Tiki Tiki Shinjuku, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan (bar) - Locating Tiki

W Weitz Member The Bay Area Joined: Jun 23, 2010 Posts: 29	W Weitz Posted posted on Tue, Aug 3, 2010 12:33 AM A Tiki Tiki update! I recently returned to Japan where I had the joy of going to Tiki Tiki Shinjuku not once, but twice. Why twice, you ask? Well, for one thing, it was the only place I felt comftorable in Shinjuku at night, and for the other, I was starting and ending my trip in Tokyo and didn't want to carry around their signature mug for three weeks. So here is my Tiki Tiki report: Disclaimer: I'm relatively new to tiki bars, so my opinions might not be as seasoned as some of you would like. As in, I don't have many bars (besides bay area ones) to compare to. Keep it in mind. Location: Shinjuku is at the heart of downtown Tokyo. It is wild, crazy, and goes all night. Try to go with a local, or someone who speaks Japanese if you can. Someone earlier posted a map showing where Tiki Tiki is. If you can, get off at the Shinjuku Sanchrome (sometimes called 3-chrome) subway if you can. You'll see that there are about twenty different exits on the subway station map, but one of them will literally drop you off inside the building that Tiki Tiki is located in. From Shinjuku station (a different one) it's about a five minute walk once you orient yourself correctly. Ambiance: Amazing. Look at some of the pictures that were posted. The place is prime Tiki kitsch stocked, including the famous motion sensor activated tiki head. This place is more restaurant than bar to me, depending on where you sit. The first time we got a table in the main room, which is good if you have a group of friends and are ordering food. The true bar experience is had, well, sitting at the bar! The bartenders are extremely friendly and speak relatively good-perfect English depending on who's there. They graciously make requests (see below) Service: Great! Despite the language barrier, you get the real sense that they enjoy working there (as should be the case at all tiki bars). As with all Japanese restaurants, food and drinks get out to you relatively fast. Sit at the bar for the speedier drinks. The drinks: They are...different. I have a bone to pick with Japanese mixed-drink culture- there seems to be a dominance of really weak drinks. But after I toured Japan, I realized this was the case everywhere! You can expect to pay about 900 yen for a drink that has only one shot of actual alcohol in it. That being said, the drinks were prepared with much flourish and show. Lots of decoration and garnish. AND I give points for the openminded bar staff. I introduced them to the concept of the Zombie with a classic recipe. After realizing that they only had three types of rum (...yeah...I know), they seemed to be honestly considering upping their game on the alcohol department. That being said, they made me a fine mai tai when I gave them the recipe :D My sister got some oreo concoction thing. Free stuff!: Alright, so you can purchase the tiki mug. But did you know that they also have a tiki ash-tray that you can win? Yeah. I did. This place really seems to enjoy having magicians or cute dudes in tiki gear that you play games with to win free stuff. I got to see both of these things. And now I have an ash tray. Woo! All in all, Tiki Tiki is a pretty cool place to go if you want to witness the Japanese take on Tiki culture. japan is obsessed with Hawaiian stuff (Lilo and Stitch is a ridiculously popular film, for instance), so you can chalk this up to experiencing the culture. Sit at the bar, chat with the staff, and have a good time. Don't go in with expectations for an American tiki bar experience- you won't really get that on the more serious levels (like rum selection or classical drinks), but you will get something uniquely Japanese in its own way. Some pictures:

A Tiki Tiki update!
I recently returned to Japan where I had the joy of going to Tiki Tiki Shinjuku not once, but twice. Why twice, you ask? Well, for one thing, it was the only place I felt comftorable in Shinjuku at night, and for the other, I was starting and ending my trip in Tokyo and didn't want to carry around their signature mug for three weeks.

So here is my Tiki Tiki report:
Disclaimer: I'm relatively new to tiki bars, so my opinions might not be as seasoned as some of you would like. As in, I don't have many bars (besides bay area ones) to compare to. Keep it in mind.

Location: Shinjuku is at the heart of downtown Tokyo. It is wild, crazy, and goes all night. Try to go with a local, or someone who speaks Japanese if you can. Someone earlier posted a map showing where Tiki Tiki is. If you can, get off at the Shinjuku Sanchrome (sometimes called 3-chrome) subway if you can. You'll see that there are about twenty different exits on the subway station map, but one of them will literally drop you off inside the building that Tiki Tiki is located in. From Shinjuku station (a different one) it's about a five minute walk once you orient yourself correctly.

Ambiance: Amazing. Look at some of the pictures that were posted. The place is prime Tiki kitsch stocked, including the famous motion sensor activated tiki head. This place is more restaurant than bar to me, depending on where you sit. The first time we got a table in the main room, which is good if you have a group of friends and are ordering food. The true bar experience is had, well, sitting at the bar! The bartenders are extremely friendly and speak relatively good-perfect English depending on who's there. They graciously make requests (see below)

Service: Great! Despite the language barrier, you get the real sense that they enjoy working there (as should be the case at all tiki bars). As with all Japanese restaurants, food and drinks get out to you relatively fast. Sit at the bar for the speedier drinks.

The drinks: They are...different. I have a bone to pick with Japanese mixed-drink culture- there seems to be a dominance of really weak drinks. But after I toured Japan, I realized this was the case everywhere! You can expect to pay about 900 yen for a drink that has only one shot of actual alcohol in it. That being said, the drinks were prepared with much flourish and show. Lots of decoration and garnish. AND I give points for the openminded bar staff. I introduced them to the concept of the Zombie with a classic recipe. After realizing that they only had three types of rum (...yeah...I know), they seemed to be honestly considering upping their game on the alcohol department. That being said, they made me a fine mai tai when I gave them the recipe :D
My sister got some oreo concoction thing.

Free stuff!: Alright, so you can purchase the tiki mug. But did you know that they also have a tiki ash-tray that you can win? Yeah. I did. This place really seems to enjoy having magicians or cute dudes in tiki gear that you play games with to win free stuff. I got to see both of these things. And now I have an ash tray. Woo!

All in all, Tiki Tiki is a pretty cool place to go if you want to witness the Japanese take on Tiki culture. japan is obsessed with Hawaiian stuff (Lilo and Stitch is a ridiculously popular film, for instance), so you can chalk this up to experiencing the culture. Sit at the bar, chat with the staff, and have a good time. Don't go in with expectations for an American tiki bar experience- you won't really get that on the more serious levels (like rum selection or classical drinks), but you will get something uniquely Japanese in its own way.

Some pictures:

Post #546146 by Weitz on Tue, Aug 3, 2010 12:33 AM