South Pacific Ports Chinese & Polynesian Restaurant., New York City, NY (restaurant)

Name:South Pacific Ports Chinese & Polynesian Restaurant.
Type:restaurant
Street:Seventh Ave & 51st Street.
City:New York City
State:NY
Zip:
country:USA
Phone:
Status:defunct

Description:
I saw a postcard on Ebay for this restaurant called the South Pacific Ports (Chinese & Polynesian) Restaurant. I did a search and didn't find anything on here for a South Pacific in New York but there was one in Pittsford Plaza which was in the community of Pittsford, a suburb of Rochester, NY.

I believe this to be a different location as this South Pacific Polynesian Restaurant was at the Hotel Taft in downtown New York.
For a VERY interesting, but short & summarized, read on the history of the Hotel Taft, check this link out:

http://www.nypress.com/18/8/news&columns/DavidFreeland.cfm

Great little history lesson on the building itself and it's unlucky history!

I do not have any other information about this place.
If you read the link above you would agree that this location for a Polynesian Restaurant would have been very successful! Especially with the theater and the area!!

Oh...and here is the postcard. It sure looks like it was quite the place!! Looks like good old drink menus on the tables! Who's got one??
I believe this card was postmarked 1970's.

TabooDan

[ Edited by: TabooDan 2008-08-12 15:51 ]

Here are a couple of ads that sold on ebay that provide a little more information on the South Pacific Ports restaurant.

Some interesting themes Hong Kong Street of Joy? Did that come with a happy ending?

And a blow up of the postcard.

DC

I picked up a large ad from the South Pacific Ports that adds a little more to the story. It was obviously modeled after the Kon Tiki Ports with the different rooms and themes (and the ship).

The rooms:

The Street of Joy - this one is my favorite!

The Long Hut

The Bogie Saloon.

The Schooner Eastern Pearl.

And the PuPu Wagon

Cool stuff from NYC.

DC

I too would like to "discover exotic dishes like Ding Dong Pork" there!

The typeface style of the ad leads me to believe this was a 70s place that came in late on the trend, one reason why it might not have succeeded for long.

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2012-10-28 01:01 ]

Bigbro,

Certainly a 70's era restaurant. I picked up a cache of items from the South Pacific Ports, including this drink menu with some very imaginative narrative!

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The drinks and serving vessels did not look half bad.

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Image Missing: https://tikicentral.com/resize.php/uploads/8169/5495c0fa.jpg?w=1280&h=1280&fit=max&sharp=5&s=76a7f304bf555054ecb91cb6138421cc

There was also this giant postcard menu mailer.

Image Missing: https://tikicentral.com/resize.php/uploads/8169/5495c184.jpg?w=1280&h=1280&fit=max&sharp=5&s=7671fed272b4b544be77c94626901168

It had all of the menu items listed inside.

DC

Great romantic narrative - meanwhile the images are not. Rather matter of fact pictures on white background. The modern "clean" look doesn't quite work for Polynesian pop :)

Spotted a few more photos from the South Pacific Ports.

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Image Missing: https://tikicentral.com/resize.php/uploads/8169/5b3fa231.jpg?w=1280&h=1280&fit=max&sharp=5&s=5df3a06098eb1cae2b366637158efa18

That is some crazy carpet.

DC