H
Joined: May 27, 2006
Posts: 2451
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H
On 2011-01-24 10:52, bigtikidude wrote:
On 2011-01-23 10:02, telescopes wrote:
On 2011-01-12 22:25, bigtikidude wrote:
I will check it out,
but I'm in no hurry,
and it's definitely not in my normal area of travel.
Jeff(btd)
Nor mine - however, last night I made the journey from Palm Desert/Palm Springs to finally check this place out. Considering I would be gone most of the day, needed to insure I would have a quality drink. That meant Tiki-Ti as a first stop. After a Ray's Mistake (it was a bit sweet this time) and a 151 Rum Swizzle - I punched up my GPS and headed off for what was a fairly quick jump to Tiki No. But who knew - they don't open until 6 PM on a Saturday. So, after another quick jump I arrived at Tonga Hut (that was suppose to be my last stop) and had a Mai Tai and a Kelly Custom drink from Hiphipahula. They were both good - but no cigar - this was to be saved for Tiki No in the smoking area.
Finally, I made the jump to Tiki No.
The pictures on this thread are accurate. The comments placed by others are accurate. I loved the place. And, I am glad I first went to Tiki Ti..
I spoke with a tall pretty bartender with brunette hair and asked her what she thought about measured pours. She told me at first she hated it but is adjusting. She found the process to be to time consuming. I asked her if she had been to Tiki Ti yet and she said she had not. She did indicate that she wanted to go.
Personally, I think there should be a rule that any bartender working a tiki bar in LA should go to the Ti at least several times to learn why you need to use the correct rums and get the pours correct.
I will say this. Both Tonga Hut and the No both made great attempts to get it right. But you can't make your Mai Tai using Cruzan rums and then call them Trader Vic Mai Tais. The taste is simply way off.
Martin Cate gets it right because he understands that what goes into the drink is just as if not more important than the thatch or trappings of the decor.
Regardless, I will go back to Tiki No. I appreciate their efforts and I am sure that in time they will get it better. They are going to have to if they want to stay open.
In closing, I think this is why Don the Beachcombers is so wonderful. The atmosphere and the quality of the drinks go hand in hand.
Southern California - who knew we would see such a revival.
Now, can you do something for Palm Springs -
Lets not allow the reefer bar to go up in smoke - Rx it quickly.
thank you for your Honest Opinions Telescopes.
appreciate that in these times, of blowing smoke up peoples ass.
Jeff(btd)
Telescopes, you need to need to clean your lenses (and your taste buds) because your way off in your last post about Tonga Hut. You lump Tonga Hut together with Tiki No and say they “both made great attempts to get it right.” You complain about their use of Cruzan rums. This, after having a Kelly Hiphipahula Reilly premium Mai Tai made Beachbum Berry’s way with Appleton 12-Year Extra Dark and Rhum Clement VSOP! When a bartender talks to you for an hour and gives you a premium Mai Tai for $5 (not the usual $9-$12) at least you can say thank you. Indeed, Tonga Hut was holding a special on $5 Mai Tais the Trader Vic's old way, made with Cruzan Light and Coruba Dark. However, this was NOT what you had Saturday. You were given a special drink after having revealed you drove all the way out from Palm Springs. The fact you can’t tell the difference should be enough to invalidate any more critiques you might be tempted to make. Just to be thorough, the other custom drink you had at Tonga Hut was my, Shaka Hula Bossa Nova, it DID have Cruzan 151 blend with Lemon Hart 151… but it also had and Appleton 12-Year Extra Dark and two more rums that equal or excel the quality of the rums mentioned. Hardly bottom shelf rums. You seemed to enjoy both drinks and finished them completely. To be a thorough critic, Telescopes, you need to be accurate. If you think I’m being sensitive, just remember that not all of us are tourists from Palm Springs. Some of us make a living at this. If anyone wants to know about the quality of Tonga Hut's drinks, the best way to make a judgement is to come in and try them. Living vicariously through other people's reviews is a sad way to go through life and that's not blowing smoke.
Tonga Hut Since 1958
12808 Victory Blvd. North Hollywood
[ Edited by: Hiphipahula 2011-01-24 17:18 ]
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