is staggering, there’s so much to look at.

Seating was basically open and we were treated to some friendly waitress sass from Natasha who remembered Ray from a visit years ago. Ray went with the “kiddie colada” sans booze, but I went in a different direction with the rum-forward Fashionably Tiki that’s a really nice Rum Old Fashioned style cocktail. Our meal with the Loco Moco and the Mai Thai Steak Salad featured large portions and was well-prepared.

I haven’t loved the Mai Tai at the McMenamins tiki bars, and haven’t really explored the cocktail menu in a lot of depth, so this is my caveat for people who prioritize cocktails with their decisions about whether or not to visit a tiki bar – the drinks may not be 1000% amazing. But given the unique qualities of the placemaking, decor, food, and service, I’d encourage tiki tourists to head north of Seattle to check out Nui Nui on their next trip to the area.

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New Menu at Jungle Bird Sacramento is a Hit

Business took me up north, offering a prime opportunity to visit The Jungle Bird, Sacramento’s leading tiki bar. The mid-town venue also has a $10 cocktail special on Time Travel Tuesdays, which this week was the Last Rites by Mariano Licudine from the Mai Kai. Even better for me was the opportunity to check out the newly revamped cocktail menu.

Last Rites

The menu embraces a variety of contemporary cocktail trends, including No ABV and Low ABV offerings. Some tiki classics like the Mai Tai and Saturn are available and there’s even a flight of boozy Dole Whips to indulge in. The Jungle Bird has always done frozen cocktails and I do love a good Rum Runner so I started out with that cocktail. This delicious drink is made with a special house-made blackberry syrup and it’s really well balanced and not too sweet.

The Jungle Bird is embracing new ingredients and interesting preparation techniques, including a sesame-washed coconut rum and the inclusion of pandan and bourbon in the Spice Trader that’s really great good and is served in a cool mug.

Spice Trader

We did some bar bites during our visit, enjoying the potstickers. In the past we’ve had uneven quality at Jungle Bird, but those days seem like they’re far behind now as this is our second great experience in a row. It’s a credit to the team at Jungle Bird who’ve really ramped up their attention to detail and they provide a variety of cocktail options for tiki purists as well as the party crowd.

Thanks to Correy, Nav, and Alissa for coming out to provide a locals welcome, and to Mariella for great service and a steady hand at helping to make the Jungle Bird a destination location once again.

Rum Runner and tikis at The Jungle Bird
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Hula Hula: Fun Tiki Bar on Capitol Hill Seattle

I’d been to Seattle many times but for various reasons never visited longtime tiki bar Hula Hula, in part due to its karaoke focus and rep for divey cocktails. But this trip I made a point to finally visit, walking up from my hotel to check it out at opening on a Friday.

The exterior of Hula Hula is a technicolor wonder, with nods to Hawai’i and tiki generally, a theme which continues inside. This isn’t a cohesive space designed by a master craftsman, but instead it’s hangout bar with lots of legit tikis and eye candy, some booths, and a couple rooms to relax in. I sat near the bar, overlooking the karaoke stage that gets going later in the evening, and I really enjoyed the vibe inside that include a ton of retro rock that included the B-52s and The Runaways. The restroom had a completely different exotica soundtrack and was so impressive I didn’t dare leave a stick on the wall.

Happy Hour is big here, which is why the bartender made sure I was aware the classic Mai Tai I ordered wasn’t included. I appreciated the effort and this was a pretty decent version of the drink – not a standout but definitely drinkable. During my hour visit the crowd grew and by the time I left it was fairly active inside as well as on the patio outside given that it was a nice warm afternoon.

Classic Mai Tai

Hula Hula is akin to the Alibi in Portland, since both have a dive bar feel inside and a focus on karaoke in the evenings. So, if you’re a tiki bar snob then this isn’t the place to check out in the area, but if you’re looking for a fun place to bar hop on Capitol Hill then Hula Hula is definitely worth checking out.

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Pilo Pilo Recipe

Each Trader Vic’s location has a signature cocktail that initially is available only at that location, though sometimes these cocktails come to other Trader Vic’s locations. This is a really great perk for those who seek out and visit the various Vic’s locations, and these cocktails are chosen with great care because the team a Trader Vic’s know they have to good.

Signature cocktail examples:

  • E’Ville Ewa, Emeryville
  • Munich Sour, Munich
  • Peachtree Punch, Atlanta

The signature cocktail at the Trader Vic’s location at the San Jose International Airport is the Pilo Pilo. This cocktail uses two juices, two sweeteners, and three rums and comes in a mug that’s exclusive to the San Jose location as well (the mug is also available on the Trader Vic’s website).

The cocktail was developed by Daniel Velize and the recipe was shared a couple years ago at Tiki Oasis by Eve Bergeron. Notably, it’s a cocktail that uses the top-secret Navy Grog Mix syrup that  is available for purchase on the Trader Vic’s online store.

Pilo Pilo by Daniel Velize
1 oz Lemon Juice
¾ oz Lime Juice
¾ oz Trader Vic’s Passion Fruit Syrup
¾ oz Trader Vic’s Navy Grog Mix
½ oz Trader Vic’s Spiced Rum
¾ oz Trader Vic’s Dark Rum
¾ oz Trader Vic’s 151-Proof Rum
Shake with ice, garnish with three cherries and a spent lime shell.

I really liked this cocktail when I tried it a couple weeks ago before my flight to Seattle, and the blend of three rums really worked for me. I found it to be well balanced, despite all that citrus too.

The World’s Best Airport Bar
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Dr. Funk’s Rum Asylum Level II Complete

We had a great time at the quarterly Rum Asylum rum club meeting at Dr. Funk on Sunday. Dr. Funk has been building their momentum with these quarterly Sunday meetings, where each meeting includes a rum brand with tasting and education, plus recognition for rum club milestones.

The featured rum brand this time was Hamilton, with Ed Hamilton himself speaking to the assembled masses and walking us through a bunch of Hamilton rum expressions. Ed is always an entertaining speaker and it never hurts to have some of his greatest hits to taste, including the Breezeway blend and my favorite Jamaican Pot Still Blonde. We also got to try the new Café Carib coffee liqueur that was really delicious. A featured cocktail called the Crimson Castaway featured a triple berry shrub and was fantastic.

By completing Level II: Deleri-Rum, I received a Dr. Funk asylum pin as well as this very nice pith helmet. Yes, another funny hat for completing a rum list! Level II featured over sixty rums from Dr. Funk’s vast collection, including some rare rums that are truly special. My last one was completed a couple days before and was Cadenhead Trinidad 18 which was really great.

The next quarterly Rum Asylum meetup is June 28.

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Updated Rum Blend in Forbidden Island Mai Tai

Forbidden Island recently updated the rum blend in their Classic Mai Tai and I’m pleased to report that it is definitely an upgrade. There is more Jamaican rum in this blend and improved richness as well, a worthy cocktail for a still wonderful tiki bar and the best Mai Tai I’ve had here in a long time.

There’s also still a Top Shelf Mai Tai available for $5 more, though we spoke with several people who tried both and they all preferred the new Classic. And for those looking for something a little different the Viking Mai Tai features Svol Aquavit and is also very good.

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The Crush of NVIDIA GTC

Wednesday night found us at Dr. Funk in downtown San Jose for dinner, cocktails, and a few more rums for my final push to complete level II of Dr. Funk’s Rum Asylum list.

We immediately sensed the energy of San Pedro Square with a crush of people filling every bar and restaurant in the area, due to the attendees of the NVIDIA GTC (GPU Technology Conference). Luckily, the crew found us a booth inside and Riley and I both had excellent cheeseburgers while we watched the decidedly uncommon crowd pack the patio and interior of San Jose’s best tiki bar. So many lanyards and backpacks and a couple people even doing laptop work with their Mai Tais. Shhh, don’t tell the office back home.

Foursquare Rums

I’m getting to the end of my Level II list, and most of the remaining rums are top shelf items, so I made a concerted effort to savor the pairing of excellent Barbados rums from Foursquare – the 2010 vintage and Isonomy. After Riley polished off a Dr. Funk Mai Tai we shared a really crisp and delicious daiquiri with the limited edition Ron Superior De Bacardi Y Cia from Mexico, supposedly more like the old Bacardis used to taste like.

The Dr. Funk crew have had quite a week, given the weekend’s St. Patrick’s Day revelry, corporate buy-outs, and a true crush of customers on our visit Wednesday. It was basically all hands on deck and we saw the crew really working well together. Our sever Michelle did an especially stellar job.

Just a few more rums to go ahead of Sunday’s quarterly Rum Asylum meeting.