Tiki Restaurants - The Not-So-Big Ten - Collecting Tiki

T TabooDan Tiki Socialite Coast of BC now in Crowsnest, AB., Canada Joined: Jul 18, 2004 Posts: 691	T TabooDan Posted posted on Wed, Jan 14, 2009 10:34 PM Wow, quite the thread this could turn out to be. If it's not in the top ten in that other thread, this ones open game!! Well, since I do believe some of the not so well known and outside the US Tiki temples are over looked, I will submit two that rate up there with the top ten but are just not from the US. The decor was outstanding, the menus were extensive and the drinks were right up there with the best! I guess one of the things going against these restaurants for being a little more talked about, compared and discussed more frequently here on TC is that there is little information about them and the characters behind these temples. Hopefully we can find out more as time goes on. My first is the Waldorf Hotel in Vancouver BC, with it's three (plus!) spectacular rooms! The Tahitian Lounge: The Tahitian Lounge Menu featuring the Tahitian Drummer Velvet painting by Leeteg: Rare Feature Matchbook from The Waldorf: Sven always says that the biggest Tiki temples made sure there was a logo Tiki or image that was used in the restaurants advertisements, menus, mugs or whatever to create that connection between the image and the restaurant. In the Waldorf's case, it was the velvet painting done by Leeteg of the Tahitian Drummer! The image appeared on their Menus, coasters, a unique stir stix, matchbooks and probably other items yet to be discovered. They even used the design of the drum in the painting to make their bar stools!! My other Restaurant has got to be the chain of Polynesian Restaurants called, The Beachcomber, which were across central and the West coast of Canada. There were several locations and not just the two or three that have been discussed on here before. There were actually at least 6 locations that I have been able to find and from what has been seen, all were very well decorated and were truly great examples of classic Tiki temples! They too had their logo Tiki! I am showing the more popular Edmonton, Alberta, location for this shot. Compare this postcard to Kon Tiki or any other well known Tiki Restaurant and they share very close details and styles and all the Tiki splendor! Their dinner and drink menu is long and skinny did not fit on my scanner (and I don't have time right now to hunt one down online) so I am showing their card insert menu cover which has a cool image of their logo Tiki and name. Next image is of The Beachcomber's more common matchbook: Still a cool one and interesting to find with different addresses on them. That's it for now! Mahalo, TabooDan

Wow, quite the thread this could turn out to be. If it's not in the top ten in that other thread, this ones open game!!

Well, since I do believe some of the not so well known and outside the US Tiki temples are over looked, I will submit two that rate up there with the top ten but are just not from the US. The decor was outstanding, the menus were extensive and the drinks were right up there with the best!
I guess one of the things going against these restaurants for being a little more talked about, compared and discussed more frequently here on TC is that there is little information about them and the characters behind these temples. Hopefully we can find out more as time goes on.

My first is the Waldorf Hotel in Vancouver BC, with it's three (plus!) spectacular rooms!
The Tahitian Lounge:

The Tahitian Lounge Menu featuring the Tahitian Drummer Velvet painting by Leeteg:

Rare Feature Matchbook from The Waldorf:

Sven always says that the biggest Tiki temples made sure there was a logo Tiki or image that was used in the restaurants advertisements, menus, mugs or whatever to create that connection between the image and the restaurant.
In the Waldorf's case, it was the velvet painting done by Leeteg of the Tahitian Drummer! The image appeared on their Menus, coasters, a unique stir stix, matchbooks and probably other items yet to be discovered. They even used the design of the drum in the painting to make their bar stools!!

My other Restaurant has got to be the chain of Polynesian Restaurants called, The Beachcomber, which were across central and the West coast of Canada.
There were several locations and not just the two or three that have been discussed on here before.
There were actually at least 6 locations that I have been able to find and from what has been seen, all were very well decorated and were truly great examples of classic Tiki temples! They too had their logo Tiki!

I am showing the more popular Edmonton, Alberta, location for this shot. Compare this postcard to Kon Tiki or any other well known Tiki Restaurant and they share very close details and styles and all the Tiki splendor!

Their dinner and drink menu is long and skinny did not fit on my scanner (and I don't have time right now to hunt one down online) so I am showing their card insert menu cover which has a cool image of their logo Tiki and name.

Next image is of The Beachcomber's more common matchbook:

Still a cool one and interesting to find with different addresses on them.

That's it for now!

Mahalo, TabooDan

Post #428850 by TabooDan on Wed, Jan 14, 2009 10:34 PM