waikiki wally's in the ny times - General Tiki

TC Tiki Chris Member London Joined: Mar 24, 2002 Posts: 1542	TC Tiki Chris Posted posted on Sun, Sep 29, 2002 12:11 PM BOITE A New Sanctuary for Tiki Worshipers By JULIA CHAPLIN ITH the recent swell of surfing as a subject of pop culture, it's only fitting that retro tiki lounges with flaming Scorpion Bowls and waterfalls would be riding the next wave. Waikiki Wally's, a restaurant and lounge in the East Village that opened on Thursday night, has all the trappings of postwar Polynesia but with the souped-up kitsch of the television-rerun generation. The owner, Hayne Suthon, also owns Lucky Cheng's, a restaurant with a Chinese drag-queen theme around the corner on First Avenue. Quirky playfulness is in no short supply. Waikiki Wally's sports colored puffer fish lanterns, angry-tiki totems and a mural of Waikiki Beach with big plastic palms sticking out. The bartenders wear surfer hair and flip-flops. When customers arrive, a host in a shell necklace drapes leis around their necks. "This place is awesome," said Don Ho, the Hawaiian singer, who had flown in from the islands to perform at the opening. He was dressed to kill: a tropical shirt, white slacks and white platform loafers. "It's loaded with girls," said Mr. Ho, looking through his prescription aviator glasses at the waitresses in skimpy sarongs. Although Ms. Suthon remembers downing mai tais at Trader Vic's before it closed its bamboo doors in the early 1990's, that's not where she got the idea for a tiki lounge. "I do theme restaurants," she said, "and when I thought about what was missing in New York, it was so obvious." She combed "The Book of Tiki," by Sven A. Kirsten (Taschen, 2000). Most of the Polynesian décor was found on the Internet, including a live cockatoo named Wally. Jackie Brown, 55, a hard-core Don Ho fan from Richmond, Va., who has attended over 100 of his concerts, leaned against the bamboo bar. There was a plastic mini-diorama of Don the Beachcomber (one of the first Polynesian restaurants in America) encased in glass. "It's better than the bars in Waikiki," Ms. Brown said, sipping a piña colada. "The orchids even look real." Across the room, Lola Schnabel, a daughter of the artist Julian Schnabel, took in the 1950's surfboard hanging above the palm-roofed bar. "I like the surf vibe," she said. "My whole family surfs." At another table, Richie Rich, a designer for the Heatherette label, was sharing a pu pu platter with the actress Tina Louise, who played Ginger on "Gilligan's Island." "It's like a faux vacation, and you don't have to get any sun and ruin your skin," Mr. Rich said. Ms. Louise leaned forward in her low-cut leopard-print top, batting her trademark eyelashes. "The only island I like is Manhattan," she said. Mr. Ho, who refused to perform until everyone finished eating, finally climbed onto a stage set up next to the waterfall. His assistant flicked on an orchestral background loop and he began crooning his hit "Tiny Bubbles."

BOITE
A New Sanctuary for Tiki Worshipers
By JULIA CHAPLIN

ITH the recent swell of surfing as a subject of pop culture, it's only fitting that retro tiki lounges with flaming Scorpion Bowls and waterfalls would be riding the next wave. Waikiki Wally's, a restaurant and lounge in the East Village that opened on Thursday night, has all the trappings of postwar Polynesia but with the souped-up kitsch of the television-rerun generation.

The owner, Hayne Suthon, also owns Lucky Cheng's, a restaurant with a Chinese drag-queen theme around the corner on First Avenue. Quirky playfulness is in no short supply. Waikiki Wally's sports colored puffer fish lanterns, angry-tiki totems and a mural of Waikiki Beach with big plastic palms sticking out. The bartenders wear surfer hair and flip-flops. When customers arrive, a host in a shell necklace drapes leis around their necks.

"This place is awesome," said Don Ho, the Hawaiian singer, who had flown in from the islands to perform at the opening. He was dressed to kill: a tropical shirt, white slacks and white platform loafers. "It's loaded with girls," said Mr. Ho, looking through his prescription aviator glasses at the waitresses in skimpy sarongs.

Although Ms. Suthon remembers downing mai tais at Trader Vic's before it closed its bamboo doors in the early 1990's, that's not where she got the idea for a tiki lounge. "I do theme restaurants," she said, "and when I thought about what was missing in New York, it was so obvious." She combed "The Book of Tiki," by Sven A. Kirsten (Taschen, 2000). Most of the Polynesian décor was found on the Internet, including a live cockatoo named Wally.

Jackie Brown, 55, a hard-core Don Ho fan from Richmond, Va., who has attended over 100 of his concerts, leaned against the bamboo bar. There was a plastic mini-diorama of Don the Beachcomber (one of the first Polynesian restaurants in America) encased in glass. "It's better than the bars in Waikiki," Ms. Brown said, sipping a piña colada. "The orchids even look real."

Across the room, Lola Schnabel, a daughter of the artist Julian Schnabel, took in the 1950's surfboard hanging above the palm-roofed bar. "I like the surf vibe," she said. "My whole family surfs."

At another table, Richie Rich, a designer for the Heatherette label, was sharing a pu pu platter with the actress Tina Louise, who played Ginger on "Gilligan's Island."

"It's like a faux vacation, and you don't have to get any sun and ruin your skin," Mr. Rich said.

Ms. Louise leaned forward in her low-cut leopard-print top, batting her trademark eyelashes. "The only island I like is Manhattan," she said.

Mr. Ho, who refused to perform until everyone finished eating, finally climbed onto a stage set up next to the waterfall. His assistant flicked on an orchestral background loop and he began crooning his hit "Tiny Bubbles."

Post #9460 by Tiki Chris on Sun, Sep 29, 2002 12:11 PM