Where to go for a Mai Tai in the Washington, DC area.

If you find yourself in the DC area, and want a truly terrific Mai Tai, take a short trip to Shanghai Village (4929 Bethesda Ave, Bethesda, MD 20814). Almost a negative TIPSY factor (the only tiki is a very few classic mugs and bowls), but some of the best classic tiki drinks I've had anywhere. This is not surprising, because the owner, Chef Kwok, once worked at the Washington, DC Trader Vic's. The Mai Tais are especially great and worth the 25 minute trip from downtown DC. The food is exceptional as well, and is the main reason I no longer go all the way to Chinatown to get top notch Asian food.

If you have not tried SV, I encourage you to make the trip. You will not be disappointed. Travel tip: avoid Bethesda during the weekend dinner hours. It is a bit zooy and it would be easier to find $2.00 gas than a parking space anywhere.

If anyone else has a DC/MD/VA favorite Mai Tai, I'd love to hear about it. Please add it to the list.

jwtiki

[ Edited by: jwtiki 2008-07-27 09:21 ]

Thanks. I'll check it out. I've heard that there's a Thai restaurant in Gaithersburg that makes a real Mai Tai, but I don't know if the source of the info knows what a Mai Tai really is. Clearly, worth a try though.

Now may be a good time to inform or remind people that the DC/Maryland/Virginia area has a local tiki discussion board. Traffic is fairly light, but now and then there are some spur of the moment local gatherings that won't get mentioned on Tiki Central.

Most of the activity takes place on the discussion boards ....
http://marylanddctiki.proboards2.com

...but there is some other stuff too, some which may be a bit out of date. (I know the pictures of my home tiki bar were taken years ago.)
http://marylanddctiki.com/

Vern

Vern,

Just read your post went to Maryland tiki boards
& when I saw "The Pacific" in Sterling had gone
under Chapert 11.

First the Honolulu, then Vera's White Sands (as it
used to be) & now The Pacific. UGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

Thortiki

Exactly Thortiki!

We're in a world of hurt.

Oh what I wouldn't give for a DC Trader Vic's!

Sigh.

While not a DC area location per se, many of us, in our home bars sometimes turn to Dave and Anna's http://time2tiki.com/ Mai Tai mix. David of course being a former TV DC bartender. He and his wife Anna owned Honolulu, in VA until it closed. Dig around their website a little, there's video of David making a Mai Tai with his mix.

Dig around the MD/DC board for a few other suggestions, sadly, most of what the DC area seems to have to offer are local Chinese places with exotic drinks. While not exactly Tiki, some of the bartenders do know their stuff. With a little luck you can even find places serving in mugs or bowls.

I just shot an email off to Erik Heggan (Exec Assistant at TVs Corp HQ in San Rafael) re how the DC thing was going.

On 2008-07-30 11:52 EDT, Erik Heggan wrote:
Well, the people we were talking to in D.C. sort of flaked out on us, actually not sort of, they did flake out on us.

D.C. is absolutely a place we'd like to get back into, no doubt about it, and we appreciate the loyalty there.
I will pass along your sentiments to the new Pres/CEO we have here and see what we can do. I still have your email address on my computer here, and I'm sorry I haven't gotten back to you.

I am surprised that Trader Vic's has not tried to re-establish itself in DC with one (or more) of their new "Mai Tai Lounge" concept bars.

http://www.tradervics.com/maitaibar-0.html

This seems like it would do well in some of the Washington Metro upscale malls. It would be great for the people who remember the old TV and introduce the brand to younger people who may never have heard of TV.

Well, I think the good news is that TV WANTS to be here.

That bodes well for future possibilities, maybe next time with the right set of people.

'Til then, the eastern seaboard continues longing.

Movie & Mai-Tai @ SHANGHAI

jwtiki enjoyed meeting with you,
Sabina & tikigap @ "Cheng's" today!

Your concept for the Shanghai Village
of cinema & Chef Kwok's Mai-Tai's sounds
interesting. Keep us posted!!

Mahalo Thortiki

Great news about Shanghai Village, I get down to Bethesda and or Rockville every so often for business with the FDA.

FYI - I know it is a bit of a haul but there will be excellent mai-tais at my luau up here in Allentown on the 30th!

Just went to Shanghai Village today and the Mai Tai was excellent!! :D

Shanghai Village MAI TAI

Myself & Wahine Lynn visted the Shanghai Village
Saturday evening the MAI TAI was good & potent as
advertised.

In fact one of Chef Kwok's MAI TAI's was stronger
than both a Mai Tai & a Zombie together @ Cheng's
in Sterling, Va. the weekend before.

Thortiki

I am so glad you made the trek. I sense it was well worth the trip. Though bereft of the trappings of tikidom, as I have said to so many before, SV's mixology and fine food make it a must visit for those who love a great Mai Tai (among its many well mastered tiki drinks) combined with terrific Asian food.

I am almost ready to toss out a date for our first effort for a Mai Tai Movie Nite in September. Now you know where you'll (hopefully) be heading.

Mahalo!
jwtiki

[ Edited by: jwtiki 2008-08-10 18:30 ]

For those who have been waiting for detail on the Movie & Mai Tais we're up an running on Saturday, September 20th.
More details elsewhere on Tiki Central:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=29666&forum=4&6

Not too late, the train has not pulled out of the station yet!

Sorry I'll miss it. A month ago I committed to someone's fundraiser that takes place on Saturday 9/20.

Sorry you can't make this one, but we will be "raising cane" again soon no doubt.

Well, it only took 14 more years for Trader Vic's to make a new appearance in DC.

Though not a full blown Mai Tai Lounge, the pop up bar at the Capital Hilton is worth a visit, especially to have an opportunity for a genuine Trader Vic's Mai Tai. Other DC Tiki bars have some kind of riff on a Mai Tai, but most of them don't hold a candle to the original.