New Luau in Beverly Hills?

What is the parking like and is there a dress code?

There's a parking garage with a $3.oo flat fee a block away and it's casual but no shorts. The have a kids tiki drink that is also served in a coconut or pineapple...would be nice for a family

how does David Spade do it.....

On 2008-10-24 21:56, Coco Joe wrote:

One think that I didn't care for was the hindu hand sculpture all over which is the logo.

Hindu hand sculpture is the logo? :o Is there statues of Buddha in the bathroom?
Looks like a shipping container of PNG and Balinese, tourist kitsch vomited in this place.

I've got and idea how about we decorate the place with Hindu, Buddhist art/junk from Bali and throw in a tiki or 2 with some PNG stuff(it's cheap and abundant) and there you have it , we'll call it The Luau.... Laaaaaaaaaammmme!

The place is a big step above Vegas Vic's. The bamboo on the walls and the ambient lighting look right and if they stick to the drink recipes at least they have that going for them. That being said, I doubt I would make a special trip to see the place next time I'm in town.

On 2008-10-24 23:40, Coco Joe wrote:
There's a parking garage with a $3.oo flat fee a block away and it's casual but no shorts. The have a kids tiki drink that is also served in a coconut or pineapple...would be nice for a family

Thanks for the heads up Coco Joe...

Mahalo,
Tikitatt

Heres the link to the LA Times piece in Sundays Image section .
http://www.latimes.com/features/lifestyle/

c'mon you guys post some pics!!!!!!! or maybe... take some pics!

Megan and I went last night to the opening. While it may not be "Tiki Ti Tiki" it definitely has a very nice, dare I say, classy tiki vibe. Exotica playing, decent cocktails, great food, and a beautiful interior. Bamboo Ben did a fantastic job! There were a few celebrities at the opening but none more important the our own Tobunga. We will definitely be going back for more.

Jeff

I dunno about being a celebrity, but Manuel and I went to the Luau on opening night. I brought my camera and took some pix.

I have to say, my first impression on walking in was "Wow!" A bamboo and thatch covered reception area/bar, blowfish lamps, framed tiki art, and Martin Denny playing over the sound system greeted us.(This is the first time I've actually heard exotica playing in any sort of tiki establishment that I didn't have to program into a juke box).

We were seated and immediately began gawking at the decor.
The dining room is not very large, giving it an intimate feel. I spotted Tiki-Ray's tiki, and also noted that there were Moai lamps draped with palm fronds.

Directly over our heads, and visible from the entire room, was Bamboo Ben's blowfish extravaganza...

There was also a few pieces of Oceanic art on the walls, including a large, framed tapa cloth.

We were excited to peruse the drink list, knowing of the origins of some of them. For the opening night, the Luau was serving complementary drinks: the Bo-Lo (served in a hollowed-out pineapple) and the Bahia (served in a whole shelled coconut). We tried both, as well as the Mai-Tai and the Pearl Diver. The Mai-Tai and the Pearl Diver were both very strong, and not on the sweet side. The rum had an aged-in-wood edge. They were easily the most expensive drinks I've ever had! ($14-$18)

I won't bore you with the details of getting vegetarian items from the menu, and I didn't note the prices on the meaty-meat dishes, other than that they were not cheap, sorry to not be of much help there.

The restrooms were up a flight of bamboo lined stairs. At the top was a small insanely-bamboo covered room: walls, doors, and ceiling. It was very cool!

We didn't spend much time in the bar, but I snapped a pic of the tiki painting and the lamps. I've heard them described as Turkish, but the seemed to be covered in a tapa cloth like material. Is this Tapa? In the environment, the seemed tapa to me, and I didn't think they weren't, but the references to the Turkish lamps makes me wonder.

So is it tiki enough? I saw at least 10 examples of Polynesian or Oceanic-inspired pieces in the dining room, most of them without having to move from my seat. And I've never seen more blowfish in one location! Besides the centerpiece in the dining room (containing 37 or 38 fish), there were three over the host station, and (I think) three over the bar. And Bamboo Ben's incredible work! The walls and ceiling were covered in bamboo. There were two support beams that were made to look like lashed together bamboo poles, tied up with rope.

Oh, and the music! Martin Denny playing almost the entire time we were there! That went a long way in setting the mood. As we sipped our Mai-Tais, "Quiet Village" wafted through the air, and it was great!

I know there is some concern about the Buddha imagery. It seems to be concentrated in two areas though: the back-lit cubicles and the big hands at the bar. I honestly didn't even notice the bar hands (but then, I was not in the bar very long). At one point, Denny's "The Left Arm of Buddha" (currently my obsessive favorite piece of his) played, and I couldn't help glancing over at the Buddha cubicle and picking out which were left hands.

The over all impression is a very nice, up-scale restaurant. A definite tiki bend, if not totally tiki. Certainly not at the level of the original Luau, as evidenced in the pix posted here by Sven, but still tiki, at least to me.

A few things though, make me not all together ceartain it wants to be tiki. From the LA times article:

"When asked why he decided to open a tiki bar in Beverly Hills' pricey Golden Triangle, the first thing [owner Andrew Hewitt] does is disavow the "T" word. "It's not tiki," he says emphatically. "I call it Polynesian panache."

And possibly more telling: As we were having dinner, a woman approched us and mentioned that our tiki shirts seemed appropriate atttire. She introduced herself as the designer, and asked us what we thought of the restaurant when we said we were into tiki. We said we we liked it, and she said that was good, considering she'd never been in a tiki establishment before, other than the original Luau (which must have been in her childhood). She seemed almost proud of her lack of tiki experience.

Oh, also, the logo on the business card and etched onto the glasses is the Buddha hand. Again, not tiki at all.

So anyway, that was our Luau encounter...

http://ericoctober.com

[ Edited by: tobunga 2008-10-26 18:05 ]

thanks for a great post. Sorry for my half arse review

Let's all tie up Sven and get him there. There's a lot things that are hard to swallow but overall it's well worth checking out

Thanks for the exhaustive report. No need for bondage, I will go some day, incognito, and I sure hope they'll be playin' my song (Denny) then! Cause as I said before, nothing better than Exotica music to provide the glue to cement all the various elements of a Polynesian pop environment together into a whole. And the more of these elements surface (Tapa, PNG carvings, Moai lamps), the better I feel about the place. Let's just say then that maybe it is not only a homage to Steve Crane's Luau, but also to his exotic Ports of Call restaurants (even if not on purpose). Now, for the lava rock waterfalls and tropical foliage.... :)

On 2008-10-26 17:49, bigbrotiki wrote:
Thanks for the exhaustive report. No need for bondage, I will go some day, incognito, and I sure hope they'll be playin' my song (Denny) then! Cause as I said before, nothing better than Exotica music to provide the glue to cement all the various elements of a Polynesian pop environment together into a whole. And the more of these elements surface (Tapa, PNG carvings, Moai lamps), the better I feel about the place. Let's just say then that maybe it is not only a homage to Steve Crane's Luau, but also to his exotic Ports of Call restaurants (even if not on purpose). Now, for the lava rock waterfalls and tropical foliage.... :)

Yo Sven,

I think it's time "you build you own dream bar".

It's 2009 and times have " CHANGED."

Stop complaining about all the " new" ones and,

go with the flow!!!

" ANY TIKI IS BETTER THAN NO TIKI!!!!!!!!!"

Think about it.

Bamboo Ben
Custom Tropical Decor
I build stuff for you!
Google search me and see!

[ Edited by: RevBambooBen 2008-10-26 21:19 ]

It is all about ones point of view, Ben. I would say because of your involvement, yours naturally is subjective. Nothing wrong with that. Another perspective is exemplified in how a friend of mine, a respected Tiki artist, puts it:

"What they are doing is slowly chopping down an ancient forest that we love and telling us they are actually saving it."

Happens in all walks of live, such is "progress".

I'm wondering if I have any clothes with pockets big enough for one of those lamps! Hey, do they have their own swizzles?

I suggest everyone vote no on prop 8 so Sven and Ben get together and have a love child/bar.

They could combine their names and it could be called trader ben's or even trader sven's.

On 2008-10-26 21:34, spy-tiki wrote:
I'm wondering if I have any clothes with pockets big enough for one of those lamps! Hey, do they have their own swizzles?

You can gettem at Oceanic Arts. And do you think they know about swizzles? That's collector nerd knowledge.

On 2008-10-26 21:34, spy-tiki wrote:
Hey, do they have their own swizzles?

No swizzles just those twisted rattan type picks.

This picture was on the previous page, I'm surprised you didn't Spy it Spy-Tiki. :wink:

LA Times story from yesterday: http://www.latimes.com/features/lifestyle/la-ig-tiki26-2008oct26,0,288708.story

Be sure to also click on the "Photos: Tiki goes high end". Be warned, the 4th image may cause cause permanent eye damage! http://www.latimes.com/features/lifestyle/la-ig-1026-tiki26-pg,0,7355092.photogallery

[ Edited by: Rum Balls 2008-10-27 07:45 ]

[ Edited by: Rum Balls 2008-10-27 07:49 ]

Here's that eye-damaging pic for y'all!
YOIKS!
Reminds me of the 80's when all the high end stores were selling Boutique "Punk"..
EGADZ!!!!

Dont sweat it Ben . You do "Custom" work and your motto is "I build stuff for you " . And that is what you did .A customer has a vision with money to back it and you create it . Thats what you get paid for and thats what keeps food on the table for your family . You are one of the lucky few who gets paid to do the stuff you love . And Ive seen you are gratefull for this .
I loved Disneyland as a kid and had great memories . I then took my kids there as they were growing up .I hadnt been there in 10 years but when I recently came back I was shocked by some of the strange things I saw. The Swiss Family Robinsons treehouse was now Tarzans treehouse . Tom Sawyers Island was now some sort of pirates island even though you had to paddle an indian canoe to get there. Or you could ride a paddlewheel river boat around the pirates paradise ( I still cant figure out how that ties together ) . And the Pirates of the Carribean ride should now be called the Johnny Depp ride . It didnt seem right but I had to make my peace with it . I couldnt get upset with the builders because they were getting paid by someone else to create something new . I still have the memories and Disney was just trying to build something to get the next generation to relate . My son is 17 and couldnt care less about a film called Swiss Family Robinson and how they whole family lived in a tree . What made me fell better is the things that did NOT change . Sure they threw in some new stuff but most of the park was still mine .
I dont drink anymore but the only time I hang out in bars is at these events . I love tikibars for the art as well and the escapeism it provides .But if someone didnt stand up and say "Damn the world, Im gonna create my own kind of bar " , we wouldnt even have tiki bars around . We would all be going to the purest form of western bars . They were called "Saloons" .And who wants to sit around drinking, playing cards , shooting off guns surrounded by dancehall girls and if we had enough gold nuggets in our pocket we could visit a hooker upstairs ? (What am i saying )?
Anyways Ben , you did a lot of high end work in there and created another steppingstone to the great tiki bars and restaraunts of our time . Maybe celebrities will start branching out more to the tiki circuit . After all , Johnny Depp did do a film at the Bahooka.

The above picture is exactly the reason thatthe owner Andy Hewitt won't use the "T word" in refering to his new place to the Times reporter calling it "Polynesian panache". As long as they make crap like this, it will be tacky for most people. You can't blame him for wanting to distance himself from examples like this.
(Who is the model BTW? He looks familiar)

The word "Panache" is akin to "Classy".
An over used cliche that instantly denotes the opposite.

On 2008-10-27 07:45, Rum Balls wrote:
LA Times story from yesterday: http://www.latimes.com/features/lifestyle/la-ig-tiki26-2008oct26,0,288708.story

Be sure to also click on the "Photos: Tiki goes high end". Be warned, the 4th image may cause cause permanent eye damage! http://www.latimes.com/features/lifestyle/la-ig-1026-tiki26-pg,0,7355092.photogallery

[ Edited by: Rum Balls 2008-10-27 07:45 ]

[ Edited by: Rum Balls 2008-10-27 07:49 ]

That link was previously posted here on page 9, days before the article got published in the paper, --but then it got deleted, I have no idea why...after I posted my opinion of the article, on page 10, here it is again (that is where I got that picture from in the first place!):

On 2008-10-24 09:49, bigbrotiki wrote:
Here we go, now THIS is being talked about and already accepted as an example of the NEW form of Tiki style:

...even as the owner disavows the title "Tiki", but calls it "Polynesian panache". Polynesian in name, "The Luau", but where else? It is these mixed messages that the place is sending out that make me classify it as a MISSED OPPORTUNITY.

After years of reading articles about the new Tiki wave just being around the corner, I am kind of pragmatic about articles such as this. So pragmatic (and ambivalent about the Luau) in fact, that I wasn't mentioned in the article, probably because in my phone interview with the writer I expressed doubts that did not fit in with his agenda of high end Tiki (I am surprised he didn't mention the Mahiki as a prime example of that theory--while I believe it actually might have been one of the main impulses for the Luau's Beverly Hills set).

This is not to say that this is not a well-written and balanced article, I think the writer does an admirable job at describing the place accurately and objectively, noting its lack of actual Tikis, and giving the Tiki traditionalists and Tiki Central their voice without being condescending, kudos for that.

And after all, as they saying goes, there is no such thing as bad press (meaning anything that is printed about a subject is good as it creates more public awareness).

I am really ready to put this to rest now, please. I said my piece, I am glad that there are so many elements that popped up in the place that make it less Cost Plus import store and more Tiki, but I will also continue to voice my opinion on what I believe to be a good NEW interpretation of Tiki style and what not. This is certainly better than the Vegas Vic's, but maybe not as good as it could have been considering it took its name from the place that was one of the initiators of that Tiki style --as I said above, a missed opportunity. Amen and out.

From the photos that I've seen, I think the place looks cool - except of course the Buddha hands which seem very out of place next to Tiki Ray's tiki and in the whole restaurant for that matter! Really weird. Whatever, I still want to check it out. Thanks to those who have posted pics and reviews... Tobunga I, for one, would like to hear the details of the vegetarian menu - decent stuff?

Terra
Swangulo Tikis by Big Mike
[email protected]

Not for nothin' but I saw this in Marshalls the other day, and decided to take a photo with my iPhone.

Buddha Hand. Dangerously Similar.

[ Edited by: tikiyaki 2008-10-27 15:33 ]

check out Jeff Berry's recent blog on his site, gives some more info about his collaboration with them.

Not to ruffle any ones tail feathers, but perhaps one should visit the place before giving their opinion on it. Just a thought.

Jeff

On 2008-10-27 19:06, gonegoannas wrote:
Not to ruffle any ones tail feathers, but perhaps one should visit the place before giving their opinion on it. Just a thought.

Jeff

Cheers!

On 2008-10-27 19:06, gonegoannas wrote:
Not to ruffle any ones tail feathers, but perhaps one should visit the place before giving their opinion on it. Just a thought.

Jeff

Now you've gone and done it...
You used common sense!
What were you thinking?

On 2008-10-27 14:57, Swangulo Tikis wrote:
From the photos that I've seen, I think the place looks cool - except of course the Buddha hands which seem very out of place next to Tiki Ray's tiki and in the whole restaurant for that matter! Really weird. Whatever, I still want to check it out. Thanks to those who have posted pics and reviews... Tobunga I, for one, would like to hear the details of the vegetarian menu - decent stuff?

Terra
Swangulo Tikis by Big Mike
[email protected]

Hey Terra!

Yes, but the Buddha hand is the logo! Go figure... to me, it indicates a lack of desire to fully embrace tiki. Or maybe a misguided attempt to push the concept of tiki in another direction. Or both?

As for the veggie options... Only one appetizer, the curry lettuce cups, were meat free. I'm not a big fan of curry, but they were tasty, if tiny.

No veggie entrees, although I think the two curry dishes could have been made without meat. Dunno if that would bring their mid-20's price down, though. And again, not a fan of curry, I didn't ask if they could be prepared sans meat. Our server didn't mention them as an option, so it might not have been possible anyway.

They had quite a few meatless sides though. We had grilled corn, taro root fries, garlic naan (with a pineapple curry salsa), all pretty yummy.

There was a coconut rice side, but it had chicken juice in it. Our server said a non-meaty rice dish would be available in the future.

I don't remember the full details, but other sides include a bok choy dish, a snow pea (or some kind of pea or bean) dish, an asparagus dish, and a few others, I think.

Desserts all sounded good, but we went with a coconut covered tiramisu and Key lime pie... delish!

We may go back for dessert and coffee some time, or maybe a mai-tai at the bar.

Thanks for the menu details.

The whole Buddha hand thing is terribly odd (I had already forgotten about it being the logo - eesh - yes that just seems wrong), but at this point I'll take what I can get - we don't do the babysitter thing much with our daughter so we obviously can't get out to the bars. "Family Friendly" with decent food and somewhat tiki works for me! In any case I really love all the pufferfish - really neat effect.

I guess the only way to get the point across about true tiki style is to give feedback to the management/owners or open your own place.
We tried to speak to the mgmt at a tiki bar (with very sparse decor) near our place, but it fell on deaf ears. I just noticed a change of ownership sign there and hope that they make some positive changes rather than remodel it into yet another sports bar or something of that ilk.

Thanks again for the info!

Terra
Swangulo Tikis by Big Mike
[email protected]

On 2008-10-27 19:06, gonegoannas wrote:
Not to ruffle any ones tail feathers, but perhaps one should visit the place before giving their opinion on it. Just a thought.
Jeff

For the average person, perhaps, but after spending over 16 years of looking and photographing authentic Tiki environments, writing two books on Tiki style, and getting to see the blueprints and hearing the interior designer did jewelry for rock stars before she got this job, I thought I had a pretty good grasp of where this one was going. And apart from a few nice surprise details, I don't think I have been proven wrong.

OK, one LAST time, let me spell out where I am coming from: My main interest are the VISUALS, the ART, this is what inspired me about Tiki, and made me want to write a book about it. And people LIKED what they saw in the book, so much that it inspired a resurgence of the style. (And this was NOT because it was a book on Polynesian bamboo bars of the 30s and 40s). I don't care that much about the food, or the society clientele, that is the restaurateurs job. The drinks are what counts, and they did good here, I acknowledged that.

Stephen Crane's Luau was originally called Sugie's Tropics, which used to be a very successful PRE-Tiki style tropical bar, meaning it had LOTS of Bamboo, rattan, and Lahaula matted walls. Sugie's used classic pre-Tiki icons like monkeys and Hula girls as logos for his business.

When Crane re-opened it as the Luau 1n 1953, in its early years it retained that pre-Tiki Bamboo bar look:

This is NOT a Tiki bar, as defined in my books.

But Steve was in competition with Trader Vic and Don The Beachcomber, and needed to differentiate himself from them. So to up the ante, and because he was a show man/actor, he decided to get more theatrical, by adding more Oceanic artifacts, like the lamps, weapons, shields and TIKIS. Plus he added interior waterfalls and landscaping. He also used a Tiki as the logo for the restaurants on its menu, matchbooks, coasters, postcards, and replicated it as Salt and Pepper shakers, table lamps and as entrance doorway Tikis. Here again, is the introduction to his menu, where he specifically talks about his Tikis:

So Steve Crane was the first entrepreneur to employ Tikis as a theme (together with Tiki Bob's in San Francisco). Thus the Luau became one of the BIRTHPLACES OF TIKI STYLE. His all-out "sophisticated savage" concept was so successful that he franchised it out with his Kon-Tiki chain to several American (and Canadian) cities in 1958.
Here is an excerpt from a 1959 article "War of Exotic Restaurant Chains Comes to a Head in Portland" about Steve Crane opening a Kon Tiki restaurant where there is already a Trader Vic's (note that the writer does not mention Tikis specifically: Nobody singled them out as the figureheads back then, I had to do it in my book):

So this is what the Luau became, and what the Luau stood for:

To me, choosing the name of The Luau (and claiming to have fond childhood memories of it) carries a responsibility to its stature in Polynesian pop history that was not fulfilled, by not going all the way with what made the first Luau special. This is all that I am claiming here.

I don't have to sit there to see that. Because Tiki has nothing to do with common sense, but all with Tiki sense.

Since we're all jumping on Sven, let me add: Sven, when are you visiting Forbidden island? :)

I understand Sven's points, and agree with him that it's not exactly vintage Polynesian Pop style. But does it have to be exactly like the old Luau? As much as I love the look of the old one I think Ben and others have created something that's a nice blend of old and new. However, it's hard to get the complete feel of the place from a few pictures. I would like to go there someday and see it for myself. And I can't wait to try the drinks that Jeff Berry selected for the place.

ps Forbidden Island has swizzle sticks.

[ Edited by: thejab 2008-10-28 12:25 ]

On 2008-10-28 12:17, thejab wrote:
Sven, when are you visiting Forbidden island? :)

When it's seven minutes from my house, like the Tiki Ti. :D
How about opening a Forbidden Island in the middle of the Silver lake? I would build a sky lift with little Tiki shaped gondolas from my house down to it.

On 2008-10-28 12:17, thejab wrote:
But does it have to be exactly like the old Luau? As much as I love the look of the old one...

And, ARRRRGH!, that is NOT what I have been saying here! I am NOT a stodgy by-the-book traditionalist who demands slavish copying of mid-century Tiki style! I welcome new ideas and concepts and interpretations of Tiki style, if they are done smartly, like at Forbidden Island. Buddha hands and Balinese Import stuff is not in that mix for me, and ONE token Tiki neither. WHAT in heaven do I have to say to make my position understood !!?

On 2008-10-28 12:33, bigbrotiki wrote:

On 2008-10-28 12:17, thejab wrote:
Sven, when are you visiting Forbidden island? :)

When it's seven minutes from my house, like the Tiki Ti. :D
How about opening a Forbidden Island in the middle of the Silver lake? I would build a sky lift with little Tiki shaped gondolas from my house down to it.

Because it would get all wet and start to smell funny.

On 2008-10-28 12:17, thejab wrote:
But does it have to be exactly like the old Luau? As much as I love the look of the old one I think Ben and others have created something that's a nice blend of old and new. However, it's hard to get the complete feel of the place from a few pictures. I would like to go there someday and see it for myself. And I can't wait to try the drinks that Jeff Berry selected for the place.

Jab,

I met Cheryl Crane at the pre opening party and she loved
the new Luau. She said it was perfect for 2009. And she enjoyed the small touches of the past Luau too.

Also, they have some pretty good steaks for you to check out.

On 2008-10-28 12:00, bigbrotiki wrote:

I don't have to sit there to see that. Because Tiki has nothing to do with common sense, but all with Tiki sense.

Again I will have to disagree here with you. Does a picture or two of Tiki-Ti give anybody a true feeling of what it is like to be there? If it does, why would any of us even need to go there? I could make a Mai Tai at home and stare at a photo of the Ti and it would be just the same!

Part of a successful "Tiki Bar", in my opinion, is not only the decor, the cocktails, or the music but the ambiance. All these aspects, and more, coming together to create a unique experience. The vibe put off by the place, in other words. Some do it much better than others. I live about 10 minutes from a tiki bar and go there on occasion. The interior is fantastic. But I still rather take a 30 minute drive to Tiki-Ti. You can not compare the two as far ambiance, yet visually somewhat similar.

No picture can give you a true representation of what it is like to be in a successful tiki bar.

The Luau has done a great job, in my opinion, of presenting what may be considered an "upscale tiki inspired" restaurant. Is it Tiki as defined by YOU, maybe not. But perhaps it is Tiki none the less.

Jeff

"That seems to be part of the motivation for Hewitt's ambitious re-imagining of the storied Luau. When asked why he decided to open a tiki bar in Beverly Hills' pricey Golden Triangle, the first thing he does is disavow the "T" word. "It's not tiki," he says emphatically. "I call it Polynesian panache."

If the owner says it's not a Tiki Bar then why are we haggling over whether it is or isn't?

Just call it a cool Polynesian Panache Bar.

Years from now we will be haggling over which was the first Polynesian Panache Bar that started the PP craze.

But hell, I just love a good argument, so here:

On 2008-10-28 18:57, gonegoannas wrote:
The Luau has done a great job, in my opinion, of presenting what may be considered an "upscale tiki inspired" restaurant. Is it Tiki as defined by YOU, maybe not. But perhaps it is Tiki none the less.

Good, you can have your Tiki, and I can have my Tiki! :D Taste is in the eye of ...and so on.

If I still have not made myself clear, I am sorry. Perhaps this could work as a new version of a "Tiki Bar"--any Tiki Bar, that is. But he is not calling it a Tiki Bar (which the original Luau was), he is calling it THE LUAU.
As I feared before, and elaborately explained on the previous page, this place just doesn't deliver what the tradition of the original entails. And THAT I can determine from my desk. No matter what the lovely Ms. Crane, who has been a high end realtor since the Luau closed, says.

On 2008-10-28 18:57, gonegoannas wrote:
No picture can give you a true representation of what it is like to be in a successful tiki bar.

And I also can determine from here that an image of a wall of Buddha hands, like the one on the opening page of the L.A. Times article, sends a mixed message to the many people that will never go to visit this place, just like the images in my Book of Tiki sent a clear message (judging by what they inspired all around the world, in places that never HAD Tiki bars). Images are not the experience, no, but they are equally (or even more) powerful.

Sven,

Read page 3, bottom post.

Is it just me or are the old photos of the Luau a bit bright and carnival like?
too me it looks like a Easter parade meets tiki,
and way too bright in there.
or is that flash for the photos?

I prefer my tiki destinations to be very dimly lit.

Sven, go to the New Luau and tell them to ditch the Buddha hands,
or else.
:wink:

Jeff(bigtikidude)

Big Jeff, you can't be serious. Have you seen ANY restaurant postcards from the 50s that were lit in the mood lighting that the restaurants actually were lit in? C'mon. Of course it was flash photography all the way. (That's on aspect were Gonegoannas is right: Vintage Tiki Lounge photos do not represent the lighting mood of a Tiki Bar well.)

Ben, I KNOW they are not trying to be the old Luau. Obviously. But they could have done better in imbuing the place with the original Luaus SPIRIT and MANA, instead of a pale pastiche of it (that's the opposite of Polynesian panache).

Let me recap: The old Luau was THE Tiki Bar. But they don't want it to be a Tiki Bar. And they don't want it to be the old Luau. Uh, why did they CALL it The Luau again?

Sorry, I promise I'll stop (if you won't give me cause to continue, that is...) :)

Sven,
well considering that I was not around(age wise)for the first wave of tiki.
I do not know what the inside of a tiki bar restaurant would look like.
I assumed that it was lit up with a flash.

but,I still say that some of the bright colors and plastic looking plants in the pics of the Luau make it look kinda like a circus circus version of a tiki restaurant(TO ME).

Jeff(bigtikidude)

Which of these two interors is going to attract the well-to-do that are willing to come in and pay $14-$18 a pop for a drink? Nowadays alot of people equate "Tiki" with "tacky" which is why the wanted to call it Polynesian Panache, and not Tiki. Today's society (especially in LA) has a different set of tatses than 40 years ago.

[ Edited by: GROG 2008-10-28 23:37 ]

I'll pay for the drink if the place looks more like this - the original. I still prefer the old-school Luau.

DC

I found this other sculpture that could work with the design theme.

I don't think it's Tiki but it might be Polynesian panache. :) or at least as Polynesian as the Buddha hand things.