Talkin’ Tiki
Can we talk Tiki for a sec?
What is it about the iconic Tiki Bar that continues to pepper the greater LA bar scene? These little oases from the highly stylized, trendy, outrageously expensive roof top bars and celebrity infused watering holes have been around LA for about 100 years now and they don’t disappoint.
We recently decided to embark on our own Friday evening Tiki Bar crawl and talk about a fun field trip!
We began our journey at The Tonga Hut in NoHo. (There’s another one, same owner, Palm Springs, btw!) Why here? Because if you’re going to explore these joints why not begin with the oldest surviving Tiki Bar in LA, established in 1958 by brothers Ace and Ed Libby and now owned by Kevin Murphy. Dark and mesmerizing, Tonga Hut patrons are lovingly referred to as “Islanders,” and the variety of boozy beverage offerings is impressive. Drink umbrellas are mandatory, the place is cozy, comfortable, familiar, watched over by an intimidating and giant Moai, a kind of wood-carved bouncer? I did the Mojave Punch while Candice gave the Blue Hawaiian a try. Yummy. And the dim lighting, in reds and greens and pinks, became the perfect backdrop for a couple of other lights, the floating kind, that accentuated the ambiance perfectly! Don’t tell Candice, but I see the next iteration of Cocktail Floats™ in the shape of a little Tiki!
From there, we were off to an absolutely terrific mash-up: Tiki and sushi at Kahuna Tiki Tu, a short drive from The Tonga Hut in Valley Village, much bigger and a completely different vibe, Kahuna Tiki Tu defines “eclectic,” or is it the other way around? There’s a sister location in NoHo, and at the bar here, patrons are greeted by a sign: “Buy your wife a Mai-Tai. You’re probably the reason she drinks.” Candice took way too much joy from this. My joy came from the Brain Killer, or was it the Painkiller? Either way, it went down easy. Too easy! Candice sipped on (gulped down?) the Chi Chi – and then the sushi arrived! How do you beat this? Spicy tuna handrolls and rum. Sublime! And who knew how pretty Cocktail Floats™ could make a saucer of soy sauce? (And trust me, by this time, we were happy to have some food to absorb some of the alcohol.) So fun!
Our final stop brought us back to NoHo, home of the extravagant Scorpion Bowl, so amazing it earned a post of its own! Truth be told, the directions to this place, which should have been so easy since it’s right there on Lankershim, took us all around and elsewhere before we finally found it. Nondescript, to say the least, except for the inviting torch/fire thing in the window! Maybe the inspiration for the Scorpion Bowl? Once inside, the décor aches for old Hollywood/Tiki chic with greens and blues and pinks (oh my!) and that divine drink list. This time, the Lychee Luau for me; next time, the coconut Mojito and I don’t even like coconut! And then of course the Scorpion Bowl, the perfect pool for Cocktail Floats™ to float around in. The color wheel of the place blends perfectly with our color wheel. Dramatic AND delicious. And with one of the highest concentrations of Tiki Bars perhaps anywhere in the U.S., LA, and particularly the San Fernando Valley seems like the perfect birthplace for Cocktail Floats™. So go ahead, close your eyes, open your mind, feel that warm subtle breeze, sit back, relax and make sure to dress up your drink with Cocktail Floats™, and get yourself Lei’d, one flower at a time.
Visit Kahuna Tiki Tu
Visit Tiki No
Visit Tonga Hut