China Sails (Dave Wong's), Salem, MA (restaurant)

Name:China Sails (Dave Wong's)
Type:restaurant
Street:Rte. 1A
City:Salem
State:MA
Zip:
country:USA
Phone:
Status:defunct

Description:

I had always wondered about Dave Wong's China Sails restaurant after seeing the Tiki mugs that featured the restaurant name.

I picked up a postcard that shows the exterior building and sign and the interior bar and dinning room.

The sign was pretty cool.

The bar had a Covarrubias-style mural as a backdrop.

Back of the card.

I grabbed some images of a menu a while back from ebay. They featured all of the standard drinks.

Interesting logos used on the menu

Looks just like the images used on the Hawaiian Hut matchbook located in Portland, Maine.

Wonder if they were somehow related.

Found a website that has some information and tributes to Dave Wong.

http://www.suncapinc.com/chinaindex.htm

There were several other locations in addition to the original in Salem.

DC

Indeed a fine, fine sign! And another great piece of map mural art which probably was never properly documented. :cry:

Good eye on that Hawaiian Hut logo, I thought "What's that mushroom doing on the drink menu?"

Though I haven't been there in years, that exterior shot looked familiar:

FANTASY ISLAND in Salem, MA.

Swizzle!


According to the swizzle, there were 4 locations, Salem, Chestnut Hill, Revere & Peabody.

Thuderlips,

Thanks for the photo, glad to see the sign is still there in some form. I wonder if the bar mural is still there? Any recollections of that?

Big Kahuna,

Nice swizzle. Those locations were also listed on the menu.

Tikisgrl also posted these generic Moai swizzles that had the China Sails logo.

DC

Here is another blue swizzle from China Sails that was also posted by Tikisgrl.

Anybody hear from her lately?

DC

I haven't seen hide nor hair of Tikisgrl, aka Beth, in months. We usually run into each other when we're out hunting, but I haven't seen her in a while. I hope all is well. Beth, if you're out there, give us a shout.

As I recall, the place had been thoroughly "modernized," i.e. no tiki.

The current design's an island theme(?). "Sales Conference Island" perhaps.

They have a few pics on their website.

Thank you for posting this information! I found this mug at the Goodwill in Groton, CT and couldnt find anything on it for the longest time. Now I know some background on it, thank you again!

China Sails also used the Hawaii Kai model theater mug at one time.

DC

No kidding? I'd like to find one of those. I think I'll start hitting antique malls up that way.

This thread is mildly mind-blowing to me for a couple of reasons...

Dusty- I'm sure this isn't possible, but is there any connection to this Dave Wong and the Dave Wong's currently in operation on Stockton, California? The Stockton location, to my knowledge, is not tiki at all, but how many Dave Wongs can there be?

And that mug! Never seen anything like it before! Fantastic!

Tiki Central never ceases to amaze!

Saw this one today on eBay on a buy it now listed, Didn't buy it but wanted too.. :wink:

My Dave Wongs China Sails Mug - actually my fave!

Another China Sails swizzle spotted with the hula girl design.

Both locations on the back.

DC

I'm not out of here I've just been busy with life. Anyway have the Brown one above and another not shown here. If I can find my camera etc I will take pictures.

Beth

Glad to hear from you, Beth!