Restaurant Luau , Sainte-Adèle, QC , Canada

Name:Restaurant Luau
Type:restaurant
Street:146, rue Morin
City:Sainte-Adèle, QC
State:
Zip:J8B 2P7
country:Canada
Phone:(450) 229-2911
Status:operational

Description:
The ultimate holy grail of tiki hunting (besides maybe a Mauna Loa mug or a Steve Crane bowl) is finding a tiki bar that hasn't been documented or found by other intrepid tiki hunters. It's kind of like being Lord Carnarvon and finding Tut's tomb unspoiled. But better, because tiki hunting doesn't come with a mummy's curse (though it would make a good name for a drink). So there I was on holiday in the Laurentians (that’s in Quebec for those of you who flunked Canadian Geography), flipping through the local Laurentian newspaper, attempting to use my grade school french skills to find some flea market info - when I found a review for a restaurant called Le Luau - "Cuisine chinoise et exotique depuis 1973". I think just about all of you, francophone or not, can decipher what that means - LE TIKI BAR!

The décor has a definite Moorish/Spanish "conquistador chic" thing going on - with white stucco walls, red brick, and arched doorways. However you will still find plenty of the requisite blowfish lamps and glass fishing floats... and the bar is 50's cool personified. The entrance has the obligatory wee welcoming bridge, tiki, and faux-rock fountain too (the effect is marred slightly by the potted geranium, but I have a tendency to forgive such transgressions, this not being California or Florida). The glowing masks on the wall were the same ones I had seen advertised
in a Palley's ad from the 60's as "African Masks". Since Palley's sold tiki mugs, muu-muus and rattan chairs as well, I'll let that one slide too.

Although it's probably been outlawed everywhere else in North America, in Quebec smoking is a national pastime, so no problem if you want to puff polynesian style. Plus, there's a fully functional vintage 70's cigarette machine still operational in the lobby should you run out of your Du Maurier's.

The cocktail menu ("Notre Bar Exotique") must be the same one they had when they opened in 1973. Which, of course, for most of the population would be frightening, but for me it's a bonus. I ordered a coco-something in a coconut mug with an umbrella. You can also get drinks in pineapples, but there are no tiki mugs. Hey, this is small town Quebec. Give them a breakl!

The food is pretty decent "honkey chinese" with deep fried bow ties, chow mein and red sauce. Sometimes, authentic Szechuan or Hunan won't do - you've got to do it Ward and June Cleaver style once in a while. My mom, my husband and myself stuffed ourselves silly. Those of you who don't speak franglais may have a problem ordering off the all french menu - but if you're just there for the tropical cocktails, just point at the aforementioned photographic drink menu and you'll be pleasantly medicated in no time.

The Luau is located somewhere between Montreal and Mont Tremblant, in the lovely small town of Ste Adele. Should you ever find yourself out that way, it is definitely worth a stop, if only to have a Mai Tai and ponder the unexplored link between conquistador chic and polynesian pop. Ole! Ole-ha? ALOHA!

Restaurant Luau
Phone: (450) 229-2911
146, rue Morin
Sainte-Adèle, QC
J8B 2P7

Should you ever find yourself out that way, it is definitely worth a stop, if only to have a Mai Tai and ponder the unexplored link between conquistador chic and polynesian pop. Ole! Ole-ha? ALOHA!

Ja ja! Ole matador! Pictures anyone?

I've been to the Luau last week and I took a couple of picture. I think the restaurant is less "tiki" and more oriental than a few years back. But the super cool bar is still there. And the place still has a exotic feel. Drinks are juste okay. Food is old school chinese, not too bad.

Your truly at the bar...

The swiveling stools are great. And the bar itself has a very vintage feel.

My son sitting in a very cool chair in the bar area. Love the table too.

The restaurant is divided in small areas. This one is the most beautiful.

In the back, there is a room with two "sunken tables". You sit on the floor to eat. The best place to be in the restaurant in my opinion.

There's only one tiki in the place. And a couple of float lamps.

This is not the Mai Kai, obviously. But here in Quebec, that's in our top 5 tiki places.