The number one tiki food is...

Well?

I'd like to nominate poke salad.
Also, Sabu's Coconut Chicken Skewers.

I'd also like to fly the "fish taco" kite and see if lightening strikes.

If Caribbean Rum can get in then fish tacos can as well.

Sorry midnite, Club Sandwiches aren't allowed.
Unless you have a powerful argument for them.

I'd also like to nominate Trader Vic's bongobongo soup.

I like to keep things simple: Kahlua pork on a King's Hawaiian roll.

Traditionally? Crab Rangoon & Rumaki.

But I also nominate Sabu's Spicy Coconut Chicken Skewers & Ahi Poke as modern substitutions.

Mieko's Spam Musubi. Yummmm! :)

The Mai Kai's Tahitian Cheese Tangs are pretty damn great!

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=15534&forum=10&hilite=musubi

Here's the thread on spam.
I didn't see if Mieko's was there or not but there sure were lots of references to it from the "chop" threads so it must be da kine.

I have to second Meiko's spam musubi. Actually, they are made by Meiko's mama, Musubi Mom.

Another vote for Sabu's Secret Chicken. Thousands of fans can't be wrong.

Sweet and Sour Shrimp : Nothing says "old Tiki Restaurant" more than bright orange sweet and sour Cantonese food.

Pineapple glazed ribs.

And then, there is, of course the PuPu platter with the blue sterno flame in the middle.

On 2008-05-16 08:19, tikiyaki wrote:
And then, there is, of course the PuPu platter with the blue sterno flame in the middle.

Amen to that!

Especially the crab rangoon and the beef teriyaki - who can resist meat on a stick?

I can only have one?

On 2008-05-15 18:36, Tiki-Kate wrote:
I like to keep things simple: Kahlua pork on a King's Hawaiian roll.

Oops. Nevermind. Have to change my vote to Mieko's Spam musubi.

For traditional Tiki: Stir-fried chicken and canned pineapple chunks.

For non-traditional: Haggis spring rolls from the Centro Pub at the University of Edinburgh.

For more on the Pupu platter, see this thread: http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=28341&forum=10&3

[ Edited by: Dr. Zarkov 2008-05-16 15:25 ]

You know, I think I have to say the Samoan Beef from the Mai Kai is out of this world. And so easy to drink to! I pair it with a Shrunken Skull. Then again, there isn't much I wouldn't pair with a shrunken Skull. Anything worth doing can be done with a Shrunken Skull. IMHO.

Definitely Sabu's Coconut Chicken Skewers - rich, tangy, and sweet. The coconut perfectly complements the chicken, making the sum greater than the parts.

I've found that the brand of curry powder really makes a difference. Some have a lot of cayenne pepper and no cumin. The recipe already calls for cayenne pepper, so I make sure the curry powder contains cumin.

I don't know if anyone else can relate to this, but after more than 40 years since I've enjoyed it in person, I can still taste it with a mere memory.

Beef Teriyaki on Rice from chuck wagon beach vendors.

There's a place between Diamond Head and Koko Head on the south shore of Oahu called Sandy Beach. It has a long shore break where lots of people used to body surf and ride their skim boards. It's nothing spectacular. The surf was usually brownish because of all the sand in each wave and occasionally it was full of kelp. But it was a really big beach where everyone would gather, lay out in the sun, then go in to cool off in the shore break. It had a pretty mean rip tide, too, because the waves would not break from a peak, but rather crash all at once. That would send floods up onto the beach that could only escape incoming sets by rushing to either side. If you got caught in one of those it was a helluva workout getting back.

After being drained of energy, coming out onto the beach and getting a Teriyaki Beef on Rice was a fantastic treat with your sinuses filled with ocean salt and sand. For me it was less of a surf flavor. It was more of a traditional beach flavor that you could take back to your blanket and then drift off under the sun and breeze with wonderful tiki thoughts.

Anyway, I will aways have to include Beach Beef Teryaki on Rice as a tiki food top contender.

Freakin' spelling

[ Edited by: The Gnomon 2008-05-17 11:55 ]

I'll have a Kahlua Pork on a King's Hawaiian roll with a Mieko Deluxe Spam Musubi chaser anytime.

As a matter of fact, that makes me so hungry I'm getting some Kahlua Pork right NOW. G'bye.

On 2008-05-16 15:23, Dr. Zarkov wrote:

For non-traditional: Haggis spring rolls from the Centro Pub at the University of Edinburgh.

Did La Verandah's mascaraed eyes read this correctly? Haggis. As in the sheep's stomach stuffed with oats 'n such, accompanied by the copious whiskey that makes this, um, palatable?

Le jaw descends...

On 2008-05-15 18:36, Tiki-Kate wrote:
I like to keep things simple: Kahlua pork on a King's Hawaiian roll.

I agree....nice and simple, but oh so tasty.

To the Maori? Hands down - 'Kai Moana'!! Seafood!!

Paticularly koura/crayfish (lobster?), seasonally inanga/whitebait (smelt?), shellfish particularly pipi, mussel and paua, tuna/eel, kina/spiky fish-eggs and all manner of fish. Not too fond of seafood myself but adore crayfish and scallops, oh yeah.

Second runner-up for distinctive Maori flava would have to be 'Titi' or 'muttonbirds' (Sooty Shearwater - basically a small seagull..). These birds return each year to the Titi-Islands at the very extreme South of New Zealand and only the few families who are kaitiaki/guardian of the Islds are allowed to harvest* them. The most marked attribute of these birds is the SMELL(!!!) when being roasted - thats the smell of your house for the next week. Very strong distinctive smell, hard to describe other than 'bad' but you do become used to it. The meat is almost black and the taste very strong/salty/fishy/oily due to the diet of the young birds; regurgitated fish! mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

The birds are fully 'processed' on the Islands and packed into large tins (each holding 24 birds) preserved in the birds own oil. As a kid I remember our family who still lived down at the Southern end of the Mainland would send up a tin to my Grandparents house most years.

*(only the baby birds are taken, and from underground burrows) I wont go into the gory details of hunting Titi here at the dining table..

Bon appetit'

Tama :)

2 words, Long Pig
:wink:

Jeff(bigtikidude)

I have tried everything but I can't get my tiki to eat. Thus I am of little help.

All hail Sabu Spicy Chicken Sewers!!!
Close second is Katsu Chicken from L & L

Chicken "Broke da Mouth" Katsu

• Boneless amd skinless chicken (white or dark meat)
• 3 eggs
• 1 package panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
• Flour
• Garlic
• Salt/pepper (to taste)
• 1/4 cup water
• Cooking Oil (I prefer canola oil)
• Tonkatsu Sauce (if you don't have ready made sauce you can always mix shoyu, katsup, and sugar together for a quick fix)

Start with three separate dishes or bowls. In the first bowl you will mix: Flour, garlic salt to taste (no be stingy), and salt and pepper. In the second dish: Scramble the eggs, water, and more garlic salt. In the third dish you will mix: Panko and even more garlic salt!

Heat the oil in a frying pan. Cut the chicken into long strips (this will help to speed up the cooking time). Dip the chicken into the egg batter. Then into the flour. Next back into the egg batter. And finally into the panko mix. Make sure all sides are coated well. Deep fry until golden brown.

Serve with white rice, two scoops mac salad and katsu sauce. Broke Da Mouth!

And a close third would be giant Prawns from any trailer stand on the North Shore.

I am 1st generation from Scotland, and I'm for anything Scottish, because anything else is CRAP! However...I would not try, (urp) ah...(gagging) (brawh, urp) Haggis spring roll...(ahgh, blathphoo urp) sorry, gotta run...(Buiccck!)

On 2008-05-17 11:51, The Gnomon wrote:
I don't know if anyone else can relate to this, but after more than 40 years since I've enjoyed it in person, I can still taste it with a mere memory.

Beef Teriyaki on Rice from chuck wagon beach vendors.

There's a place between Diamond Head and Koko Head on the south shore of Oahu called Sandy Beach...

I can relate, and, wow, that does bring back some memories. I still associate teri-beef on rice with Sandy Beach, and with Honolulu Zoo, where a skinny, old Chinese vendor sold it, outside. He had an intimidating "soup nazi" personality, and yelled incomprehensible questions at you, if you took over 1 second to decide what you wanted. ("HEY, WIKIWIKI, WAYU WAWA YAWA HIYA WAN CHOW FUN? HAH? WAYUWAH?")
I went there, just after graduation, in 1977. I was taken to Sandy Beach, first time, by my girlfriends two brothers (the one driving had just got his license that morning!), a cousin and a friend, all local guys. That beach is rough, the way the waves break. I think the floor comes up at a steep angle, so the waves rise up especially high and sudden, right as they come into the shore, and carry a huge amount of water up onto the beach. It's super for body surfing, but dangerous, if you aren't skilled at it. I wasn't. I would tend to end up too high in the wave, and get smacked down on the beach. Then I'd be rolled up the beach, under water, as the rest of the wave rushed in. Finally, I'd find myself lying in the sand, in a few inches of water. Then all the water would come rushing back, slucing about 17 pounds of sand through my swim trunks, as it pulled me back out. And then there were those strong, roving rip tides.
After I'd had enough, I was telling one brother, "those waves kept trying to drive me, head first, into the sand. I had to twist and roll, at the last second." He said, "Yeah, every year, some guys die, here. Come down, break da neck." Then he adds, chuckling, "All haoles."
Afterwards, we went over and bought the teriyaki beef and rice from the lunch wagon, just like you. It was immediately a favorite. Still is, and I make it the way they taught me, over there - no pre-mixed teriyaki marinade. Pineapple juice or 7-Up, soy sauce, garlic and ginger. Soak some round steak in it for a day or two, it becomes very tender. Grill, or even pan fry it (you get some juice, that way), dump it on top of the sticky white rice. Ono!

[ Edited by: Limbo Lizard 2008-05-30 09:34 ]

*pablus wrote:

Sorry midnite, Club Sandwiches aren't allowed.
Unless you have a powerful argument for them.*

A club sandwich is the number one food choice, but it's not tiki food. They are, however, very tiki.

*I'd also like to nominate Trader Vic's bongobongo soup.
*

I've sailed the Seven Seas, seen the Mona Lisa, been blessed by Cardinals, walked with the bulls, and touched Indians. Recently, a wise old tiki salt told me of a dish so wonderful I had to travel several thousand miles to taste the vaunted ambrosia he spoke of so highly.

My nomination would be .....

Shanghai Chicken

Served in the Molokai Bar by one of the lovely and enchanting Mai Kai girls.

The defense rests,
midnite

I gotta go with Sabu's Spicy Coconut Chicken Skewers as well. I have made many variations of these, and decided that leaving the skewers off and cutting them into bite sized pieces is perfect for the Tiki Bar crowd. In fact, after I serve them once at a party, I am not invited back unless I promise to make them again. (Hmmm... maybe I should re-evaluate my friends now that I think of it...) At the recent world famous TikiBocce event at Lund Manor (Alameda), I used portabello mushrooms instead of chicken and the crowd seemed to like them too!

But, spam musubi is always a second runner up too! (Haven't tried Mieko's version...)

Myke

Shanghai Chicken ehhhh?

I've never tried it but certainly will next week.
Somehow I rarely get past the appetizers at the Mai Kai...

On 2008-05-15 18:10, pablus wrote:

I'd also like to fly the "fish taco" kite and see if lightening strikes.

If Caribbean Rum can get in then fish tacos can as well.

Then I'll vote "cheeseburger in paradise" :P
Really tho, traditionally gotta go with the PuPu Platter...

On 2008-05-16 08:19, tikiyaki wrote:
Sweet and Sour Shrimp : Nothing says "old Tiki Restaurant" more than bright orange sweet and sour Cantonese food.

Pineapple glazed ribs.

And then, there is, of course the PuPu platter with the blue sterno flame in the middle.

Yep!!!

Like at the Tahitian Terrace restaraunt in Disneyland!

Well I had the Shanghai Chicken tonight.

I think.

The girl was a bit confused about many things this evening since there were many more people (and thirsty ones) than she usually provides for.

Is the Shanghai Chicken small morsels with bacon wrapped around it?
It reminds me of the make make with the chicken liver with the bacon wrapped around it, if that's indeed the name of what I had this evening.

I must try it again tomorrow to make certain.