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In most cuisines, authenticity is a watchword. Are the traditions of the cuisine being observed? However, in "tiki" cuisine, popular in the United States from the 1940s until the 1970s, the authentic was dispensed with in favor of the exotic.
"My experience—it was generally about the drinks," says applehome. The food—pupu platters over Sterno flames, cream-heavy oyster soup, and finger foods like coconut shrimp—was merely an accompaniment to the colorful, fruity cocktails. (See CHOW's recipes for tiki cocktails.) "In tiki restaurants, dinner itself played second fiddle to the drinks and pupu platter," says JK Grence the Cosmic Jester. "In general, food in tiki restaurants was a cross between Cantonese and American dishes. The dishes would be given a different name to make them sound more exotic."
"Bali Hai in San Diego has its Chicken of the Gods, Trader Vic's has Prawns San Francisco, Indonesian Rack of Lamb (which was enjoyed by Queen Elizabeth II at her first American restaurant luncheon in the mid-1980s), and Calcutta Curry ... but really, Vic's is known for mai tais, Don the Beachcomber for zombies, the Mai Kai in Fort Lauderdale for the Mystery Drink," says JK Grence the Cosmic Jester.
Discuss: In Search of Tiki Dishes
In Montreal back in the 80s, my parents used to take me to a restaurant called the Kon Tiki as a treat.
It was dark in there, lit by colourful lights and decorated with bamboo and all sorts of exotic knicknknacks.
You crossed a little bridge over a pond to enter (also full of watery exotic knickknacks LOL...
My folks would have zombies or other cocktails served in a coconut and garnished...+READ
In Montreal back in the 80s, my parents used to take me to a restaurant called the Kon Tiki as a treat.
It was dark in there, lit by colourful lights and decorated with bamboo and all sorts of exotic knicknknacks.
You crossed a little bridge over a pond to enter (also full of watery exotic knickknacks LOL...
My folks would have zombies or other cocktails served in a coconut and garnished with fruit, umbrellas and carbon ice... We'd order things like pupu platters, and other mysterious chinesey items. Gosh it was fun. Tacky but really fun.-COLLAPSE
I'm guessing Trader Vic's would qualify? My family used to eat at the Detroit restaurant when I was a kid. I LOVED it--so much fun! We'd always ask for a table near the Chinese oven.
The ultimate Tiki cuisine restaurant was a place called Kelbos in West Los Angeles...Drinks in pineapples with umbrellas and flaming sugar cubes on top even for the kids...Now i think it is a strip joint...ha ha