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Celebrating classic and modern Polynesian Pop

Tiki Central / Locating Tiki / johnny quongs hawaiian - salt lake city

Post #685321 by tikicoma on Tue, Jul 9, 2013 9:09 PM

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Once again WWII shows an interesting influence on a mid-century poly-pop restaurant. Johnny Quong was born in Canton in 1923, when he was about 10 he came to the U.S., during WWII he was a mechanic in the army-airforce for the Flying Tigers.

(from a 1965 international harvester magazine)
"The Hawaiian is a rendezvous decked in all manner of South Sea paraphernalia- obsolete anchors, coiled hawsers, fish nets, stuffed sharks and even a "built-in" typhoon.", and to my eye the buildings outriggers look like they are honoring the Flying Tigers nose art!

"Same night, but 2,193 miles away, a CM-80 Metro-Mite rolled up to a suburban Salt Lake City home. A pretty girl in Polynesian attire stepped out, her arms expertly balancing covered trays of piping hot chop suey, chow mein and Mandarin pressed duck. She rang the doorbell, was welcomed in, transferred the savory portions to the family's dinnerware, was paid for the service and returned to the specially outfitted International truck. another homemaker's request beckoned! The traveling waitress promptly wheeled away on her errands for The Hawaiian, a popular and colorful Chinese-American food emporium."

Utah is called the beehive state, I remember in the mid sixties asking my mom if it was named that after all the women's hairdo's. :lol:

aloha, tikicoma