Post #808163 by Conn-tiki on Wed, Mar 1, 2023 6:13 PM

What was the moment that drew you into a lifetime of tiki obsession? After enough rounds of Mai-tai induced self-analysis, I wonder if my life would be different if my dad had just sprung for the price of the kiddie tiki drink all those years ago (way more than I want to admit) at the Wok restaurant when we were getting Chinese food. The Wok was not a pure tiki place, but like many in the Northeast, a Chinese place that had fully embraced the tiki drink menu and experiential element of immersive exotic decor, experiential sterno pu-pu platters, etc. Is my obsession a result of him saying no to the kiddie umbrella drink, or a pure fascination with the rest of the experience. I guess I’ll never know, but I wonder if there is an alternate reality where he says yes and as a result I don’t consider a pilgrimage to the Tonga Room a necessary part of any northern California visit and I don’t rank Beachbum Berry among my favorite authors. What was your tiki moment?