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Tiki Central / Collecting Tiki / Why do we classify mugs from Chinese restaurants as Tiki?

Post #661736 by Digitiki on Mon, Dec 17, 2012 9:17 AM

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Yeah I gotta go with that. Not all mugs from Chines/Asian restaurants are Tiki. However, I do know that a lot of tiki mug collectors also have at least a few Benihana Buddha mugs in their collection as well.

In the 50's and 60's many Chinese restaurants were cashing in on the Tiki craze by offering drinks in tiki mugs (that patrons could take home). Even today, some of the older Chinese restaurants offer "tiki drinks" in tiki-ish mugs.

The Hong Kong Inn, in Ventura (which just recently closed) offered many drinks in tiki mugs and volcano bowls (on fire), ceramic clam shells, even hallowed out pineapples. There is also an old school Chinese restaurant in San Diego that I have yet to go to, but I'm told it also has drinks in tiki mugs.