Now that I've reach the 15 year mark at my company, they've seen fit to give me unlimited vacation days! I've decided to spend some of them bumming around MA doing urban archeology.

This coming Wed. October 3, I'm gonna bop around some old Sino-Polynesian Restaurants and see what I can learn about their history and maybe their tiki past. If anybody wants to join me, just speak up.

Take LOTS of pics Pappy!!! :)

I'm in! I'll send you a message!

Hey Pappy,

Sounds like fun. Whatcha got planned? I'm off on Wednesday..

Cheers!

Rick

Definitely want to go to Ken Chin's and the Ho Toy (in Worcester). Then I think Pago Pago in Milford. Gonna meet up with Granite at some point and we'll hit Tiki Island in Medford.
Wait, these places don't open 'til lunchtime.... Let's see if anybody else wants in before we try and make a plan....

Have a great time! Sounds like a lot of fun & maybe you'll find a future tiki tour stop? How about the one place I have still not made it to in Quincy if you get some extra ambition? Cathay Pacific. map! & a teaser!

Take a lot of pictures!

Tikisgrl

Cathay Pacific! Great food and cocktails. I've stumbled out of there many of times....

OK, here's where I'll be. Somewhere in Worcester @ 1300. Then Pago Pago Milford at say 1530. Tiki Island in Medford for drinks and supper. Say 1800? Lemme know if anybody wants to go to Worcester and I'll see what opens when.

Every time I use military time I screw it up.

IS that:

1:00 - Worcester
3:30 - Pago Pago
6:00 - Tiki Island ???

If so, I should catch up with you at Pago Pago!!!

Sorry. Ya know it's weird. I do that and I don't even know it. (I use that at my job.)

Cool! See you at da Pago Pago! Bogie?

argh. we'll be in Boston from Oct 7-12. so we'll miss your exploration road trip.

right now, it looks like we'll be at Kowloon on Monday the 8th around 7 pm.

any places in montpelier or burlington vermont that need to be visited? what about West Lebanon NH?

well, we're having a dreadful time on "vacation" with my parents. i dont think they want to do any urban archeology with us (dad hated kowloon, and it all this tiki stuff just perplexes my mother)..

i searched TC for anything on **Tiki In of 165 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington, MA **~ Pappy and crew, check this out for us! todd found it in the yellow pages.

Sweet!! Nice find E.

I did some armchair archeology, and all I could find was this Board of Health report from 9/10/03:

"III. FOOD CODE VIOLATION: Tiki In Restaurant. Representatives from Tiki In that were present for the hearing were Raymond Wong and Kent Wajara. Denise Boucher presented information regarding repeat violations at Tiki In Restaurant. Ms. Boucher stated that on three consecutive visits to Tiki In within a two day period, large quantities of rice were found to be at room temperature in violation of the 1999 Federal Food Code Potentially Hazardous Food, Hot and Cold Holding which states that potentially hazardous food shall be maintained at 140 degrees or above or at 41 degrees or below. Kent Wajara of Tiki In stated that as a restaurant owner for over 20 years he has never had a case of food poisoning and that he believes Ray Wong, did not completely understand what Denise meant when she told him about the violations. Ms. Boucher stated that Raymond did understand each of the three times when she explained the violations to him and that he continued to violate the order. The Board voted unanimously to require Raymond Wong to attend a Food Safety Certification Course within 90 days."

So, we know that the place is 20+ years old....and we know not to eat the rice when visiting. :)

dude. i'm chinese and we NEVER order fried rice, thats the leftover "room temperature" stuff.

and, hey, the restaurant's violations are 4 yrs old, and he did take the food safety class.. so i double dog dare ya to go eat..

let me know what you find!

Tiki In... No Tiki no go in! It's a take out joint named Tiki that's about it. I grew up in the area so I wander around quite a bit there's this one in Arlington & another Tiki take out in Waltham. I still vote for the place in Weymouth! Beth

On 2007-10-10 14:17, dogbytes wrote:
dude. i'm chinese and we NEVER order fried rice, thats the leftover "room temperature" stuff.

Wednesday I met Paul Soohoo, owner and founder of the Pago Pago in Milford (and one sharp cookie). He took me out back to the kitchen during the nickel tour. He offered me some of the big, big bowl of fried rice the kitchen staff whipped up for themselves. I dunno about room temperature leftovers but the one thing he showed me was the color--white! "Brown" fried rice is for the haoles I'm told.

I've been having a blast talking to the owners of these places. I've been noticing a common pattern that might account for the disappearance of all them old tiki joints. I really think it will surprise you...