Tiki Archeology: Wellman Jue's Paradise-Ventura, Ca

Here is the front of a matchcover I have......

Building is still there as Yasmeen's Indian Cuisine

Some minor exterior detail changes, and the interior has nothing remotely polynesian....

"Cocktails" can be seen at the bottom of their sign

And the back of the matchcover shows great promise of what may have been inside.....

When I moved to Ventura in 1985 this was a good Italian restaurant called "Marianne's" which I believe had another location in Port Hueneme.

There is a "Jue's Market" a few blocks down on Main St. I talked to one of the Jue family memebers thinking they had owned the Paradise at one time. He said it belonged to another Jue family not related to them and he did not know how to contact them. Too bad.

Not sure if they had a Tiki menu or signature mug.......

I have a glass with the same Tiki logo on it, but you'll have to wait for me to dig it up and take a picture. Haven't seen a mug but you never know.

My very best Alohas

Bosko

Thanks for the addition to the knowledge-banks, bongofury. That matchbooks is beautiful. Another location to add to my Ebay search parameters!

Sabu

Bongofury - since you posted the matchbook from Jue's, I feel the need to post my matchbook from Yue's.

Yue's was a Chinese restaurant turned Polynesian in Gardena, CA that Bob and Leroy at Oceanic Arts told be about. I know they used to go there. Not sure if they provided the decor as well. I was able to track down a matchbook:

Here's what's left of the building today:

French doors and windows have replaced the original doors & windows. Other than that the building seems pretty much in original condition. Hard to tell what it's used for now. Possibly a church outreach building or community service building. Here's what's left of the old sign. It might have gone through an evolution as well before it was stripped down:

Looks like you can see part of the original bamboo paint job on the pole inside the old light box:

What was probably a nice part of Gardena in the 1960s is now one of the worst neighborhoods. Drug dealing and an Adult DVD store next door. In it's heyday, Gardena had Yue's, Mishima's and other tiki bars. It also had great apartments like the Islander and the Island Breeze. There are probably other tiki buildings hidden away in Gardena that I have yet to discover.

Sabu

[ Edited by: Sabu The Coconut Boy 2005-09-04 19:58 ]